BEER: PLINY THE ELDER NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Today is a good day.

Pliny the Elder is now available at Healthy Spirits. Bottles are $4.99 each.

Although it is going to be a regular release, people have been buying as many as 10 at a time, so if you want some from the first batch, do not hesitate.

Also, SUPPLICATION and BEATIFICATION are still available in limited quantities

(If you come in and tell me that you've subscribed to the blog, I might be able to hook you up with a TEMPTATION or two).

Cheers!

dave

Even more about the trip

All right ... where was I?

Friday, July 11 was our ten-year wedding anniversary. Ten years! Since we were on vacation, though, we couldn't really go out on a fabulous grownup date. I suppose we could have left WCK under the supervision of the cabin chipmunk, but we decided not to. Besides, we already had a week-long Fabulous 10-Year Anniversary Grownup Date last March when Jay and I went to Disney World, so the actual anniversary was pretty low-key. The three of us went to a restaurant in Ely that offered a wide variety of food, so we each ended up with our favorite things. WCK had grilled cheese, Jay had nachos, and I had mashed potatoes and gravy. Aren't mashed potatoes the official 10-year anniversary gift?

We left the cabin on Saturday and made our way toward Lake Superior. The only route was a very curvy, twisty road through Superior National Forest, and, yes, WCK threw up. Poor thing. I guess it wouldn't be an official family vacation if she didn't get carsick in a scenic location. Last year, it was the wildlife loop at Custer State Park in South Dakota. Where will she throw up next year? Let me know if you have any suggestions. It has to be beautiful and scenic, but hugely inconvenient in some way (no place to pull over, filled with mosquitoes, miles from baby wipes, etc.).

We finally got to the shore of Lake Superior, and it was also beautiful but really, really, really windy. We kept trying to find a place to have a picnic, but the cooler kept blowing over. Finally we gave up and ate at a McDonald's in Duluth. Then we hung out in downtown Duluth for a couple of hours. It was really fun, and there were lots of things to see; I wish we could have stayed there longer.

Then we were off to the Twin Cities again. Jay got to go out with some of his old work buddies, so I decided that WCK and I would have a slumber party in the hotel. I actually ordered one of the hotel pay-per-view movies, which I knew was a huge risk, because WCK is very persnickety about what she will watch. She is still nearly one year into her anti-Sesame Street crusade and shows no signs of backing down. We got Horton Hears a Who, and she LOVED it. I think it was the first time she's sat through an entire movie without complaining once. I really liked it, too.

We spent Sunday at my favorite place in the world -- The Mall of America. I love the way it smells. If you ever go there, take a deep breath. They should make Mall of America air fresheners. Anyway, we had never been to the Underwater Adventures aquarium, which is underneath the mall. A person in a giant shark outfit was walking around handing out coupons, so we decided to check it out. Even with $12 in coupons from Giant Shark Person, it was still $40 for the three of us to get in. It was a pretty cool aquarium, but not $40 worth of cool. At least they had a little pool where you could reach in and touch sting rays.

The next morning, I had to tell WCK we were driving back to Kansas City. She was crushed. "I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO KANSAS CITY!" she wailed. "I WANT TO STAY HERE!!"

I guess that's the sign of a good trip.

Taking My Lumps

Remnants of well wishes and a speedy recovery: a tree of life from Wayson Choy, a yellow begonia from Emilie Allen, and an orchid from the Chinese Canadian Historical Society. Recently, the orchid started blooming once again after the original petals fell off. The new growth makes me very happy.







I'm back to where I started.

On July 12, 2007, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

On July 12, 2008, I discovered two lumps on my chest. For anyone not looking at a calendar, that was 4 days ago.

I went to my family doctor yesterday. She examined me. One of the lumps is in my left (fake) breast, so she said that it might be scar tissue or something like that. But the other lump, which is like a hard stone, is not near the surgical site, and is about two inches below my clavicle. It's not like other lumps I found before. Anyway, of course I'm freaking out.

