PREVIVOR: A person who is not diagnosed with cancer, but has survived the predisposition, or higher risk, of cancer due to a genetic mutation and/or strong family history. After being armed with this information, a previvor can make informed choices prior to a cancer diagnosis.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Good news

I received a letter in the mail today saying that my insurance company would cover my mastectomy AND reconstruction. That is such a relief to me. The whole ordeal is going to be hard enough without having to argue and fight with the insurance company! I feel like putting the letter in my scrapbook...well my big box of stuff that I'll eventually put into a scrapbook :)

I'm trying to get together a list of supplies to start buying for my surgery and recovery time. Everyone has so many great suggestions but I need to narrow it down! Any advice from any fellow previvors would be oh so appreciated!

Yesterday afternoon I got told that my gym had closed down. I got the information by e-mail, text, and Facebook. That absolutely made me SO sad! The gym has become such a big part of my life. Now I know alot of people didnt understand me being upset...just go to another gym right? But I had a routine down, I loved everyone at the gym, and I had become in better shape at THIS gym than any other one. So when I got the news TODAY (again by Facebook, email and text) that the gym was reopening on Monday under new management, I was THRILLED! The gym is the place where I can go and not be the girl who's waiting to have a mastectomy and who's had a brain tumor and a million other surgeries. People at the gym know about this stuff, but I can just forget about it for awhile and work out with everyone else! I know it probably sounds silly, but it's helped me learn to manage my stress in the past few months in a much more healthy way (Instead of eating my weight in chips and cookies!)

I absolutely cannot believe it is snowing AGAIN! I live in MISSISSIPPI!!!! The home of the 120 degree summers that last six months. We got snow on Christmas for the first time in like 100 + years, which was nice and I can't even remember how many times it's snowed since then. I almost wish I was back in grade school...we only  got like one snow day a year if we were lucky! I love the snow but I'm so ready for spring. Even though spring = surgery. But seriously, the way the weather is going it looks like it may just be me and Mike for a few days, I'm sure that prospect absolutely THRILLS him =)

We are supposed to go visit my birth mother this weekend. We were supposed to go LAST weekend but changed the plans at the last minute. I'm definetely excited and nervous. She has breast cancer which has spread to her brain. The doctors didn't give her much time (6 months) so I knew if I didn't make the trip to visit her that I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I'll be sure to take pictures! Don't get me wrong, my family is my family and my parents are my parents and I love them dearly. But it will be interesting to see the woman who I've been told I favor very much. I think it's not a chance a lot of adopted people get, to meet their birth mothers, so I better seize the opportunity while it's there!

My grandmother recently got put on hospice care. She has inflammatory breast cancer. I'm seeing her on Friday for a little bit. I've heard that she's comfortable and in good spirits so that makes me feel a little better. It breaks my heart to see her like this, but I'm glad she's at least more comfortable and her is pain is lessened.

I honestly cannot believe that mid-terms are coming up. MIDTERMS!!!!! My A&P lab practical is Saturday and that means I should probably be studying. But I think I'll just go snuggle under the covers!

4 comments:

  1. Hi, I found you through the FORCE message boards. I'd love to see your list of what you are planning to get to prepare for surgery. My surgery will be the end of this year and I've already started keeping notes on everything.

    Good luck on your midterms :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. best ice/heat packs in the world!!!! buy 2 of them!

    http://www.therapearl.com/

    also get a cheap small fanny pack to put your drains in while you shower

    mini airplane pillows for under your arms

    A RECLINER!

    have you gotten post op bras yet?

    also kohl's sells these great sports bras once you can lift your arms to wear them

    http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524892620511&pfx=pfx_shopcompare&cid=shopping3&mr:trackingCode=B2A90F72-586E-DF11-BAA3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with everthing that Robin posted. If you are sent home with a pain pump, it will have a fanny pack to carry it around in, I used it for my drains too (I had four drains). Soft button down PJs are a must. I used a tumbler with a straw for the first week so I didnt' have to lift my arms as much to drink. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh and chapstick for the hospital lol My mouth and lips were so dry if I didn't have my chapstick I would of been in trouble

    ReplyDelete