May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!
~ Robert Frost

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. This is my story of how I faced my risk of breast cancer, the decisions I made, the support I received and my week by week recovery from surgery. I chose to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston (March 2010). For more information on my 'Medical Team' please see tab above. I also have a wonderful circle of friends who have supported me throughout. They have provided us with lots of delicious meals and desserts. Many of those recipes are included above under "Feed the Flap" recipes. "Feed the Flap" is a term I coined when trying to increase my abdominal (fat) flap to ensure that I was a good candidate for the DIEP procedure. This was not something recommended by any medical professional, it was just something that made sense to me. I think it worked!! Feel free to join me on this journey and feel free to post comments.

Select the tabs on the left side marked Week 1, Week 2, Week 3..... to go immediately to the surgical/recovery part of this blog.


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Two Years Ago Today.....

Today marks the second anniversary of my bilateral mastectomy and DIEP surgery!!! How amazing!! It's hard not to think about on March 29th. As I was exercising this morning with Mike at 5am, I kept asking him if he remembered what we were doing two years ago at this time. Then five minutes later I asked him again, then again and again, until about 7:30 at which time I was taken to the OR with Dr. Tobias.

As my day wore on I didn't give it much thought, until now when I looked at the clock and saw 7:15pm. Two years ago I was still in surgery. It had been about 12 hours and I still had 4.5 to go. Of course I felt nothing until the wee hours of the morning. But my husband had to wait and worry all day long. Not that I remember this, but it was pouring rain. Mike tells me that he walked and walked and walked around Boston that day in the pouring rain. It rained so hard that week that there was record-breaking flooding in Rhode Island. I do remember seeing that on the news when I began to recover.

So anyway, on my second anniversary, I am proud of myself for deciding on the PBM + DIEP, am eternally grateful to Dr. Tobias, Maria and Dr. Curtis. I could never have found a more talented, more caring team in the world. I am also relieved to have all of this in my rearview mirror.

As time goes on the memories fade, but the appreciation for my family and friends grows. It was tough to hang in there with me as I researched and researched and researched for a year and a half. I am reminded of their love and support for me each time I have the opportunity to pay it forward.

From this blog I have found new DIEP sisters.....Sara, Kristine, Jen, Carol, Laurie and many others who have reached out as they have moved forward with their own DIEP journeys.

Just before my surgery, DIEP sister, Jen, told me, "You will go back to your normal when all this is over. It's still you and your life." She was so right!! Before surgery I thought that my whole life would change (I actually thought I might die). In the end, everything is the same, but better, SO MUCH BETTER.

Thanks for visiting,
Love,
Joanie

PS. Here's one last thought.....I found this quote on my blog and thought it would fitting for how I feel now when looking back.....

It's a quote by Joseph Campbell that speaks to how life sends us down unexpected pathways. It is from these pathways that we bring depth and color to our lives. 

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, 
so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
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