Thursday, July 30, 2009

I've improved a lot since I last posted. I went out Friday night for dinner with some of our friends from Chicago who came in for the wedding picnic. We went to Lobello's here in Coraopolis which had been featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". My arm got a lot of action with eating. I am left-handed (mastectomy on the right), but the only thing I do left-handed is write. And I don't write like a left-handed person where their wrist/hand is twisted upside down. Everything else I do right-handed like use scissors, cut glass and eat. My right hand is stronger when I play the piano. I was taught to eat right-handed by my mother because she told me (I swear she did) that "I did not want to be bumping elbows with the President at the White House when invited there for dinner since most people eat right-handed". I'm still waiting for that invitation.....

Anyways, with raising my arm up and down, it ached quite a bit that night. On Saturday, BDHA helped me get into the shower and I felt much better. I was still taking the Vicodin at that point. I got to the picnic around 4:00 p.m. The humidity started to get to me and I felt a little dizzy. Good thing they brought my chair from the patio. It's a big adirondack and is very comfortable. Around 7:00 p.m. my neighbors across the driveway stated they were going home and asked if I wanted a ride home. I took them up on it.

The next few days I tried to do without the pain meds as I was running out anyways. On Tuesday, after laying down for a nap, when I got up, the fluid was running down my side from where the drain went into me. Wednesday, I couldn't get the drains to hold suction more than a few minutes. I called Dr. Z's office and they asked that I come in so that they could take a look. MFD got off work early and drove me in to Magee. Wouldn't you know it, that as soon as Dr. Z put the suction back on, it held? It held while he was in the room and putting bandages over where the drains went in. As soon as he left and I was talking to his nurse, they popped again. Unfortunately, it's just one of those things I'll have to deal with. It has to do with how much I'm moving and how much fluid is in it. The good news is is that he's pretty happy with the healing going on. I don't need to see him again until next Friday. Once each drain is down to less than 30 ml a day, they can take them out. Right now they range anywhere from 80 ml to 160 ml. Still a ways to go.

Today, MFD drove me to my plastic surgeon's appointment. He was also very pleased with how the breast reduction side is healing. He said that he didn't have to do a skin graft for the nipple which he was happy about. He said they removed about 775 grams of tissue. If I converted correctly that's almost 1 and 3/4 pound fat/tissue/skin! Wow! I told him I didn't remember it being this small since I was in junior high. It's kind of cute. I can say that because it's mine.

I don't need to see him again until three months after radiation is finished so that we can start the process on the reconstruction. They take the fat from your abdomen (free tummy tuck!) to build up the missing breast. So I have from now until then to try to lose as much weight as possible. Perky boobs and a tummy tuck is some nice reward for going through this hell for the last year. I'm pumped!

It's a little uncomfortable sleeping. I have to sleep sitting up at an incline and on my back. The plastic surgeon said I could sleep on my side with the reduction if I wanted but I would still need to be elevated. I'm still a little sore so I'm not sure about that. My only complaint right now is that I can't get comfortable sleeping on my back so I wake up every few hours, get up and work the kinks out (go online, read/answer emails) and then try to sleep again. Last night I went to sleep at 9:00 p.m. and woke up at 11:30 p.m. I got up to let Mr. Whacko out and got a Coke Zero from the fridge. Why is it I never remember Coke Zero means NO SUGAR and not NO CAFFEINE? I ended up reading until 3:30 a.m. and didn't fall asleep until around 4:00 a.m. I had to be up at 7:00 a.m. for today's appointment. Hopefully tonight will be better.

I am so happy to be where I am right now. Every day is less pain and less uncomfortableness (is that a word?) I can even tell that I have more energy. Of course, if I consistently took the iron pills prescribed for me, I could probably run a marathon next week (NOT).

I'll post again as soon as I have any news.

Take care all.

Suesan