I had surgery on September 8^th at 9:00.  Some may think it was fast- it was right on schedule for me.  I of course had some good nights and some bad nights sleeping.  Always staying positive though- and I believe that to be very important.  It may sound corny, it may sound hard to believe- but its true.   Since the moment I learned I had breast cancer- I found myself thinking more positive.  Not letting the little things bother me so much.  Realizing priorities and what is truly important.  This cancer had already changed me- not only physically by mentally.

Todd and I met my mom at the hospital at 7:15.  We were in Radiology at 7:15 to have my doctor inject a radioactive dye in me so that pictures could be taken of where the dye traveled to first in the lymph nodes. 
I was scheduled to have a lumpectomy with a Sentinel Node biopsy and possible axillary dissection.  So they needed to see how things flowed out of the breast and into the lymph nodes. 

I laid on a table- watching Good Morning America- but not being able to hear it because the volume was turned down- while this machine circled me and took pictures.  I tried not to fall asleep- I didn’t want anyone to think I passed out on the table!

I then went with my Mom and Todd upstairs to the SDC- Same Day Center for my surgery at 9:00.  I got to ride in a wheelchair.  Boy do the doorways seem narrow when they go pushing you through them.  I feel like I’m going to wack a knee or a foot or something on the door jam or some other obstacle!

The room was full of beds and nurses running around.  There was an older woman in the bed next to me that was having the same procedure.  I was quite a few years younger than her- but I was the same exact weight and having the same procedure (I could hear the nurses talking to her).  I thought that strange.

They had whisked my mom and Todd away to the waiting room and left me in there to change again into a different gown.

I sat there in silence and waited for them to return… and waited.   I started to get nervous and sad and scared and I started to cry.  I needed them there and I couldn’t hold back the emotion.  They finally brought them back and I felt much better.  Along came in Todd’s mom behind them too- what a wonderful surprise to see her there too!  My “posse” as I had called them (my mom and Todd) had grown a new member to my posse! 

Up on the bed and in came the anesthesiologist.  They had to use my right arm- and I was worried I’d have a repeat of the MRI- the IV not going in.  I started to well up again with tears – more out of frustration- why couldn’t this go smoothly?

I’m no newby to surgeries- I have some nose surgery (septoplasty/turbinoplasty) and a laparoscopy last year- but this surgery affected me more emotionally- overwhelmingly emotionally.

They got it in and I slowly went to la-la land!

I woke up from surgery and had a strong nauseous feeling.  I hate the feeling of waking up after surgery.  Your mind is fully tuned in- but your body isn’t.  You can hear all that is going on around you- but you can’t move.  I got my right hand moving and managed to flag a nurse over to me.  Eventually I was able to tell her I felt sick and they gave me something.  I asked for some water to wash away the nastiness that was lingering in my mouth- no go- not until I didn’t feel sick anymore.

I also felt that I had a JP drain.  I knew that the cancer had spread from the sentinel node to other lymph nodes because they wouldn’t have put in a drain if it was just the sentinel node(s) removed.  That made me upset.

I eventually got moved into the recovery room- into a chair.  I had some popsicle, gingerale and crackers.  My mom fed me while Todd went to grab a bite to eat himself.  I guess I had come out of surgery around 12:30- but didn’t get to the recovery room until 2:00 or so.

My appetite came back and the sickness went away.  I could hear someone else getting asked if they wanted toast or an english muffin.  I made a look to my mom like “What the heck?! I want an english muffin!?”.  She got me one and we shared it as she too hadn’t eaten yet.  I had flashbacks of being a kid and my mom was by my bedside taking care of me.  So comforting!  I’m so glad she was there with me!

Todd had come back with a little stuffed elephant that he got in the gift shop.  I named him “lumpy” – short for lumpectomy.

My arm hurt from the shoulder down to my pinky so they gave me an ibuprofen.  That pain went away and it was aching under my arm and in my right chest.  My doctor put in a port for chemo.  She put it in now because she knew I’d need it- and didn’t see the point in doing two surgeries when it could be done this once.

The nurse showed us how to empty the drain.  It was a tube that came out from underneath my armpit.  The tube drained blood and cellular waste and such from the body b/c the lymph nodes had been removed.  The body needed time to redirect this drainage.  So in the meantime- we had to watch this drain fill up from red to pink to a straw color.  It was icky- but it didn’t freak me out.  Todd – the awesome husband that he is- emptied it for me as needed.  It never really filled- but we kept a record.

I went home in a super duper – yet somewhat frilly- sport bra.  This thing was more bulletproof than my “super duper snowmobile sport bra” – as Todd calls it.  They gave me a spare too- so that I could change out of the soiled one later on.

I went home around 4:00-4:30 and was at home by 5:00.  I called work from my cell phone to let them know how things went.

Thank goodness my friend had returned my lounge chair in one piece from when she borrowed it! I lived in that for a couple of days!

The pain was mostly under the arm- from what I later found out was the tube in my side for the drain.  I couldn’t really use my left arm- so used my right arm for everything.  There was aching- but nothing that Advil couldn’t take care of. 

Sleeping on the other hand was hard. I started by sleeping in the chair and then graduated to the bed once it wasn’t as uncomfortable to move around.

And I was glad my hair was short- as I wasn’t able to wash it for 4 days! Ick!

I received so many calls and cards and flowers and presents and a Piggy balloon.  We had visits all weekend and I was amazed at all of the support that came through the door!  My house smelled like a floral shop and my refrigerator was now full of food – which is good as I’m not big on cooking. 

Thank you everyone for all of the goodies and flowers and cards… and just EVERYTHING!