Happy Cancerversary!
I was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 30, 2010. I am sort of able to type now, so I figured I needed to get in a post. A few words, rest, a few words, rest. Amazing how much you use your chest to type. IPads and phones are ok, but the laptop is a challenge.
The were pretty far behind on Tuesday when we were waiting for me to go into surgery. Luckily they didn’t have us come in super early, but waiting makes me antsy. My support crew Tuesday was my mom, dad, little brother Dereck and Mike. We were a little goofy, so every time someone had to deal with us we managed to get a giggle or two.
Making sure I smile while I wait.
My mom and Mike tortured me with the scent of their delicious coffee in the waiting room.
They do in fact operate on zombies, since this was me right before surgery.
The moment came where the dreaded IV was an issue. The nurse couldn’t get one in, so the anesthesiologist was given the task in the OR with laughing gas. This time he grabbed a vein in my hand to get me to sleep, but it was too small for actual surgery, so he got my foot once I was out cold. I had let them know that the last couple of times I had come out of surgery thinking I was going to throw up and they told me they would take additional measures to try to keep me from getting nausea after surgery.
Where they were taking skin and the latissimus from the left side. You can see the matching scar on my right.
I came out of surgery feeling fantastic. It was strange. No nausea, I was chatty, we got me my ice chips and before I knew it I was whisked away to my room. Everyone was surprised to see me with a smile on my face (even with a foot IV). As soon as I got to the room I complained that the nipple was in the wrong place (priorities, priorities – I had peeked under the fancy white huge ugly bra they have you wear). The new implants sit completely different from the expanders, as soon as I was able to I got a look in the mirror and verified that they were in fact in the right place.
They managed my pain well through the first night and I woke up pretty energetic Wednesday. I was eating and drinking so they took me off the IV and switched me to oral pain meds. The nurse felt like I could go home so she had my doctor come see me before he went into surgery. I told him that I noticed he didn’t use the skin flap on the left side, he said he ended up just placing the muscle without the skin because I ended up with a huge lump where the muscle was and it didn’t look as good. They did cut out some of the skin area on my right side before they placed the new implant. They did send me home Wednesday.
Thursday Mike made me breakfast in bed, put away all of the Christmas stuff, cleaned the house and made a huge dinner. Unfortunately about an hour before dinner was ready I started throwing up and I had a migraine. I was not feeling well at all. I called the hospital this morning and had them switch me to lortabs to see if the headaches and nausea will go away. I don’t feel much pain as long as I stay laying flat on my back.
I have to wear the compression top for 3 weeks to hold the implants in place while everything heals. I only ended up with 3 drains, which is very manageable. Everything looks better than I had hoped it would look, so I am pretty happy. I imagine it will be even better after I heal. Also…
MY BOOBS ARE SQUISHY..
