Prophylactic Double Mastectomy..Yes Please!

After 2 years of mammograms and MRI's every 6 months...and debating when and if...I finally made one of the hardest...but smartest decisions I have ever made...to have a prophylactic bilateral double mastectomy due to me having the BRCA2 gene. Doctors advised me to do this 10 years before my mom was diagnosed...which would mean at the age of 30. I am only 27, but I'm human, I'm a mommy, I'm a wife, I'm a daughter, I'm a sister, I'm a friend, and I worry about my future! Statistically I had a 80-90% chance of getting breast cancer, but by having this surgery my chances are drastically reduced to only a 1-2% chance! I'll take it!!! The story begins way before this...but I am sharing my week leading up to my surgery and my recovery progress! WARNING...there are post op pictures of my incisions!!!! 

My last day of school was Tuesday and as I was walking in...I noticed everyone was wearing pink...even the students! I immediately had a meltdown in the parking lot and that was just the beginning! Mrs. Gore gave the most heartfelt speech over the intercom to bring awareness to the students! It turned a hard day into a special one! 

Wednesday...Cody and I planned a family play date of go cart riding and putt putt golf! Due to rain we took the girls to Chuckie Cheese instead and soaked up every waking hour with them! Our girls are our world!! 

The girls then got an invitation to a special slumber party and oh my goodness were they excited!! 

So Thursday was the day! We dropped the girls off for a slumber party at Mama Jane's with Ali, Ainsley and Landrey! They were so excited! 

And off to the hospital we went! I was a little anxious, but overall just ready to get this part behind me! All of my family stayed with me until it was time for me to go into pre-op holding. Only one person could come and that was Cody! Before everyone left I handed Cody, my parents, and sister cards with written notes from me to pass the time in the waiting room! This was one of the hardest times for me when my mom was having this surgery...so I wanted to make it somehow not so nerve racking for them! The rule was... as soon as the Doctor first called they could read note number 1. And from that point on every hour that went by they could read the next note... I wrote 4 notes because that's how long surgery was supposed to take! I wrote them ahead of time as if I could talk to them while I was asleep and I wrote things I thought I would be thinking about...very sentimental..but always included a little humor! They loved them and were very appreciative! 

We stayed in post op holding for a while and then they came and took me back for a para vertebral nerve block for post op pain relief. After that I don't remember a thing! The surgery started around 1:00 and I got to my hospital room at 7:00! It took a while in recovery because I was in so much pain (They later informed me that they gave me 3 dilaudids which are 7 times stronger than morphine to put it in perspective)..and they had to monitor my blood pressure. Once they got my pain under control I was able to go back to my room. I was so happy to see everyone! I stayed 2 nights and got home Saturday afternoon! Cody and my mom never left my side! My family made for some pretty spectacular nurses! My recovery is and continues to be pretty awesome! I was up slowly walking around the next day! I attribute this to all the prayer warriors and give all the praise and glory to the mighty God I serve!! 

I was so ready to get home to my babies! I could hardly stand it! The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming! From my amazing friends setting up an online food delivery for my family for the next 2 weeks, to the phone calls, text messages, comments, flowers...etc...it has blessed us beyond words!

 I went for my follow up appointment and unfortunately some of my skin was so bruised that Dr. A wanted to perform another surgery to trim that skin. He was very concerned with how much skin he would have to trim and if he would be able to sew me back up with the expander in. He wouldn't know until surgery. Not the news I wanted to hear but whatever it took...I was all for! The surgery took a couple of hours and was outpatient. He was able to keep the expander in! He and his team were amazing!! I felt awesome that night and the next day...but then it hit me Saturday! So I took it easy! 

Monday I had my follow up appointment with my surgical oncologist to go over my pathology report...I was a little nervous...but I knew everything would be just fine! And it was!!! Praise The Lord!! Wednesday I had my follow up appointment with Dr. A for my 2nd surgery! He and Nurse Linda were so pleased with my surgery! Of course my family and I were too! They took the newest drain out and filled my expanders! One step closer and I couldn't be happier with my decision and my recovery!!