I am home from my surgery, actually got to come home Wednesday early afternoon. I was pretty shocked that my surgeon told me I could go home so soon but really happy about it. Being home gives a whole new definition of recuperating, although I must say, the staff at Baylor-All Saints hospital in Fort Worth were the absolute best. God has put so many wonderful people in my path since I was diagnosed.
I'm going to share what I remember about the surgery. I dutifully got to the hospital for check-in at 5:00AM before people even got to work. Some of the folks were a little perplexed that I was there so early. I just told them that I was following orders and in my own mind I was thinking ... it's my surgery day! Yea, they are getting the cancer out of my body. By 6:45 I was surrounded by my wonderful family and friends. They took me to be injected with the radiative dye that would show my surgeon where my lymph nodes were. Gotta tell you that injection hurt pretty bad. They inject the dye right in to the lesions. And it was an "ouch" moment.
After that we grabbed my family again from that waiting room and the next stop was the double doors ... you know those double doors that you really aren't sure really happens back there. They began prepping me with an IV in my left hand and the anesthesiologist came and ask me a bunch of questions. There was a team of about six people not counting my surgeon working to get me ready for surgery. They gave me bunchs of stuff through my IV, one of which was benadryl which made me groggy. Now benadryl might not have a sleepy affect on anyone else but it does me. My surgeon, Dr. C, came in to talk to me and ask me if I had any last minute questions and also told me that the PET scan had come back clean. Praise the Lord ... I said that about three times and ask her if she would go tell my family. She said she would tell them when she went to speak to them after my surgery. I think about 9:30ish they were ready for me in the OR so away we went. Man, it was cold in there.
As it turned out, the 3 hour surgery that was to be ended up 5 hours. My right side lymph nodes were clean but the left side still wasn't playing very nice and allowed the cancer to get in those nodes. The result of that was she had to take lots of lymph nodes, cut further under my arm to my back.
This side has been the side that has hurt the worse. Once the pathology report comes back on that and it should be back by next Wedensday which is when I will see her for my post-op, we will know to what extent my lymph nodes were invaded..
It was a grueling day for my family and friends who were there waiting on me to get out of surgery. Of course I had no idea that anything was going on. Once I was out of surgery and in recovery for a small amount of time, they wheeled me up to my room. There I was reunited with my family and friends, all of whom were crying. Of course being kinda dopey and as I looked at all their faces and saw tears, I was just sure I was dying. I think I went from person to person asking what the outcome was. I couldn't figure out why they were all crying but come to find out it was because it had been such a long day for them (time meant nothing to me) and not that there was anything wrong with me. Praise the Lord. I remember my speech was pretty slurred when asking them one by one as to the outcome. I think they chuckled at my speech.
When Dr. Chow came for her rounds on Wednesday morning, she said I could home that day. Of course then everything became a whirlwind. The nurse navigator and a volunteer came and showed my sister how to bleed the lines on my drains, they fitted me with my camisole which has insets that hold the drains. They showed my sister how to massage my neck, shoulders, hands and arms to keep the lymphatic system flowing. And again, they were the sweetest ladies. We waited until I had some lunch so I could take a pain pill before we left for the ride home. Everything worked out well.
Last night (Thursday) I was itching so bad I couldn't stand it. I ended up having to take a benadryl for the itching. My sister has been in contact with my surgeon's office who will call out a new pain med for me. I am not a medicine taking kinda gal, so it doesn't take much to mess me up. I'm thankful for the pain meds though because the left side where she took the lymph nodes there are nerves that were cut and boy, when you touch that area of lift your arm wrong it makes you want to slap your Mama. <smile>
All in all, I know God is walking before me and He is using me as I walk this journey. Thank you all for your continued prayers, they mean so much to me.
I'm wearing out now so I'm going to close. Thank you all again for all your prayers and support as I walk this cancer journey. Please continue praying for what's to come. God knows where I'm headed and I put my complete faith in him.
Blessings to you all.
Gena
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