Surgery part two

Surgery again...supposed to have just gone in to expand the cancer free margin. Is it ever that easy? NOPE....

Surgery was scheduled for 5:41 pm...yes, that's right. 5:41. Don't know how they can plan it down to the minute...but they try. So at about 1:30 John and I are out doing some last minute shopping...and my cell phone rings. It's the hospital telling me they had a cancellation and want me to come in as soon as possible. Wahhh hoooo....in earlier means out earlier. :)

We got there about 3:15 and had to wait in registration (of course). Finally out of registration and into the surgical waiting area. Sitting there for only a few minutes and two (very young) Dr.'s walk in and introduce themselves. I would be lying if I told you I remember their names because I don't. I do know one started with a W and the other with a T. They asked to see my breast (fun fun, I know) and then one of them marked my left shoulder to make sure they did surgery on the correct side. Does that mean they would hit the wrong side if it wasn't marked? LOL

Then off to the surgical waiting area. Climb up on the cot...and in comes the anesthesiologist. Mr. Freaking Personality....NOT. John was trying to make jokes with him...but nope. He was like...I am the ANESTHESIOLOGIST, blah, blah, blah....Then he pokes me with lidocaine (to make the IV hurt less when he puts it in) and that hurt like hell. Tells me he's gonna stick me with the IV now, and OUCH!! Hey, you could have waited like 5 seconds for the lidocaine to work, jerk. Now there is blood running all down the inside of my hand and he is wiping off the top of it. OK, so I just wiped it on my blanket and kept talking. LOL. (I am a brat at times I think)

Now it's time for the good stuff!! He tells me he is going to give me something to relax me, but not until the Sr. Dr. gets there. So the Sr. Anesthesiologist comes in and says, I remember you. I was your Dr. last time, I remember your tattoo. LMAO. Really? My tattoo? Not my face, or my hair (well that's different now) or my name...but my tattoo. Ha ha ha. So he asks if I have any questions, I say no and boom....off to sleep I go.

I wake up an unknown amount of time later with John, Brigette, Brittany and Julie by my side. Sorta sore, more sleepy than anything. Throat hurting like crazy and feeling like I have to vomit. I start spitting in a cup, blood, Yeah, they scratched my throat. Must have been "The Anesthesiologist", the Jr. one. Arrogant jerk.

John started telling me what happened during surgery. Ughhh....

It seems that the infection I had a week prior did not clear up. It had cleared from the outside, but was still growing on the inside. The infection had created its own "pocket" and encapsulated itself. My Dr. had to go in, remove the whole encapsulated infection pocket along with the surrounding cavity tissue as well as the tissue that needed to be removed in the first place. Much bigger deal than expected. Then John goes on to tell me the Dr. could not "close" the incision due to the infection. What? What the hell does that mean? That means that I have an open incision approximately 3-4 inches long on my left breast that is OPEN and full of packing. I now have to have the packing pulled out 2 inches and trimmed every other day until I go back to see the Dr. on Monday. Had it done yesterday...ouch, not fun. It looks terrible, but again; I am alive.

The Dr. called to explain all of the details to me. He said, "You are a complicated one." I sorta chuckled and told him, "I believe I told you in the beginning, If it can happen to me...it will." He laughed and said, "Yeah, I believe you. But we are going to make you better, In time. It will just take some time."

Time...I have time. I have my family, my friends, my pets, my job, my home, but most of all right now... I have time. That means I am here to spend another day cherishing all the things that mean the most to me. I will take all the time I can get even if it's time to heal.

<3 Flora