WARNING: Graphic pictures because it just couldn't have gone as planned

WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS SEVERAL GRAPHIC PICTURES, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM, DON'T READ.


It's October, which also means it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and every business is trying to get you to buy something pink.

We are aware breast cancer exists. What we are not aware of, is what it really does to people. This year there has been an interesting trend on social media with people showing what breast cancer really looks like. Its definitely not cheerleaders in short skirts and half tops. It's not cute, or pretty, or pink. Its painful and ugly.  Even after the cancer is gone, there is so much else to go through. I went through a breast reduction surgery to even things up, both for the damage it was doing to my back and so my clothes would actually fit right. My process had been long and has already included a third surgery to try to clean up some of the problems left behind after the second surgery, and I still have a long ways to go. I've been told I might make it back to work by December 1st. They will reevaluate at Thanksgiving.

 I've also been told I will be in pain for probably a good 6 months, at which point they will reevaluate the radiation fibrosis to see how its going. If it doesn't get better, I will still have to have a mastectomy.

The following pictures are basically a photographic timeline since the reduction surgery on September 10th.

This first picture (above) was taken on September 18th. You can see the skin has been peeling. The line above the section where the peeling skin is the scar from the lumpectomy. You can also see the skin along the intersection of the two incisions is taking on a black look. The skin and tissue has been getting harder, and more swollen at this time.

This 2nd picture is only 2 days later on September 20th, the skin is still peeling, and parts are dying off. The lumpectomy scar is becoming more unstable.

By the 21st, the skin is coming off in chunks. Its terrible painful, and there is more dead skin. The incision areas are all peeling now. The lumpectomy site looks like it could actually rupture.

This was the 22nd. The doctor ended up opening he lumpectomy site and the yellow area above the black area hoping to get it to drain. He did this twice over several days with basically no luck.

On October 6th, I went in for a third surgery, the doctor opened both ends of the lumpectomy site and removed all of the dead tissue at the bottom of the incision intersection. These are gauze wicks, that after a week had to be pulled out a little each day and cut to help the wounds heal from the inside out. This picture was taken on the 7th, the day after the surgery. The bottom area is so open there are "basting"stitches to help hold it closed.  Yes the coloring looks like it is way off and way purple, that's because it really was that purple.

A week after the surgery, October13th, A lot of the dryness is gone and the wicks are getting shorter.

October 20th. the wicks are all out and the stitches couldn't hold anymore.

I couldn't get the video to upload here to the blog, so I uploaded it to youtube instead: video showing fibrosis.

Radiation fibrosis is the tightening and hardening of irradiated tissue. In this video you can see how on one side of my body, the breast actually moves and the skin "jiggles". On the left breast, there is no movement whatsoever. You have to look carefully, but I think you can see what I'm talking about.

The wounds have to be cleaned daily with hibiclense on the outside, and twice on the inside each day with hydrogen peroxide. They do have to all be completely closed before I can go back to work.

So this is just one of MANY realities for someone who has gone through breast cancer. Everyone's cancer is different. But we learn far more from talking to each other than we ever will learn by buying a pink pumpkin. If you want to raise your awareness about breast cancer, do some research, talk to people who have it or who have survived it, and share your KNOWLEDGE. That's real awareness. That pink pumpkin? Just doesn't do much.