Oh wow, didn't know this was happening. Congratulations pn trusting your own
body. Wishing you a joyous recovery!

Love,
The Davies'
Rob, Liz, Carter and Finn
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

-----Original Message-----
From: "Teresa Howard" <georgiadoula@...>

Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:54:29
To:alaboroflove_webgroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [alaboroflove_webgroup] my surgery update


Thanks for all of the prayers and thoughts regarding my surgery. On
November 15th I went in to Northside expecting to have a prophylactic
mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction due to my BRCA +1 status- meaning
I carry the ovarian and breast cancer gene that causes my chance of
cancer in those areas to be 87%. Since I had a hysterectomy 18 years
ago- the risk was only for breast cancer.

The surgery was an eight hour procedure. I did great through the
surgery. But due to some scarring from 18 years ago, I was only able
to have the DIEP procedure done on the left breast and for the right
breast a bit of abdominal muscle was used to help the vascular
integrity of the right breast.

I escaped the hospital on Sunday and traveled to Julie's in Athens for
my recovery. I was able to get out two drains before discharge. And
returned on Tuesday to Atlanta to get the remaining four drains out.
They were disgusting!

If I ever doubted that my surgery was a mistake- which in the midst of
pain I frequently did- the pathology report on Tuesday sealed any
regret. Although the lump I had that proved to be benign was in my
left breast. My right breast proved to have cancer cells. The best
possible cancer you can have in your breast is ductal carcinoma in
situ- DICS. So it was stage 0- non invasive, slowest growing and non
life threatening. I meet with an oncologist in a few weeks after he
has looked at the pathology report- but the thought from my surgeon is
that no further treatment will be neccessary.

I stayed at Julie's til the next Sunday and returned to my home in
Lawrenceville. Pam Hannah, my best friend lined up visitors with lunch
for a few weeks. I have been recuperating and managing to keep up with
the company emails and getting my TIVO fix on the shows while I was away!

My recovery is four to six weeks. My new "girls" look great but I am
sore and tired a lot during this healing time. This proves to me that
you need to listen to your intuitive voice- and move forward in a
proactive way. I have no regrets on my decision in any way. I look
forward to healing and being sure of my freedom from breast cancer!

Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts!

Teresa