An update

Tuesday was weird. Due to the holidays and lack of communication on the part of the hospital system, my first two appointments were canceled... AFTER I got to Ann Arbor at 8:30am. So my first (and only) appointment wasn't until 1:45pm. I got a gas card and free lunch (which I was able to share with a stranger in front of me in line at Subway) out of it. And I made a new friend whom I admire greatly and genuinely loved getting to know a bit (Hi, Crystal!).

The first appointment (a radiologist reading my mammogram from 2016) was completely canceled because it's an unnecessary appointment. The second appointment (with my breast surgeon) was rescheduled for this coming Monday. The third appointment was my cystoscopy. Other than getting locked in the procedure room (which was actually fine and turned out funny), it went well. Dr. H. and I didn't see any tumors on the screen but we did see a raised spot. While she didn't think it's cancer, she decided to biopsy it to make sure. Let me tell you... being awake for, seeing (on the screen and watching your doctor as she uses the forceps to get the tissues samples), and feeling (a strong tug but no pain since I was numbed first) a bladder biopsy is funky. Kind of neat though. So she sent the tissue samples and a urine sample off to pathology and said she'd call me with results. Dr. H. also said she's going to come visit me when I'm in the hospital for my surgeries next month. She's just a wonderful person. <3

Wednesday was good. First appointment was with my plastic surgeon. Other than him questioning if I was making the right choice for me because my reasoning is so different than most people's, all went well. I got to see, talk to, and hug my aunt as well (she's a nurse for one of the other docs in the practice). Always a good thing. <3 Dr. K. and I decided that I'm going to go the afternoon before surgery to get marked up for surgery. Brian and I will stay at MedInn in the hospital the night before surgery, which we hadn't intended to do. It's good, though, as we'd otherwise have to leave home at 4am on Friday anyway. I'm all set with Dr. K. until then.

I asked him lots of questions, most of which came from things I’ve read in the DIEP flap Facebook group that I'm part of. I thought I’d share his answers with you. As always, different doctors have different thoughts on things and not everyone does everything the same; these are my doctor’s answers and your doctor’s may differ.
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- what can I do to promote healing?
Protein and follow the restrictions 
- what can I do to avoid issues?
Follow restrictions 
- how long is surgery?
6-8 hours. My doc doesn’t do much with shaping during a PBMX because it’s safer to not be under anesthesia for that long. His primary focus is to get two working flaps.
- how long in hospital?
3-5 days 
- how long will I have drains?
An average of two weeks, will have 4 drains 
- anything I can do to affect getting them out earlier?
Not really. They’re looking for less than 30 CCs for two days
- how long til I can drive?
3-4 weeks (off of pain meds and ease/comfort of movement)
- bathing?
Shower before you leave hospital. Can’t soak in a tub until drains are out
- things I should have at home?
Nothing specific from their perspective 
- things I should have at hospital
Nothing specific from their perspective 
- what’s provided for me for afterward?
They’ll order any equipment they feel is necessary for home for me before I leave (such as walker, shower chair, etc.). They’ll order home care if they feel it’s necessary. They do not have patients wear binders.
- things to watch out for
Fevers, chills, redness, puss drainage
- icu after surgery?
No. Docs make this decision based on the hospital/wing and its nurses’ ability and availability to check on patients at least every hour for the first 24-48 hours.
- work restrictions afterward
No lifting over 5 pounds for at least a month 
- more pre-op appointments?
No others. He marks people up the morning of surgery.
- how often seen afterward?
2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, usually, then depends on your personal situation/progress.

Next appointment was with a PA for pre-op. Vitals, general questions, reviewing the procedure and its risks (not fun to hear), going over instructions for the day before and day of to prep for surgery, bloodwork. All went well. The last appointment was a CT (with contrast) of my abdomen and aorta. CTs are never fun but they're not horrible. As I was getting ready to change into scrubs for the procedure, I looked in the full-length mirror (which I never do, purposely LOL). I felt like I was having a "skinny" (for me, anway...) day. It was a good feeling. :) The CT went fine. I'll get those results next week as well.

On my way home from the appointments, Dr. H. called me. She had accidentally ordered my biopsy results "Rush" so she had the results already. As I told her, there are certainly worse mistakes she could make. I was grateful for quick results. :) So... the raised spot isn't cancer. It's a "papillary urothelial neoplasm of malignant potential." Meaning it could become cancerous. As it's "not red and angy", we're not going to worry about it for the time being. We're going to keep an eye on it. My next cystoscopy is in April (going on that every-three-months thing for about a year, we think).

I got a call yesterday to tell me that my mammogram came back clean. :)

So that's where we are for now. I have an appointment Monday morning and I think I don't go back until February 1 to be marked up for my February 2 surgery.

Another note, one which makes me very happy... one of my cousins texted me yesterday to ask some questions about the pre-appointment paperwork for the geneticist. Her doctor finally gave her the referral and she is getting ready to make that appointment. She's been trying to do this for a long time and she NEEDS to get this moving. I'm so incredibly glad and relieved that she is finally on the path. Her mom died of breast cancer and her sister has it. She already knows she wants the preventive surgeries. She needs to get things rolling. I love her too much to lose her unnecessarily.