Hair
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Curing the Cures
Today I went to get some sort of a STYLE to my fuzzy-curly-mop hair and my stylist was pleased that I had a "full head" of hair. I hadn't seen her since April of '07. Anyway, I now look as though my hair is short on purpose instead of having escaped from the 80's with the worst of fake afro hair styles. I still don't look like "me" but the style is a reasonable use of what I have to work with. I just can't get used to hair that doesn't move no matter how hard I shake my head. Shaved head with a "tattoo" was more "me" than right now, but my hair is only growing about half as quickly as it used to. After 7 months since bald, I only have about an inch and a half; I should have 3 or more inches. What amazes me is that my gray roots seem to be showing up just as quickly, but the total length isn't getting longer. Perhaps only half of the hairs are growing interspersed with the rest of the hair? I'm fairly sure that I've measured correctly, because I've used a tape measure . . .

Mood:  not sure
Topic: Curing the Cures

I had my 1 week post-surgical appointment on this past Tuesday. Steve couldn't get the time off and the appointment was in the morning, so Eddie chauffered me up on Monday afternoon and we stayed overnight. It was the longest trip he'd done almost ALL the driving for, but he hung in there in spite of having had a tetanus shot on Monday AM as part of his pre-college physical. (On the way home, I drove for about 40 minutes or so in the middle of the trip; but I was happy to turn the wheel over to him again.) Glad I had someone else who could.

TGFM.

Port is GONE!
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Curing the Cures

Yesterday Steve helped me remove the bandage over the incision where my port-a-cath was. It's gone! Yeah!  Finally. We also--very gingerly--removed the post-surgical bra and washed it and dried it while I took a shower. It felt wonderful to be clean. I still had a bunch of presurgical markings and betadine (brownish orange disinfectant) on me. It's amazing how much better you feel after a shower. However, the heat from the shower and the pain meds left me feeling really lightheaded. Sure enough, my blood pressure was way down. There's a price for everything even things as basic as taking showers. Anyway I'm back trussed up and wondering when or if the pain will go away. In the meantime, there's a tune fragment that's bouncing around my head, which I need to write down before it escapes.

TGFM.

Surgery Done
Topic: Curing the Cures
My main reconstruction surgery is done and I'm back home. There's one more reconstruction procedure left--creating a nipple that's made from the tissue that's there and a tattoo to make a pink aereola--which will be done, probably in a month or so if I decide to do it. I probably will get it done just because I also want him to revise the deep hole under my arm where the lymph resection scar is stuck to the deep tissue instead of moving with normal arm movement. I feel like a trussed pig with a VERY TIGHT post surgical bra that I'm supposed to wear 24/7 at least until my follow-up appointment next Tuesday. It's quite painful even with the pain meds, but that's part of the territory. So my standard comment is, "don't mind me, I'm on DRUGS."  More later.

More Surgery
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Curing the Cures

The next step of my reconstruction is tomorrow, starting around noon. I'm looking forward to getting rid of that very green half cantaloupe that's attached to my chest. As soon as I'm fixed up I'll be able to have MRI's again and perhaps after I do some healing I'll be able to get back to doing upper body exercise. At least I'll be able to reach forward and center without bumping into the expander and causing pain. (Even playing the piano and computer work has been uncomfortable.)

TGFM

Waiting
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Curing the Cures
Waiting around for Wednesday and then who knows what happens after that. In the meantime, I can "amuse" myself with insurance foibles. Today we received ANOTHER bill for the surgery back in November. I can't count the number of phone calls I've made to try to get the hospital billing and the insurance to DO THEIR OWN JOBS. I just spoke with the billing people on Tuesday and they said everything was finally taken care of, but the letter we got today said we were getting turned over to their judicial department. Guess what! If their incompetence ruins our credit, they'll be hearing from our lawyer. Agrrrh!

Pre-Surgical Appt. tomorrow
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: Curing the Cures

I have a ton of questions to ask the Plastic Surgeon tomorrow; when do I get to go back to being useful is my primary question. I'm tired of the whole mess, but I'd better get on track or I might be unpleasantly surprised or get results that I don't want. I want so badly to be done with this, but according to the oncologist, it's NEVER done unless you're dead.

TGFM

Last Expansion Today!
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Hallelujah!
Topic: Curing the Cures

I now have the full amount in my tissue expander. It's tight and feels as though I have a half of a green cantaloupe stuck to my chest. (in order to get the scar to stretch enough, that's how big we needed it to get.)  BUT I don't have to have any more expanding done. Now I WAIT--until the middle of JUNE to get rest of the reconstructive surgery.

TGFM.

MORE stuff
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Curing the Cures
Yesterday we went to UVA again and got another 70 cc in my expander. According to previous estimates, I should be done, but this is a moving target due to all the weight I've gained, so I'm supposed to go for one more expansion in two weeks. Steve is having to change his work schedule around to go with. Oh well. I guess if I lose the weight, it's a lot more comfortable to pad the uninjured side. We won't be cutting on ANYTHING that doesn't absolutely have to be done, that's for sure. 

Health Insurance Billing
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: Curing the Cures

OK, this is just weird! Within the last week I got a letter from our insurance approving my lymphedema physical therapy from January 25, 2008 through January 25, 2009. VERY GOOD. But yesterday I got one of those "This is not a bill" insurance statements that said my therapy was not covered at all and that the bill--which equals more than half of my total "out-of-pocket" costs--wasn't even allowed. (Meaning it wouldn't even count towards my deductible, I think.) Anyway I called the insurance company and amazingly got through to a real person who sounded intelligent,  older than the usual 12-year-old, and could speak English. (Another miracle!) She thanked me for calling and said she didn't understand it either, but would check into it and call me back should I need to do anything further. I had been going to take the dog for a walk somewhere besides our fenced backyard, but decided to hang around until 5:00PM in case she called back. I should be getting back to work; I have music to write, an opus list to finish, some arranging, and, and, and . . . .

TGFM