Well today is the day I have to go for my second surgery. This time it is to remove the rest of the lymph nodes in the right axilla (armpit), as there was one lymph of the 3 sentinels that had cancer in it when they biopsied it. So now there is no choice but to remove the rest of the nodes and hope that it stopped there. I will post more when I know more. I expect to be home this evening, with an incision in armpit, and the drain again. I’m lucky to have a great nurse with me 24/7 named Maurice, and another great nurse, my friend Maggie is coming into town to spend the day with M and me. 🙂 I am sure Maurice will write updates initially post op for me again, as I’ll be too doped up 🙂
Thanks everyone for the support and well wishes and prayers.
…Pam…
All posts by Pam
Pre Op Assessment done today
Hi everyone,
Well I had to go back to the hospital to have a pre op assessment done. I’m having a second surgery Feb 1 for the Right lymphadenectomy (where they take out all remaining lymph nodes in right under arm) and so I had to see the pre op assessment nurse, and have a history done, vitals and some teaching.
Then I saw the physio, and she went over some arm exercises I will have to do post op (reps of 10 each , 3 x a day… ) there are about 5 that I do first day post op, so Wednesday.. and then there are about 5 more that I do when the drain comes out… again reps of 10 – 3x a day… So that was good to know those. The aim is to strengthen the arm and to keep joints and muscles moving so I don’t get a frozen shoulder or stiffness, and to help with drainage of area to help prevent lymphedema.. something that can happen when there are no lymphnodes in the arm to help drain sweat and toxins from the body. We went over some thing I need to be wary of, and to try to prevent getting bite or stung or cut on right arm, as that increases my risk of infection.. She also took about 9 different measurement around finger (middle), around hand and wrist and up the arm in about 5-6 spots.. she took them as baseline measurements of right and left arm. I’ll have to see physio at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post op.
Then I saw the anesthetist and had a pre op check done as well. He listened to my heart, and lungs, took my vitals, and looked in my mouth and throat and made sure I didn’t have any loose teeth or false teeth. I said to him my teeth are my own 🙂 and they are not loose.. crooked, yes, and I have a couple of crowns on back ones, but other than that… A ok.
He said I didn’t need another ECG or Xray today so that was good news… once I saw him I was free to go 🙂 So that took from 0745 – 12:15 ish.. I had some wait between physio and seeing the anesthetist, so I went and read in the cafeteria and had a coffee. I read on my new eReader, a gift from the gals I work with. 🙂
As an aside: I had a weird thing happen last night. I went to bed around 11:30 pm to try to get a decent sleep as I knew I had to be at the hospital early, but I had trouble falling asleep. It was early for me and I wasn’t tired. I was just laying in bed trying to sleep.. I started to have a wee spell of weeping where tears were falling , I guess it was me feeling sorry for myself, but I really had not been thinking of the cancer then, so I don’t know why I started to cry. M was there and asked me if I was crying and I said a little. He put his arm over me and gave me some kleenex and just having him there holding me was what I needed. 🙂 I got all warm and fuzzy and was able to sleep.
Next stop? Feb 1st Surgery time 12:10
…Pam…
Update: Jan 20th Surgeon's visit
OK. I just got back from the surgeon’s office and the family Dr. We were hoping for an all clear margins and lymph. Well, I got half of my wish. The margins, the area around the original tumor, were clear, so that’s good news. I get to keep my breast. Also the the tumor is estrogen and progesterone positive which is also good news. That means the cancer will respond to treatment by something like tamoxifen.
Short version of the bad news though is that one of the 3 sentinel lymph nodes shows positive for metastatic cancer. There are two small tiny spots, like about the size of a pencil dot on a paper, 1.0mm and 0.5mm, so very tiny. Which means I have to go back for more surgery and have to have all lymph nodes taken out of right axilla. (should cut down on amount of deodorant I have to use lol)
Anyways second surgery is already booked for Feb 1st. We’re not sure of the time yet, but probably another all day affair. I’ll type up the whole pathology report and send it when I finish letting people know the news.
I will see cancer clinic four weeks post op, and that is when radiation will also start apparently. Family Dr feels I will most likely have to have chemo but that’s up to the Cancer Clinic. Radiation, which I will have to have no matter what, should start around first of March or so. I am off until Feb 21st. Then, when I do go back, it will be for eight hour nights only if and until I’m feeling better. I see my Family Dr on Feb 10th and she and I will assess how I am doing and if I feel I can go back to work by Feb 21st .
It is OK to share this news if anyone asks. I am doing OK. I consider this just another hoop to jump through in this fight to get the cancer out of me. Maurice has been my rock and came with me to the Dr’s office. He had a few tears in the surgeon’s office and car. It’s hard to be brave when you don’t know what it is exactly we have to face yet, but for the most part we are doing OK. At this point, I remain positive and still hopeful.
So not the greatest news; not out of the woods yet. Thanks for thinking of me. 🙂 Thank you everyone for the posts, emails and calls.
If anyone is interested in what the pathology report says, send me an email and I’ll send you it to read.
…Pam…
Dr's Appt in about 40 minutes
Well we will be leaving in about 15 minutes to go to the Dr’s appointment with the Surgeon. We expect that we will get staging results today. We hope so anyways, at least then we will know what we face. Maurice is coming with me 🙂 It snowed throughout the night, and it’s still snowing as we got up this AM at 0800. The appointment is for 09:05 so either way, good or bad news, I’ll come on and post the results.
