I had my pre-op appointment with my plastic surgeon today, Dr. Clavin…. today he told me a little about his experience practicing in both New York and Los Angeles before coming here to Charlotte…  He’s very up to date on the newest procedures, etc… and usually when you have radiation, which most likely I will need – a lot of old school doctors would not give you expanders … he feels very comfortable giving ex-panders despite the radiation! I liked him before… but now…. I really like him….

My health has always been the most important so I would have taken any news given, but I’m not even going to lie and say that I wasn’t dreading being flat chested…. This way, at the time of my mastectomy I will get the expanders right away…. they will be filled over a period of a month before my radiation will begin…. There is a chance that I will have infection, there is a chance that they may not “take” and they may have to be removed… BUT… I’m willing to take those chances. I feel like I’ve done pretty well with everything. Honestly my risk is no bigger than someone elses!

He compliments me every time I go in… last time he commented on my rock hard abs… today he commented on my defined peck muscles…. I just told him – I honestly don’t know where I come from…. My body type is like neither of my parents… however, I’m very similar to my aunts on my Dad’s side. My Mom was with me and I said… I only WISH I got her long legs….

My options for reconstruction are still the same… some type of flap procedure where the skin is taken from my body… they will do a CT scan to determine the best areas with the best blood vessels… but, he is not ruling out implants at this time… I will not be eligible for complete reconstruction until after my body has healed from radiation… Radiation is 6 weeks…. which will land me in July, most likely and then it’s 6-9 months for the skin to heal before I can have reconstruction…. Below is a photo… that shows what and expander is… and how it’s filled…  In any event…. I’m thrilled…. I definitely feel like I won a prize today!