The Pink Wakes Up CBC Radio

What a morning! The sun had yet to rise over the downtown buildings on Victoria Street in Kamloops, yet there I was, Starbucks mug in hand (filled with home brew of decaf, almond milk and stevia) dressed head to heels in HOT PINK! They saw me coming in a swirl of colored poodle hair that hung from my newest acquisition of blazing pink suede coat and fluffy collar and arm adornments. Beneath, my brightest pink dress and new pink Payless pumps.
Why all the pink? Women, including myself, LOVE the colour. We identify it as our birthright, something that distinguishes us. I wear it to attract their attention, like a red feeder attracts hummingbirds. I want women to stop, look and LISTEN to what I am saying. You do NOT have to be a breast cancer statistic. A few basic tips and you can avoid the taste of chemo that never leaves the back of your throat. The mutilated or missing breast. The pain, depression and learning to live with the new you.

That was the message from CBC host Shelley Joyce to her listeners as we talked on air this morning, live.Read this book, Running From Cancer: a tilted memoir- also hot pink- it could save you or your friends body parts, possibly your life.

Radio is becoming easy and fun- I no longer shake and rattle, eager to sound clear and get my point across. Cut back on the alcohol from 10 to 7 drinks a week. One a day max for women, two for men. Cut back on the donuts to one a week instead of one a day. Up the exercise from 10 minutes to 40. One serving of fruit and vegis to 10. One glass of water a day to eight. Does that sound like too much to do to save your life? To avoid going to hell and back?

Trust me, you'll not think so after your diagnosis!

Pooped and Off On Tour

I've blogged about everything else happening to me since the cancer comedy fell on top of me and threatened to squish me like the mouthy bug that I was, so a little more squeaking.
I am totally EXhausted. For two months at my computer phoning and e-mailing media for the upcoming book tour to Vancouver and back.
What a slippery bunch they are- and your very career depends on these people! "But who are you?" You wrote what? You sent a press package and a book?"
Some day I will not have to go through all this and I can return to do what I do best. And that's not wait for a call back that is never coming. It would be trying to finish editing the second mystery...so that I can go through all this again. And again- ha.
No real complaints- just need a few more hours in the day.
I'm living the dream, but it was a little less hectic than this as I recall. And where the hell is the manservant??

Level Once Again

Ahhhh, the days of leaning further left from more weight has ended. I am walking taller and straighter than ever before. Well, since I was twenty anyways. The breast reconstructive surgery from my partial mastectomy was a success. And they are a work-of-art. The post-surgery gauze bandages have fallen away and lo-and-behold two bobbing mounds of joy. Two! Count them. Not one and a bit. Not beauty and ugly. I have mirrored twins! I can't stop looking down or raising my hand to make sure it is still there and not deflated again like the past few weeks. It's not moving?
Aw, come on you say. There must be a downside, right? Nope. Really- they're sore, but nothing, and I repeat nothing like any of the previous surgeries. A few days of pain killers and now I'm on straight chocolate with no codeine involved.
I tried walking the 10 km Terry Fox Run on Sunday but after 2.5 km found I was handling myself and was getting strange looks so we turned around and completed only 5 km this year. We made up for it at the silent auction shopping. Okay, it needs to "set." I knew that would happen. No jumping for joy, no post-cocoa work-out. Two weeks. I can do that. If I can do a year of cancer treatment, you KNOW I can handle a week of anything.

For anyone considering having a breast reconstructed, please take this as a massive endorsement for the positive. I have myself back. I am whole once again! And , courtesy of the BC Medical Plan, I had the other one raised to be in the same area code. No more pencil or beer can  holders- I have a set of boobs that can float. I could be a stripper- call myself the Joker with a brown lunch bag with a big question mark on it pulled over my head! Look out Mexican wet t-shirt contest- I'm JOKING, people.

No, I am able to get these gals all the appreciation they need right here at home. Starting from myself. Now I have way more appreciation of what I own. What I will protect a lot better this time. Don't ask me if I want a glass of wine anymore. I've traded in the bottles fora perfect set of  boobs. For free- well, almost. There's the cost of the years off my life from the treatments and the stress, but it's a nice trade off all the same.