So she wanted to get me scheduled for an ultrasound asap, but ultrasound department was booked full until the end of August. Then she had the receptionist try to book with the cancer agency. Unfortunately, the cancer agency officially "discharged" me last month as a patient, and so she was told that they wouldn't see me unless I had another confirmed cancer diagnosis.

I was a little upset by this news. Just a little.

But then at the end of the day, the receptionist called me back and said that she managed to get me an appointment at this one imaging office on Broadway, for August 6th. I looked at my cancer agency chart and was happy to see that I'm going back to the same office that did my original ultrasound last year. I know that sounds like a weird thing to be happy about, but I really liked the radiologist there, and she was also the one who performed my first biopsy. So it makes me feel a little better to know I'll be in good hands.

So then today, when I got home, I got a call from my oncologist (or I guess, former oncologist, since technically I'm no longer her patient) that I've been scheduled for an xray and an appointment with her on Friday! I guess she decided to take a look at me after all! This also makes me feel better. And I'm also having a routine follow-up appointment with the breast cancer surgeon tomorrow. So with some good luck, I'm going to figure out what these lumps are after all!

Yeah, this is weird.

So anyhoo, a lot of people have emailed me, called me, sent me cards, wondering where I've gone in the blogosphere. I told some people who asked that I'm okay; I've told others that I'm not okay. I guess the best way to put it is that I'm shell-shocked.

It's been a little over a year since my diagnosis, since my brother-in-law passed away, since we've been thrown into this downward spiral that cancer can be. Time is a funny thing; I'm often perplexed by its meaning and significance. And now I ask myself more often than I would admit to, how much time do I have left?

When I had my follow-up appointment with my oncologist last month (the appointment at which I was apparently discharged), she talked to me mostly about how to deal with the after-effects of having cancer and going through treatment. She suggested a couple books and that I join some support groups. She said that I would feel like no one would understand.

She said that it wasn't a perfect outcome; I did, after all, have one positive lymph node--and this was after all the chemo and radiation. But it was a pretty good outcome, and everyone was happy about that.

She said that the chance of recurrence within a year of treatment was rare, but it does happen. She said that if something is abnormal, I should demand attention and examination.

Then she said goodbye.

So some days, it's been hard to know how to move on with life. I think people really want things to be normal again, but for me, it's hard to say or know what that is. I see my friends; I play with the kids; I spend time with family.

One day, Emilie, Mike, and Brianna came by to hang out. And it was fun. (I miss you, Em.)...(and yes, that is a NKOTB t-shirt I'm wearing.)



But it's an odd balance--to feel like every moment is precious and threatened, and to just forget the gravity and just LIVE.

And now, as H said, we've come full circle.

So now I'm left wondering--where to next? I'll let you know.

Some days it sucks; other days it's pretty good, especially when you have this little guy as your guide.

Immediate Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy is Safe, ASPS Study Says

Breast Reconstruction Does Not Impede Chemotherapy, Recovery or Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Recurrence.

Debunking the myth that women with locally advanced breast cancer must wait until after chemotherapy to have their breast reconstructed, a study presented at the Annual ASPS/PSEF/ASMS Meeting found that immediate free flap breast reconstruction for women with breast cancer is safe and psychologically beneficial.

The study, which followed 170 patients with locally advanced breast cancer, found that immediate reconstruction did not delay post-operative chemotherapy, prolong recovery or hinder the diagnosis of local cancer reccurrence.

"Losing a breast is traumatic," said ASPS Member James Watson, MD, and participating surgeon in the study. "As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I wanted to ensure that immediate breast reconstruction was safe for my patients and would make the healing process easier. The findings in this study will allow women to start healing sooner psychologically, knowing that their decision will not impede their physical progress against breast cancer."

The paper states that women participating in the study were pleased with their immediate reconstruction experience, indicating an immeasurable emotional benefit patients gain by having the reconstruction right away.

According to the findings, the majority of patients were either satisfied or very satisfied with their reconstruction and, if they had to, would have it done immediately after their mastectomy again. Also, the majority of women agreed they would recommend immediate reconstruction to a friend or colleague.

