I had an appointment with Dr. Dodson, who is the oncology gynecologist that is going to take out my ovaries. I had been told in the past that I needed to have them out by age 40. But, he said that with a BRCA mutation, it is recommended to have them removed by age 35. I kind of freaked out after hearing that because that means I am almost 2 years overdue. Then, he explained that I need to decide between taking out my ovaries and Fallopian tubes (brca2 mutations increase the risk of Fallopian tube cancer), and having a full hysterectomy. Apparently, it is impossible to remove all of the Fallopian tubes without having a hysterectomy because part of them are stuck inside the uterus. The advantage of the just the ovaries and Fallopian tubes is that the surgery is in and out, and recovery is only a couple of days. The complete hysterectomy is a longer recovery, overnight hospital stay, and has more risks. Im still not sure what I'm going to do. I'm leaning a little towards just the ovaries because I don't know if I can face another big surgery. I wish someone would just tell me the right thing to do! Either way it is scheduled for November 14th.
On September 21st I am going to start working again. I have been off for almost 9 months, and am pretty used to the stay at home mom lifestyle. I am nervous, but excited to feel like I am getting back to normal. My 1 year cancer anniversary came and went on August 19th. I am so thankful to be around to enjoy the craziness of life with my family. I had just barely been diagnosed when school started last year, and I remember walking my kids to school thinking that I might not ever see them have another first day of school. I am grateful to be alive, and I am starting to let myself plan for the future!
nancy
nancy
