I had the opportunity to meet with the plastic surgeon who will complete the reconstruction portion of my surgery in December. He was a very knowledgeable man and we sat and talked for quite some time before jointly reaching conclusions on how to proceed. He did a great job of answering all my questions, but I was disappointed to hear how long this process takes and all the steps involved before I am completely finished with everything. I think I may need to sort through all the information in my head and do a a little research before I post everything on this site.

In the meantime, tomorrow I begin the Taxol series of chemotherapy. I'm on the downhill side now with this being treatment five. I continue to feel confident about my treatment, the team of doctors (and their staff) who are working with me, and the wonderful chemo nurses who are such a tremendous support (look for a future post on chemo nurses!). I feel so lucky because physically I have felt so good this entire week and I continue to be amazed at the wonderful support network I have. Everything has been significant: the daily hugs, the cards, the laughter, the calls, the emails, the blog comments, and most importantly, the willingness to listen. As Bruce Springsteen sings, "Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe." If I have ever had the slightest of doubt, I just have to look around me to find that reason to believe.