Web MD, Google, and YouTube are all terrible sources to use when you are looking for medical information. I made the mistake of looking up videos on YouTube of what to expect today for my first expansion. Needless to say, I came across some videos and information that freaked me out. I woke up with almost certainty that I was going to throw up from my nerves. You’ll be happy to know that I didn’t throw up. Mostly because I already had my “war paint” on and I didn’t want to mess up my make up, because it’s still my security blanket. Something in this mess I can control. Which reminds me I need to buy another eye brow pencil before I have to go out in the world with no eye brows! There are days you would be pretty entertained watching me draw those babies on. I should figure out a way to share some “bloopers” with you just to make your day. Back on topic, we get to my appointment, the M.A. takes my vitals, then has me sit in the procedure chair for a while to let my heart rate calm down. Apparantly once again even though I had my smile and brave face on my heart rate doesn’t lie or hide my fear. My plastics doc comes in and makes sure everything is healing fine, and then we begin. They take a device that has a magnet in it and slide it over my breast to find the port. Once it’s found the doctor presses down to make in indentation on my skin to know where to place the needle. The needle going in is a weird sensation. I’m still numb, and will stay that way, so that is a blessing in this situation. The muscle “twinges” it what is painful. The needle has to go through the chest muscle and then into the expander. Once the needle is in, I only felt pressure increasing. At the time of surgery, he had put 250cc’s of saline in my expanders, and today we were able to put another 200cc’s in each, total of 450cc’s in each breast. We still have 350cc’s to go prior to the start of radiation. I am currently scheduled to go back 13 days from now for another 200cc’s. My plastics doc is going to be talking to my rad onc to see if we can push radiation out 2 weeks to that we can get the remaining 150cc’s in. It’s best to have the full amount of saline in before radiation to ensure the best results and give my skin the best chance of healing. Next steps right now are healing from expansion until the next plastics appointment, and we also meet with our Rad Onc Monday to make our plan and do my mapping. I’ll end with telling you that the expansion was no where near what I thought it was going to be. My husband pep talked me the whole way and reminded me how many hard and painful things I’ve “made it through and made it look easy”. Happy to tell you that this actually was easier than a lot of the things I have had to do the past 6 months. Plus, I’m starting to have a little something something under my dress now! Soon I’ll be able to wear my strapless dresses without worrying about them falling down!!