Yesterday marked another huge milestone after Andrea completed her double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery here in Saint Louis.

It was certainly a long day. She arrived at the hospital at 6am to complete all of the necessary pre-op work, went into surgery around 9, finished around 12, and was finally discharged around 5pm. Her team of surgeons and nurses were able to give us constant updates throughout the whole process, always calling us and giving us minute-by-minute updates while she was in surgery. Even as she woke up under heavy anesthesia, she was still asking to see her dogs and expressing her love for Dolly Parton, which everyone knows is par for the course. We are very grateful that the surgery was a complete success and she was able to go home that night to sleep in her own bed.

Today is the first day out of recovery and Andrea has of course returned to her energetic, outgoing, and talkative self. While she is definitely still in some discomfort and pain, her spirit and personality remains unchanged. Although she misses her treadmill and sauna, her mobility will likely be limited for the next few weeks as she focuses on rest and recovery. Her appetite is slowly returning and she even tried to sneak out to Target this evening. 

We are very grateful for everyone who has reached out to Andrea and I this week. Many have stopped by with flowers, balloons, food, and even mailed care packages from across the country. We were even able to make a trip down to Florida the week prior and fulfilled Andrea’s dream of bringing our dogs to the beach.

We could not do this without the support of our friends and family. We continue to ask for your prayers that her recovery progresses smoothly, with the next 1-2 weeks being the most crucial and important part in this whole process.

The finish line feels even closer now, with the last step being radiation. Andrea will hopefully make a strong recovery in the next 6-8 weeks and then begin 4 weeks of radiation. Although she will have radiation 5 days a week, the side effects should be minimal and “easy” compared to what she has already been through.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported us throughout this entire journey. We will continue to post updates as needed over the next couple of months on Andrea’s progress. 

Once again, F*** cancer. 

Davis