We got back from vacation and my mom and brother were in town. We got to hang out and spend time together before my surgery on that Friday. Luckily my surgery was the day after July 4th, so I got to enjoy pool days and BBQs with them. This was another great distraction. I love being with family, especially my brother. He gets me and he gets what I need - if its a silly distraction, he will surely provide that. Prime example - he gave me a minion for "good booby luck" on my surgery.
So, the morning of surgery #3. Same as the other 3. Get up, reshower with the special soap, get dressed in my surgery uniform - yoga pants and oversized wildcat shirt. We were to check in at 6:30 at the Cancer tower. Even if you do not have cancer, it is still alarming to have that printed on your armband.
Preop - Got into my lil preop room and into the fun attire. All of my support staff (Jay, Kods, Mom) are squished in there with me and I find a dance documentary on the TV to watch - lucky them :) Then comes the revolving door of Drs..Dr Spiguel has a resident and 3 interns..talk about a packed house! The nurse is talking Auburn football as he keeps jabbing me attempting to insert the IV. I wanted to smack his hand!! I got a field trip to the ultrasound room, so that they could mark the second lump and devise a plan for its removal. Once again, a packed house for this viewing. (The joys of being in a teaching hospital)
Once back in the preop room, Dr Singhal comes in and bulls out a blue marker. Tells me its time to draw. At this point Kods leaves the room. My chest, both sides now becomes a map of blue lines as he measures and draws and takes pictures. It was a very interesting process. When finished, it;s go time!
I get rolled into the once again, packed house, of an operating room. After some IV replacement issues, followed by blood pressure issues, followed by anesthesia issues (couldn't knock me out no matter how much I kept breathing in the gas) I was knocked out and surgery was completed.
I woke up in recovery and while still a little hazy, Dr Spiguel came in to discuss the surgery with me. She tells me that too much tissue was compromised and with the margins not negative, she was concerned. With the size of my tumor and being phyllodes, I had an over 60% chance of the tumor reoccurring within the next 1 - 5 years and with mine being borderline, an even higher chance of it being malignant. Mastectomy it is. I immediately start balling. I knew it was an option, but not what I wanted. She also tells me due to the placement of the fibroadenoma, and its interference with the blood supply, that they will have to take my nipple. It was all a bit much for me and I had a five min pity party while she explains to me while its the best (and really only) option but gives me an option of delaying my 4th surgery. After 5 minutes, my rational side returns and I tell her to keep my surgery for next week.
I got back to postop and all of my support are there looking like they swallowed a canary. At this point I do not know what they know, so I go to tell them I have to get a mastectomy and start crying again. After consoling, they help me get dressed and we are on our way home.
As I lay on the couch recovering, my wonderful brother cooked us all breakfast for dinner. It was over dinner that someone drops the info that apparently I will get a nipple tattoo. Say what?! This is news to me..
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