Surgery

We stayed in Saskatoon overnight on Monday because I had to be at City Hospital at 8:30 for what I call my dye job for the sentinal node biopsy. It was PAINFUL! They did 4 injections of dye around the nipple. The first one wasn't bad, the second one a little worse, the third really bad and fourth brought tears to my eyes. Then I had to lay really still while they took xerox images for the next 20 minutes while this dye moved through my lymph system. The good thing was that once injections were done it didn't hurt anymore. Thankfully my cough is pretty much gone!

Then we had to drive over to St. Paul's Hospital. We didn't wait very long when they called me in to get into the hospital gown and fill in more forms. Dr. H. came to talk to me and I told him to take out as much as he needed to rather than have to do another surgery later. We walked to the waiting area and the Anesthesiologist asked me yet more questions. He said I could expect to be hung over after the surgery as if I drank 3 bottles of scotch. I can't imagine drinking even one glass of the stuff but I got the idea anyway. I said you mean to say you are giving me this major hangover and I don't even get to have the good time first? Yup. What a guy!

I had to walk myself into the operating room and jump up on the table myself not like on TV where they do all that for you. The last time I saw the clock it was 11:35 - right on time. There was a flury of activity getting things ready and then it was take 3 deep breaths with this oxygen mask on my face and the next thing I remember was being woken up from a dream with "Bernadette wake up your surgery is over". I got to the room around 3 I think. Murray and Roxanne were there shortly after that. I felt remarkably good except very tired - good drugs I guess. They brought me supper at 5 which was roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy and mixed veggies, tea and 1/2 apple for dessert. The 3 anti nausea drugs they gave me before surgery must have worked because I ate that with no problem and I didn’t even really have the hangover.

Jim and Joan, Murray and Roxanne visited in the evening till 8. I had a pretty restless night – waking up every hour. Twice I had to refuse the blood thinner shot. You would think they would check the chart and if you have a clotting factor in the OR you probably don’t need blood thinners! Good thing I was with it enough to refuse! I had a really sore throat so they gave me tylenol and said I could have something stronger if I needed it. Later when the good stuff wore off and my incision started hurting they wouldn't give me anything because I just had the tylenol 3 hours ago. Grrrr. The next time they made that promise I was ready for them and I got the good stuff right away! Dr. H. came to see me in the morning and said that the tumor was 2.5 cm and he took all the lymph nodes from under my arm. They were all abnormal looking but we will know for sure what is what in two weeks time when I see him next. So in the end the painful dye job was all for nothing… Later when we wanted to sleep the nurse made my room mate and me get up and walk around the corridors – such a slave driver! Even though the doctor said I could stay another night if I wanted and the admitting nurse said I should stay another night they couldn’t seem to get me out of there fast enough. They need the bed so out you go! It was snowing and I was a little concerned about driving the 3 hours home in that but the nurse just said we could probably get a discounted rate at a hotel! Nice! The trip home was uneventful and it did feel pretty good to sleep in my own cozy bed last night.

Today I feel pretty good but that might have something to do with the narcotics I am taking every 4 hours! My arm is quite numb and I have two incisions that I can see each about 3 inches long and then I have a drain tube but I can’t see where that is going in because of the bandage. I was able to have a shower (I was surprised too but YAY) this morning and I am able to raise my arm up to wash my hair (albeit slowly and very carefully!).

The Homecare nurse was just here. She changed the bandage that is on the drain tube and said everything looks good. Now it is time for lunch and a little nap. Murray is home and is taking good care of me.