A Little Procedure and A Cover ...

Well, I'm back ... No training to really speak of here as of right now (I'll be back at it in a week), but hey, there is still stuff to talk about right? ;-). 

So, I had a little procedure done on Thursday. If you did not already know, I had my pre-cancer breast implants removed in November 2012. Best decision I ever made. I don't miss those balls of saline whatsoever. Well, over the course of the past year, the skin has settled and left me with what the medical field would call "dog ears@ or excess skin in 3 parts of my boobless chest. 

I had gone into see my plastic surgeon a couple of weeks before Ironman to see Dr. Timothy King (there are apparently a couple of Dr. King plastic surgeons in the Madison area) to have the area checked out. 

I love him. He is an incredibly kind person, extremely generous and does wonderful work.  We had a look at what needed to be done and we set the appointment up for just a few weeks after Ironman. Perfect timing as I tend to go full force too early, when I really should be just easing back into things. 

So, Thursday morning, after a fun run with Lisa, a shower and teaching Power Pump, I make my way to Madison.  As I pull in, I think to myself ... I hope this is the last one. I wasn't sure as to what to expect as I haven't ever been awake for this kind of a surgery before. 

After going thru all of the standard questions/blood pressure/yada yada yada, Dr King comes in and I gve him a big hug thanking him for everything ... What he has done and what he is about to do and he wants a hug to congratulate me on finishing Ironman. :-). 

So, here is how it is going to go. He will mark me up so he knows where the incisions need to be made ... Those were some big areas ... I start to get a little nervous. As he is numbing and testing the areas (and we all know this is on my chest, correct?), I can still feel the scalpel. More numbing injections ... After I am locked and loaded and ready we talk about getting started and what was all going to happen. 

As he starts his work, my body tenses up  and I am pretty jittery ... Found out at that time that the injections have adrenaline in them.  Ahhhhhhhh, that explains a lot. He said, may he we should have given you a Valium.  I laughed and said, I could thane a one as I drove myself today.  He could see my nervousness, so asked me to tell him about my Ironman. So, a really strange experience ... As I am chatting away with him, he is cutting away with me.  I can feel the pressure and the tugging but no pain. The medical assistant in the room kept saying, I think you are feeling pain ... No, I am just fidgety and this is creeping me out a bit. Dr. Kings favorite words while sewing me up when I ask how many more stitches were, I'm making it pretty :-). I asked how many stitches I will have and his reply ... As many as it takes.  How many steps did you take to complete the run in the marathon portion of your Ironman?  Touché :-). 

After the first of 3 areas were done, he went to check on another patient and I could relax a bit.  I worked on my yoga breathing and thought how proud my friend Jacque would be ;-). This was the funniest part. Kari (the medical assistant) asked if I would like my water bottle or if I needed anything else ... I said, I kind of would like my phone ... She actually said I could have it. You will all be proud as I opted out.  I know there would have been a photo taken and no one wanted to see that. 

Dr King comes back in and I do my best not to tense up, but it didn't really work to well. He worked away and I asked him to tell me stories about his family and himself. If I wasn't getting my body cut open, it would have been a great conversation ... It still was, just an odd circumstance. As he was sewing up incision number 2, I again ask how many stitches for this one ... Same response. I had to close my eyes this time as I could see him pulling the thread and te tugging ... Eesh, that was not my favorite. By the time he got to making the third incision I was actually somewhat relaxed and it went much quicker. So, about 50-60 stitches later and a gogillian steri strips on top of the stitches, I was ready to go. Again, gave Dr King another hug and we made an appointment for me to see him this week to check on my progress. 

Only snafu so far ... The medical assistant put the wrong kind of tape in my bag of supplies to take with me. I am allergic to certain adhesives. Well, this tape was one of those. Itchy, red perfect tape mark around all three sites. That has made the last 48 hours interesting. 

I am excited to go back to the doctor to check my progress. Hoping by then, I will look a little less "saw-like" ... I know I will as I healed really well and relatively quickly from the last surgery. The initial couple of weeks are always the least pretty.  I'll keep you posted ;-). 

I am to rest from working out/training too hard until I go back this week ... So, I am really not supposed to do much. I can tell when I overdo it, so I am doing my best to keep it low key. This has forced me from getting back at the intensity that I know I would be doing ... My body still needs to recover from Ironman. 

The exciting news, which most of you have probably seen is that I am on the cover of the October issue of Brava Magazine!!!  Well, my torso is :-). I was so excited when Michelle Reddington had contacted me and asked if I would be on the cover ... One catch, I would not be wearing a top, but my non-breasts would be covered. I think she and everyone else in the room were shocked when I immediately said yes!!!  

The photoshoot was just 3 days after ironman and was really fun to do. The photographer, Todd, was incredible and I think, did an incredible job. The photo showed such strength ... I am so proud and appreciative of the opportunity. 

Why did I agree to do this cover?  I really wanted to show people that this is what can happen to someone with a cancer diagnosis. Women can lose their breasts, but can still be just as beautiful without them. If someone doesn't agree with that, that is ok, but they don't live in my body and I am proud of my body and I still feel like just as much of a woman without breasts as I did when I had breasts.  So far, the reaction has been extremely positive which is great and my husband thinks it's pretty bada$$ :-). The cover is included in this post :-). 

In the editors note on page 12, Kate, from Brava really did a great job talking about the cover and talking about my friend Dawn, who is the founder of the non profit, Effcansah. So proud of her and all that she has done. I feel privileged to know her and to be able to call her my friend :-). The article on, I believe, page 52 is also a great read. Three women share their stories/experiences. I hope I am able to meet them someday. 

So, I am resting, recovering and getting back into the swing of things slowly. Fingers crossed that this is the last of the cancer related surgeries. 

Happy Monday everyone!!!  And remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!!  I'll be back next week :-).