Back under the Knife
I am going to have surgery again next Friday. This time with the "plastic" surgeon.... the beginning of my breast reconstruction process.
I don't want to have surgery again. Pretty normal. I mean, no one really wants surgery.... it's a necessary evil to get what you want- knees that work, cancer free bodies, pretty eyelids..... But man, it's quite something to take a ride on that carousel again. The nurse was telling me yesterday that after the surgery my chest is going to be wrapped up tight and I'm going to have a thingy (yes the tech name escapes me) that will administer pain killers directly to the wound that hangs around my neck. I'm wondering why I get this little painkiller box with this one and not the lumpectomy or mastectomy.... hmmmm..... but I digress! Because my lungs are wrapped up tight, I must remember to breathe deeply so as not to develop pneumonia. Did you know that this can happen to you? It can. The docs told me they don't wrap people for broken ribs anymore, it was so common for them to develop pneumonia! So the nurse told me that every time I get up to use the bathroom, to be sure to take at least 5 full breaths, filling my lungs completely, and then walk around inside my house for 5 mins to make sure I don't get any blood clots in my legs. Very smart thinking, but Aahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
It's a different way to live, thinking to oneself, "I must do this now to survive".... rather than just bumbling along, eating and sleeping and drinking and washing and knowing none of these will become a life-threatening illness (ok mostly, but you don't think about it every time you eat a hot dog to be sure to chew it properly so you don't choke).
My doc seems good, although he also seems overly cautious to make sure I don't have preconceived notions of having wonder bazoonkas after this.
Zoom's first week of school had it's ups and downs.... overall he's doing fine, and has no problems saying goodbye in the morning! He misses his friends at his old school.... I'm hoping he figures it out and develops some new friendships soon. There was a new boy on the playground this morning, and they were having a good time together, so I'm hopeful about today! Zoom is experiencing maintaining his body too- tomorrow morning we go to the dentist to get his first cavity filled.
I don't want to have surgery again. Pretty normal. I mean, no one really wants surgery.... it's a necessary evil to get what you want- knees that work, cancer free bodies, pretty eyelids..... But man, it's quite something to take a ride on that carousel again. The nurse was telling me yesterday that after the surgery my chest is going to be wrapped up tight and I'm going to have a thingy (yes the tech name escapes me) that will administer pain killers directly to the wound that hangs around my neck. I'm wondering why I get this little painkiller box with this one and not the lumpectomy or mastectomy.... hmmmm..... but I digress! Because my lungs are wrapped up tight, I must remember to breathe deeply so as not to develop pneumonia. Did you know that this can happen to you? It can. The docs told me they don't wrap people for broken ribs anymore, it was so common for them to develop pneumonia! So the nurse told me that every time I get up to use the bathroom, to be sure to take at least 5 full breaths, filling my lungs completely, and then walk around inside my house for 5 mins to make sure I don't get any blood clots in my legs. Very smart thinking, but Aahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
It's a different way to live, thinking to oneself, "I must do this now to survive".... rather than just bumbling along, eating and sleeping and drinking and washing and knowing none of these will become a life-threatening illness (ok mostly, but you don't think about it every time you eat a hot dog to be sure to chew it properly so you don't choke).
My doc seems good, although he also seems overly cautious to make sure I don't have preconceived notions of having wonder bazoonkas after this.
Zoom's first week of school had it's ups and downs.... overall he's doing fine, and has no problems saying goodbye in the morning! He misses his friends at his old school.... I'm hoping he figures it out and develops some new friendships soon. There was a new boy on the playground this morning, and they were having a good time together, so I'm hopeful about today! Zoom is experiencing maintaining his body too- tomorrow morning we go to the dentist to get his first cavity filled.