Every new beginning is some other beginning’s end.

Just a few more hours and it begins….or it ends. I think I prefer to see it as the end. The end of my cancer. The end of my worries about it spreading. The end of my life with my original equipment.

It’s time for new beginnings. I’m looking for yet another positive twist. I think this is that twist. New breasts. Perky breasts that won’t give me cancer. Yup, that’s my new outlook.

How do I get to these new breasts, you ask? I’ve had to describe this process dozens of times already, so here goes….

The surgeon is going to make a lateral incision across the center of my breast and remove my nipples and areolas. Then, remove the interior breast tissue and preserve as much of the exterior skin as possible. I’m not completely certain what the next steps are, but the plastic surgeon will be stepping in around this time to insert the expanders (The expanders are like balloons. They are inserted to make space for the implants), under my pectoral muscles.  I’ll be stitched up and sent home to recover and heal. I will be in the hospital only one night, for pain management.

After a few weeks of healing, I’ll starting going on a weekly basis to a local plastic surgery clinic for “inflation”. This process is accomplished by injecting saline into the expanders. I believe there is a port through which the saline is injected. Once the necessary space is made for me to have the implants inserted (I’m planning on the same size I am now, a generous “D”), I’ll have a 90 minute outpatient procedure to have them inserted. Silicone boobies. I never thought that would be in my future.

Then there is the issue of creating new nipples. I think I’ll have to describe this later, when I have more information on the actual process. It sounds really weird and I want to make sure I understand it fully. I’ll also be getting more tattoos, this time in the form of areolas. Yup, they’re tattooed on….crazy, no?

I was blessed with a “rack” and now, it’s trying to kill me. Time to trade it in for a new set that will play nicer with the rest of the team.

On a bit of a side-note, I need to make a HUGE SHOUT OUT to all of my friends, family and complete strangers who have been sending me messages, emails, posting on my Facebook page, calling me, giving me hugs and just giving me more support than I ever thought possible. Don’t get cancer, if you can help it. But if you do get cancer, or any other awful disease, have friends like I do, because I can’t have my strength without the encouragement of these wonderful people. I’m beyond blessed in this life. If this cancer is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I’ve lived a very lucky and amazing life.