Sorry, I have not updated this blog throughout this process. I have been doing most of it on facebook . . . but this site is really important as it serves as a historical record of this journey.
Jill had surgery last Thursday at St. V's. She had both breasts reconstructed and a total hysterectomy. The surgery was a bit over 5 hours and went very well. It was performed by two surgeons.
Jill stayed at the hospital until Saturday. Overall she did fairly well, but had a fever the entire time that was worrisome. She came home on Saturday and did fairly well. Later Sunday she started to feel worse. Headache, pain, nausea and her fever went up. And oh yeah, I was starting a new job the next day. I know, but leave it be. We talked to doctor and they were not too concerned. The next day my mother was over and really pushed Jill to drink. After a while, that seemed to make all the difference. By Tuesday she was nearly herself. Now Thursday she is really amazing. She went to the doc today to look at her breasts. Someone drove her, but she did great.
Today we got the results of the biopsies from all her removed parts. Totally negative!!
She will be slowed down over the next month or two, but we think the future looks great.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Jill's surgery update and request for meals
All,
Jill has surgery on Thursday June 7th. This should be the last step as far as treating cancer. She is having her breast implants put in (she currently has tissue expanders in). She is also having a total hysterectomy as a preventative measure as her BRCA1 gene mutation puts her at a much higher risk of ovarian cancer.
I will be posting updates via facebook as the primary means during the day of surgery. I will try to remember to update this as well.
As part of her recovery, we are again asking for meals. Here is the link to the calendar to be used for scheduling. We are looking at 3 days a week for two weeks. We might add a 3rd week, we shall see.
http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/101858
CALENDAR ID : 101858
SECURITY CODE : 7292
If you use the link above, you will not have to enter the Calendar ID.
As a more general update - Jill has been doing great. She has been working and being a mom and wife as normal for quite some time. She is decidedly not ready to be slowed down again. I have been doing well too. The kids are very good. Lauren has remained in therapy during this and it really has helped her with the anxiety this all brought on. We are fortunate to all be doing so well, and to have the support system in place to really keep us all healthy mentally during this.
I am off this week as I am in between jobs (by my choice) and will be starting a new job in Monday the 11th. Back at Riverview hospital where I worked from 2003-2010. Yeah, maybe not the best time to switch jobs on a quick glance . . . but I am going back to a job that I will be able to get back up to speed in very short time and I will be trading a 50-60 minute commute (each way) with a 12 minute one. I will instantly get back family time.
So that is it for now.
Jill has surgery on Thursday June 7th. This should be the last step as far as treating cancer. She is having her breast implants put in (she currently has tissue expanders in). She is also having a total hysterectomy as a preventative measure as her BRCA1 gene mutation puts her at a much higher risk of ovarian cancer.
I will be posting updates via facebook as the primary means during the day of surgery. I will try to remember to update this as well.
As part of her recovery, we are again asking for meals. Here is the link to the calendar to be used for scheduling. We are looking at 3 days a week for two weeks. We might add a 3rd week, we shall see.
http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/101858
CALENDAR ID : 101858
SECURITY CODE : 7292
If you use the link above, you will not have to enter the Calendar ID.
As a more general update - Jill has been doing great. She has been working and being a mom and wife as normal for quite some time. She is decidedly not ready to be slowed down again. I have been doing well too. The kids are very good. Lauren has remained in therapy during this and it really has helped her with the anxiety this all brought on. We are fortunate to all be doing so well, and to have the support system in place to really keep us all healthy mentally during this.
I am off this week as I am in between jobs (by my choice) and will be starting a new job in Monday the 11th. Back at Riverview hospital where I worked from 2003-2010. Yeah, maybe not the best time to switch jobs on a quick glance . . . but I am going back to a job that I will be able to get back up to speed in very short time and I will be trading a 50-60 minute commute (each way) with a 12 minute one. I will instantly get back family time.
So that is it for now.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Things are better most every day
Sorry . . . I do not blog here much any more. Mostly it is because things are somewhat quiet on the Jill cancer battle front and I suppose part of it is that coming here and writing always gives me mixed emotions. Sometimes I want to reflect and think about where we have been. Sometimes I just want to be in the now or the future.
Jill will be going back to work this week in some fashion. Maybe four half days.
Her incisions are all healing very well. She is gaining strength every day.
She has had one fill so far and will probably get filled very week or two until is at desired size.
One small note . . . on the side that had cancer, she had a back flap procedure. They take healthy muscle and skin from the back and move it to the front to go over the breast implant. The reason for this is due to the fact that heavily radiated skin will not stretch very well. At any rate a few interesting items: First, the area of back skin that now lives on the front is football shaped. The interesting thing is that you can see the incision on the back and you can see the scars on the front . . . but they do not connect. This means that the football shaped part had to be tucked under some skin below her armpit and then pulled back out. The other odd thing is that now if I touch that breast in the middle part, her mind tells her that I am touching her back. How crazy? I mean it makes sense and all, but still. Therefore, I am now going to assume when she says her back itches or she wants me to scratch her back it is code that she wants to be intimate.
