Dear Friends and Family,
I gotta admit that waking up at 6:15a for the 2nd shower this morning was not that bad. My friend Laura Roodman-Edwards-Roodman-Edwards-Roodman-Ray (not a typo - she marred the same crazay man twice) came to pick me up and off to the hospital we went.
First stop: When I arrived, to my wonderful surprise Pastor Gene and his twinkly-eyed Chris met me in the parking lot. I was hoping they weren't there to tell me that I'd been fired from my job :) We all went to the waiting room and there they prayed for me before going into my procedures. (Thanks so much!)
Second stop: I had a mammogram done, but they didn't mechanically flatten/squeeze/decompress/torture my boobie as much as usual.. THEN while STUCK in this machine, the doctor came over and gave me 2 shots of local anesthesia on my breast! Yup, like I could escape even if i wanted to! Somewhere amidst this procedure, she inserted a very thin wire(?) inside the boob, then blue dye, then another mammogram picture was taken. Then the wire was taped down.
Third stop: I was rolled to Nuclear Medicine. Something about that title is just a bit scary - like a bomb was gonna be implanted or something. The door opened and the entire room was filled with this gargantuan machine. The area where I was to lay down was a good 20' long, and then who knows what was gonna happen to me once I was under this contraption. I was hoping I could push a button and be "poofed" to Hawaii, but no go. I was ready since I brought my Hawaiian shirt from Goodwill! Instead, this very nice nuclear medicine admistering person announces that i am going to have 4, yes read FOUR shots to the boob yet again, but she would use this freezing topical spray! i'm not sure which was worse - the below freezing topical spray spraying into my eye or the needles! I then was instructed to hold still for 2 Five minute pictures. I think I jerked at one point bc I snorted in my sleep :)
Fourth stop: So..now is the time to be prepped for my surgery. I'd say by the time I was rolled to surgery, I met 8 female nurses, techs, anesthesiologist, surgeons, etc. And they all looked alike because they were all white, had glasses on, and wore the same designer poofy hospital cap on (just kidding :) I was given a beautiful faded gown that had so few ties that I'm pretty sure I now have freezer burn on my back and butt from beging exposed to the temperature of the hospital! Oh and the slippers? One size fits all, woohoo!
Fifth stop: Can you even believe there were no sentinel nodes removed??? I'm not sure how much, if any, breast tissue was removed around the clip where the tumor was. I was still very out of it when the doctor came to gives us a report. Well, maybe I was very much under anesthesia. Incisions hurt, thank God for Tylenol with codeine. And now i am the proud owner of a white designer bra that velcros on the shoulders, and zips/hooks down the front. Let me know if you ever want to borrow this thing. Angela (wonderful friend from church and breast cancer survivor!) drove me home around 1:30p and I crawled into my clean sheeted bed. She stayed with me til this evening making sure I remained drugged, hydrated, and rested.
Last and final stop: I'm home, I've been resting, I ate, and now I thank you for every single prayer and thought that you sent my way. There must have been a lot of Asian women and bald men walking around today wondering why so many people lowered their heads when they saw them :)
You are the best!
--
Zenobia Perry, MMT
Music Therapist & Private piano instructor
No comments:
Post a Comment