Through the study, Dr. Watson found that immediate free flap reconstruction - where the patient's own tissue is removed from the abdomen, buttocks or thigh regions and reattached in the breast using microsurgical techniques - resulted in similar complications and delays of post-operative chemotherapy to patients who delayed reconstruction. The most common postponement for patients was waiting for the wound to heal. However, the maximum delay was only three weeks, which did not have significant oncological impact on their post-operative therapy.

Also, while there were local recurrences of the cancer, physicians were able to diagnose the cancer's return quickly, resulting in no delay for additional treatment. Most local recurrences were located at the mastectomy scar or in the mastectomy flaps, which could be diagnosed by a physical exam and biopsy.

"An added benefit to reconstructing the breast immediately is that it's easier for the oncology surgeon to complete the mastectomy. Often, the breast cancer is so large or involves so much skin that the surgeon has to remove additional skin in the region, making it difficult to reserve enough tissue to close the wound," stated Dr. Watson. "With immediate reconstruction, the oncologic surgeon can eliminate more breast skin to ensure the cancer is removed and use the skin from the free flap procedure to close the wound."

According to ASPS 2001 statistics, more than 190,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 80,000 women opted for breast reconstruction following a mastectomy.

Access to breast reconstruction following a mastectomy has increased due to the passage of the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act 1998, proudly supported by ASPS, which mandated insurance coverage for breast reconstruction and the alteration of the opposite breast for symmetry for women who have undergone a mastectomy.

"With the finding that reconstruction right after mastectomy is safe, women can maximize their opportunity to not only heal physically but also psychologically right away," said Dr. Watson. "Before, women had to wrestle with their changed body image after losing a breast while physically recovering from their battle with cancer. Now, they don't have to delay the psychological healing process of beating breast cancer and celebrating that victory."

*****

Dr Chrysopoulo is board certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and specializes in breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy for breast cancer. He and his partners perform hundreds of microsurgical breast reconstructions with perforator flaps each year including the DIEP flap procedure. PRMA Plastic Surgery, San Antonio, Texas. Toll Free: (800) 692-5565. Keep up to date with the latest breast reconstruction news by following Dr Chrysopoulo's Breast Reconstruction Blog.

******

Where can I get this?

Maybe Megan Fox and I can split a case of Kelp-a-Malt.

While you were sleeping . . .

Mothers of young infants are frequently told, "Nap while the baby naps."

I often take this same approach during visits with my friend Bob. After he fell asleep, I curled up on the love seat in the room and attempted to join him in slumber.

But sleep wouldn't come, and the dismal hospice room was depressing without Bob's presence. You see, the VA is in drastic need of a cosmetic overahaul. Much of the medical equipment looks rusty, the bare walls are dirty and the floorboard mouldings are cracking and peeling away from the walls. But the hospital, located on a bluff in Lincoln Park above the Pacific Ocean, is surrounded by beauty.

So I slipped out of the room and drove a few blocks east to visit the Women Impressionists exhibit at the Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum for my transfusion of beauty. The exhibit features the four major women artists of the Impressionist era.

The Legion of Honor is just a few blocks away from the VA.
I love the way the bridesmaids' dresses coordinated with the glass sculpture by Chihuly.



This magnificent view is from the entrance to the Legion of Honor museum

These were taken in front of the VA Medical Center's dining facility. The food sucks, but the view rocks.

Bob was still sleeping when I returned an hour and a half later. I curled up on the love seat and day dreamed about my favorite memories with Bob and the surrounding beauty of Lincoln Park.

The Wait

She said she hated being pregnant. When the baby was born (C-section), she didn't feel connected to it at all, no big grand all-encompassing love like you always hear about. No natural mother love emanating from her. That instinct just didn't kick in. She felt bad about it. She felt bad, period. Maybe hormones had something to do with it. This went on for months. Her husband took care of the baby. She looked for excuses to be away from the house. She was a hairdresser and she said she gave bad haircuts because she was so upset. She worked as many hours as she could. And then one night, after about eight months, the baby cried. The mother woke up and got a bottle. And her child looked at her, in recognition, like a person, and she fell in love.

Today is about a year later. The baby, she told me, is in every fiber of her being. She loves her husband but she could live without him. But her child, she said, that's another story.