Miami, Part II

Well, back from round two.  Flew out Friday after Thanksgiving to Sunny Isles Beach which is North Miami and got in 1.5 holes of golf on Saturday with our friends Dick and Annette Copland in Boca Raton before it started to pour.   Had my procedure 12/4  and returned home 12/12.

We are so sorry we missed all your horrible weather.  We were making do with 80+ with  a low of about 75.  Reality set in when we walked into the house in Napa and it was  48 degrees.  Burrrrr.

So, my progress is very slow as I was told it would be.  At this time, we're looking at 4 more procedures spaced about 3 months apart.  It's a long, tough, painful road but at least I'm optimistic.

We are spending January in Scottsdale so I can fully recover and Tom and I can enjoy the warmer weather.  February 3 we leave for Sydney via an overnight stop in Honolulu where we hope to catch up with some of our Hawaii friends.  From Sydney we sail to Singapore and then a post trip to Burma with a ten day River Cruise in Began and Mandalay.  Home mid April and back to Miami mid May.   

Spending Christmas at home with a few close friends as well as New Years.  Nothing exciting planned. We're usually away this time of year, so it will be a different sort of holiday.  Stay well and Happy Holidays.  

Greetings from Miami

Well, here we are in sunny FL.  Lots of surprises.  Miami is really a beautiful area.  We're staying in Coral Gables and the clinic is in Key West. I've seen more lightening here in 4 days than in Napa in 3 years.  OK!  first clue we weren't in Kansas--boarding the plane--English was not the first language.  Also very rich people are putting their kids in first class (used to be kids in moo, parents in First)  Between 2 women, there were 6 kids.  OS!  

So, visited with the surgeon Tuesday a.m. then went back to be 'marked' for fat removal.  Unfortunately the surgeon was really optimistic when I saw him in SF at UCSF.  Not so when he saw me Tuesday.  I had tried so hard to loose any fat I brought home with me from 7 weeks in Europe.

I worked out with two trainers twice a week and on my own once.  I thought I looked fine.  Dr. said "you need to spend more time at Burger Kind and less at the gym).  You all know my obsession with staying fit.  I'd rather run a half marathon then bulk up and do red meat, which I'm supposed to get more of.  

So surgery is more of a challenge than surgeon anticipated.  He is not happy with what he has left to work with so we're anticipating 4 more procedures.  It's quite tough and  was made more so by violent nausea and vomiting post surgery.  Seems CVS pharmacy was sent a generic Percoset this month and people are having horrible problems with it. Once I returned to the clinic and they rehydrated me with an IV I've been feeling better.  

So, I brought work out clothes (what was I thinking?) and can't use them.  He ended up working on the scar on my leg so I'm stuck inside with my leg elevated till Monday.  From here on, I will continue to improve and then start prepping for next procedure.  

Thank you for all your notes, texts and good wishes.  L, N

Finally, Good News!

After months of frustration and disappointment, I met with Dr. Roger Khouri an internationally respected plastic surgeon, at UCSF.  Dr. Khouri, who is from the Miami area, was there to share his ideas & technique with the Oncology, Plastic and Reconstruction Surgical specialities.  As he was evaluating my situation, he looked up at me, smiled, and said "there's more than one way to skin a cat".  SO! he's taking me on.  My surgery is scheduled for 8/14 (my BD present to myself) at his clinic in Miami and I will be there for a week.  He noticed the scar on my left leg (remember the golf cart accident?) and said "I can fix that too" which thrilled me.  He is using a technique for the reconstruction called Brava, if you're interested... http://www.mybrava.com.  An added bonus is that extensive fat transfer is involved so he will be harvesting fat from all over my body--think, a full body liposuction.  If he decides to work on my leg at the same time it will be a week in a wheelchair with my leg up and he said more painful than the reconstruction procedure.  At this point, what's a little more pain?  Good drugs, a glass of Pinot; sign me up!  

My cancer treatment continues without adverse side effects.  My surgical Oncologist at UCSF informed me on Monday that this is a good time to be Her-2/neu + since there are a number of new drugs that are nearing final approval from the FDA for use in breast cancer patients and they will be available to me in the near future. 

Now, about my friend above.  There are some really, really big snakes on the back 9 at NVCC--harmless, but big and scary. So, watch where you walk!  We saw this pretty guy on the path coming down 18 from the men's tee box. 

We leave two weeks from today for our 4 week Baltic cruise on Regent.  We embark in  Southampton, UK and visit Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Russia and Finland.  Our post trip includes more Russia & Poland for a total of 6 weeks.  Tom has put so many hours into this trip to make it perfect.  We are both getting very excited but there's a lot to do before we leave.  

