I just got home- its about quarter to three.  I'm pretty sore in my chest and ribs.

I was to the hospital at 6:15 yesterday morning.  I went straight to radiology and sat watching the news until my doctor came in to inject dye in my right breast.  We did a sentinel node dissection to make sure there were no cancer cells escaping out of the right breast.  As far as we knew- there should be none in that breast to begin with.  But - we were airing on the side of precaution.
From there- I went up stairs in a wheelchair followed by my mom and Todd.  I got dressed in the johnny and covered up my cute pink socks with the hospital socks.  No makeup, no nailpolish and no hair! I wore a pink hat to match my socks.  As anyone who knows me- knows I like to match (usually its my hair to my boots!).

I was bombarded by nurses doing this and that-  more so than the last time I was at the Elliot.  Taking temperatures, starting my iv, asking questions...  I thought I was going to be using my port for the surgery- but we opted to take it out.  It would make the surgery go much smoother if they didn't have to work around the port.  The iv went in my arm with no problem- which was a surprise to me!  We took some pictures, my plastic surgeon drew on me and I gave my final kisses to mom and Todd.  Then off to sleepy land.

I woke up yesterday afternoon feeling pretty good.  Some aches- but no nauseau this time- thank goodness!  I remember getting wheeled down the hallway and hearing my mom and Todd- but didn't realize that Todd's parents too had joined them. 

My breast surgeon took 1.5 hrs to remove the breast tissue and the sentinel node.  That tissue will be sent to pathology and I should know by the end of next week if it was infected at all with any other cancer cells.  The sentinel node came up clear- good news- and just what we had expected! My plastic surgeon took the remaining 4 hours reconstructing.  I guess he didn't like how one of the sides came out- so he deflated it and redid it.  He put them under the muscle and then at the bottom put the alloderm- skin graft- so the muscle wouldn't have to be stretched entirely over the implant- causing it to "squish" more and more pain.  He ended up going with the larger of the two sets of implants that he had ordered.

I was wheeled back to my room and visited with mom and Todd and my friend Jess came in later to visit.  My mom and I even got to see the new "girls"- Todd missed the first peak!  They look right now like two mounds with a big scar running across them horizontally.   There's no nipple, no areola, just skin & scar for now.  The incision looks icky- but I'm okay with that!  I've also got two jackson pratt drains that we have to empty.  I had one last surgery under my arm.  Now I have two- they look like two little granades.

I slept good with one ear plug in.  My neighbor in my room was an elderly woman with the tv cranked.  The nurses would help her with something and shut the tv off- and then she'd ask them to turn it back on b/c she wanted to finish her show.  That must've happened three times!  So- I just put an ear plug in one ear and quickly drifted off to sleep.  I was awakened probably every hour to take blood pressure, temperature, check my drains, or whatever.  But quickly would fall back asleep.

Todd stayed with me for a long time last night before I kicked him out.  I wanted him to go home and get some good sleep so he could come back to see me in the morning.  I woke up this morning to find my neighbor gone- they must've brought her to cardiac to watch her.  I didn't even know she was gone until I got up to use the bathroom and there was no bed there!

I got breakfast in bed- pancakes, bacon, cranberry juice, cereal and a banana. Todd came in the morning with a little stuffed moose.  I named this one "masty" for mastectomy.  He's with the elephant he gave me after my lumpetcomy "lumpy" as I call him.

So - now I'm at home, drinking fluids, trying not to move around too much and taking my "vacation".  This surgery was a very good experience and I am so happy with the decisions that I have made this far!  My doctors have been utterly exceptional!  My breast surgeon came in to see me this morning.  She told me how cute I was and felt my soft hair.  My plastic surgeon came in later in the morning to go over things.  I will see him again on Monday to follow up.

This was a good experience... and I can't wait to see them healed... I'll give it some time though- it has of course only been 24hours :)