I’m tired of recovering
I guess it’s better to be recovering, than waiting for a procedure, but I feel like surgery and recover (x3) is all I’ve done the past 2 months.
This recovery is by far the easiest of the 3. I was able to go to both church and the girls’ piano recital on Sunday. (The rest of the day I rested.)
Oophorectomy – who knew such a word existed???
My oophorectomy went well today.
Isn’t that a great word, oophorectomy?
It’s so fun to say. Try it.
It makes me think of the Oompa Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and that makes me smile. 🙂
I got a tattoo this morning
I got a tattoo this morning. Well actually two of them. They are just little dots. Nothing special. Supposedly they look like a freckle, but THERE ARE SO MANY SHARPIE MARKS ON ME, I can’t really see them very well yet. Sigh.
This morning, I had my measurement appointment for radiation.
I started off in the gown changing room, where I put on a very stylish hospital gown and locked my clothes and purse up in a locker.
Welcome Back Neuropathy
Sent a message to my Oncologist this morning. 🙁
Good morning. So… my neuropathy is back. 🙁 Can you hear me crying from Maple Valley? Ok, not really, but I am concerned enough to send you a message. I was so pleased that it went away completely after chemo. I guess I thought that meant I was in the clear. Apparently my guess was wrong. 🙁
Since chemo, whenever I use the bike, treadmill or elliptical at the gym, my toes are very numb and tingly by the end. That goes away shortly after I’m done and I haven’t noticed any other neuropathy in my feet. I can live with that.
However, this past week, the neuropathy is back in my right hand/arm/shoulder. It started on Monday with just a little tingling in my fingers that came and went. I noticed it while working in the kitchen as it came and went for a few days.
See next message…I’m only allowed 1000 characters… read more…
Goodbye Drain! Hello Shower!
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I had my post-op appointment with the plastic surgeon yesterday and the first thing they did was remove my drain! Thank goodness!! It’s so nice to be able to shower and not have to worry about wearing shirts that hide the lumpy drain.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to come out of surgery looking worse that I did when I went in. I am more misshapen now than I was with the expander fully filled. There is too much skin now and a pucker in the top. So there’s more work to be done, but I guess it will have to wait ’til after radiation. I go back in in 3 weeks to talk about future plans.
Recovery Progress
My recovery has not been quite as smooth as I had hoped. Apparently, the cavity for my implant was a little too large, so during surgery the surgeon had to stitch up my muscle to make the cavity tighter so the implant would stay in place. I guess he told me this while I was in recovery, but I have no recollection of the conversation. Good thing Tom was there. I’m glad he did it as I’d hate to wake up one morning with my implant under my arm. That would awkward…
The pain hasn’t been horrendous and I only took Tylenol to help, but the first two days were a bit more uncomfortable that I had anticipated. Friday morning the pain was significantly better and I was able to do a few things around the house and even make dinner. I’m still taking Tylenol because, well, why not? Why feel pain if I don’t have to.
I’ll be honest, I’m more irritated by the ridiculous amount of tape that goes down almost to my waist holding the drain in than I am by the pain. The surgeon must have been thinking, “Let’s make this drain as uncomfortable as possible by adding a whole roll of tape to her side and under her arm.” Gah!! Having the tape removed will be far more uncomfortable than pulling the drain out at my appointment on Tuesday.
This coming week I have my follow up appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday and then a pre-op appointment on Thursday with my OB for my next surgery. On to the next!!
Another Surgery Done
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My day in 20 sentences…
- Another surgery is done.
- It went well.
- I had no anxiety before (or after).
- Praising God for another uneventful procedure on this journey.
- I have a new and improved body part.
- It looks worse now than when I left the house this morning.
- I have another drain.
- I’m wearing my surgical camisole to hide it AGAIN!!!
- My breast has an indent from the suction of the drain (temporarily).
- My chest, left shoulder and abdomen are colored from iodine.
- I can’t shower ’til the drain is out. (Can you hear me crying????????????????)
- While I hate my short hair, I am yet again thankful for it. (See #11.)
- I am not feeling itchy after surgery!!!!!!
- Dinner smells really, really good simmering in the kitchen. 🙂
- Tom and I talked about work.
- I played many games of 2048 on my phone.
- I took a nap.
- Tom and the girls are playing Wii while I rest in bed.
- I’ve taken 4 Tylenol since I’ve been home.
- I’m tired and having hot flashes.
Surgery tomorrow
Tomorrow morning I check in for reconstructive surgery at 6:30 am. That’s early. It’s even earlier to ask Christy to come be at our house at 5:45 to get the girls off to school. 🙂
Tomorrow will come and go. I will have a new and improved body part and a little pain that hopefully can be managed with just Tylenol. I have Vicodin on hand, but can’t remember how my body responded last time I took it and want nothing to do with Percocet since my crazy itching reaction from it after the mastectomy. I’m am hoping the recovery is as easy as the surgeon says it will be. I’d like to go to Bible Study on Thursday morning. All I have to do it sit there…but we’ll see how I feel. 🙂
Another Surgery Scheduled
The next month is going to be crazy, but might as well get it all over with before radiation starts. Along with the reconstruction surgery that is scheduled on May 18th, I will also be having my ovaries out on June 3rd. That’s a crazy weekend, but a better option than the next weekend which would leave me still recovering from surgery when I have to get my first bone strengthening infusion.
Radiation Update
Tom and I met with the radiation oncologist this morning. He feels strongly that we should start radiation as soon as possible. He said it was fine to wait until reconstruction is over, since it is so soon, but did not recommend waiting until September when the girls are back in school.
It looks like radiation will start mid to late June and I will be going M-F for 6 – 7 weeks. I have an appointment on June 1st for some measurements and either at that appointment or the next, will be scheduling the appointments. The Dr. said it’s not a problem to get appointments early in the day (they open at 8 am), so I can have the rest of the day to be with the girls. We’re not sure how it’s all going to work since the girls will be out of school, but we’ll figure it out in the next few weeks.
Meet Jennifer
Breast Cancer Patient, Chef Wife and Mom
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