Good Riddance 2016!

A lot of people have been dubbing 2016 as the worst year ever on social media. Everyone has their reasons- from the deaths of so many wonderful celebrities to the election, Brexit, Allepo, and unfortunately, personal tragedies as well.  2016 was a pretty dang crappy year for me, beginning with diagnosis on Dec 23, 2015.  It was scary in the beginning, emotionally and physically draining through chemo and then the emotional roller coaster after my bilateral mastectomy.

I've learned so much about breast cancer and the different types.  Did you know that many people, including young women, are still dying from this disease?  I am in a group on facebook for young women with breast cancer (under 50).  We have lost so many women this year.  Women who were just beginning their lives as mothers, wives, sisters & daughters.  I am one of the lucky ones.  I went through the hell of treatment but I've come out the other side alive, mostly physically and emotionally intact.  I thank God every day that I am still here and I pray that no more beautiful lives are lost to this disease.

But I also learned a lot about myself in 2016- I am so much stronger than I ever imagined I could be.  I have learned to try to always interpret ill-spoken comments as well-meaning and not meant to be hurtful.  I offer others grace and am working on doing the same for myself.  I have learned what is truly important.  I learned how amazing my group of friends are and how willing they were to lend a hand.

When we wake up in 2 days on Jan 1, 2017, it won't be all flowers and rainbows and song. Cancer will not forever be gone from my life- I will be always looking over my shoulder and cancer will always be the first thought with every new ache and pain. We will all still need to fight the good fight and band together to help one another.  I still have faith in humanity, which this disease has shown me just how wonderful and caring people really are.

I thank everyone who has supported me and my family this past year- a prayer, a kind word, a shoulder to cry on and meals when I didn't feel so hot.  You all made it possible for me to get through cancer treatment.

2017 brings new challenges for the Longoria crew- Ray's retirement from the Marine Corps, a new job, a move to TX and a new way of life away from the military for all of us.  I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2017.  Don't forget to do those self-exams!

 From my crazy family to yours, Happy New Year!!

9 days post surgery and feeling a bit better

As many of you may have seen on facebook, I was disappointed with the results when I first saw my foobs last Monday.  The shape is very different than I expected and initially they felt very "plastic".  But they're feeling more natural now.  The rippling of the implant at the top is still somewhat obvious, but hopefully once I have the fat grafting done in early March, it won't be an issue anymore. I go back tomorrow to hopefully have the drains taken out.  They are such a pain!

I had a pretty crappy day that Monday after surgery, but that level of emotion is seriously draining.  I know it sounds crazy, but it's just easier to accept the results.  This doesn't mean that I won't continue to fight for the best new foobs, but the crying and such isn't worth the effort right now :P  I also trust my surgeon and know that he'll do everything he can to make me happy.

In other news, I've been thinking about tattoos.  Part of me wants to have nipple tattoos done, but a bigger part of me wants a really beautiful floral tattoo.  I always come back to this one:

isn't it beautiful?  I'd probably add some elements of me into it, but I'd love something like this.  Besides, only Ray, my docs and I would see them.  The tattoos will be the very last thing that happens, so it might be at least another year.  

So that's my latest update.  The plan is to do fat grafting early March.  Hopefully that'll make me happier!  

Surgery 2- Done!

Yesterday was my "switch" surgery- it was outpatient and much quicker & less complicated than my last surgery.  It only took about 2 hours & everything went well.  

There's definitely a lot of differences from the last surgery.  I'm not in as much pain but I can feel the incisions this time and they hurt!  Last time I completely lost feeling so I couldn't even feel where they cut me.  The drains are painful again (argh!) but my chest isn't nearly as sore/tight.  Last time it felt like my muscles had been pulled super tight and I couldn't really lift my arms past my shoulders.  My chest is just sore now but no tightness.  I think this will be much easier (and quicker) to heal from.

I see my plastic surgeon on Monday and although he said he probably won't be able to take the drains out at the appt, just him saying that gives me hope that the drains will come out a lot sooner than the 2.5 weeks it took last time.  The drains are such a pain. 

I'll get to see the new foobs on Monday...I hope I'm not disappointed.  They can't be any worse than the terrible expanders, right?  Already I can tell that they are so much softer than the expanders.  woot!  I am so excited to be able to cross my arms across my chest, sleep on my stomach and have cleavage again.  It probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but I missed those things :P  

Here I am before surgery yesterday, I was SO ready:

Then after surgery:

So that's the update.  Only 1 more surgery to go!  only 20 more days until my 1 year since diagnosis.  Phew- what a year!

I'm going to post pictures of my incisions...they aren't super nasty but I wanted to warn you- don't scroll down if you don't want to see them!