Hi Ho, Hi Ho .....

Going back to work was really not a big deal.  I do not like people to tell me what to do and I had been off work 2 days and had a 3 day weekend.  So why not go back to work.  No one said I couldn't.  Just like when no one told me to stay in the bed in the delivery room after having Madeline.  Everyone was gone to see her, so I got out of bed and went to find the nursery.  I scared the crap out of my nurses because I had disappeared.  No one told me to stay put.

Basically, this is a non-interesting post.  I sat in my rollie chair and  greeted my kids.  I taught them from another chair, and then my student teacher taught math.  This went on for a few days.

Yes, I did get tired.  Yes, I moved slow.  Yes, my boob hurt when I walked.  But what are you gonna do, sit around.

The worst part about being at school was dealing with the drain.  At home I just clipped the thing to my belt loop and let the tubing hang out a bit.  At school, I had to hide it.  The kids would be grossed out.  So once during school I would go measure the drainage and come back to class.

Measuring the drainage was important.    When the drainage got down to a certain amount I could get it out.  So I had a sheet of paper tucked in my pocket and wrote down the data.  Yes, it was data.  I kept it just in case I had to prove that it was low.

While we are talking about the drain, imagine having to shower with it.  I could not let it hang because it pulled.  It was sewn into my side.  I also could not let my breast be unsupported.  Luckily, I could sit in the shower and do my best.  I tried to get as clean as I could because I couldn't wear deodorant on the right side, so soaping up was the best I could do.

Driving was fun.  I put a beach towel in the car as padding.  I drove one time without it and it was uncomfortable.

These days passed.  Late January is really not that exciting.  We did have the science fair.  Very proud of Madeline.  She won 1st place in Engineering, Computers, and Math.  She experimented on the odds of PLINKO.  I love the Price Is Right.

I always wanted to be on the Price Is Right.  I have always wanted to know if the Big Wheel you spin to get in the Showcase Showdown was heavy.

I am so hungry!!!!

John and I had a nice drive home - I do not really remember it, but I was texting my friend Heather so that Madeline could come on home.

Heather is a bestie.  She cooked up supper and had gotten my daughter home from school and helped her with her homework.  She was with me when I opened my letter from my first mammo and now she was here when it was over.

I was starving!  Heather made Poppy Seed Chicken, rice, green beans.  It was great!  I ate a lot - and did not get sick.  Another bestie, Alecia, fixed some brownies.  it was awesome !!!

We talked about the surgery and then decided to venture into the bathroom with Heather to go check out my armpit.  We had already peaked at my other scar.

Holy Cow !!!! No wonder my armpit hurt.  It was cut from one side to the other.  And it looked angry!

My armpit will be a source of a lot of funnies to come.

Finally time to go to bed and it was interesting.  I could only lie on my back or left side.  Which pretty much sucks wind because I am a stomach sleeper or sleep on my right side with my right arm extended.  I could hardly move my right arm, much less raise my hand.

So, I just decided to medicate myself with Loratab and knock myself out.  It worked pretty good until the itchies come. I am allergic to the codeine in the Loratab.  Nice. 

So, over the next 4 days I convalesced (a word I have never used by the way) at home.  I became ambidextrous and  became acquainted with the drain.  A source of evil and pain.

Our house had also had an enormous amount of great food all brought by my wonderful friends.  I visited with my friends and neighbors and put the news on Facebook.

I am sure some of you wonder why I put it on Facebook.  I was not excited to have cancer and was surely not boasting about it.  I have friends all over the country and they needed to know.  My imaginary Disney Liner friends were praying for me too. 

I also wanted to make sure people went to go get their mammogram.  It is a must!



And one last little piece of wonderful news that happened the day after surgery.  My lymph nodes were negative.  All 14.  Wow.  Something good was happening.

Here I lie, in my.......

 

hospital bed.  Tell me, Sister Morphine, when are you coming round again.


I think being knocked out for surgery is interesting.  I mean, you really have no freaking clue what went on that hour you were gassed.  And then "BAM!"  you wake up in pain.

The concept of time was lost from meeting the Anetheisiologist to leaving the hospital.  It all seemed like 30 minutes, but it was hours.  I must have moaned because I was asked if I was in pain and I nodded my head, so I was given something in my IV.  If it was morphine it would be quite funny but it probably was not.

The first thing I asked was "lymph node".  The reason was that I was very aware that my right arm pit hurt like hell and that was not a good sign.  I had known that they would not take nodes if the biopsy was not cancerous so if I woke up to arm pit pain then I knew I had cancer.  The nurse said yes they took lymph nodes, so I knew I had cancer.  At the same time Dr. Byars was telling John that I did have breast cancer, they got clear margins, and the lymph nodes looked grossly fine.  Which meant while he was eyeballing them they did not look sick.  John was worried on how to tell me I had cancer, but I already knew.  I did not tell him my reasoning until 3 days later.

Everything was very fuzzy.  I do not even remember being rolled back into the post-op room were I started pre-op.  I remember being in recovery for about 1 second.  The next time I think I was in the post -op room which was the same as pre-op .  I do remember not wanting the pulse thingy on my finger.  They would clampt it on and I would flick it off.  I know I did this at least twice.

I also did not like the oxygen tube things up my nose.  I heard a nurse say that my O2 level was not where it should be.  I also know that twice I pulled the tubes out of my nose and placed them on my forehead just to have them put back.

Let's go back to the top of this post with my song.  In my Hospital Playlist  I had the aforementioned song.  I really did feel like that song sounds - hard to explain.  It is kinda like drinking a pina colada and knowing that it tastes that sunscreen smells.  I weird blend of senses that apparently only occurs if you are on drugs or drinking.

So then time passes - I was thirsty so I had ice and some water.  In my "go to the hospital bag" I packed my own Diet Dr. Pepper.  The nurses were not real keen on me having it, but agreed.  It tasted so great!  More time passes and then this wonderful lady comes in and talks to me.

Kerry Heinz is an angel.  A walking, breathing, real life angel. She came in and told me that my life just changed and I was a fighter.  I became part of a club.  She told me that I could no longer eat crappy foods, or drink what she called "cancer in a can" my diet Dr. Pepper.  I need to get out there and be a Cancer Fighting Ninja Warrior.  Walk, lose weight, eat right, pray.

She is a fighter herself.  She is currently battling Stage IV Breast Cancer, but she is not wallering in saddness.  She is out there taking time out of her day and talks to every woman that is diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  I can't say enough nice things about her.

I have to mention here that I had a drain in my body.  WTH - I was not warned about this.  Nasty - gross.  I know I did not research much on the surgery due to the finding out too much info, but lord have mercy someone should have told me about this.  There will be more info on this later.

After she leaves it was about time for me to go home.  I sit up and OOooo - I did not feel so good.  There was some rumbly in my tumbly.  I get a wet rag to place on my head while the nurse helps me dress.  I can't really move my right arm.

Well, then it is time - I need the garbage can and I throw up - of course it was my Diet Dr. Pepper. 

I ask for some phenegren, but my nurse said that it would have to be in suppository form.  Now that I had the grasp of my senses I so eloquently said " We are not sticking anything up my butt."

Nice nurse lady said if I had a shot I would have to stay 30 more minutes, my reply was "go get the shot!"

So I get my shot, lie down in my clothes, and feel all woozy again and wait 30 min.

Finally, I get to go home - woo hoo.