1/4/2021

           Lots to report tonight.  Some good, some not.  David and I hauled the RV down to Houston (Katy) yesterday.  We got here at 4:00 p.m., set up, then David went to get groceries while I got the camper ready.  It’s a beautiful RV resort (Katy Lake RV Resort) just a little north of I-10.  We will be quite comfortable here and booked our spot for the entire month because of all my appointments at MD Anderson.  David dropped me off at the COVID testing site at 8 a.m. for my regular brain swab.  Just to shake things up a bit today, I chose the left nostril.  After that, I hopped back in the truck and he took me to my first appointment with the surgeon. He, of course, waited in the parking lot.  Again.  There wasn’t enough time for him to go back to the RV between appointments this time.  I went through Checkpoint Charlie, then went upstairs.  Got a lot of questions answered today.

           Surgery is tentatively scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 1/7 – subject to change times.  It will last 2-3 hours.  I will be spending the night and David will drop me off at Checkpoint Charlie, then pick me up the next day.  Hospital staff will keep in touch with him via cell phone regarding surgery, recovery, etc.  I am having a Segmental Mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection and tissue reconstruction.  That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?  Taking the tumor out of left breast, then reconstructing the damage (somewhat).  Here’s the new kicker – she’s taking out 20 lymph nodes.  Yeah, 20.  I didn’t even know there were 20 in there.  Under my arm, in my arm, in my chest, up to my neck.  Only one has been biopsied up to this point, so all of them will be sent to the lab and the results will be back within a week.  If less than 3 come back positive, I will not require chemo.  Just radiation.  Right now, they suspect 5 additional nodes are affected, but time will tell.

           I will have at least one drain and it will have to remain in me for 2-5 weeks.  I can have it removed when the liquid slows down enough to satisfy them.  This is the funny part…. David will have to help me empty them.  This ought to be good.

           I’m on a liquid diet for 24 hours prior to surgery.  I can’t lift anything over 10 lbs. for 6 weeks after surgery and no pushing or pulling.  I can’t lift my arms above my shoulder the entire time the drains are in.  I cannot drive, either.  Poor David is going to be put to the test.  I need to empty the drains twice/day and keep a log of how much fluid I get out and take my temperature, etc., for the log.


           After that appointment this morning, David drove me to the next one and I told him to go back to the camper while I was there.  I had a seed implanted inside the tumor.  It’s a metal thingy that’s magnetic and will help the surgeon.  I had a mammogram after that to show the surgeon the exact placement.  She couldn’t find it.  What?!?  She said it must have moved.  What?!?  It’s only been in for 20 minutes, where did it go?  Florida?  Back to the waiting room I went.  This doctor called that doctor who said I have to have another one put in.  What?!?  You’ve got to be kidding me!  More needles in my boob?  What the Hell?  Well, turns out the first doctor put the seed IN THE WRONG SPOT!!  I was bruised badly after my last biopsy and it resulted in a huge bruise that hasn’t totally healed yet, (which is one reason my boob is so dang sore).  She mistook the bruise for the tumor.  Yeah.  I couldn’t friggin’ believe it.  She apologized over and over, but my demeanor definitely changed.  So, we did the whole thing again and my one hour appointment turned out to last 3-1/2 hours

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