Chapter 26 – Prep for Surgery
Pre op day and my obs are a bit low, but they seem happy so fingers crossed. I get home and begin to feel rubbish again. I do not need a full blown cold now, or the earache to go with it!
I have less than a week to get over this cold, but I am getting worse. It is so bad I am having to take Lemsip which I find repulsive. I take the blackcurrant one as it is mildly better than the lemon one. But it works and by today I am starting to feel loads better.
I have a cooling gel pad which fits inside my pillow. It is amazing and helps manage the hot much better and wake up feeling quite a bit more refreshed.
My bag is packed and I have new button up PJs and tops for ease of dressing post op. Two sleeps before a 6.30am pick up by taxi
Chapter 27 – The Op!
Well here it is, the day has arrived. Not ready for this as I am too tired, but it gets another hurdle done.
It is Monday 13th February and tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! Sorry husband hardly romantic to pick up the wife from hospital.
I arrive nil by mouth since midnight. Luckily I am not hungry yet as it is still only just my usual breakfast time. I had a few cups of water at 6am or just before. I discover that I am 4th on the list today, so it could be a long wait and depends on the needs of other patients.
It gets to about 12 noon, I start thinking I am a bit hungry, but I cannot even have some water. I go back to my magazine that I have already read twice. 1pm, bored now and not in the mood for my novel today; feeling sleepy so I put my head back and doze. Suddenly I get woken up by someone being called, sadly not me. It is now 2pm and I am really hungry. Taking my mind of things I get out my novel and surprisingly I get into it a bit more. Before I know it is 3.30pm.
It must be my turn soon, I have been here for hours now and am starving. The afternoon slots have started to go in for their operations and I am still waiting. I have a wander to stretch my legs. Then after a while of pacing and reading, at 4.45 my name is finally called. I get to have a nice sleep now and a snack hopefully when I wake up.
I awake feeling very groggy as I usually do after a general anaesthetic. Then the realisation a drain attached to me, nooooo!
I find out I am waiting on a bed in A Ward. They are really busy and do not have much bed space available. It turns out there is no space on A Ward and I end up on the top floor of the hospital in the private ward. I have a room of my own, a consulting room turned into a room for me as they are so short staffed, nice but lonely.
I remember I was offered something to eat, but could not tell you what. I also remember some vague conversation saying it all went well and that I would be here overnight. Then bad news, I would go home with the drain for up to a week, dependent on fluid build up.
I have a reasonable night’s sleep considering except the wakeups for obs and meds. Before I know it the wakeup call is appreciated – breakfast time and a cup of coffee which is bliss.
After breakfast I am helped to my bathroom to have a wash with a bowl of warm water, as I am unable to have a shower while I have the drain fitted, then I am left to do this by myself. It is a bit of a challenge but I just about make it. I get dressed just in time for my lunch to arrive.
Hopefully I will be going home soon. The nurse and doctor have their respective chats about care of the drain. I am to have a district nurse coming to measure fluids and drain until I feel confident myself. My husband has been phoned and we await medication from the pharmacy. Eventually I get to go home after a long wait for the pills! Hooray home time – Happy Valentine’s Day darling x
Chapter 28 – Op Recovery
Well sleeping with this drain at home is horrible especially when you have to get up two or three times a night. I have a lovely little bag to hold it in and help me to carry it about.
I have to lie on my back and cannot move so have to sleep in a very unnatural position for me. My lovely husband is going to do the school run for the next couple of weeks or so as I cannot go out due to the risk of infection.
The district nurse is coming today after my first rubbish sleep at home. When she arrives she checks the amounts in there, loads – deep joy. She shows me how to check and drain it, but will come again tomorrow just in case.
And so I don’t do much today apart from sit and feel sorry for myself watching television. I am an emotional mess worse than I have been throughout the treatment so far. The day passes by so slowly and I have another restless night.
Today is the last day the district nurse will visit, but I have to phone them every day to let them know how much fluid is in the drain until it is 40ml or less for two consecutive days. The drain can only come out if this happens, but not before one week and it has to be removed by day ten regardless.
She is worried about my emotional state as I keep crying on the phone. As it is half term next week I am so determined to get to my parents for a week with my son. This will also give my husband a well deserved break. If I cannot go my husband will just drive up my son for the week. I need help to recover a bit while my husband is at work and really don’t want to be alone.
They phone every day and I have an appointment in a few days at the Breast Services department on Monday of half term week for a surgery check and HOORAY they agree to take it out. My husband has taken the day off work to look after our son, so we pack once home and he drives us there. We have a wonderful time and go to a farm to feed animals, bowling and a meal out. Before we know it is all over and time to go. We meet Daddy half way to pick us up.
Chapter 29 – Radiotherapy Preparation
No rest for the wicked as they say. No truer words could be spoken as I now prepare for radiotherapy. Before this can happen however I have to attend appointments to check fluid build up and the first one is today.
It does look like there is still a lot of fluid there. I see my surgeon and he gets about 250ml out. Good thing I am numb under my arm from the lymph nodes removal and there was no need for an anaesthetic as I could feel nothing. I will have to return until they are satisfied they are not getting much out. In total I have another three of these appointments. Finally I am done and I can be referred for radiotherapy. So I play the waiting game once again for my planning appointment.
The day arrives and I have a scan first to check the position of my breast markers which were inserted before surgery to help with the alignment. They lie me down on the bed under a radiotherapy scanner and I have three little dots of tattoo ink injected into various places. Ouch really hurt. Now they have to line up with the lasers and get the bed to the right height etc for the actual radiotherapy to begin. This will give them the measurements for each session which I start in a couple of weeks after the school Easter holidays.
