Post Op

I remember waking up at 5:30 PM.  I was back at surgical day care in bay 2.  I was quite groggy and in pain. Really bad pain.  A nurse noticed I opened my eyes and asked if I needed some pain meds. With a scratchy voice, I said yes.

I slipped in and out and around 6, I was asked if I needed more pain medication.  "Yes."

I can vaguely remember that Dr. Chatson came in around this time to see how I was doing and to tell me that everything went well.  He said that Dr. Moore was able to leave fat cells that were needed for the reconstruction.  Dr. Chatson said he was please with the results and asked that I have a  post-op visit Wednesday.

Shortly after, Dr. Moore stopped by to see how I was doing and he said that things turned out well.  He said that working with Dr. Chatson allowed less tissue removal, but enough to take the tumor and associated tissue out.  He did say that he took two nodes out.  The sentinel node had some cancer cells so he went to the second and found some there so he took both out.  The third node was biopsied and that appeared to be OK.  I do recall his saying that the initial results showed 'some' cells in the first two nodes but a thorough pathology will be done and those results won't be known for about a month.  He said he's 90% certain that all the cancer is out.  But there is still that 10% chance that I may need radiation and/or chemo.  So I'm not completely out of the forest yet - but hopefully optimistic.

By 6:30 I was feeling more awake and less in pain when they said I would be moved to room 215.  Arriving at my room, the nurse introduced herself and said her shift was over at 7:30, but a new nurse would be in for the transition.  She asked if I needed any more pain medication.  I said I was doing OK.  But she did say that taking the meds would help me sleep and keep ahead of the pain.  I agreed and took a pill.  She asked if I needed anything to eat since I had been fasting almost 24 hours.  I wasn't too hungry, but thought that a turkey wrap might be light enough to handle.

I made a few calls to let folks I was alive. It wasn't too long before the wrap arrived. At this point I could tell that the breathing tube made my throat sore (which explained my scratchy voice).

I dozed off and on with the TV on.  The news was all about the riots in Baltimore and earthquake in Nepal - so sad.

I decided to shut off the TV and sleep when I was awakened by the night nurse, Sandy.  She took my vitals and tried to push more drugs to which I declined.  Every three hours the same thing.  No drugs.  Just sleep please.  Very uncomfortable bed.  Too small and confining.  Can't turn over and there are so many tubes (drain, oxygen and other connections for vitals).

Hoping for a release Tuesday.