Category Archives: Health Issues

Health Issues

drain out Jan 14/11

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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…

Health Issues

Jan 14th = 3rd day post op

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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…

Health Issues

Breast Cancer post op – update

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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…

Health Issues

Update on Pam

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Pam had a pretty restful night. She says her armpit hurts more than the breast. That’s from the lymph removal, rather than the cancer removal. She has some “glowing” from the radioactive dye they injected. She’s got her arm propped up with a pillow to keep the pressure off the arm, and it’s helping.

She tried to type, but one handed was frustrating for her! haha Guess I can out-type her with one arm tied behind her back!

She’s drained her “davol” once – it’s a tube to take away blood away from the incision area. She’s taken only a couple pain pills, so she’s doing well. She’s having a nap. Max is laying beside her, snoring away! haha

We got a big dump of snow – around five inches or so. So there’s a nice white covering over everything! We used to be able to say we don’t get much snow here, but last few years we’ve seen snow several times a year.

First snorkel as locals
Health Issues

BC Day

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We arrived at Surrey Memorial Hospital at the recommended time of 7:15 for a 7:45 appointment. They got Pam in quickly, before her time, and was finished with her radioactive dye before 7:50. We then had a brief break while the dye took hold for some pictures. We tried to get in on a few Keno games, but the lotto booth doesn’t open til 10! hah

She took good pictures, so they threw her out and told her to head up to radiology to get a wire installed, the better to track her in case she got lost in the hospital – oh wait – it’s not that kind of wire! It was basically fishing for cancer cells, and they got it on the hook first crack.

Then off to mammography for another series of pictures. Those turned out too, so off we went to the surgery waiting room. We got here around 10:45 or so. It’s lovely and peaceful here, listening to Judge Joe Brown screaming at the defendants. Sigh – surely they could put something better on – like hockey highlights or something!

Pam is scheduled for surgery at 2 pm, so we’ve got a while to wait. Hopefully things will be on time and she won’t have to wait here forever. Although we do need to know how the lawsuit turned out…

UPDATE: The nurse has come by at 11:45 to admit her for the surgery. I’m not sure what that means, but I guess they’ll be putting her in a hospital bed soon? We’ll see in a few minutes I guess!

UPDATE 2: She has come back (12:15) and told me she has taken her pre-op meds. The surgery will probably be early, about 1:30. the surgery will take about one hour, and then about 45 minutes in recovery. She should be able to go home about four pm or so.

Proceeding well at this point! Pam’s friend, Maggie, has arrived to lend moral support.

UPDATE 3: So the nurse finally came for Pam at 2:10 – so much for an early start! Roughly two hours to go – one for the surgery, one for recovery. Not sure if they will let us go into the recovery.

UPDATE 4: It is 3:45 and Pam is out of surgery. She is in the recovery room. We’re not allowed to see her yet, and we don’t know how the surgery went. At least we know she made it out of surgery alive! I’m not sure when she entered surgery yet, or what time she came out. She should be awake enough to come out of the recovery room around 4:10. We’re just waiting.

UPDATE 5: It’s now 4:45 and still no sign of Pam. There haven’t been any code blue calls, so I’m not in a panic – – – YET! Not sure what the hold up is, and I don’t really want to nag the nurses, but if she isn’t back by 5, I’m going to go see what’s up!

UPDATE 6: We got into see Pam about 5:20 or so. She seemed a tad groggy, but otherwise fine. We don’t know anything about the surgery really, until the report comes back from the pathologist. I’ll let Pam explain about that.

We got home around 7:30 and she is resting, somewhat comfortably. She thanks everyone for the best wishes.

Health Issues

Surgery confirmed

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Surgery confirmed:

Have opted for lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy, and radiation..

I will be having my surgery tomorrow. Jan 11th

I have to be there at 0715 to nuclear medicine… get injected with radioactive dye – to see which are the sentinel lymph nodes.

Then I go to surgical admissions and get a fine wire insertion into right breast (to show surgeon where rxactly the tumour is), where to cut

Then I have surgery 2 pm.

I expect to be home that evening….

I will have to wait for the staging and see if it has spread to the lymph.. if it has, will need to do mastectomy and lymphadenectomy… and chemo etc…

But for now… lumpectomy/sentinel/radiation x 3.5-6 weeks……

Wish me luck. M will be with me, and Maggie is coming to be there as well. 🙂 I’m a lucky gal.

…Pam…

Health Issues

Surgery Update

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It’s not official yet, because they are still waiting for a “fine wire” time in radiology department, but nuclear medicine called this AM (Monday Jan 10th) at 0830 and told me that I was to be at Nuc med appointment for 0745… tomorrow morning. (They do these fine wire things on Tuesdays only. )

I then called Surgeon’s office as I had not heard from them Friday as to OR date, and receptionist told me that she had the OR time, but she wasn’t going to tell me it until she gets the “fine Wire” time from radiology as they need to do that bit before the surgery….

So right now it’s on hold until she hears from radiology and she said she’s going to call them around noon to see what’s up. I expect to hear from her after she speaks from them.

I said, so you are saying I have an OR time, but we can’t confirm that it’s a go for tomorrow because of radiology –not having a fine wire time booked?

She said yes that’s right, but that Dr J will have a hairy if they can’t get me in. I told her I would have a hairy too.

SO… it’s very much looking like it’s going to happen tomorrow, just need this last piece of the 3 prong puzzle to be fitted in.

Nuclear medicine = booked 0745

Fine wire Radiology = no time given yet, apparently it all hinges on this.

OR time = booked  (but I don’t know exact time yet, she didn’t want to give me yet until she gets Fine wire.)

I will post an update as soon as I know anything.

…Pam…