Daily Archives: November 12, 2014

Nov
12
2014

Waking Up After Surgery

 

While I was having surgery, Ray had my cell phone and used it to post updates on Facebook to all my family and friends.  Ray uses LinkedIn, not Facebook.  My daughter also posted on Facebook.

This was from my precious daughter:  Prayers for my momma during her surgery today! Cancers a pain in the butt, but this lady has been blessed with such comforting words and friends to help her along the way in developing a positive outlook and even more closer relationship to God. Thank you to all the strangers, friends, and our family who’s been there for her every step of the way!

This was from Ray’s post:  This is Ray. Posting an update for Nadine that biopsy results of Sentinel lymph nodes results were negative.

Another post from Ray:  Its amazing that she can still get on Facebook while under anesthesia. I’ll update when possible.
-ray

Another post from Ray:  Ray again here. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I spoke to surgeon and all is proceeding well.

Finally, last post from Ray:  I’m with Nadine and she looks great was talking up a storm earlier and will let her rest. She’s had a rough day.

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I woke up around 6:30pm, as I was in the hospital bed while being wheeled into my private hospital room.  The surgery lasted about 8 hours long.  Supposedly,  the surgeons stated that I had 6 major surgeries performed, since I had cancer in both breasts at the same time.  Most patients who have breast cancer only have it in one breast.  I happened to be the unfortunate one because only 1-5% get cancer in BOTH breasts.   One surgery is to remove breast tissue of one breast and second surgery is to remove breast tissue from the other breast, performed by the breast surgeon.  Each breast is different in shape, size and in depth.  Most are not even.  The third and fourth surgeries are cutting near both armpit areas to remove some lymph nodes to send off to the pathologist for ruling out cancer.  I had 3 lymph nodes removed from right armpit and 4 lymph nodes removed from the left armpit.  The plastic surgeon then takes over and finishes the fifth and sixth surgeries which is immediate reconstruction with tissue expanders placed.  I had Alloderm placed which the plastic surgeon was able to save my breast skin.

When I woke up, I was in pain, indescribable pain.  My blood pressure was very high because of the pain.  I also had my legs wrapped in some type of pressure pad device that would pump up a bag around my legs intermittently.  This was to keep me from having blood clots.  I was horribly nauseated which did not help.  I knew I had to force myself to eat a cracker and take a bit of Jello to hopefully keep oral pain meds down, but it was no use.  I was then having to take morphine and an anti-nausea med by IV.  Around midnight, the nurse thought I could take the 2 oral pain meds by mouth, but I told her I really wanted one pain pill because I was afraid 2 pills would cause me to throat up everything.  Nurse felt I would be okay.  I took the 2 little tiny pain pills and about 10 minutes later, I was throwing everything up.  Luckily, Ray decided to stay the night in my room, sleeping in a recliner.  I told Ray I felt like throwing up and he literally jumped out of the recliner and was able to give me the throw-up bag just in time or I would have thrown up all over the bed.

Right after vomiting up my meds, I noticed I had severe swelling in my feet, hands, and arms.  My body felt like it was loaded with too much fluid.  Then, there was a sensation  that I needed to urinate, a lot, and quickly.  Ray called the nurse into the room and it took both Ray and the nurse to get me up out of bed.  Once I was standing, I was fine.  The getting out of bed took all my stomach muscles and with Ray taking his hands to my back to help me lean forward out of bed.  I never realized how much chest muscles you use to maneuver yourself and it hurt like HECK.  I had to slowly shuffle my way to the bathroom with the nurse on my left side and Ray holding me on my right side.  It took some time to adjust myself on that darn toilet seat.  I had no problem urinating though.  It felt like I urinated around 800 cc worth of fluid.  It took my stomach muscles to get myself off that darn toilet.  No one can simply take your arms and lift you up after a double mastectomy.  Once back in bed, I felt better and all the swelling went away.  I slept, but through the night, I was awaken every 2 hours and had vitals checked and given IV meds.  I was in a lot of uncomfortable pain.  My blood pressure proved I was in pain because it was still high.  I had to get control of taking my meds orally without feeling nauseated or throwing up before I could go home.

