Eight days Post-Op

I attempted to update everyone on Monday but it was a little hard to type due to the swollen body that lies between me and the computer (I guess?  Really, it was hard to get my arms around my chest without it hurting!)  I’ve been home since Friday and pretty much lying on the couch.  I change directions for excitement and I think our couch is much more comfortable to sleep on than to sit on so it’s not bad.   We borrowed a wheel chair from the church and Bobby pushed me to a parade on Mardi Gras day.  We live at the end of the Metairie parade route so it’s really convenient!

My first post-op appointment was Monday.  The doctors said the incisions all looked good and they removed 3 of my 4 drains. The pathology report wasn’t in yet but we should have it by the end of the week.  I went by the clinic today and had the final drain removed. 

In case you don’t know what drains are, because I didn’t, about 8 inches of tube was inserted into my abdomen and breasts, 4 total, to collect the fluid that fills open spaces in the body.  Outside of my body the tubes (about 18 inches of tube per drain) were connected to these bulb things that the tubes would drain fluid into.  The first night in the hospital the drains were stripped, or emptied, every hour. The second night, every 2 hours, the third night every 4 hours and we’ve stripped them twice a day since I came home (I was very happy to get 3 out at my first post op appt!).  I document the amount of fluid and once the amount is low enough the doctors remove the drains.  It’s pretty gross but also pretty amazing how the body works and how the doctors have everything figured out.  I had no idea how long the tubes were until they said they were taking them out and I didn’t feel a thing. 

I have a post op appointment tomorrow with Dr Jones.  He did the mastectomy part of my surgery and removed the lymph nodes and will hopefully have the pathology report from the lymph node removal.    We are obviously praying for good news and will try to update the blog quickly once we get those results.

Micah and I sit on the couch and watch Mickey Mouse in the mornings now.  Milk, coffee, cherrios and Mickey.  Our mornings might be what I missed most while in the hospital.