Well….there go the breasts!

It’s been a month since my last update and there’s a whole new person emerging too. 

Going into Surgery a little loopy

My last chemo was May 4 and the bilateral mastectomy with nipple saving reconstruction (that’s a mouth-full!) was June 19.  We decided to also remove the axillary lymph nodes instead of doing radiation post surgery.  If the nodes had any cancer cells, we would do radiation though.  I just got the biopsy results back and all is clear in the node department!  Yeah! So no radiation for me!! 

Walking the Hallways with some help

 So far, recovery is a lot easier than I thought it would be and aside from dealing with the brain fog of pain meds and some associated nausea it’s been pretty manageable.  In the hospital, my competitive side came out as the nurses told me I was doing “so much better” than the other two women on the same floor post mastectomy.  I was up walking on day one and even managed a conversation or two.

I do have to give credit where credit is due though!  Ruby (my eight year old granddaughter) is what pulled me through, especially that first day. 

She was amazing the days before, during and after surgery.  Before she was a little anxious, wanted to be with me a lot.   She was worried that I wouldn’t know her after surgery, bless her heart!  When she came in an hour or so after surgery I tried really hard to be ‘perky’ and definitely made it obvious that I knew her!  Each time after that, she would come into the room, put on rubber gloves, update my board and precede to fill up the water, get my bed “just right”, and arrange my pillows.  She of course was in her nurse scrubs (left over from a past costume). Her nurse names were “Nurse of creative attitude” and “Nurse of making it feel like home” She was the most excellent medicine! 

The Board, notice my Name

All three of my kids and my sister were in and out of the room along with our good family friend Sabrina.  What a difference having people that love you there.  As I made my walking rounds on the floor I noticed most patients were alone in their rooms.  I was wishing I could send Ruby in to one of those rooms! 

 

Discharging Home

I was discharged home the day after surgery and was amazed at the good night’s sleep I got once I was home (not so much in the hospital!).  Did you know that home is a much safer germ environment than the hospital?  Germs at home we’ve already been living with; hospital germs are heavier, meatier, and heartier and one can end up with some pretty nasty stuff.  This was very comforting to know as I snuggled at home with my two doggies, one on each side, something I thought I would have to forego for a while. 

This is day 5 post surgery and the first day without pain meds! Yeah!  The fog is lifting and I’m walking a little more each day. Six months from now I will have an ‘adjustment’ minor breast surgery to complete the work done this time.  At the same time I’ll have the Oophorectomy  (ovaries & tubes removed) that is also a relatively minor surgery.

So I’m hoping to have some kind of celebration the middle of August, both to celebrate turning 70 (July 10) and entering into true elder-hood cancer free.  Watch for an invite and regardless of whether you can be there physically or not, know that your support has been invaluable to me.  Thank you for walking this journey with me.

Many blessings,

Jocelyn