Quickest updates of updates: It turns out I have passed my bachelor's degree and am well on my way to my master's degree in patience. It's not my virtue, for sure, but (or therefore) it must be something God really wants me to work on. So I'm working on it. I've got my book bag in tow and I'm studying hard.
I met with Lead Plastic Surgeon late today, who after a little look and feel session with this pesky little nodule, instead of instantly confirming my hopes of this lump being a piece of my alloderm sling decided he wanted to say " I have no idea what this is". Well, at least the 3 people have I met with thus far are all in agreement. I asked, do you not think it is maybe the sling (like the radiologist was thinking)? He said the location, shape, and texture made it unlikely. He has seen sling "roll up on itself" but that usually happens in the outer region of the breast at the end of the sling not smack in the middle of the breast where there are no sling edges. Also, in his opinion (and mine as well) it would be unlikely to be this "peanut shape". I also asked him if it could be a piece of half chewed gum that he maybe absentmindedly dropped into my breast while leaning down with scalpel in hand during my last OR procedure. He promptly denied said allegation and moved the conversation onward. When I pinned him down for his serious thoughts we are guessing that maybe it is something that has deposited itself/is growing on the sling, or the implant. Moral of the story: we simply don't know what this not-so-endearing nodule is (after 2 breast exams, 1 ultrasound, and 2 mammograms), but I bet you can now guess who just scored herself a biopsy? Huh, can you guess?
Biopsy scheduled for October 13. (I know, that is a month away; No one is more aware of that than me; But alas the schedule is the schedule; Mainly because he is out of town for 2 weeks;). He will use local anesthetic and cut a one inch line over the spot and go in and dig whatever it is out. Close it up with stitches and wait for pathology results to come back (1-2 weeks). So by Halloween, we will have this all figured out. What's another month, right? Who doesn't want a pathology result for a Halloween treat (said no one ever)?
So that is the super quick version because I am absolutely warn out. Exhausted and needing a very long sleep, so I am working frantically to get there with still very much to do before climbing into bed. But I wanted you to know the "hot off the press" update since you have been so kind and faithful to pray me to this appointment. In efforts to keep it short, I skipped the details about us meeting again and the irony of that after having said out official "good byes" after surgery #6 a year ago. I also skipped the part about him telling me that he is leaving the practice in January (ummm, not that I will ever need him again, but I said that 5 surgeries ago and look where we are). And I skipped the details of the poking a prodding, but as I have said before, there seems to be little dignity in malignancy and breast reconstruction, at times anyway.
Ron and I are doing ok. A little less confident than we were going into the appointment since Lead Plastic Surgeon derailed the original alloderm sling culprit plan, but as we have been learning so faithfully the last 4 years, God has a purpose even in this nodule. So wait we will do. And come what may, we will do that too.With absolute certainty I can say that breast reconstruction keeps you on you toes and it can be a guessing game. We trudge forward all the same.
