Fill 'Er Up!

We saw Dr. Hodges today, my plastic surgeon. It has been long enough now since my last radiation treatment for him to start putting in more saline in the tissue expander. And that's just what he did---60 cc worth. He brought out the little magnet on a string and waved it over my right breast to let it find the port in the expander. Then he marked that little spot with a marker, then injected some deadener there. Then he brought out the cow syringe and inserted the saline.

Too funny again, when he took out the syringe, blood was literally spurting out of me. His assistant grabbed some gauze and had me to apply pressure on it for several minutes. Dr. Hodges always gets excited about the spurting blood.

His plan is for me to come back every 3 weeks for 2-3 months for injections so that the skin on the right breast is well stretched to accept the implant that he'll put in around February of 2008. He was pleased with my skin, so I put in my plug for Bio-Oil with him, too. He was very interested and asked me to bring him some information on it when I come back in 3 weeks. Since a lot of what he does leaves scars, the Bio-Oil could really be a big deal for his patients. I'm thinking about writing the company to do endorsements for them. . . . It's really done wonders on my breast skin and the scars from surgery. And yes, I'm a l-i-t-t-l-e bit tender after the injection.

Radiation Checkup

I had a check up yesterday with my radiologist. Everything was great. But I have to share with you all this great product I found in Family Circle magazine. It's called Bio-Oil and is available in major drugstores like Walgreen's (it will be with the Oil of Olay type products.) It is for scars, stretch marks, dry skin. I got it Saturday to try on my May 15 surgery incisions that are still real tender and on my radiated right breast with the tissue expander in it. The skin on that breast was still really tight and kind of tough feeling. I have an appointment on the 8th to go see my plastic surgeon again to start injecting a little more saline in the tissue expander before he does the surgery to remove the expander and insert the real implant. I wanted that skin to be soft again before he starts that torture. Soooooo, I purchased the Bio-Oil. It is WONDERFUL. Almost immediately I saw an improvement in the softness of the radiated skin. But by Monday, my incisions weren't hurting like they were and they are lighter in color already.

It's a fairly new product to America, comes from Australia or the U.K. It's not really yucky to use as long as you really work it into the skin. I've used it on my hands and neck also with great results.

What was so funny is that my radiation nurse looked at me yesterday and couldn't believe it! She said it looked like they hadn't even done anything to me. Of course, I have been religious about aloe vera gel and cocoa butter on the right breast, but it just wasn't softening up like I wanted. She left the little room, came back in a minute with all the ladies who are radiation techs and asked if I would show them. So we had show-&-tell at the doctor's office. They were all amazed at my skin. My next appointment with the radiologist is in 3 months. Yea----we're stretching these doctor visits out for longer times now!!!