Surgery & then what...

From Charlotte's January 12th Facebook post:

Next week is my surgery on Wednesday the 16th at 7:30 am at UC Health Anschutz Hospital in Denver. I will have a double mastectomy, with a Lymphadenectomy on the left side and then expanders put in for a “later this year” reconstructive surgery. We plan to stay up in Denver thru Sunday ( to be nearby in case I have any complications in the first 72 hours after surgery). I’ll admit I am pretty nervous about it all, but also ready to have this big step in my treatment completed. After this surgery, I will have 4 weeks recovery, then I start 5 weeks of daily radiation...then I will have the removal of my ovaries scheduled...and then later in the year I will have the final surgery for reconstruction. In between now and the time my ovaries are removed I will be getting monthly hormone therapy injections to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back. Without the ovary removal, I’d be getting these injections for the next 5 years. Because of my stage I don’t have the option to do pill hormone therapy, and with my type of cancer and genetic results, all of this is really the only path if I want to live to be 100- WHICH I DO!!! 😀😀😀💕. FWIW- I’ve seen 3 different oncologists and 3 different surgeons for 2nd and 3rd opinions, so I feel pretty confident I am doing all the right things.

On that note- I just want to send a very sincere thank you (filled with love and hugs) for all the people who have prayed for me, cooked, sent gifts, cards, showered gifts on my girls during their birthdays in November and December. I will never ever get caught up on all the thank you cards I should be sending ( or the ones I should have corralled my girls to send)...so please PLEASE forgive me if you haven’t heard from me. I love you all and I am forever grateful.