Jill will be going back to work this week in some fashion. Maybe four half days.
Her incisions are all healing very well. She is gaining strength every day.
She has had one fill so far and will probably get filled very week or two until is at desired size.
One small note . . . on the side that had cancer, she had a back flap procedure. They take healthy muscle and skin from the back and move it to the front to go over the breast implant. The reason for this is due to the fact that heavily radiated skin will not stretch very well. At any rate a few interesting items: First, the area of back skin that now lives on the front is football shaped. The interesting thing is that you can see the incision on the back and you can see the scars on the front . . . but they do not connect. This means that the football shaped part had to be tucked under some skin below her armpit and then pulled back out. The other odd thing is that now if I touch that breast in the middle part, her mind tells her that I am touching her back. How crazy? I mean it makes sense and all, but still. Therefore, I am now going to assume when she says her back itches or she wants me to scratch her back it is code that she wants to be intimate.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Another step
Jill had her first fill yesterday. This is the adding of fluid to tissue expanders that are in her breasts. She was in a decent amount of pain last night, which is not ideal, but this morning she already feels less pain. Still tight, but not as sore.
She will get small fills every week or two until she is the size she wants. Fortunately, we are in agreement with size . . . we both seem to be done with really big boobs.
Right now the tentative schedule for the next (and hopefully final) steps of her plan are in place. Some more fills, then some time for her body to recover. Then in late May or Early June she will have surgery to remove the expanders and put in implants. This will also be the hysterectomy / oophorectomy. Then she will be laid up for a while from all this. Once recovered, she should be back to normal. Well, normal for a cancer survivor with fake boobs and who is in menopause before the age of 40. :).
All this is again an interesting process for her, me and our family. Our lives were turned upside down. Then we found a new normal. Then life become very normal again. Then a surgery. Then an extended cold and the fear of what if it was lung cancer. Then a slow return to normal, but with a somewhat slowed down Jill - but a Jill that was home every day (her not being able to do as much around the house like dishes or laundry - but was always home to get the girls ready for school, etc - so there was upside and downsides). Normal will return even more next week with her doing some limited time at work. Then she will be back to work 4 days a week (which is her normal). Then another surgery and we do it all again.
We all agree this process is much better than the alternative.
She will get small fills every week or two until she is the size she wants. Fortunately, we are in agreement with size . . . we both seem to be done with really big boobs.
Right now the tentative schedule for the next (and hopefully final) steps of her plan are in place. Some more fills, then some time for her body to recover. Then in late May or Early June she will have surgery to remove the expanders and put in implants. This will also be the hysterectomy / oophorectomy. Then she will be laid up for a while from all this. Once recovered, she should be back to normal. Well, normal for a cancer survivor with fake boobs and who is in menopause before the age of 40. :).
All this is again an interesting process for her, me and our family. Our lives were turned upside down. Then we found a new normal. Then life become very normal again. Then a surgery. Then an extended cold and the fear of what if it was lung cancer. Then a slow return to normal, but with a somewhat slowed down Jill - but a Jill that was home every day (her not being able to do as much around the house like dishes or laundry - but was always home to get the girls ready for school, etc - so there was upside and downsides). Normal will return even more next week with her doing some limited time at work. Then she will be back to work 4 days a week (which is her normal). Then another surgery and we do it all again.
We all agree this process is much better than the alternative.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Follow up to CT - all clear
Jill had a sustained cough for more than a month so the docs wanted to get a look at her lungs to rule out spread of cancer. The CT scan was yesterday and today we got the results that all is well.
BTW, her cough has basically gone away . . . she is much better now.
BTW, her cough has basically gone away . . . she is much better now.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A week later
Most of you follow Jill on facebook, so this is not really news. But Jill is doing better every day. She is more active and feeling better all the time. Tomorrow she goes to see the plastic surgeon to see how she is doing. Well, the doctor wants to see how Jill is doing, not the other way around, if that was ambiguous.
I suspect one drain will be out for sure. Maybe two drains? We can hope.
And as the meals end tomorrow - we want to thank everyone who has helped us. Really makes a difference.
I suspect one drain will be out for sure. Maybe two drains? We can hope.
And as the meals end tomorrow - we want to thank everyone who has helped us. Really makes a difference.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Mixed bag on day two
Jill is still not in all that much pain, which is good. But she is limited in movement (had to wake me up to help her out of bed) and as of midday she has become nauseous and has puked a few times. When I was picking up Lauren from Kindergarten I got the call - I puked and I cannot get up (from chair). Luckily she had a puke thingy from the hospital.
She is now on a med to help with that and we are going to adjust the pain meds some.
She is in decent spirits and is thankful for all the well-wishing.
She is now on a med to help with that and we are going to adjust the pain meds some.
She is in decent spirits and is thankful for all the well-wishing.
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