After Surgery: What is it like

 3/15/2022

Although I am on pain meds and a little loopy, I wanted to get my surgery day down before I forget. I don't know if this is the protocol of all breast surgeries, but I saw a lot of people! 

At 7:45 I was taken into the pre-op area where I was asked my name and birthdate a dozen times. So many times, that when a woman walked in, I just said my name and birthdate. She laughed and said that she knew my name but not my birthdate. "I'm Dr. Baker." Well of course I didn't recognize her. I only met her one time, and she had a net on her head and a mask and plastic covering her face. She had on scrubs so there was no white coat. In any case I was asked by lots of nurses health questions, got an IV put in with at some point saline and an antibiotic and off I went to Nuclear Medicine and saw a machine that looked like it was from outer space. I wondered if this is also the radiation machine but I didn't ask. Mitch, an RN, spent a long time explaining what would happen and we got going. 

The machine was sort of like an MRI but no noise and a lot less scary. The machine took pictures for 5 minutes 5 times. Then a doctor came in. I really am not sure why. I think it was to tell me the pictures looked good. From there I was taken to the MRI area, got another IV, and was put in the machine. I had a regular one breasted MRI, and then another doctor came in (Well I do actually remember sitting across from him at his desk.) and was going to be putting a wire through my breast guided by the MRI. I really don't know if he numbed me. I did feel the wire but it wasn't excruciating. It did feel close to my heart so that was scary. At some time they injected me with blue dye, which was supposed to find its way to cancer!  Done with that and off to get a mammogram (yes with the wire in me) and from there to the operating room. 

Dr Baker had made some marks as to wear she would cut and told me she would also be taking out a lymph node and that would hurt the most post-surgery. It was about 11 and Elliott finally went home to sleep! I woke up, not nauseous, not in a lot of pain just confused as would be expected. Dr. Baker had called him and talked with him. The surgery went fine and ordered oxycodone and an ant-nausea medication, which he picked up on his way over to the hospital. I've taken two oxycodone and in between Tylenol. I would say I'm recuperating and will be until I go to the dentist (I can't drive for one week.) on Thursday for my new teeth. 

Seeing Melissa, the P.A. I had originally seen on Monday the 21ar and from there we are going to the beach for two weeks. Hopefully I start radiation soon after we get back. 

That's all the news fit to print. Questions? Ask away.