Would I go through it all again- yes, if it was just the one-time I probably would! I think it's important that I came out of this cancer journey ready and eager to help others in avoiding it.That wouldn't have been the same if I had avoided the chemo and the reconstruction.

I have found my path and my gift to the world. I went through the full cancer gambit with as little horror as one could have and still be considered a survivor. Now to tell everyone about it!

BEFORE....and you'll just have to imagine the fully rounded, plump after.

Fourth Breast Scar Coming Up

Prepping and the countdown have begun for the hopefully last breast surgery in my lifetime. One can wish, right? This time for both breasts. A silicone implant will replace the expander in the right and the left will be made to look more like the new right (as in higher and perkier. Oh absolute joy!)
I have got "the call" from the PG hospital with the 100 questions on what diseases I might have, what surgeries I've been through, what drugs I'm on, what neck size (excuse me?), had any of this, ever had that? It's like they want to find an excuse not to go through with it? Surely you've been in contact with a large group of people lately? No.Do you snore? Not that I've heard?
To be this close to surgery one is tempted to lie- if my answer stands between me and getting this surgery done, then perjury it will be. As it is, I still have to hold my breath to make sure the surgeon makes it and isn't called away for an emergency somewhere, that the operating room isn't bumped by someone else, that I don't get a cold or get sick or yes, get hit by a bus between now and then. A lot of maybes before I get slid onto that hard slab with the big light standing guard over top of me. Before I'm injected with about my tenth round of anesthesia and float away to where? I remember visiting with mom once. I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing her again. They say if the last thing you tell yourself is to remember your dreams before you fall asleep, you have a good chance of getting some recall.
So until Wednesday I am washing daily with a pre-surgical antiseptic soap to help ensure no infections. No herbal supplements and no aspirin. Day of, water only. In and out same day.
Another week on the couch with a struggle to make a daily pilgrimage to the post box and back (40 minute return) then 2-3 weeks of no swimming or chlorine until the scars heal and then another two weeks of no bouncing, running until the "pudding" sets and the implant is firmly embedded in the flesh.(unless I want a permanent shoulder pad.)
And then...the new and improved Debi Smith. Getting back what cancer took away.
Soon cancer will be nothing but faded scars in my breasts and my memories.
 I've learned a lot since July 2010 when I was told I would be headed on a different adventure.
A mere three years later and I'm back a wiser, better prepared cancer fighter...and an author to boot.
Maybe not a good enough trade-off but I'll take it.

Back to the Boob

I think I've slipped from the normal pattern of breast reconstruction into a new category called "something else." The usual fill to maximum 200 ccs of saline to make my right breast the same size as my left, has turned into filling the expander sewn into the right breast every 3-5 days with another 100 ccs. Like a balloon, it blows up before our very eyes. Two days later, the surgical side of the breast is deflated again. The good news is all this hassle is expanding the skin bit by bit, enough that when surgery happens on September 11 (no, the date did not escape me) there will be enough extra skin to swap the temporary saline bag with a permanent solid gel silicone one.
But I had to share the fact that a long weekend is almost upon us, so my good doctor Sandi filled the boob again after only two days since the last fill. I can definitely feel the difference once again, almost too heavy on the right side, like I can tip over. That may be a wee bit of exaggeration.
I must also commend Sandi on her success at finding the port. Now that the skin has stretched, I no longer receive a freezing for the injection site. It's a quick check with the magnet finder for the metallic port-site and then a "quick poke" and Sandi is pushing the plunger down on the syringe, which no longer vibrates from effort, but goes in smooth and quick. We're done in minutes. See you next week!
A tip for anyone going through this- a syringe usually only holds 60 cc's, so what we are now doing is filling two syringes- one with 60ccs and one with 40 ccs. Once the needle is inserted into the port, Sandi uses the first syringe but she does not remove the needle from my breast. She unscrews it from the syringe and replaces the empty syringe with the next filled one. That saves her having to find the port twice. Works great for me! I didn't have to watch that long point coming at me twice.

