Future procedures - and Pink Glove Dance

Today's appointment went pretty much as expected. No drains can come out yet, unfortunately.  That's too bad since they are driving me crazy and causing about 80% of the pain, I think.

The plastic surgeon was very pleased with his work and the placement of the expanders.  It was fun to watch him show them to the resident or PA who was there.

So here's what I have in store for the next few months:

• Hopefully my drains will start draining less fluid and I will be able to get two of the three out next week.  The last one has to stay in for an additional week.  Darn - this is longer than I thought I'd have them in.
• Next week (Thursday) is the first "fill" of the expanders.  I currently have about 180 cc of saline in the expanders and they are looking to fill them to about 500 cc.  I think they will try to put in 60cc next week.
• For six to eight weeks, I'll be going in to the plastic surgeon's office to get saliene added.  They will "over-fill" me so I'll be bigger than desired for several months.  After I'm at max fill level, they will leave me there for 8 to 12 weeks to ensure the stretch is permanent.
• In probably March or April, I'll have surgery to remove the expander and put in the permanent implant.  This surgery will involve cutting out the current scar and creating a new scar which will hopefully be more "desirable" (docs words).  Also, this surgery might be outpatient and I may only be on pain meds for a few days afterward.  No running is allowed for 6 to 8 weeks after this surgery.  We don't want to wreck the great new scars the doc creates.
• A few months later, perhaps June or July, I'll have a nipple added.  It will be different than a real nipple, obviously and I hear they have to make them large initially and then they shrink over time.
• A few months after that, perhaps August or September, I'll have the aerola tatooed in the surgeon's office with a machine that does that strange procedure. 

And that brings us to a full year after my biopsy which was September 24, 2009. 

Check out this fun youtube video from Providence St. Vincent Medical Center:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw. Lore has it that when the video gets 1 million hits, the company that sells the pink gloves (Medline) will make a huge contribution to the hospital and offer free mammograms for the community.