Day whatever at home – it is messy now and feels like I never left.
Well, got my drain removed today. You may or may not know what this means. When lymph nodes are removed the lymphatic system has to readjust and while it is doing that fluid can accumulate in your arm. A drain is put in to remove this fluid while the whole system adjusts. I am not going to get into the nitty gritty of what dealing with this drain entailed but let’s just leave it at ‘nasty!’ Physically having this drain …um… INSTALLED is also gross and cumbersome. It is akin to carrying around an egg pinned under your shirt 24 hours a day. But this egg is also attached to tubing that is INSERTED into your armpit. An alarming amount of tubing is crammed in there, too. GAK! Do not read further if you are queasy or have just eaten. This egg and…um…spaghetti contraption (sorry carbonara fans out there!) is transparent so you can see what is going on inside. Can you say ICK? I knew you could. I have been all week. So that stuff is now gone from my daily routine. This also means something returns that I have taken for granted in the past but will forever relish and luxuriate in. As of tomorrow I can shower. As in immerse my whole being in clean water accompanied by soap and hair cleaning products. You have no idea…..
So my post surgery appointment is on Thursday morning. I think that at this appointment I will probably receive the results of the pathology of my cancer lump and lymph nodes. I know that if all the tumour margins are clear as well as the lymph nodes I will have 3 weeks of radiation and then hormone therapy after that. This I can handle. If the cancer has spread then there is more surgery, probably a total mastectomy/reconstruction, along with chemo, radiation and then hormone treatment. This I can also probably handle but would rather not. So I need more good vibes out there for Thursday. I really think everything is going to be clear and after radiation I can get on with things. I am looking forward to that.
But life goes on and I think I have to start with physiotherapy on Thursday as well. I am still pretty sore and very stiff so I am not really looking forward to it. I know it helps, blah blah blah, but my normal pain recovery routine is lots of lying around, TV watching and junk food eating. Perhaps I can modify my stretching exercises to encompass taking potato chips from the bag and placing them in my mouth. Very vigorously!
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