The Famous Dr. BK

Last Friday we met The Booby King (Dr. BK) and he was definitely worth the wait.  But while we were waiting, we did enjoy being in Galveston with my Daddy and Mary Ann for a couple days.  Being on the beach, breathing the salt water air and basking in the sun is always good for my soul. 

Okay, so we showed up at Dr. BK’s office Friday morning and I noticed no one else was there.  When the nurse was checking me in she asked if I was told that Dr. BK would not be available and that one of his fellow doctors would probably be seeing me.  Of course, this was a BIG surprise to me as I told her (in my nicest controlled voice) that it was MY impression Dr. BK would be there for the consultation.  She stated she would try paging him, but typically he did not see patients on Fridays because it was reserved for his “academic” day and he would probably not be able to see me.  Hmmmm… does academic day = golf day?

So she takes me into this room and tells me to change into a robe.  Then she hands me this little package and says Dr. BK likes all his patients wear “photo panties” for all the pictures.  I guess I must have had a distressed and panic look on my face.  Umm… photo panties?  Maybe we have come to the wrong office.  I guess she read my mind because she went on to explain that during my reconstructive process I would have lots of photos taken so they could document before, after, progress, etc.  It was at that moment, I realized the room looked like a mini glamour shot set.   Oh great, I knew I should have had Romeo give me a quick spray tan before we came to Houston.  Darn, darn, darn!  But in the end, there were not any photos….

A couple minutes later another lady comes into the room and introduces herself as Dr. Proctor.   She informs me Dr. BK has been paged but may not be able to join us this morning (like we’re going to have brunch or something).  So she begins explaining all the reconstruction options, blah, blah, blah.  Suddenly there is a knock on the door and guess who arrived?  Yes, it was the infamous Booby King!  I felt like jumping up and giving him a big hug, but of course, I contain myself, because I don’t want him to think I am a stalker or anything.  You know, since I begged to see him earlier in the week.

So he explains all the options again, state the pros/cons of each, recovery times, risks, best cosmetic results, etc. In the end, I select the option to use my own tissue to build the reconstruction.  In simple terms, it works like this… pretend like my body fat is an iPad (Generation Three, of course), BK will undock it from my tummy (fat, muscle and blood vessels) and redock into a new iHome (or iMam as Romeo says) and it plays works the same.  Not only do I get a new and improved lady part, but also a FLAT tummy too!  Woohoo… sign me up!

But the bad news is, this is a very complex surgery which requires longer recovery.  My research indicates only a micro surgeon can perform this task because all the blood vessels have to be reengineered; which explains why none of the doctors I interviewed previvously offered me this option.  It could take Dr. BK 6-8 hours to finish the surgery (after Dr. Sarah clears the landscape.)  This results in a 5-7 day hospital stay, followed by 2-3 weeks needing assistance doing simple personal tasks.  Oh my… I’m not sure my Romeo is ready to help me do EVERYTHING.  He understands I’m pretty private about bathroom type things; not to mention I hate having bad hair days and never leave the house without makeup.  So please pray we have extra patience with each other during this time. 

During the surgery, the doctors will test my lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread to the rest of my body.  We are optimistic that we have caught it early and the cancer has not spread.  But if it is found in my lymph nodes, I will for sure have to undergo chemotherapy and maybe radiation.  But, since the invasive tumor found during the lumpectomy was only 2.2 millimeters, it is my understanding the chances the cancer has spread is low.  But this is still a hurdle we have not crossed and could ultimately change the game plan again.

I am so relieved we finally have a plan and know my road to recovery begins on 11/7 when Dr. Sarah and BK perform my surgery.  Please know I am very confident we have chosen the best doctors and cancer center in the world to help me get back to my “new normal.”  I also have unwavering faith in God that He will not give me anything I cannot handle.  There is no doubt in my mind I can survive this test and come out stronger!