Making a plan

After meeting with the breast surgeon, oncologist, radiation doctor, gynecologist, and reconstruction doctor, I have a plan. Not a schedule yet, but a plan nonetheless. I will have a bilateral mastectomy with spacers put in for reconstruction during surgery. They'll stretch the skin on the right side back to boob size (as much as they can) before radiation, which will start 3-4 weeks later. They plan to radiate the lymph nodes in my right armpit area, upper chest and central chest. The only known affected lymph node is in my armpit, but there are other enlarged lymph nodes in those areas. I'll go in every day for 6 weeks for radiation. This is why we've decided to go with immediate versus delayed reconstruction. Radiation changes the elasticity of the skin and builds scar tissue. So to get the most natural looking and symmetrical ended-result, they'll stretch the skin in those first few weeks before radiation begins. I just got an ovarian suppression shot in my belly so my body will quit producing estrogen, which is feeding the cancer. Once the shot shuts them down I'll switch from Tamoxifen to a different, better drug for post-menopausal women. After surgery and radiation I'll have a hysterectomy with ovaries removed. So that's my news - just waiting to hear about scheduling the first surgery.