Have a fab labor day long weekend everyone. I think I'll take this big boob to the lake and show it off while I can. No-one ever looks at your stomach rolls when there is an anomaly around.

The Dream Wedding

Finally one of our four children has "taken one for the team." With all this talk in my book about wanting weddings and grandkids, our oldest daughter Lindsay had the family flown by helicopter to the top of Mt. Begbie in Revelstoke, B.C. There, upon a large flat rock with a background drop of waterfalls, glaciers and mountain scenery, she said "I do" to her best friend and partner in adventure, Jeff Zeitz (rhymes with heights). They will enjoy the most scenic wedding photos imaginable, especially with their love of dramatic mountain scenery. Complete with blue sky, sunshine and a handsome heli pilot.

The maid-of honour's dress flying up around her ears was one of the favourite stories along with a few "borrowed" flowers from another wedding's floral arrangement to make two  new corsages when ours froze, picking huckleberries until our tongues turned blue on the family hike the day before and the backword 'Z's on the pies all blended to make it an unforgettable occasion.The picture site will be announced for more glimpses of the bride and groom- the professional ones!

The honeymoon is in Squamish at a mountain climbing course so they will be able to climb Mt Begbie all the way on foot next time, using ropes and caribeeners. We asked that they call after the hike and not before!

We can hardly wait for the next wedding August 2nd of our other daughter Karly to her beau Matt McCrae of Victoria. Look for your Save-the-date cards in the mail very soon!

On that front, while in the hotel's hot tub this weekend, our son Lorne professed his intention of spending the rest of his life with partner Deb Austin, ring yet or not,which  had us sighing with content and the hope of the next part of the picture, the grandkids, falling not too shortly behind.


What about Kelly? Kelly seems perfectly content with his own company. Can't argue with that! Literally.

I think the floating feeling is going to continue for some time.

At least until the next surgery for the replacement of the breast expander with the real silicone breast implant on September 11. Yes, on 911. I have a feeling its going to be a good day for one of us.

Thanks for checking in!

"Limp" the Boob Along

Quick up-date for anyone new. I have been going through breast reconstruction with the use of a surgically implanted breast expander in my breast. This expander has a bag which is filled gradually over the weeks until the anticipated size is reached. It is then left inside for two months for the skin to fully stretch to the desired size. A second surgery removes the expander and a silicone replacement that resembles the constituency of a gum drop, is then sewn in and voila- a full boob.I get back what cancer took from me!

 My exisitng nipple, although pointed to the far right will come a bit more left, but not enough to point in the proper direction. I figured that appropriate for someone that gets lost in a paper bag. Like a tattoo or street sign bearing my name, I now have my own individualized body part!

  A recent mishap caused a tweak in "the plan." A small leak has occurred which is exacerbated by sleeping on my stomach or any pressure on my chest.

My surgeon called it "limping the boob along," meaning a  rush operation will be requested, pending date September 6 but until then, we need to keep the breast with the expander inside filled to capacity as much as possible. This is instead of facing a second surgery to replace the expander and saline filled bag. We're going to try and make what we have work. Whew! Two more surgeries would have been hard to take. My right side is down for the count for 4-6 weeks. Hard to ski with one arm.

SO...I go to the Kelowna emergency on Monday morning (whatever was I thinking. What a line-up!) to eventually face a very handsome, super cheerful 13 year-old (?) doctor that said, "really?" Once I explained the technique required, he had the needle into the appropriate docking spot in one try and filled me with another 100 cc's of saline. It felt super large, jutting beneath my arm slightly. It felt wonderfully full and almost larger than my left breast. Definitely firmer, higher younger looking. Oh joy, oh JOY!

I will have to have it re-filled on Friday, the day before our daughter's wedding, to better fit my dress. Another emergency ward, another doctor who will most likely repeat the word..."really?"

Who else gets to go on a holiday having to limp their boob, instead of their spare tire, along? It is so typically me. Sigh.