Thanks everyone for keeping me in their thoughts. You most certainly have been in mine. 🙂 I appreciate all of the support, emails, visits, candles lit, prayers and phone calls, flowers, and most recently the gift I was given by some co-workers/friends at the other site where I work. 🙂 All of this has made me feel very spoiled 🙂 but in a good way. Thanks again, and I’ll post any news, soon.
It’s 8:30 now… we will leave home in about 10 minutes. 🙂 How is that for an up to date, blow by blow description of what is happening!? lol
The incisions are starting to heal up to the point where they are now itching me 🙂 they are covered with steristrips so I imagine the surgeon will yank them off today. The drain site has a little drainage. when I took the bandage off this AM to clean it and redress it before seeing Dr, there was a small bit of congealed blood that pulled away on the dressing. so once I see Dr and get the all clear to stop wearing the binder I had put on me during the surgery (for support) I’ll start wearing a sports bra. I wasn’t before as I didn’t want it rubbing along bra line in axilla. I have my list of questions for the Dr. Hopefully I get the answers today! Waiting is a bitch..
drain out Jan 14/11
Hi there,
I just wanted to add that today I called homecare, and initially the guy who answered said that it would not be out today, to try calling back tomorrow. I braced myself for a couple more days of the drain. Then Veronica called an hour later, and asked me about the drainage. I told her that I had been measuring it q12h, had milked the tubing to ensure it was not plugging up, and gave her my totals. She agreed that it sounded like it could come out, and said she would be over to do that shortly.
So she’s been and gone, and now I am just wearing the supportive binder they give you (which is nice, to not have the girls flapping in the wind) and have the 2 incisions and the drain site. She put a mepore over the drain site. She said it is a bit reddened, so I’ll keep an eye on it and make sure that I don’t get an infection there. I’m just so relieved to have that damned drain out. I can’t tell you how uncomfortable it was…
She seemed surprised that I was managing the pain as well as I am. I told her that I’m a tough cookie 🙂 So the weekend seems like it will be alot more comfortable now with the drain out. She commented on the Kareoke machine, and so I sang her a song to show her how it works… I think she is going to buy one for her husband. 🙂
…Pam…
Jan 14th = 3rd day post op
Morning 🙂 It’s friday Jan 14th and I’m on day 3 post op. I still have the drain in, but I am hopeful it can come out either today or tomorrow. I have not heard from the homecare nurses yet, so I’ll call them today to see what is up. I had a pretty good sleep last night. Went to bed around midnight I think, and got up around 6:30. I took a pain pill and came downstairs. M’s have a sleep in with Max.
Pain is manageable. I am taking pain meds every 5-6 hrs now, just 1 tyl #3. I will feel alot more comfortable with the drain out, that much I know. I’ve been pretty amazed at how many people have been emailing or phoning or posting on the blog. It’s been pretty awesome. I have been keeping in daily contact with my mum and dad, and have talked with M’s mum a couple of times. 🙂
Maggie is coming into town for another visit, and that is always fun. We can catch up on stuff and have a coffee and a gab.
This has all happened so fast, it almost seems like it’s a dream or something. I keep expecting to wake up and not have a bloody drain sticking out of my armpit, no incisions… but it’s no dream. I can’t say it’s been a nightmare either.. it’s been handled pretty efficiently from what I can tell, and let me tell you, once you get the diagnosis of cancer.. things start happening pretty quickly. My family Dr told me that they would.. that my surgeon did not like to wait around, and her madate was to get the cancer out asap. I’m really lucky to have such a great family Dr. To all of my friends/family… I can just say Thank you all again. I appreciate all of your support.
…Pam…
Breast Cancer post op – update
Had my surgery, and am doing alright. Typing with left hand isn’t easy, so M’s been doing most of the blog posts etc. I heard from Surgeon’s office today. I am to see her on Jan 20th for the pathology/staging/follow up visit. I am hoping that everything has been caught in time and that it hasn’t spread to the lymph, but need to wait to find out.
At this point I am still hopeful. I feel like it’s been caught pretty quick (8x7x6mm) and saw Surgeon quickly (dec 23rd) and had surgery in a timely manner Jan 11th .. had the sentinel node biopsy done.. so I believe we’ve done all we can do at this point.
I’ve emptied the davol once this AM and will empty it again. I think once my 24 hr total is less than 24 cc’s it can come out… that’s what Dr told me before surgery anyways. 🙂
I have spent today pretty much being catered to. M’s been wonderful bringing me everything I need. He’s a great nurse. 🙂 Better than me, I think. 🙂 I’ve been in recliner since I got up, and nodding off and on all day. I’m keeping myself pretty drugged up today, and am taking a tyl # 3 every 3 hrs. Pain scale is about 1-2 when not moving, when sitting in recliner with right arm propped up. Pain level is 4-5 when I try to move. It is manageable. I think it will feel alot better once the drain comes out.. maybe a couple more days. Have not heard from the homecare nurse. I have their # . i’ll continue to drain my own davol twice a day, and when drainage is less and drain ready to come out, I’ll give them a call.
Thank you to everyone who has emailed me, phoned, or replied on the blog. I appreciate the support and friendship. 🙂
…Pam…