One Step, Two Step

So!  One step forward, two steps back... Progress continues to be slow with regards to the infection.  Still on IV antibiotics.  Hopefully will go on oral meds 4/2. Back into the hospital on Tuesday 3/26 for exploration and removal of the right expander so there is nothing left to work with from the original mastectomy/reconstruction surgery.  

The reconstruction consultation I was so looking forward to at UCSF on Thursday with Dr. Sbitany was a real set back.  He was my great white hope and it turns out he cannot help me.  I'm not a candidate for a "flap" reconstruction.  He actually said I was a failure!!! Well, not me, but my surgical reconstruction.  Of course I'm devastated at the news.   There is one last person who may be able to help me.  Dr. Roger Khouri of the Miami Breast Center.  He performs a procedure that involves a device (think Barbarella & Jane Fonda) he invented and fat transfer. (I'm told that women come from all over the world to have him work on them.)  The procedure would be about a 12 month commitment from me, plus trips back and forth to Miami, without the benefit of my playing golf in Miami, maybe even spending  3-4 months there during treatment.  The good news; I would get 'body & fender' work along with my reconstruction--that is--he would harvest fat, via liposuction, from all over my body to get enough fat to inject into the reconstruction sites.  However, the catch here is that I was left with skin so thin that I may not be a candidate for his procedure either.  If that's the case--there is no other option known at this time to help me.  Dr. Khouri may be coming out to UCSF in May and I would see him at that time--if not, Tom and I will fly to see him, sometime in May, for his opinion. It's a wait and see game for now.  Once again, recovery from my last surgery should be about 8 weeks (six for me) which means no golf and then we go on our trip from the end of May until mid-July.  

Thank you!  All of you, for your e mails, texts and cards with good wishes. I continue with my (targeted) Chemo treatment (Herceptin & Arimidex) which I am tolerating well.  Thank you to a girlfriend who suggested cutting Arimidex in half for fewer side affects.  It works!    Happy Easter to all...

 

How I Spent My Weekend

Well, I thought I was well on the road to recovery.  Got in a couple of rounds of golf last week, was taking long walks and was pretty much back to "normal".  I had a really itchy surgery site which my Dr. was watching. I had declared March "cancer free" -- I was really tired of talking about it.  Last week, (I had decided the previous week,) was going to be "doctor free".  We had our good friends here from Austria and I just wanted a week not trekking to Marin or SF for doctors or infusions.  On Friday I saw that I was in trouble--went to SF with Tom to see my Plastic Surgeon and ended up in the ER!  and was admitted to PCMC with cellulitis.  IV antibiotics were prescribed , but since it was somewhat out of hand it took until Tuesday night to get sprung from the hospital.  I quickly went from golf to "pole dancing".  My goal was to get to the bathroom without banging into everything in my path as I pushed my pole along.  That was my amusement, but as I shuffled along, I really felt like an old lady.  

Food was very good, nursing staff was great--only got one wrong dose of medication--scary.  Since I wasn't "sick" I was free to get up and walk around.  Boring.  Read every Bon Appetit and Food and Wine that had been sitting around for ages.  I knew it was time to leave the hospital when I read a House Beautiful from 2011 twice!

So, back home where T & I hook me up twice a day to my IV antibiotics having been trained by nurse Judy, my home nurse.  I hope to be on oral meds by next Wednesday since I have a "carrot"dangling of going to Scottsdale with girlfriends to play golf on the 1st.  I'm so ready to get out of here.

Off to SF for Dr.'s apt today and then infusion in Marin.  I think the news will all be good.  Thank you for your prayers and concern.  L, N.

My 9 Holes of Golf

So! Winston and I play about the same... this should tell you something about how my game went.  Only played 9 holes and did about as well as could be expected having laid off 4 months.  Everything worked, however, and all I need to do now is practice. Weather is fabulous; unfortunately no rain but temps in mid 60's with sun--feels like 70.

Doctor's Visit

Saw my Plastic Surgeon yesterday.  He's been doing a lot of thinking regarding my situation.  He is referring me to two surgeons who specialize in breast reconstruction at UCSF ; we're hoping for a first of April appointment. I told him I will travel anywhere to get the surgeon who can do the best work and that being the case, I may consult at MD Anderson in Houston.  He assures me that it will be a long road, but that I will be happy with the results.  That was the most encouraging news I've heard in a long while.

So, as far as my therapy goes; I'm doing well on the Herceptin and for now the Arimidex.  No obvious side effects.  If I can continue to feel this good, I will stay on the drugs; if side effects occur--I'm done.

After pressing my surgeon--for weeks--I've been cleared for everything and plan to get out to the driving range as soon as the weather clears.  May even get to the gym.

Our friends Werner and Eveline are visiting from Austria.  It has been so nice to visit with them.  We have a wine tasting planned for Saturday at Golden Eye, Bill & Roxanne Wolf's production.  We're all looking forward to that.  Hopefully golf in the next few days also.