Whoops

Didn't mean for so much time to pass between updates! I feel like I'm finally back on track after spending last weekend in Chicago with some very dear friends (missing the early train Saturday night + daylight savings + early wake-up call Sunday = delirious for days); it felt like a very quick trip but it was fantastic to spend the weekend with such wonderful people!

Once we unpacked and finally got our mountains of laundry taken care of, I was a busy girl this week helping my sister with her invoices (don't worry - no math was involved), having dinner with my gal pals, attending my second Patient Advisory Committee meeting, and celebrating Jason's Uncle's birthday and St. Patrick's Day. Ooof.

The Patient Advisory Committee meeting was an interesting one - they'd sent out a copy of a brochure that we'd be reviewing. The first time I looked it over I was furious - it was addressed to those dealing with breast cancer, and the topic was unnecessary tests (which according to the brochure, included PET, CT, and bone scans). As a survivor, I've been unsuccessfully lobbying my doctors for those tests since the day of my mastectomy - you can never be sure that every cell was removed, and cancer can spread like wild fire. Of course I'd want a scan, if not for preventative steps (if there is a cell somewhere, let's find it now and get rid of it), then simply for my mental health! Peace of mind works a million times better than any drug, and so what if the tests are expensive - that's what I have health insurance for!

I went to the meeting on fire and ready for a hefty debate and was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't alone with my feelings. We had a fantastic discussion and I'm sure the content will be addressed before it goes out to anyone. I left knowing that I'd contributed, helped someone just a little bit, and it felt great!

Wednesday

By this time next week, I'll be resting comfortably on my living room couch with my new boobs (and Jason!) to keep me company.  ONE WEEK!  I can finally answer "When's your surgery again?" with "Wednesday" and people won't ask for the actual date. I've been counting down for some time (sorry), and today got the following reminder on my phone:

My "event" is just a week away (as if I'd need the reminder, ha)!

Total side note: friends/family who are nurses, this is for you.  I had a second pre-op appointment on Monday to basically make sure I was alive before the doctor could sign off that I was good to go on surgery (my hemoglobin, kidney function and potassium levels are all normal). The doctor came in (not my regular), sat down and started going through my information: current medications, past surgeries etc.  Here's a rundown of the conversation:

Dr.: "What surgery are you having next week?"
Cassie: "Breast reconstruction."
Dr.: (pause) "Why are you having breast reconstruction?"
Cassie: "Because I had a bilateral mastectomy in June."
Dr.: "Why did you have the bilateral mastectomy?"
Cassie: "I was diagnosed with breast cancer."

Now, I'm not saying (at all) that it's the doctor's fault for asking these questions (although I wonder if she saw how old I was and thought maybe I was getting new boobs for fun?).  I'm curious though, why none of that medical history, pretty major stuff, wasn't on my chart?  Especially since I'd had the pre-op for the mastectomy at this same clinic?  They know I had once been taking pre-natal vitamins, but they skip adding cancer to the list?  C'mon!

Long Winded

Jason's aunt Colleen is a genius and suggested that I write to Ellen, you know, that Ellen, to see if she'd be willing to help out with my pajama project (ohhh boy, let's call it the Pajama Project! I'm seeing logos flash in my head!).  Of course!  Ellen helps so many people, and this could be a way for her to really make an impact.  I wrote up a page and a half explaining my story and how much I love the pajamas and why everyone having a mastectomy should own their own pair.  Then I realized I had to stay within 1,500 characters.  Wom womp.  I whittled and deleted, bringing what was originally well over 4,000 characters down to the 1,500 requirement, on the nose.  Here's what I submitted:

On 6/14/13 at the ripe age of 28, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a bilateral mastectomy soon after, and during my recovery was given a Victoria’s Secret Supersoft Short PJ Set. I was preaching about how much I love them day in and out when it occurred to me that I needed to do more. I had an idea to gift a pair of these pajamas to every woman going through a mastectomy. Sadly it’d be a lot of pajamas and I’m not Scrooge McDuck with a vault filled with gold coins, so being a part of the social media world we live in, I reached out. I wrote a review on the VS website (by Cassie61413 on 8/12/13 – check it out!) hoping to give a gentle “hint hint.” I also submitted a short essay to Fab-U-Wish through BrightPink.org, acknowledging the fact that we’d need some collaboration between multiple, huge organizations to make something so big happen.

So far I’ve heard nothing, and that’s where you come in (third time’s a charm, right?). I’ve seen you and your sponsors give out some pretty hefty checks to very deserving people. As someone who has been through it herself, I believe that anyone having a mastectomy, single or double, is more than deserving of a little comfort. Is it at all possible that you would be willing to be the bridge between the Victoria’s Secret pajamas and patients as they leave the hospital? I know this is such a major request and it will involve many moving parts, but how worth it if even one person feels the comfort I felt? Thanks for your consideration!

I really do hope that the third time is a charm and she's interested in this project!