a little over 10 days since surgery, i know should have been journaling all along...wasn't sure if I wanted to...you know..who do you want to read it? but I know if i don't write it down I will forget things.....
so i will digress a little.
August 11 was at work getting ready to interview someone for a position we were hiring for...and I received the call "I hate to call you at work but....the biopsy results weren't good...it is cancer. Can you please come into the office tomorrow to talk to the surgeon?" I took a deep breath...went to the interview...then afterwards emailed Tom...told Joanne and Leah...and then my boss. God gave me great peace at the very beginning...Tom and I both, is was such a relief to trust Him for the next day..not to worry and know that He loved me the day before I knew I had cancer, and the days ahead...
August 12 left work met Tom at the Surgeon's office...Dr. Anderson..they had scheduled us in between his surgeries so we waited a little while until he was finished. He came into the conference room where they had placed us with a folder and a blank sheet of notebook paper. I remember thinking "Where is his powerpoint? or pamphlets??" He proceeded over the next hour or so do outline what type of cancer I had, what choices I didn't have and what choices I did have. he was very thorough, answered our questions, etc. During the course of the conversation it came out that he was a Christian...he said he didn't worry about his patients that were Christians, he realized he is "just playing in the dirt" and that God is the great Physician. He said he knew we needed to pray about it and process the info that was given... We went home... Micah & Kaitlyn (and Matt) arrived that late afternoon...(a previously God appointed scheduled trip) We had ordered pizza, we were gathered around to pray and BETHANY walked in too, they had kept this last minute surprise!! So all our family was together....we had a great time of togetherness, early birthday party for Matt and Kaitlyn and lots of eating together.
August 17 Called the surgeon to let them know what I had decided....bilateral masectomy with reconstruction. They faxed my records to the plastic surgeon...made an appointment with Dr. Schmidt.
August 21 Took the day off, Tom went with me to the surgeon...he explained the procedures and recommended the bilateral mastectomy breast implant reconstruction, instead of using abdominal muscles and tissue to do reconstruction. With having 5 abdominal surgeries I was okay with that...darn, no free tummy tuck though.
I worked the next week, getting my surgery date of Sept 4th, trying to train others to take the slack of me being gone, giving jobs to other employees, tying up loose ends, etc. Tom decided that he would like to take me away for the weekend...I made reservations near Cincinnati, we were going to go to Valley Vineyard for a steak dinner and then spend the night in a hotel.....he had originally wanted to go to Mammoth caves...but we just couldn't get the plans solidified. I remembered that night when I had gone to bed that Carolyn Spicer had asked me if the Elders were going to use the lake property for a retreat this year...because it was booked up all after Labor Day, it dawned on my that this was the week before Labor Day...and wondered if we had a shot at going to Angola?? Tom called her the next day, it was available!! We cancelled our other reservations and made arrangements to leave on Friday, spend the night and come back on Saturday.
August 28 no where can compare to Howard & Carolyn's lake property...it rained and was cold, we didn't even get to go onto the Lake...but the peace of God is in that place. What a wonderful place to spend some time with my sweetheart before surgery and beyond. It was a blessed time.
Sept 2 My last day of work, everyone brought in food, proving we can celebrate just about anything at MBI! Buffalo chicken dip, veggies, chocolate/cayenne pepper, bean dip, chips, yum yums, brownies....it was a blast.
Sept 3 Had to go to the surgeons to be marked.....yeah you stand in front of the man...definitely an artist (thank God) who measures you, draws on you...what they are taking off, what they are leaving....promising to make you look better, do you want to look like Twiggy or Dolly? AND please don't leave me lopsided!! It was very awkward...but you could tell I was just like a canvas,he was planning to do his work...to the best of his abilities
Sept 4 Surgery Day...had to be at Kettering at 8am, took me right back and started prepping me. Joanne came back, she wanted to watch the nurse do my IV, the nurse got nervous!! she blew right threw my vein, felt like she was digging around in there trying to find it! She left and brought someone else in who done it quickly and painlessly. Jo said she was visibly nervous...ha ha ...Thanks Joanne!! I was wheeled out and around the corner, had already had my sedative, do not remember giving Julia a hug or anything....the next thing I knew I was in recovery, they were checking all my vitals and as soon as I was completely awake they rolled me up to my room. I saw Tom and the first think he told me was "Did they tell you?? no cancer in the lymph nodes!! good news!" Thank you Lord.... Spent a night in the hospital and sent home the next day...4 drain tubes, a pain pump for the drain sites and a presciption for vicadin.
Sept 8 Vicadin is my friend...had an apt with Dr Schmidt...took the pain pump out, left the drains...the longest 2 hrs of my life...felt queasy and couldn't wait to fall back into my other friend..the pee couch, my place of rest. Mostly soreness in the pectoral muscles...keep telling Tom I have phantom nipple pain...you know how when people who have had their leg amputated they have leg pains....he laughs at my jokes :)
Sept 10. Another trip to Dr Schmidt...not to bad this time, removed one drain from each side..two down ..two to go. for those of you who don't know what they are like check out the you tube video (click on my picture)...yep you can find just about anything on youtube...wouldn't want you to miss out on knowing what your momma went through :)
Called surgeon about pathology, no cancer , the nurse said "Hallelujah" Will go back to Dr Anderson on Sept 17 to discuss specifics and what the treatment options are from here, but definately an answer to prayer.
Sept 15 awaiting my next trip to Dr. Schmidt on Thursday...can't wait to get these last two tubes out....one side, my left is still draining some, not much from the right side. Had to call Dr Studebaker for a prescription for a yeast infection...yeah the by product of antibiotics...took some before the surgery for a bladder infection, then a round of antibiotics after surgery, and now a lovely byproduct to deal with....along with the side effects of my friend Vicadin....a nasty hemorrhoid...even with Tom's greatest nightime elixir of Metamucil....ahhh the joys of medicine. I would feel pretty good pain wise without all the complications....only taking about 4- 5 Vicadin a day instead of 2 every 6 hours when I came home. Tom and I did two laps around the pond last night..slower than usual, but not too bad. Started a painting yesterday, combining an idea i had for a decoupage and also the word "hope". I work a while ...then rest awhile, ha ha. it is my therapy.
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