Adventures in the Dark at Huntsman
Mike and I got up super early to head up to the Huntsman Cancer Institute to get me closed up before the day’s appointments began. We were up there before 7 AM. Once we got placed in the procedure room the lights went out everywhere. My initial reaction was that it was just my luck that they wouldn’t be able to do it (after 4 days of stressing and worrying and waiting). Vicki the surgical nurse came in and discovered that the bright operation lights were working, so the show could go on!
Dr. Agarwal took off the temporary stitches, and I could see the icky ouchie again. I had been using Silvadene antibiotic creme on it twice a day to try to keep bacteria out along with taking the Augmentin antibiotics twice a day (aka horse pills). Dr. Agarwal wanted to try to get my bacteria count down before he went ahead and sewed me up (infection is the biggest fear that surgeons seem to deal with as a complication post surgery). This is compounded by the fact that I am currently at the nadir of my chemo cycle (I am at my lowest white blood cell count and most likely to get an infection). The interesting thing about infection on chemo is that you basically have to take your temperature regularly because you may or may not show signs like you normally would.
He stitched me up beyond the hole itself with bright blue stitches. Mike was crazy enough to stay in the room and watch, but a pro plastic surgeon stitching is probably interesting to watch. I turned away, I try not to watch procedures that involve bleeding too closely. I was surprised to find that I had a few working nerves in there when they applied the local anesthetic. It makes me wonder if there is a small chance that I will get more feeling back in the coming years. I won’t get my hopes up to high there.
The good news is that now I am off of the Silvadene cream, I am allergic to it, and had spent the last two days taking Benadryl for my rash which sort of knocks me out. I need to be gentle to my stitches and hope against hope that the things will seal up properly, I know that Dr. Agarwal can fix the scar issues when I go in for reconstruction when all of this is over. The focus right now is just to get me through chemo over the next 4 months. It seems so far away! If I stay on track my final treatment will be on June 3, 2011.
I am now having to start to consider having a port installed already. The first vein that we used for my last chemo treatment collapsed Saturday night (somewhat painfully). I am going to talk to my oncologist, I really really don’t want a port, but if I lose a vein for 8 out of 8 chemo treatments my right arm might get pretty darn sore. If I have a good chance making it I will probably keep it up using veins (I have a list of reasons why, I know my options, but I just don’t want a port).
My dad is driving up from Price to take me to my chemo appointment on the 11th. This chemo treatment should be the final hair killer.
I have been loving my brand new relaxing/spa bathroom! Before and After:
Bathroom before and after.
