Back to chaos and cold

Yes, I was back Tuesday night and should have blogged yesterday, but I didn't even get on the computer to clear out the 140 emails until yesterday evening. I've been going since we walked in the door at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Okay first things first. My vacation was awesome. The sun was shining, it was hot, the snorkelling was amazing (we saw a lionfish!) and the food and drinks were awesome. Michael and I were so relaxed and we really needed that since we've been on high alert tension since the middle of April. We laughed, made silly jokes, made some new friends and reconnected as a couple.

The resort was awesome too and I'd go back there in a heartbeat. Not because it is the nicest resort I've been to or has the nicest beach or pool, but because the Cubans who work there are absolutely phenomenal and friendly. So when can I plan my next trip?

So we picked up the kids Tuesday night, unpacked and then crashed because we'd been up since 5 a.m. to check out and catch the bus to the airport. When we got off the plane, we were dismayed at how cold it is here. Yeah, I know it's October, but I was hoping it was going to be a glorious Indian summer.

While we were away, Tara contracted head lice (lovely) and her Omi treated her, combed through her hair and did all the nasty activities that accompany those pesky critters. But then the school called again yesterday morning to say there were still nits in her hair (say what!?).

So yesterday involved retreating the hair, combing through it twice, and washing and vacuuming mattresses and furniture. My washing machine has also been working overtime (with hot water no less). Yesterday I also sprayed tea tree oil around to deter the little critters from spreading. I hate them! And of course, they come to the kids with clean hair so my little monkey got them (her Omi probably had her showering daily when she watched over them).

I also had an appointment with the breast specialist yesterday to discuss my options. Dr. B. said those with the BRCA-1 gene have a 70 to 80 per cent chance of contracting breast cancer. For those who've had a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy, the risk is cut in half.
So my chances are 35 to 40 per cent of being diagnosed with it.

My options are:

1. Close monitoring through yearly mammograms, MRIs and visits with the specialist -I'm just waiting to hear back as to when her secretary has booked my appointments.

2. Double mastectomy with reconstruction - This option reduces the chance of contracting breast cancer to five to 10 per cent (lower than the general population). Dr. B told me they usually recommend using the fat from the belly to reconstruct the breasts (literally getting a tummy tuck - which I could use - and a breast reconstruction at the same time). Bonus.

However, it's a 12-hour surgery involving the breast specialist and two plastic surgeons. I'd spend five days in hospital and then it'd take two to three months to recover. Ugh.

The next step is to visit the plastic surgeons to see what type of reconstruction they'd recommend (the tummy tuck option may not end up being the best one, although Dr. B seemed to indicate it was). So I'll do that before making any decisions.

Besides, she recommended I wait at least two years before undergoing this type of procedure to make sure nothing else happens with my abdomen (to make sure the cancer doesn't come back).

She made some other interesting comments:

- Just because I've had ovarian cancer doesn't mean I won't also get breast cancer. It isn't like a quota system, you get one or the other. While that seems completely unfair to me - like isn't one enough - it needs to be part of my considerations.

- The risks increase the older you get. So my mom, while lucky that she hasn't contracted ovarian or breast cancer to date, isn't out of the woods. In fact, her risk factor increases every year.

- Those with the BRCA gene have an almost 100 per cent chance of contracting ovarian or breast cancer! Holy cow. With those kinds of statistics, it makes sense to take preventative steps in advance of onset of the disease.

So right now I'm just weighing my options. It's probably a good thing I have to wait two years because I'm not sure I could face another invasive surgery and long recovery right now. I'm just starting to feel better after the summer from hell (my new nickname for summer 2009). But it certainly doesn't hurt to research my options.

It's off to talk to the clinical trials doctor today. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.

Tina