My left mastectomy and lymph ode clearance was on the 2nd August. I decided to go into hospital the morning of my surgery rare her than the evening before. I am so glad I did, I was beginning to get in a terrible state by the it e we arrived at hospital. My husband was with me and I was absolutely petrified, to be honest I was more scared of the anaesthetic than the procedure, the idea of the cancer being removed was a relief!
I was soon told that I was first to theatre so my surgeon and her team arrived soon flyer and I signed the consent form. I also met my anaesthetist who was very good at putting my mind at ease... A little!
I was wheeled down to theatre just before 8.30am and my lovely husband walked with me to the lift as far as he was allowed to go. The long corridors to theatre went on forever and I felt like I was in a movie when they film from the patients perspective along the hospital ceilings with all the bright lights!
I can remember moving from my bed to the theatre bed then being asked my details again before I was passed onto a theatre nurse and my ward nurse left. I was wheeled into anaesthesia where they chatted away like I had come in to buy a coffee, all very relaxed, chatting about our children and taking my mind off all the things they were doing, I noticed being injected with something and can remember the anaesthetist saying I might feel a little woozy.... That's my last memory before surgery!
I can vividly remember waking in recovery and noticing it was 11.20, the reason I remember it so much is that my husband had asked when he should phone and was told to call at 11.30 but I wasn't back to the ward until nearer 12 so I asked the nurse to call him. He came in at 2pm for visiting :). I had just attempted sitting up for water about 20 mins earlier and got a bit dizzy and my BP was very low - 90/60 I think.
My mum and dad came in with my husband for the evening visiting, was so nice to see them, time passes sooo slowly waiting on visitors!
My inlaws and husband came in the following afternoon And my best friend arrived too which was lovely. I also had a visit that morning from a fellow patient, one of my bridesmaids was also having surgery the same day to remove a lump from her thyroid gland, thankfully hers is not cancerous although they had to remove it then wait for pathology.
My sister in law and husband came in to see me that evening and my parents too. I was feeling ready to go home and had a great last sleep in hospital. I was really missing my little girls and couldn't stop looking through the pictures I had of them with me.
My husband came in to get me around 10am and it was fantastic getting back into my own house and seeing my lovely girls, they were so gentle and caring around me, they're only 3 and 5 and really have just gone with the flow perfectly through all of this.
