Pre-surgery

Ok, so I have a blog. I've thought about this, but there is some part of me that feels like this is very egotistical to think that other people would want to read about my thoughts, but at the same time, this seems like it would be an easy way to keep everyone updated, filled in, etc. I have been emailing some friends regularly just to vent, I felt comfortable forcing them to listen to my every thought, and I notice I have a tendency to ramble. I don't think I'm capable of Gary Thomas rambling (I read the entire email that he sends, and I like it!), but I do go on and on, so if you're not interested in reading, I promise I'm not offended, I totally understand. I also tend to offer more information than you want to know. I'll try not to do this on the internet, but consider yourself warned.

Ok, I have bilateral mastectomy surgery with reconstruction this Friday. I check in at 7:30, and they I think start operating about 11:30. Its supposed to take about 4 hours I think from the time they knock me out to the time I wake up. Brent, my parents, and I think Aunt Linda and Debbie are going to be at the hospital. I have a feeling I'll have no idea they're there, but Brent will have people to talk to, and keep him from watching the clock. The reconstruction consists of lifting my muscle, and placing a flat expander bag underneath. They pump it up a little and apparently when I wake up I'll feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Cool. I've seen a Utube video of some guy that gets his head stuck in an elephant's butt, so I guess I'll be doing better than that guy.

Anyway, earliest I'll go home is Sunday. Max and Cannon are staying with Rick & Debbie which will be great as far as physical recovery, but will be hard when they're usually the ones to make me smile. Rick & Debbie set up a web cam on our home computer as well as theirs, so I'll be able to talk to them through that. We're kind of excited to test that out. The doctor says I won't be able to pick them up for quite a while. He says 3-4 weeks, other people have told me longer. Some doctors say I can go back to work, others tell me to take at least a month off. I'm hoping to go back to school when kids are there. I can't move my arms much, but I can talk just fine. I have no idea how severe the pain will be, everyone handles it differently, so its all just a wait and see what happens kind of deal.

I go back to plastic surgeon (never thought I would be the family member visiting a plastic surgeon) three weeks after surgery and we start pumping the expander bags up. Again, some people say its no big deal, others say it hurts like hell. Then chemo starts about four weeks after surgery, the "cocktail" that I get to have depends on whether or not its in the lymph nodes. We find this out during surgery. And, again, everyone handles it differently. Some are out for weeks, some are back to work Monday. All we really know right now is dates of doctor appointments.