It’s been over two months since I’ve written a post.  Gillian and I are participating in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer tomorrow morning as we’ve done for many years together.  It’ll be my first walk since reconstruction (& partial right butt cheek removal- I’m half-assed!!)  so I doubt I’ll be doing the walk as quickly as we’ve done in the past.  We’ll see.

I went back to work full duty and since getting back to full duty, I’ve been working a lot and I’ve been pretty tired. I’m working a lot of evening tours (which is probably not the best for me).  I haven’t been able to get to Tae Kwon Do with the crazy hours.  Eventually I’ve got to find a position with normal hours.  It was pretty weird using the radio again.  It had been so long that I had forgotten some of the codes.  I found it pretty comical.  But what I found really wonderful was other cops telling me how great it was to hear me on the radio again.  Wow.  I am truly blessed with some wonderful friends and co-workers.

I worked 7 days straight during the UN General Assembly and also when the President came back to NYC.  Wearing my bullet proof vest and gun belt for all of those hours was a painful proposition (for my boobs & abdomen).  Standing on my feet for hours was & is a pain in the butt as well (literally).

I’ve got a couple days off now but next week will be super busy with Traffic Stat on Friday.  I probably won’t be home for a couple of days while getting ready.  The next big detail will be the Halloween Parade (followed by the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the New Year’s Eve Detail).

I’ve seen my plastic surgeons and will be going in for my next surgery soon.  It should only be 2-3 hours long, as opposed to 10-12 hours & 7-8 hours that my last two were.  Some of the internal stitches in my abdomen never dissolved and became encapsulated.  They need to be removed.  I also have some areas of adhesion (where my skin is sticking to the muscle) that are very uncomfortable.  That will be taken care of as well.  Dr. L also wants to revise the flap that was done to make my right breast.  As previously noted, I have too much boob under my right armpit.  He wants to move it slightly.  The surgeons also plan to make a nipple on the left side (and eventually tattoo on an areola).  He may not be able to do the right side until it heals from the revision.  We will see.  I’m getting tired of surgeries but I also don’t want to be as uncomfortable as I’ve been.

My abdomen has been bothering me on and off.  The various scars get pretty itchy and achy as the day wears on.  I jogged (or trudged) on the treadmill for about 35 minutes a few days ago and followed that up by trying to do crunches/sit-ups.  Not the best idea on my part.  The doctors say I have no limitations  physically but I don’t really believe them.  I’m hoping I’ll be able to do all of the things I’ve done in the past but right now I just have to take it easier.  I have been trying to use the rowing machine (erg) at work to strengthen my legs and abdomen. There are days I can, and days I can’t.    What I am really hoping to do is get back to Tae Kwon Do at least a couple days a week.  Still trying for that second degree black belt.

I’ve got to head to bed as I am getting up early for the walk.  You can still donate or if you are up early, you can join us!

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=1215713&pg=personal&fr_id=62568&s_src=boundlessfundraising&s_subsrc=bfDskFbPfSched

Or if that doesn’t work, look for Team Coddfish on the Making Strides of the Hudson Valley, NY website.

I will try to update my blog more often.

Thanks so much for all of the prayers and thoughts.  Much love!

  PS- The walk went well.  We were joined by Teresa on the morning of the walk.  We had a great time.  The butt scar didn’t have an effect on my walk.  We still walked very fast & finished quickly.  Of course I’ll probably be limping later!!