Today went well. I have been super groggy today. Which made me irritable this time around.
Spencer would say I was snappy. I think it was due to Nashville Traffic on the way home and he we picked up Izabella from school(insert Fairview traffic and car rider line), had to go BACK to Publix to get my pain meds. 😫
Well it’s 3:35AM, and  I have been up off and on since 12:00AM to take meds or pee! Now I have another  30 mins until the next time to take it and Spencer just walked in the house from playing #LosersNashville.  Pain only on the left side! Right side got a new implant too. I also got a lesion( skin tag/mole) removed above my right ear and I don’t have any pain on that side. Super weird! I am think it might be they scrapped scar tissue on hat side more. Who Knows! I just know I am up and counting down the minutes to take a pain pill. I can’t take bandages off of my chest and get a shower until Friday so i will Post those pictures then. For now here is a picture of my ear. 

Blessings,

Brandi Maige

“ weeping will last but a night, but JOY will come in the morning”
Psalm 30:5

It’s been awhile! What’s new in the Fight like a girl world!

Hello! It’s been awhile! Please forgive me! Since my last post I’ve had GREAT checkups! Still cancerfree and praising the God Lord for His mercies! Just had my 3.5 year check up with my Oncoligist and all is well. I had a checkup with my surgeon that did my Expanders and my second implant surgery(Jan 2016)  in February and discovered that my LEFT implant had turned sideways. Super bummed about that, but it’s something that can and will be fixed. Actually it will be fixed tomorrow 4/11/2018  I will have an Implant Exchange and  Capsulectomy in both breast tomorrow. The Doctor hopes it will help with the rippling I have on the RIGHT side where the tumor was. 

It will be outpatient as usual. Surgery starts at 11:00AM central time. Please be in prayer with me for the surgery to go great, implants will be repaired and work well with my body this time and I heal quick! This will be my 4th surgery after treatment. Thanks for your prayers in Advance! 

Side Note: 

I have several friends that have been diagnosed with cancer or their family member has! Please be in prayer for everyone going through some kinda battle of their own! We need cures! We need healing. We need to never take our health for granted! 

Blessings,

Brandi Maige

 

Pictures from Today's Surgery

Hello Again! I am doing pretty well since its been over 12 hours since surgery. It was fairly easy. The surgery center is always so quick at the registration. They get you taken care of and very efficient. They even remembered me from my reconstruction surgery. Waking up today I was a sore of course. I got Spencer to take a few pictures so I could share with you tonight. 

I have 4 sutures in my Breast! This was the first time for that. It's to help hold the mesh in place while it heals. I have to keep them in for 1 week. I have a sling on my arm this time to help me NOT move it. 

I am posting a picture so you can see it. I hope it doesn't offend anyone. This is part of me being transparent about my journey. 

The others picture are just me starting to wake up in recovery. It was such a blessing to have my Best Friend there beside me. He's the best! Even if he calls me Little Orphan Annie and Betty Boop. :) 

As I close this post I want to thank you again for your prayers and kind words! 

I leave us with this verse:

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24 NIV

Brandi

01/05/16 :4th and hopefully final surgery.

It's been several weeks since I updated you guys interested in my journey. So I figured I should update. So here we go. :)

My last 3 month check up went well. Praise the Lord. Hearing "See you in another three months" is always a relief. I made an appointment in November to meet with my Plastic Surgeon that did my reconstruction and shared a few concerns I was having with my right side Breast(same side the tumor was on) and we came up with a solution to correct the problem areas.  Sad part it was one more surgery. So the best available time to schedule it was Jan. 6,2016. Yep that is tomorrow. So I have to be at the surgery center at 7:30 in the morning. Surgery starts at 9:30 should last an hour or so. So please if you remember to lift me and the Doctors and nurses up tomorrow. Pray for wisdom and safety. I hope this will correct the problem boob once and for all! The Dr. will go into the same incision as before and adjust the placement and add more Alloderm Mesh to help hold it in place and give me a batting like barrier to help with the rippling that I have. The right side has very thin tissue. They had to be so aggressive on that side due to the Cancer was on that side. He had to get clear margins. So of course it would be the side causing all the trouble. Well that's the skinny on what I have next up on the Cancer journey! So glad this will all be behind me soon enough. God has been so faithful every step of the way. I know tomorrow is no different. I will be on the mend one more time. I have an amazing support system. My husband, family and friends! My mother in law(Mrs. Angela) is here to help us out for a few days while Spencer travels this weekend. We will be playing lots of Farkle!  

