I'm Baaaack!

First of all, I'd like to thank my splendid guest blogger for keeping everyone updated whilst I was time traveling through anesthesia land.  Unfortunately, I actually did not time travel (bummed about that).  I do not remember any dreams or fantastical journeys.

As one can imagine the morning of my surgery was quite stressful.  Lots of questions were asked and I tried to answer everything to the best of my ability.  The staff at St. Barnabas couldn't have been any nicer and I enjoyed all the transport people as they wheeled me from room to room, they kept me amused.  Before surgery I had to head to nuclear radiation.  They had to inject some dye into my breast and let it travel through until it found my first lymph node.  Then the doctor marked it for my Breast Surgeon to remove.  That took a good 20 min or so.  And because I had a lymph node removed I can no longer have blood drawn or my blood pressure taken in my left arm EVER again.  I had a bracelet on that said LIMB ALERT (I so want that tattooed on me).

After that I hung out in room 10 (Esa Tikkanen's room!) with my peeps until I was rolled away to OR.  I got super nervous sitting in the OR room.  I talked to some residence who work with Dr. Blackwood.  The were very nice.  Then around 12:30pm I was finally rolled to the OR room.  It was SCARY in there. So bright with so many medical supplies!  I moved from my gurney to the operating table and the nurses / doctors started to make me comfortable and get me ready.  The last thing I remember was one of the nurses saying that they were putting something on my ankles that will compress and decompress and that the first compress may hurt.  Well, I shall never know if that first compress hurt because I was OUT.

As you were updated - both the mastectomy and reconstruction couldn't have gone better.  I don't even remember waking up from anesthesia with any problems.  I didn't cry, but my moth was so DRY I couldn't stand it.  Also I had oxygen up my nose which I kept thinking were boogers.  I didn't want anyone to see me with boogers!  How embarrassing!  So I kept trying to pick them.

It took me a LONG time to get up to a room.  One reason was that I had a fever and a high heart rate that they wanted to monitor for awhile.  I think the MAIN reason though was that they didn't have a room ready.  The boyfriend and I didn't get up to my room until 1am!  Once I got to my room I felt much more comfortable.  All the meds helped me sleep like a champ and I was just so happy to get this all over with.  I can't say I remember much about my hospital stay because the Percocet helped me sleep like a champ and I constantly demanded them.  My personal nurse Rosa was so so nice.  She took great care of me and made me feel super comfortable.

I plan on updating some more, but for now I must rest my tired little arms.  I'm not as computer agile as I used to be!  And these damn drains really are a bother.

Thank you to EVERYONE for all your love, support, prayers, cheers, visits, calls, cards, texts, etc, etc, etc.  They did, and still are, helping me get through the pain / recovery process.  I love you all.

- J.