Today is my fourth day post-op and things are going well.

 

The surgery was Tuesday morning. I got to the hospital at 7:30. After they checked me in, they took me to radiology to perform the breast needle localization. This is the procedure where the radiologist inserts a couple of wires into the breast to guide the surgeon to the affected area. In my case, the calcifications were small to begin with, and the core needle biopsy removed a lot of that tissue. So, during the biopsy, they placed a titanium marker at the calcification site. This was what the radiologist was trying to locate during the procedure Tuesday morning.

 

There were four women in the room with me: the technician who was manning the ultrasound machine, a woman (RN) from the Breast Diagnostic Center who came to oversee the procedure and perform the mammogram afterwards, a radiology nurse, and a student nurse who was observing. The technician used the ultrasound to find the titanium marker, and then they called the radiologist in. Good-looking young guy (naturally!). He put several shots in my breast to numb it (I still felt some pain when he moved the needle around, but it wasn't too bad) and then inserted a needle/syringe that had the wire inside it. I was turned so I could watch the monitor, and it was interesting to watch the needle being pushed into the breast tissue. When he finished with the first wire, he placed a second one. They were really thin, flexible wires that stuck out from my breast by about five or six inches.

 

The radiologist then left, and the nurse from the Breast Diagnostic Center took me over to a mammography machine (in the same room) and took two views of my breast to make sure the wires were placed correctly. They were, so we were all done. The nurse bandaged up my breast so the wires wouldn't poke into my arm, and then they took me back to my room to wait for the surgery--about an hour and a half. I have to say that it's really odd to look down at your breast and see two long wires sticking out of it. I wish I'd had a camera! I don't think I'll see that again (at least I hope not).

 

The anesthesiologist came in to see me before the surgery. I asked her whether she was planning to give me the stuff that basically puts you to sleep and makes it impossible for you to remember anything that happened. She said yes, and I told her that I really didn't want that. I wanted local anesthesia so I could be awake during the surgery, and I wanted to remember it afterward. She agreed to do that, but said that she wanted to put me to sleep briefly while they put the local shots in. She said that was pretty painful. And she told me that if, at any time during the surgery, I felt too much pain, I could let her know and she'd put me back to sleep.

 

So we went into the OR, which was an interesting experience. There was another student nurse in the OR, and the older nurse explained a lot of the procedures as she cleaned the surgery site and prepped me. I enjoyed hearing those explanations, and the careful, long scrub she gave my breast, chest, and arm made me feel very confident that I wouldn't get an infection. I was asleep for a few minute while they put the shots in, and then I was instantly awake. It's amazing how they can do that! There were a few times when I felt some sharp pain, and I let the doctor know so she could give me some more shots. I did OK until the very end, when it really did hurt and I asked the anesthesiologist to put me back to sleep. She did, and I woke up just as the surgeon was getting ready to stitch me up. So I got to be awake during that whole time. Everyone said I did a great job of lying perfectly still. I guess that's one thing they worry about with patients who are awake. But I felt very calm a

nd relaxed; no tension at all, and no feeling the need to move or squirm.

 

They put a large compression bandage on the incision and then took me back to the recovery room.  They monitored me there for about 45 minutes, and then they told me I could get dressed and go home! That's the real advantage of being awake during surgery. We didn't need to wait for the drugs to wear off. I was wide awake and alert. So, with a surgery that started about 11:20, I was home by 1:45. Pretty amazing.

 

I'm doing really well. The incisions look good. There are two--a long one that's about 2 1/2 inches long and a smaller one about half an inch long that transects the longer incision. It looks a bit like a t. I'm a little swollen but there's no bruising yet. I feel really good. Today I have hardly any pain--just when I bend over from the waist.

 

The surgeon called yesterday to say that the pathology report was good. They found more cancer in the tissue they removed, so the biopsy didn't get it all. But the margins are all clean, which is great news. Now I just need to have the radiation and I should be done with treatment except for the tamoxifen, which I'm supposed to take for five years. I haven't made up my mind about that yet. I have another appointment with the oncologist next Thursday, and we'll go over the treatment then. I just hope I can start my radiation therapy within two weeks. If not, I won't be able to finish before it's time for me to leave for Spain. I'll know about that next week. I think they want to give your incision time to heal before they start radiation, but I heal very quickly, so I think I'll be OK.

 

Monday I go back to the surgeon to get the stitches out. So far, so good. I'm feeling very fortunate. Thanks to everyone for your emails and phone calls and cards. I really appreciate all the kind thoughts.