I pray as I type these words that someone reading this blog will get something out of it. I pray it might help a sister that is about to face the same thing, maybe even a family member preparing for their love one to go through this journey. Just remember to take heart and know Jesus is right beside you ever little step! Nothing is too big or small for the one that created us. Blessings to you and wishing everyone a healthy and joyful New Year! 

Just a little piece of God's Plan. 11/11/15

As I am sitting outside enjoying the beautiful afternoon, I am being filmed. Media Share came today and filmed me and my family. We have talked about what amazing service Media Share was during this journey. Since day one of going to the Doctor they have been such a blessing. Everything has been so easy to ask questions and get things paid. They call me on surgery follow ups. Ask how they can pray for us. I even had a sweet lady mail me a card and had the office ladies sign it to wish me a speedy recovery after my Double Mastetomy. 

Today I have been interviewed about me experience with Medi-Share, and got to share a few highlights of my journey. They took a few pictures and highlights from this blog.  I think it is pretty amazing to get to share. 

I can remember the first day I was told I had Cancer, Spencer said to me" Baby I can not wait to see how God is going to use you." Its amazing how it has worked out. I am sharing in a National level and I got to share at our community event: Fields of Faith with a few other brave souls! :) It's funny God already had this day planned. I just had to be available . Many times in our lives with our crazy hectic schedules and life happen moments I like to think we must miss out time and time again to be recipients to God's blessings in our lives. I truly believe  if we would surrender daily to Him. We would have a peaceful more meaningfully life. One that encouraged and lifted others up. Now don't get me wrong, life isn't all rainbows and lollipops. We have storms pop up in our lives to help us grow and not be stagnant. But if we would look for the good in everything what a different world we would live in. 

Well I will keep you updated when the clip will be ready and aired or put in Medi-Share's website for you to see. 

10-31-2015(Late Posting)

Today marks 1 year since my first Oncology appointment. I learned what Triple Negative Breast meant. I learned I wouldn't just take 4 or 6 rounds of chemotherapy it would be 16 rounds. 12 of them would be weekly ones and then 4 of them would be every other week. 20 long weeks! I learned I would be put in a trial study through Sarah Cannon Research Institute. I would either take a study drug or a placebo pill. For 12 weeks 2 times a day. I grew to love  some amazing nurses and I met some amazing Cancer patients and their families. We've become friends. Sometimes in life some of the hardest things you must do become such blessings. If you told me a year ago I'd be going to dinner with my Nurse and her family. I don't think I would believe you. I am so blessed I got to experience all of this. I am not the same person I was. I've grown on so many levels this past year. 

I leave us with this verse:

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

Brandi

 

October: Susan G Koman Race for the Cure 2015

Hello, It's been a busy 2 months since I posted last. I just wanted to give you a overview of whats been going  on. Surgery went well. I am all healed up. I was able to start running. That has been nice. I got to run my first official timed race on October 24, 2015. I had a team that came and ran and some that walked. This was the Susan G Koman Race for the Cure run. We had a fun time wearing our pink and getting to see all the Survivors in their special shirts. It was such a blessing to get to run with Braxton. He skipped going to a RA campout. He said he didn't want to miss my run! That boy melted my heart when he told me that. I was surprised when we went to see the official time. I came in 3rd place in the Survivor Catagory for 30-39. I metaled my first run. 38 minutes for my 5K. Not very impressive for most runners. But for me its great. I have lots of room to improve. I can not wait to run another one. Two ladies on my team came in 1st and the other in 3rd in their age category. They were awesome 7 minute miles. I did that in High School but well 1997 was a long time ago. Haha! I guess

Just curious if anyone was been keeping up with my hair? WOW... I have an Afro now. Or so Izzy says! Its super thick, dark and Um, very curly. I might even call it kinky! I call it a Hot Mess. I've been wearing my wig a lot more lately. One reason being its been cooler out and the other reason I just can't stand my hair stage right now. I won't cut it, I am just letting it grow and its wild and untamed. Most people love it. I say thanks but I cringe at the thought they are even looking at my hair. I tend to change the subject really quick. I know this is just a phase and another step during this journey but man it really stinks the things one most go through. I never really thought about the awkward phases I would encounter. I am trying to embrace it all. Some part are harder than others.

Here are a few pictures of the HOT Mess!