I met with Dr. Jenkins again to discuss my options and make some plans. He recommends a lumpectomy, which means he will go in to my left breast and cut out the tumor, as well as some area, or margin, around the tumor, to ensure he got all of the cancerous cells.
I also set up an appointment to talk with a local plastic surgeon (well, local as in Elizabeth City, but visiting Kitty Hawk on Thursdays as well – lots of medical opportunities around here on a Thursday!). He will tag-team operate with Dr. Jenkins, immediately following Jenkins’ tumor removal with the reconstruction surgery.
He will essentially perform a breast “lift” on the right breast, to match the new size and shape of my post-lumpectomy left breast. I thought this would be called a breast reduction, but since it is only a small amount of tissue being removed, it is technically classified as a lift.
That doesn’t sound too bad. I can do this. I might even have “better” breasts afterward! Well, any breast without a tumor is better than my “before” breast.
Both surgeries are scheduled for Wednesday January 5, 2011 at the Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, NC.
Nude woman vector illustration by danjazzia