Surviving Cancer

And, once again, it has been quite some time since I have written. I think it’s been so long because life has been good and there hasn’t been anything to provide an update on. Well, not a lot had happened since I last wrote, up until just recently. After my last post, I finally received my stem cell boost. I received stem cells from my original donor in early September, in order to boost my blood counts. It worked perfectly! My counts recovered and I no longer needed to go to the clinic every week for transfusions! I had a routine bone marrow biopsy in early October, and results showed no evidence of cancer! Hallelujah!

Fast forward to December, I started having some symptoms pop up. It was right after having the flu, but I noticed painful, red, swollen lumps show up on my breasts. I gave it a day, and that was enough waiting for me. I contacted my doctor and got in to be seen as soon as possible. I had a CT scan done to look for anything out of the ordinary. The doctor that I saw noticed quite of bit of swelling or inflammation in the area in question. With my history, he wanted to get a biopsy done. This all happened right before Christmas, so naturally it wouldn’t be until after Christmas that anything was decided.

After talking to my main oncologist, we both ended up at the same conclusion. He expressed concerns that my breast implants have been the driving force of a lot of my issues. I mentioned that I wanted them out anyway, due to pain, discomfort and just an all around foreign feeling. So it was decided. Instead of going through a biopsy just to then have the implants removed, they decided to forgo the biopsy and expedite the removal of my implants.

January 10th I had my explant surgery. They removed my 3-year-old breast implants and any tissue they wanted to biopsy. It is still fresh. Still painful. Still new. Still overwhelming. Cancer has taken so much from me. I know physical attributes don’t define who I am as a person, but until you are faced with the choice, and the reality of what has been taken from me to make me feel and look like a woman, its a hard pill to swallow. I know many women who have gone flat, and I know I made the right decision to do the same. It will just take time to officially accept my new body, and all of it’s new scars and imperfections.

I did have another bone marrow biopsy right before my surgery, and that showed nothing but good news! My marrow is reflecting 100% donor and there are no signs of Leukemia. Although, I have lost my breasts, among other things, I still have my life. And that is thee most precious gift of all.

We will wait for the results of the biopsied tissue they took with my implants, and pray that too, comes back cancer free!

I am ready to start 2023 flat, alive and hopefully cancer free!