Alright, so here’s the game plan for next week:
Monday: Pre-Op with hospital. They need to do some labs and also an EKG. First surgery where I’ve had this much prep!
Tuesday: Getting Nuked. Unfortunately, the radiologists with this speciality, no longer works at the hospital where I’m getting my surgery done, so I have to go in the day before surgery to get “nuked” at a different location. This procedure is typically done once you’ve been taken back to the OR. Wish me luck! They will be shooting me up with some radioactive stuff to make my lymph nodes glow in the dark, so my surgeon can find them the following day. Too bad they won’t glow in the dark when I’m at home.
Wednesday: Surgery day. I cannot wait to be done with this part. I’ll go in Wednesday morning for a skin-sparing bilateral mastectomy. Meaning, they will be removing all my breast tissue in both breasts along with the nipples. They are only keeping the skin. They will be doing a single lymph node removal. That is to confirm the cancer has not moved into the lymph nodes. My plastic surgeon will close this procedure preparing my body for reconstruction. She will put these things in me called “expanders.” They are not fun and I hear are pretty uncomfortable. The purpose of the expanders is to keep my skin from reattaching to my pictorial muscles and to stretch my skin so it’ll be ready for reconstruction. When I leave the hospital, the expanders will be deflated. I’ll then be going in for weekly appointments post surgery, and at those appointments, they will slowly but surely begin to fill them so the skin will be ready for reconstruction. Having expanders and drains puts patients at a high risk for infection. So we are having to put some hard core sanitizing protocols into place at home. So back to drains, the surgeon will also insert 4 drains into me (two on each side) that I will have to wear for the next 1-3 weeks. If I had to describe the drains, it’s like a crazy straw coming out of the side of you, connecting to a plastic bulb that you can squeeze. The purpose of the drains is to collect all the fluid my body naturally makes but no longer needs. Each day we have to measure the output and record the color. Once I get below so many mL/day, the doctor will then remove the drains. I told Javi, I might look like an octopus!
The drains will take lots of maintenance and care. Good thing I have family and friends willing to help!
The surgery will take about 3.5 hours. My doctors’ goal is for me to go home that same day.
Antonio will keep you all updated by making posts here.
Coming home from the hospital. I have received so many mixed reports on how I will feel. It will either be something very doable or incredibly painful and uncomfortable. There is no predictor on how one’s body will respond. What we do know is that that I will not be able to lift my hands above armpit level for one-two weeks. I cannot lift anything heavier than 5 pounds for four weeks. I will have drains hanging out of me for 1-3 weeks. I can wipe my own ass, but will have to have someone flush the toilet for me. I wonder if I can light a match?? lol. Oh and I have to sleep on my back for about 4 weeks. Sleeping will be quite uncomfortable and most people prefer to sleep at an incline.
Thursday. Post-Op appointments begin with plastic surgeon.The following day, I have to go see my plastic surgeon for a check-up. They will show my caregiver(s) how to do wound care on me. I have another appointment with them that following Tuesday to make sure wounds are healing the way they should be.
Thursday 8/8. Post-op with oncologist. This is the appointment where I’ll find out if I’m cancer free or if I have to do more interventions. Depending on the results will dictate my next steps in my treatment plan. Hopefully cancer free, if so, then my plastic surgeon will decide when my body is ready to begin with the reconstruction surgery, which will be another major surgery. Here’s a link to describe that surgery.
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