SOOO, the 16th of January has come and gone....and I survived the procedure!!! I had to be at the hospital at 10:30am. My surgery was supposed to start at 12:30pm. It however did not start until closer until 2:30/ 3:00pm. I meet with both Dr. Spear, Dr. Tousimis and their teams prior to the surgery. Both Dr. Spear and Dr. Tousismis made markings on my breasts. While waiting felt like it was a "hurry up and wait game having had to be their at 10:30. I was ready, I was hungry and thirsty...I had not had anything to eat since midnight the night before. People kept coming and asking me the SAME questions OVER and OVER again....checking my wrist band, making sure I knew my name and birthday. Finally The anesthesiologist came. I had to convince her to put the IV in my arm....she wanted to put it in my hand...NO Way was I going to let that happen. Man they hurt there...and especially with the Neuropathy,it would be killing me. But she had to put it in the right arm! SMH, kinda dumb considering I am right handed.
Another 30 - 40 minutes pass before they take me back for surgery. I am wheeled back in a wheel chair. I remember helping myself onto the surgery table and laying down, but that is it. The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery. In recovery I am in PAIN, SHARP pain, especially on the right side. Soon my parents are allowed back into recovery with me, I struggle to stay awake. While waiting, I get a call from some people checking on me to see how I am doing (thank you) and the nurse gives the information to the room I am being moved to. I am coming in and out of it, as they are giving me some good pain meds!! I am then brought upstairs to my room and my parents come with.
Although it is late and my parents leave, I struggle with sleeping. I am hungry. I drink lots of water, do go to the bathroom a few times, but am not given anything to eat except some crackers due to one of the meds I was given. I am given lots of pain meds, as I had very tight pain, especially on the right side.
My roommate was loud. She was coughing, her IV was going off twice as many times as mine. Mine went of each time I bent my arm, which was why I was annoyed they put the IV in the right arm and not the left. So they taped my arm to an arm board so I would not bend it. I tried to sleep....but that really did not happen. I think between, the beeping of my machine, my roommates coughing, her beeping machine, the lights coming on on her side, doctors coming in on my side, and the nurses phone ringing, I could sleep 20 min at a time.
By breakfast time I was hungry....but it was nasty...cold SW scrambled eggs, some type of cold potatoes (actually OK), cold oatmeal (nasty), and cranberry and apple juice. The internists and medical staff from the teams started to come and talk to me. I also saw Dr. Tousimis. Everyone looked at the surgery...they said it looked great. I was told it went great!!
I was told....when Dr. Tousimis went in to remove the breasts she did not see any cancer and removed extra margins beyond the spot to be extra cautious. She said I have nice skin too. I was taught how to drain (fun) the four drains.....they look like little hand grenades filled with red liquid. Got to come home the day after surgery. I have pain meds, some antibiotic, and a shot I have to give myself courteous of the hematologist. (Not to bad, since I am so used to it from the fertility treatments.)So we have been doing the drains, emptying them out (have four of them)....pain comes and goeson my sides and some in my upper chest area. I am tired but can't sleep. I think all is going to be good though.
Have an appointment Tuesday with Dr Spear and Thursday with Dr.Tousimis. Should get the drains out at either of those appointments. I will find out when I go back with Dr. Spear to get the implants put in. (I think he said 3 - 4 months, so around my birthday).
Oh and another wonderful thing has been happening....I have been getting these great cards from all these wonderful people through an organization called "Give a Smile Today." It is so great to receive cards from all over from a whole bunch of people.
