This week's basics. #1 Advocating for myself.

A peek inside my life lately. Sometimes it's nice and quiet and sometimes all hell breaks lose. I'm here to share it all.

With just three weeks of the school year left for my boys, I knew we were entering a very busy season. Band concerts, soccer and basketball games, our bathroom renovation project, two flat tires in less than a week and now for a diagnosis I’ve been fearing.

To give you some context if you aren’t familiar with my breast cancer journey, I am a 7 year survivor (DCIS - Stage 2A triple positive). If you follow me on Instagram (BasicBsGuide) then you can find more of my story in my highlights. I plan to share a ‘basic’ overview of my journey here on Substack soon.

About a month ago I started experiencing some discomfort with my breast implant. It started to feel “out of pocket” and especially bothers me after tossing and turning all night long. I called my plastic surgeon and honestly, they blew me off, and proceeded to tell me that over-time it’s normal for the implant to settle differently and that I should try wearing a sports bra. Note that the person I spoke with didn’t pull up my charts, as she kept asking questions that would be apparent if she had done so. She would have also known that I’ve had my implant for almost 7 years and research indicates that most issues with implants happen during years 5-10.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I was due for my 6-month appointment with my Oncologist. I informed her during my checkup that I was feeling some discomfort and she asked me if an ultrasound would put me at ease. That yielded an immediate YES from me. Now you would think an ultrasound order would be simple but alas it proved difficult. The imaging company kept insisting that I needed to have a mammogram since I hadn’t had one on my left side, according to their records. Umm well, I had a mastectomy on my left side, thus I do not have breast tissue there. Explaining this to five different people was a tad frustrating. After many phone calls everyone seemed to be on the same page.

Thursday morning I arrived for my ultrasound, happy to have a good book (If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay) with me to keep my mind off of things. The ultrasound tech kindly complimented my breasts (nice to hear after all I’ve been through) as she proceeded to take many photos. What’s odd and really surreal after you’ve lost a breast is that you don’t have much feeling left other than an occasional zap from nerves reconnecting. I could feel the pressure of the wand but not the warmness of the gel. After minutes ticking by and me consciously trying not to think the worst, the radiologist confirmed that my implant had indeed ruptured. I was told I would need it removed and to contact my plastic surgeon. And then…the appointment was over and I was sent on my way.

After a call to my plastic surgeon to relay this information, I was informed to not panic. I don’t need surgery today but sooner rather than later. Now, I wait until May 7th to meet with my surgeon to decide next steps and of course it’s complicated. The last thing I want is another surgery (this will be my 7th since diagnosis). After a tiny bit of a car cry and a text to my breasties (pink warrior buddies) and my sisters I realized I was more frustrated than anything. This could be so much worse and while it sucks, I can handle it but mostly because I have to and I have a support system that stands behind me.

The biggest part I want to drive home by sharing this is how much we need to trust our GUT and advocate for ourselves. No other person is going to fight as hard as you for your health and wellness. If something doesn’t feel right or we are searching for answers, then continue to ASK QUESTIONS.

I promise to circle back when I know more of what the future holds. For now, I share my story because I seek understanding, connection and prayers.

Thanks for being here.

xoxo Basic B