Happy Thanksgiving

Mary Jo and I would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving today.  We have so much to be thankful for this year.  I am most thankful that Mary Jo is healthy and cancer free this thanksgiving.  She has gone through so much.  Everybody knows that you lose all of your hair when you go through cancer treatment but it is a positive visual when that same person starts to improve after chemo and back on the road to recover and being cancer free.  Here is Mary Jo from last thanksgiving to today.

beautiful

Fitting Day

Mary Jo had her appointment today to be fitted for a custom fit compression arm sleeve.  Since Mary Jo had 22 lymph nodes removed from under her arm in the her right axillary area during her double mastectomy, she is at risk of developing at any time a condition called lymphedema.  The compression sleeve was recommended by Mary Jo's Lymphedema councilor to be worn at all times during even moderately strenuous activity and especially when Mary Jo is traveling on an airplane.  A pressurized cabin is about the worst thing for a person who is at risk of developing Lymphedema but the compression sleeve is a good and necessary tool to keep the condition under control.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for this year.  Mary Jo and I can never express in words how deeply touched we have been by all our friends and family who have offered their prayers and support.  We are truly blessed. 

Consultation Day

Mary Jo and I had a consultation today with spinal specialist orthopedic surgeon, Dr Jeffrey Dick at his Edina office of Twin Cities Orthopedics.  Dr Dick examined Mary Jo and questioned her extensively to try to determine the source of Mary Jo's pain in her left shoulder and numbness in her arm and hand.  After reviewing the previous CT scans and the written report from the radiologist, Dr Dick suggested a Cortisone  injection into Mary Jo's left shoulder.  If within an hour after the injection, Mary Jo experiences at least 75% relief from the pain symptoms, then Dr Dick believes the source to be "inflammation in the bursa area associated with the rotator cuff".  If less than 75% relief had been experienced, the next step would have been to do an injection in the C7 vertebra of Mary Jo's neck.  Mary Jo did feel she had pretty significant relief from the injection so Dr Dick will likely be prescribing some sort of physical therapy and a consultation with our usual orthopedic surgeon Dr William Simonet to look at Mary Jo's shoulder.


model patient



Inspiring video on persevering

Doctor Follow Up Visit

Mary Jo had a two week post op follow up visit with her plastic surgeon, Dr Jacqueline Luong at Dr Luong's Midwest Plastic Surgery clinic in Burnsville yesterday morning.  Dr Luong examined Mary Jo and her nurse photographed Mary Jo for the post op "after" photos.  There were two sutures that required some slight trimming but otherwise everything was as good or better than what could have been expected for a reconstruction patient who had radiated tissues as part of the treatment process for stage IIIb breast cancer.  Mary Jo is not complaining of any pain associated with the last surgery performed by Dr Luong however the issue with her neck is the next medical hurdle she will have to deal with.  Mary Jo's oncologist, Dr Gall discovered through the order of a CT scan that Mary Jo has bulging discs in her C4 and C5 (the lower portion of her neck) causing her pain and discomfort.  It was at the time a welcome relief to us that the scan discovered this degenerative tissue rather than a life threatening progression of cancer to Mary Jo's bones.  Mary Jo had been finding some relief by going to Dr Michael Kennedy,  Chiropractic Kinesiolgist for adjustments however, Mary Jo had to put Dr Kennedy's treatment sessions on hold during the recovery period from the last surgery.  Mary Jo is now scheduling a consultation with spinal orthopedic specialist Dr Jeffery Dick to see what can be done to more permanently remedy the bulging disc problem. 

Mary Jo's sister Anne had her prophylactic double mastectomy surgery performed yesterday afternoon in Omaha hospital and is recovering there today.  Please join us and pray for a speedy recovery for Anne.  Having a prophylactic surgery is the most aggressive way of reducing a BRCA2 carriers chances of developing breast cancer and Mary Jo and I are so thankful that Anne choose the most aggressive procedure currently available to reduce the alarming statistics.  The BRCA2 gene that Mary Jo and Anne carry give the women an 87% chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 70.

Today is election day.  Mary Jo and I urge everyone to exercise their rights as an American and get out there and vote for the candidates of your choice.


Anne and Mary Jo