Oct 29/09 Onward and upward - or downward?

My final post-surgery visit with Dr. DeHaas. A clean bill of health, the transplant and donor site are healing well, still some small open areas but normal. Volume is good and angles correct! Who knew you had to be a mathematician as well as a plastic surgeon? Nurse Lisa spent a lot of time clarifying issues, timelines and plans. Dr. DeHaas, in his usual sensitive and caring manner, explained what will happen over the next 5 months as the new breast falls into place. Whoever thought a saggy boob would be good? But that's what we now aim for. After 6 months, he does the final work of creating a nipple on the new breast and balancing the other one with it, raising that nipple 2cm and adding a slight tuck for the perfect match! Amazing. I can now start to exercise gently, drive and pick up the pieces of normal life. Yeah!
I will see Dr. DeHaas again in mid-January.

Oct 13 Thanksgiving

We celebrated with my first outing to the home of Ali, Rob, Mike and Harry for Thanksgiving dinner. Plus friend John, new dawg Farley and rabbit! In fine Ukrainian fashion, Ali cooked up a mountain of food, including cabbage rolls. A lot of it got eaten! Those boys have long empty legs. I can say I finally got my appetite back after surgery. We were joined by phone and in spirit by Gerry and Ray, Ali's parents, in Penticton. They were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary so we all had to congratulate them. Smart people, they decided not to join the families in Calgary/Edmonton for a celebration. Our temp of -16 yesterday broke a record for the day! It is to be +16 by the end of the week when this Arctic front dissipates.
(below left, Harry and Farley, middle Mike and bunny Pancakes) The after-dinner poses!

Sep 22 Breast Reconstruction

After a year wait to see micro-surgeon Dr. William DeHaas, I was lucky enough to get a date at Foothills Hospital, with a fine team of plastic surgeons, specialists and incredibly gifted nurses. During an 8 hour surgery where my lower abdomen tissue and skin plus 3 veins were taken in a "free flap" (DIEP procedure) and transplanted into my right chest cavity. All the scar tissue and damage created from the previous mastectomy surgery and extensive radiation were removed. A fresh, healthy blood supply has been reintroduced to that part of my body. I will now have full use of the right arm in future. I also have a right breast. And a very flat tummy, if scarred from hip bone to hip bone.
Some excitement in the hospital while my blood pressure went up to 240 and I was moved to ICU for 1.5 days. The cardiac experts did some checking, and finding no cause for it, modified my BP medication, which has got it back on track.
I am walking like an ape, slightly bent, hell on the lower back but easy on the ab incision. I can't do much for 6 weeks, exccept walking. No lifting. Certainly no vacuuming, ovens, sinks, baths, etc. HahaHa. Ted is pleased to see me back in the kitchen today. I can now wash myelf and actually dry my toes too. Such excitment.
Oct 8 Dr. DeHaas removed steri-strips (no stitches any more) declared his handiwork perfect, I'll have the body of a 20 year old shortly, hopefully not the brain! Some healing of the abdomen still to go so I'm on antibiotics for a week. I feel very very tired and this train has frequent stops.