Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon

After my appointment with the oncologist, Dr. Horkheimer, Monica from Dr. Camal's office called me and had booked me appointments for all of my Scans for the following week at Riverview Medical Center and told me to wait for a call from the reconstructive surgeons office. They would call me to make the appointment with Dr. Griffith. So later that evening I get a call from a woman with the most beautiful British accent. It was Tina from the Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Griffith and asked me to come in on Tuesday.

So flash forward and here we are on Jan 10th. My mom came along with me to this appointment as well. We headed back out to Red Bank to the Griffith Center for Reconstructive Surgery. A beautiful building across the street from Riverview Medical Center. The woman at the from desk were very sweet as I filled out all the paperwork. My mom and I sat in this lovely waiting room and as we looked around the room... there on the table there was a book sitting up and on the cover was Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's (see pic below).... this who know me know that is my favorite movie and she is my favorite actress.... it was like another sign that I was in the right place...

They called me and my mom into the exam room. We sat there waiting for Dr. Griffith to come in to examine me and kinda laughed a bit. Only me... this shit only happens to me... Apparently I have to have the most dramatic, life threatening way to get a boob job! Gotta add some humor into this circus that has now become my life... As we laughed about the craziness that this all is Dr. Griffith comes in with her P.A. Mary. It was like a wave of calm came in the door.

Now I should mention this was the first office I didn't have to wear my mask so I was able to see everyones full face and not just eyes. Dr. Griffith came in and looked at me and said she knew this was the last place I probably wanted to be but she was going to get me to the end of this. She said Dr. Camal is her favorite breast surgeon to work with and that they have worked together for many years. We talked about the fact I had chosen bilateral (double) mastectomy and she was really happy I had decided on that so we were all on the same page. She did a few measurements and said that Dr. Camal had decided to do surgery first. Which was the first i had heard that. So apparently they must have discussed my treatment already. She explained how after Dr. Camal finished in surgery, then she would come in and put in the expanders that would help my body create its own tissue and then allow an implant after I have healed and gone through chemo.

We went over the options for implants and that I was a good candidate for a DIEP procedure which takes my own tissue and fat from my belly and uses it to reconstruct the breasts. I said I trust what ever you feel is best. Cancer was not the way I was expecting to get a mommy makeover but I guess the universe had different plans for me. She also told us that most of what she does is breast cancer patients reconstruction.

Dr. Griffith then asked how I was doing, how I was feeling and how my kids were doing. I told her I was ok considering everything, overwhelmed and everything was moving so fast, and she said I'm young and they want to get this out and get me on the other side. She said the hardest part is the waiting. She told us Mary her P.A. next to her had been through the same surgery 19 years ago. And she also had kids about my kids age at the time. It was good to see someone else who had been through what Im going through as a mom.

She then asked my mom how she was handling everything. And my mom just said "I just want to hug you" and Dr. Griffth said "I love hugs" and came over to hug my mom. She then came and hugged me and repeated that she will get me to the finish line and make me feel whole. I sigh of relief came over me and I thanked her. She told me I would be coming back to her for a Pre Op Appointment once I have the surgery date. We said goodbye and Mary went over details of what I could expect.

She showed my what the expander would look like and how it will be put into my breast area after surgery. She explained that I will come back to the office every week for them to fill it in a little more each time to slowly stretch the skin to make space for the implants. We talked a bit about what it was like when she went through this and she had a very similar story to mine, except she had a baby at the time. But we both had similar discomfort in our breasts when they discovered the cancer.

She gave me some more information and a book to read about the procedures. And we started to head out.

Im signing out with the front desk and this older woman from the back office comes over to me. She asks me and my mom to come over to her office. Her name was Fran and she tells me that Im in good hands and Dr. Griffith is the best. She wants me to focus on my healing. She asked me who my oncologist was and said that I have the best team there is. At Riverview Medical Center they called my team the "A Team". She said she understands as a young mother how scary this can be, and then tells us her story. When she was 34 and had 2 small children she was told she had 90 days to live, and the doctors told her if she got pneumonia she wouldn't make it. And she got pneumonia. She said she went to her priest and he put his hand on her head and said that the lord has a plan. And she held my hand and my mothers hand and said he kept me here. 40 years later she is still here and has 9 grandchildren. She said she has seen thousands of women who have been in my shoes and she wanted me to be reassured that I was in good hands. She talked to us for at least 15 minutes and left us both in a state of comfort and peace.

My mom and I walked out of that office in winder. I know my whole situation is awful but I have been put in touch with some of the best angels out there so far. And my treatment hasn't even started...