Do you have a nipple I could use?

Treatment #5.  Over halfway through!  This began a new drug: Taxol, for the last four treatments. The symptoms are approximately the same, however she must take a dosage of steroids 12 and six hours before treatment. This reduces the chance of an allergic reaction from the Taxol. I won't go into all the possible side affects of a reaction (i.e. anaphylaxis), but it's another nasty drug.

As you can see from the above picture, Kate was in town for a short stay to visit Beth and help out. She brought along seven month old John, who was unexpectedly calm in all the chaos that is currently the Wilburn household. They both have been a very welcome distraction from the doctor visits, drugs, and other symptomatic results of this time.

Noteworthy and crappy:
1. Beth received the results of her genetic testing. She tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation. This means that she is at an increased risk of female breast and ovarian cancers. Which also means that a hysterectomy is in the near future. As this is inherited, both Lilly and Genevieve will eventually have to be tested to determine if they were passed the mutated gene. If they test positive they will be screened at a much earlier age for the above cancers.

2.  After a time of excessive "womanly" bleeding, Beth went to her gynecologist who performed an ultrasound and found a polyp on her uterus. This has no connection to her current cancer. A minor surgery was performed, during which no polyp was found. Apparently it just fell off and out between discovery and surgery. Tissue was still scraped and tested for more cancer. No cancer! A good outcome, of course. But, seriously, what is next?

3.  This is next...The Taxol has been causing major heartburn, so the doctor prescribed Prilosec. It turns out Beth is allergic to Prilosec. Within a hour of taking it her lips swelled like Lisa Rinna. Following that she was covered with a rash that looked like ringworm all over her body. We go to the doctor.
Doctor, "Stop taking the Prilosec."
Us, "No shit."
Doctor, "Here are some more steroids to puff you up, keep you from sleeping and make you aggressive."
Me, "Good times!"

4.  Most importantly, I got to feel some boobs! We met with the reconstructive surgeon to hear all about the double D's I have on order for Beth after her mastectomy. We go into a room that looks like a boutique hotel/spa massage room.  Meet a very nice assistant to the Surgeon and watch a video about all the methods and risks to breast reconstruction.

One method is to slice some of your abdominal muscles and tissue and migrate it up to your pectoral region. They don't just slice it off and place it there. It is still attached to all the blood vessels and nerves from your belly. So you just have belly boobs. This process can also be done from the latissimus dorsi (hug yourself below your shoulder blades, the muscles you are touching). Imagine getting that sliced and slid around to the front of your body...WTF? It gives a whole new meaning to the "real or fake" game.
"No, they're real, but they're belly-boobs."

Beth is not a candidate for this process because she probably doesn't have enough tissue on her stomach or her back. Plus the recovery time is 3-4 months.

After the video, waiting for the doctor to come in, I noticed a display case of intriguing breast shaped objects. I stood to stretch my legs and spine. Beth immediately instructed me to sit down.
"What?" I said.
She knew exactly what I my intention was and did not want the first meeting with the surgeon to be with my hands all over his product. I eventually had my way with them, but it felt kind of like getting caught with a Playboy magazine when you're 13.

During the mastectomy, at the oncological surgeon's discretion, the nipples may be kept or removed. It depends on the future cancer risks and whether or not the nipple will survive and recover from the surgery (the nipples are scooped out like a melon to remove any potential cancerous tissue.) Sounds great, right? (I bet someone probably fantasizes about this. They do sell nipple clamps, for pete's sake.)
So, in the instance of the nipples rudely not appreciating the time and effort it took to save them and choosing to die and fall off, the choices are:  making a new nipple by pinching and twisting the healed tissue; or no nipple. They can do a "3D" nipple tattoo. Beth could finally say she has a tattoo. Two of them.

P.S. My double D request was rejected.

P.P.S  As of this posting Beth has completed treatment #6.  Only two left to go. Normally a person shouldn't wish life away, but I am glad this portion is almost over. By Christmas, the drugs should be well on their way out of Beth's system and performed their job effectively. She can start down the road to her cute 'pixie' cut for the summer season.