Ray stated the breast surgeon came out after my surgery and greeted Ray and told him I did great.  In fact, it was different and she had never experienced anything like it before, because all the nurses and crew were cheering me on.  When my one side showed up I was negative for cancer in lymph nodes, they all cheered for me and did the same when the other side came back negative.

Ray stayed with me for the night in my hospital room and I was very thankful.  He was the best.  He helped me and was right there if I needed anything.  He was so in tune with me that if I moved or woke up, he was up asking me what I needed.  He chose the recliner than the fold out sofa bed because it was closer to my bed.  Ray kept our daughter informed by phone, as she was in Corvallis at Oregon State University, studying and taking her finals.  He also kept my boss informed and my aunt and uncles and family members.  Flowers were delivered to my hospital room right away.  Flowers were from the Tigard Police Department where I am on the Chief of Police committee and the other flowers were from IT Assurance who handles the computers at the clinic I work for in Portland.  I was very thankful and it was pretty seeing flowers near the window view.  When I was awake, I would look at the pretty flowers and then look out the window wishing I was at the coast or outside looking at Mt. Hood.  I wanted to be outside, enjoying gorgeous Oregon.

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Double Mastectomy Day

10522724_4661012981477_619690032971001275_nThis is it!  The morning of my surgery.  I took my last shower with my boobs.  I had to clean my body with Hibiclens.  This was my last time seeing and feeling my breast tissue.  The breasts will be gone, everything!  No more lumpy, bumpy boobs and worrying if I have cancer or not.  I cried in the shower for about 5 minutes.  I couldn’t believe this was all happening.  It was just shy of a month when I learned I had cancer in BOTH breasts.  Everything was happening way too quickly.

Ray and I arrived to Providence Newberg Medical Center.  Ray met a funny, kind gentleman (Charles) who would be checking on Ray.  Charles would be near the phone and once each surgeon was done performing my surgery, they would called Charles who would then check on Ray and let him know a surgeon will be coming out to the waiting room to talk to Ray.  Also, if Ray had any concerns or questions, he was to talk to Charles.  The surgery is to take anywhere from 7-9 hours.

Ray and I then went to my pre-op room where I met my nurse who would be performing all the pre-op measures such as inserting the largest thickest IV needle there was into my left arm, performing all the vitals, giving me my hospital gown, placing long thigh length TED hose, etc.  I was nervous, tired, anxious and out of it.  I was actually looking forward for this long nap.  I also met the OR nurse and the anesthesiologist.  The OR nurse was very nice.  He stated he just ate and I asked him what did he eat.  He looked at me puzzled and I stated I was just checking because I didn’t want him to have heartburn while being in surgery with me for 8 hours.  The nurse laughed.  The anesthesiologist stated he was going to grab something to eat.  I asked him what he planned on eating?  He laughed and stated he would make sure it would not cause him heartburn.  I said, “Good and I hope neither one of you have bad gas during my surgery.”  haha.  They both laughed.  I then looked at my anesthesiologist’s shoes.  He saw me looking at them which caused him to look at his feet.  He asked me if there was anything wrong.  I said, “I work for a podiatrist and so I am checking to see if you have good rigid shoes on because I don’t want your feet to hurt while I am having an 8 hour surgery.”  He laughed and laughed and said this is going to be a great surgery.  lol.  My breast surgeon came into the room and marked my chest and drew what I call pictures with a black marker.

Then off I went, in my surgical bed, into another room where I met the radiologist who inserted a needle with radioactive dye right near the nipple area of each breast.  I squeezed Ray’s hands so hard that I thought I was turning his hands blue.  This was for the sentinel nodes to see if any hotspots show up with cancer.  It actually was not bad at all.  He did a great job and I hardly felt anything.  It is just the thought of where the needle was going to poke me was more bothersome.

Next stop, down a long hallway while in the hospital bed, to the OR room.  Ray kissed me and said he loved me.  Ray stood there watching me as I was wheeled off with anesthesiologist along side my bed and put something in the IV which made me start to doze off.  Last words, “You are going to be fine and I ate something that will not cause problems.”