What a week!

It was one of those weeks where everything and nothing happened all at the same time. I had 2 doctors appoitments and I dipped my toe back into working. I also cooked chilli and baked a cake from scratch (including icing). I've been intending to post another entry on the blog but my days kept getting away from me. So that's why it's some random time of morning and out of sheer guilt I'm doing an update.

So the drains are out! I ended up getting them pulled on Tuesday. When I called the Plastic Surgeons office on Monday they said the output was too high and to call back tomorrow. I called and they said come on in, even though well probably only pull one. So I waited for Nadia to get home then she drove me into the office. Of course as we get there..it starts to pour. The office was nice and empty at this time of day (late afternoon), and I made a mental note to make sure this is the time I always come in. I swear sometimes I go in there and you would think they were giving out free procedures. In any case my surgeons nurse comes in and is like yah I think we should take both and says "it's time" ...as if were delivering a baby. I had already read online in the Breast Cancer discussion boards that it doesn't hurt. The nurse takes a look at my incisions and says they look good. She then cuts the strings that were holding the drains in place. We then go on to discuss how it doesn't hurt but feels a bit weird. She tell me to breath in and hold it as she pulls it out. Each drain takes 2 seconds to come out. It does feel weird...kind of like something is being pulled through your chest....because it is! I then ask all the important questions.

1. Can I take a full shower now - her answer is yes
2. Can I drive - Yes but let's take baby steps and only emergencys right now. Next week you can start driving more regular.
3. When can we start filling me up - Next week Wednesday.

I told the nurse it was like Christmas in March and she had made my day!

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Next stop on the cancer train was a meeting with my Medical Oncologist (MO) on Friday. We discussed the pathology report in more detail. Turns out my tumor came back grade 3, when the original grade from December biopsy was grade 2 (grade 3 is worse). I was a little surprised about that. However on the bright side 1. No lymph nodes showed cancer 2. The official size of the tumor is 1.5 so that keeps me in stage 1. Doctors will "re-stage" you after surgery because more information is known at that time. I exepcted other outcomes from surgery so I'm happy God continued to bless me with good findings. Some ladies end up with masses intheotherbreast, lymph node involvement and a whole host of issues. Biggest news of the week is she's declaring me Cancer Free!

Now that I'm cancer free the discussion moved over to how to keep me that way....the dreaded chemo talk. My doctor starts off by saying chemo is a definite. Last time we spoke she said it was highly probable so no surprise there. She began to discuss the two courses of treatment and what the other MO's think about my case. One course has harsher medicine than the other. She doesn't think I need the harsher meds. We actually look at a tool which the docs use to tell you what your chances of reoccuracne are with the different treatments. Not having my lymph nodes involved gives me a 20% chance of this not coming back! In any case we talk about another test which is also used to help decide which chemo. It takes about 3 weeks to come back. I thought it was already ordered but the MO says she prefers to discuss it with patients after their surgery findings. So we've ordered the test and will move on from there. I'm not happy or sad about it just trying to keep moving.

Of course with my personality I'm trying to figure how chemo fits into my busy schedule. Nadia has a big birthday in September plus illprobaby start chemo right before or after my 10 year reunion...SMH. The schedule that ill probably be on is one dose every 3 weeks with a total of 4 doses. In theory it doesn't sound bad. I can still get boob fills evenif I'm on chemo but I can't do the exchange for the final implants until a couple weeks after chemo is done. I know God has brought me this far and will carry me through.

Drain, Drain, Go Away

So besides the muscle pain one of the most annoying things post surgery are my drains. The drains are little plastic tubing that are in my breast (or what's left of them)that come out below my armpit and collect fluid into little bulb looking things. The reasoning for them is the disruption of my lymph system. Due to the doctor digging out all that tissue the lymph system is a little off and needs somewhere to drain....in come the tubing. Twice a day I empty and measure the drains. In theory it's gross but there isn't any smell or anything. Anyone who knows me knows I HATE bodily fluids, but somehow I manage this task. Upon my departure from the hospital I got a "drain belt" oh the bulb fluid collectors have little tabs which can be inserted into the velcro belt and worn under clothes. How nice of them to create something which has me feeling like a gun slinger. Every time I sit down or reposition myself in bed I have to make sure I'm not pulling on the tubing. It's quite annoying and a bit nerve wracking at times; in any case I'm hoping to get them pulled tomorrow. The left one isn't draining properly but I'm not sure what the Plastic Surgeon (PS) will do. I know that I'm ready to be rid of these things and start filling up!

