Surgery Scheduled

The strong antibiotics that were prescribed to Mary Jo last week have improved Mary Jo's painful symptoms but the swelling from the infection and hardening scare tissues have worsened.  Mary Jo was seen again by her plastic surgeon on Friday.  Dr Luong who examined Mary Jo and explained to us that her current condition would not improve without surgery.  The swelling caused by the infection has place more pressure on the radiated skin than it can handle and the weakest point is at the incisions lines from the previous reconstruction surgery.  Mary Jo is scheduled to have a pre op physical on Monday and be admitted for surgery on Tuesday.  Dr Luong will be preforming a procedure called a latissimus flap breast reconstruction.  This procedure involves taking non radiated healthy muscle tissue from Mary Jo's left side, upper back, removal of the current implant and the temporary use of a implanted tissue expander.  Within a year, Mary Jo will have an additional surgery to replace the tissue expander with a permanent silicone implant.  Dr Luong expects a two and a half hour surgery on Tuesday followed by two to three days in the hospital for recovery.  Mary Jo is in good spirits and happy that this set back is not a life threatening issue but obviously disappointed by the need to undergo multiple additional surgery's. 

Doctor Visit

Mary Jo's doctor appointment was rescheduled and she was seen by Dr Jacqueline Luong yesterday in her Edina office.  Just prior to the morning office visit, Mary Jo had a ultrasound procedure performed of her left breast at the Woman's Imaging Center just down the hall.  The ultrasound tested negative for fluid filled void confirming Dr Luong's assessment that this is an infection with swollen tissues, not cancer.  Dr Luong is pleased that the antibiotics appear to be clearing up the infection because Mary Jo's symptoms are lessening each day on the antibiotics.  Dr Luong cautioned Mary Jo that if the infection returned or worsened, she may need to be hospitalized because the use of a stronger, iv only antibiotic would be the next step and/or possible surgery to remove the left side implant.  We are praying that the infection clears up soon on the prescribed meds and does not return.  Mary Jo's is scheduled for a follow up visit by Dr Luong next week.

Painfull Infection

Mary Jo returned from a working trip to Amsterdam last Thursday and started feeling ill hours later.  She thought she had picked up a bug from one of her co-workers on the trip.  Her co-worker had complained at pick up in Amsterdam that she had been up all night, sick  so naturally that's how Mary Jo thought she got it.  However this did not feel like the typical flue bug.  I urged Mary Jo to go in to urgent care and get it checked out because she was complaining of pain in her left breast and there was a lot of redness and swelling.  The doctor at urgent care said that Mary Jo had a Cellulitis which is a spreading bacterial infection just below the skin surface.  The likely cause would be the implant.  Mary Jo was prescribed a strong antibiotic and pain meds.  She is scheduled to see her plastic surgeon Dr Jacqueline Luong on Friday.

The Walk

Friends have been seeing all the Susan G. Komen 3-Day commercials on TV lately and asking if Mary Jo and I are going to be participating again this year.  The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES.  If you would like participate, sign up and raise money to end breast cancer, go to Komen.org.  Take part in the BIG Mothers day Race/Walk for the Cure and the HUGE Twin Cities 3-Day for the Cure on Aug 24-26th.  If you would like to help end breast cancer but do not have the time or energy to participate yourself, please donate.  Mary Jo and I have a link so you can donate online.  Mary Jo's page  http://www.the3day.org/goto/jojo    It's easy so please click on my link.

Happy Valentine's Day 2012

Happy Valentine's Day.  Mary Jo is doing well today and her recent review by her oncologist showed no signs of cancer.  Breast cancer patients are screened very closely with a comprehensive exam every 3 months for the first two years after a patients last chemo and radiation treatments.  Dr Gall did a blood panel review, chest x-ray and complete physical exam as part of Mary Jo's last "every three month" review.  Mary Jo has passed this major milestone in her treatment and now transitions to getting her oncology exams every six months until she reaches the next big milestone which is five years post treatment.  Mary Jo is now two years cancer free.  She is back to flying at Delta and feeling good.  Finally gone is that overwhelming feeling of being totally exhausted and tired that is typical of most patients that enduer rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Today is a day to celebrate.  Happy Valentine's Day Mary Jo.

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas.  2011 is almost over and December 14th 2011 marked a milestone in Mary Jo's treatment progress.  The date marked two years since Mary Jo's final chemotherapy treatment with no signs of any recurrence of cancer since.  This is a major goal for cancer survivors.  The five year mark is the next milestone.  Mary Jo is expected to meet with her oncologist, Dr Gall in the first week of January for her quarterly examine and then she will transition to exams every six months from of every three months.  Mary Jo is doing great this Christmas Eve.  She feels good and is looking forward to Christmas with her family tomorrow.

Good Results

Mary Jo is doing well and recovering at home after a brief surgical biopsy procedure.  The procedure performed on her left breast as an outpatient day surgery at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville by plastic surgeon, Dr. Loung this past week.  The good news is that pathology results of the biopsyed tissue tested negative for malignant cells and consistent with scar tissue.  Mary Jo had been recently experiencing some pain and noticed a suspicious lump on her left breast (on the scar line from the reconstruction surgery).  We had consulted with Mary Jo's oncologist, Dr Gall and Mary Jo's reconstruction plastic surgeon, Dr Loung last week.  The doctors had both suspected that the questionable tissue was likely going to be scar tissue but the only conclusive option was to biopsy the tissue.  Dr loung said she wanted to do the procedure herself verses having a radiologist performing a less invasive needle biopsy.  Dr Loung made a small 1 1/2 -2" incision to get a good look inside the suspect area and removed a dime size piece of tissue for the pathology review.   Mary Jo will be going in for a follow up visit to Dr Loung on Tuesday and will have the stitches removed.  Mary Jo and I are very happy to be 100% sure that this was not cancer.