I haven't been updating my blog as much as I would like. It's not like I'm soooo busy or anything. Sometime I feel like I'm watching paint dry and other times it's 5pm and I don't know how it happened. I'm not sure when I'll be cleared to drive but its on my list of questions for tomorrow. I'm 100% over feeling like a prisoner in my house. Im at the mercy of everyone else and it's not fun. Plus driving is one of my favorite pastimes.

Next Step

So I've been home for two days now. The surgery and hospital stay seams like eons ago. Of course as everyone says I don't remember having surgery. I got to the hospital ontime for 830. I went into pre-op and changed my clothes. My sister came in to get my stuff and was going to meet me in holding. I was wheeled over to holding where I got my IV and asked 20 billion questions. After my initial IV my anestigiologist put in a central line. I totally didn't know that was the plan and didn't realize at first it was going into my external jugular vein. In any case I didn't feel anything. In the meantime I had two different ppl come check on me who weren't involved in my surgery. My mom is a nurse and knows some ppl who work in the surgery floor where I was having surgery. They wanted to make sure I was ok and well taken care of. One of the girls Ive know for years ended up being one of the OR nurses. She was the one who's voice I first heard when I woke up.

The world continued to be be small as my recovery nurse used to work with my mom at her hospital. And my sister treated the lady's daughter for speech therapy. One of the first things I asked when I woke up was what time is it...lol. My surgery was a total of 4 hours even tho the initial estimate was for 6. It turns out that the lymph nodes on my cancer side were negative so they didn't take any out! So that's a big thing. Chances that my cancer has spread is pretty slim. This also helps when it comes to recovery. When I was in recovery I was on two different types of narcotics and some antibiotics. But then I started itching. Turns out I was allergic to the narcotics. It took another 2 hours before I got to my room due to a shift change and different pain meds, since I was allergic to the other meds. Over the next two days in the hospital it turns out I'm allergic to all the narcotic pain meds. I end up itching and morphine gave me hives.So I would literally start some meds then with the first couple hours I would start itching.

Overall my stay in the hospital wasn't bad. My sister stayed with me both nights. Every day I would get a little stronger and more independent. There is no such thing as modesty when your unable to move your arms more than a couple inches. My sister was such a trooper and would do everything from scratch my nose to wipe my butt. My mother now knows about my tattoos and adds her two cents whenever she's giving me a bath. It's quite comical because i just glaze over it like she isn't saying anything.

Almost There

So I saw the plastic surgeon yesterday. It was quite uneventful. I will say I've been looking at women's boobs a lot now. I've been comparing and making my wish list. I figure mine will look fake and I'm completely ok with that. They have these shirts that say "Yes they're fake, my old ones tried to kill me". I definitely have to get myself a couple of those.

The whole process is a bit odd, to say the least. So what happens is during surgery,
my breast surgeon (BS) takes all the breast tissue out. They call it a skin sparing masectomy because she leaves all the skin (with the expectation of the nipple...more on that later).They used to cut off all your breast including the skin and leave barely anything..... Thank God for technology. Unfortunatley due to the type and location of the cancer I cant keep my nipples. There is of course a chance if I tried to keep them, I would get cancer in them at some later point.

So after the BS is done I have a skin pocket where my boobs used to be. Then the plastic surgeon comes in and places Tissue Expanders under my pec muscle.I'll basically be coming out of surgery flat chested...lol. That is going to be an interesting sight! I havent been flat chested since Elementary School. The Expanders will get filled once a week to make space for the implants.So they are like little ballons which get filled with salience. The plastic surgeon said 6 weeks and I'll be done. After I'm done "Expanding" well do an "Exchange" and I get my implants. Then after that NIPPLES (said in my best excited voice). Who would have thunk it! Technology is soo crazy.

Next stop on the cancer train is the Sentinal Node Mapping....more on that joy later! In the meantime keep me in your prayers and thoughts.