Rain, Drain and BlogWorld Again!

It's November 4, just 3 days after surgery.  Today was the BlogWorld Expo at the L.A. Convention Center, and DV, Suzie and I had planned on going prior to my surgery.  It rained today and my brother didn't want me driving so soon after surgery, so he decided to come pick me up at the house and we'd go together.  I'm doing well...for being only three days post op, there's been very little drainage and after a call to the surgeon's office it was decided that I could have my drain taken out today.  This is a wonderful thing.  The drain leaves my body right under my right arm pit....with tubing that continues to a Jackson Pratt drain that hangs from a clip attached to my waistband.  Not only is it ugly, but it's very painful.  So the idea that I can have this removed today is wonderful.

So first things first, the three of us checked in at the BlogWorld Expo.  It's so much fun.  We went around to all the booths learning about blogging, marketing, monetizing, promoting, and picking up great swag from tshirts, and back scratchers, to insulated cups...you name it.  Belesh!  "The Next Step with Fr. Vazken" Podcast was nominated for a People's Choice award for best religious podcast.  As Suzie is the producer of the show and DV is the host, we were anxious to find out if they had won, but found out that the winners will be announced tomorrow (not today).  Here they are relaxing at the SouthWest Airlines both at the convention center:

Blogger also had a cool photo booth where we took our individual photos.  Here's mine:



After several hours of the show though,  I have to admit that I was exhausted.  My arms and shoulders were aching, and I was just pooped.  We decided to drive out to Encino, closer to my surgeon's office and find a place to have lunch rather than staying around L.A. and risking the traffic.  It was raining, and things were getting messy.

We had lunch together and then made it to the doctor on time.   After a definite okay from the nurse, they removed my drain!  I also have permission to shower now, rather than taking a sponge bath.  More great news.  

Hand bruised from three tries to get the
IV line started

Forearm is bruised as well....
another two tries there.  Imagine, he wanted
to then try my neck!

I am still bandaged but healing okay.  I'm still pretty bruised up from the whole IV line fiasco.  I'm posting a couple pics so you get the idea.  So I went to the doctor today, and the nurse removed my drain!  Afterward, the doctor checked in on me.  I showed him my bruised hands and arm and thanked him for not letting the anesthesiologist tap into my neck vein.  He said, "Well, at least you have a sense of humor about it...I just didn't see why we couldn't use your bad arm for the couple hours we'd be in surgery."  Okay by me!

I have a follow up appointment on November 9 -- next Wednesday, when hopefully, I'll get my stitches removed.  Til then, just taking it a day at a time.

Healing...

Yesterday I had my last drain removed.  Yay!  You don't know what a big deal that is as far as getting dressed.  For the first time, I didn't have a tube sticking out of my waist, or a pouch hanging off my neck.  Freedom!  The drain levels were still a little high, but Dr. Berger felt we could remove it with a warning of, "If you feel like you're accumulating fluid inside you....or if you feel a sloshing inside your abdomen, you need to come in and we'll have to aspirate it."  Ewww.  I asked if maybe we should keep the drain in a little longer then?  I don't know, the idea of having to aspirate fluid with a needle to the abdomen....not nice.  But he felt it should be okay.  So out it came.

I could feel ever inch of the tubing as all 12" - 15" or so came out of my body.  Terrible feeling.  Not painful, just eery.  Like a tail whipping through your body from the inside.  They put a gauze over the drain site, told me it may drain on its own for a couple days and hopefully all will be okay.  The advice was to go buy some compression undergarments to keep everything supported.  I asked if I could drive.  He said he didn't see why not since I'm no longer on the Vicodin, so I got the okay for driving.  Not that I'm going anywhere, mind you....I still can't wear a bra (which means still can't dress normally), but the idea that I can if  I wanted to, is good enough for me.

And when can I wear a bra (now that we're on the subject).  Starting next week.  Why am I sharing this?  In case there are any of you out there reading that are going through, or going to go through, you've gotta know, right?  Okay, so three weeks out, I can start wearing a loose-fitting (circumfence-wise) bra.  This is because the blood flow to the reconstructed breast has to remain good...so no tight-fitting clothing. 

I asked about the pain I've been feeling...the hypersensitive areas, and the numbness.  Both are normal.  He explained that my skin has been traumatized by the reconstruction, so the nerves are all regenerating, and the skin is regaining it's blood flow.  The numbness is because of the extensive abdominal surgery when they moved the muscle/skin/fat UNDERNEATH my skin, and tunneled it up to create the breast.  So again, nerves severed, reconnected.  It was going to take time....meaning months...for things to get back to normal.   The doctor recommended a homeopathic cream called Arnica that would help with the healing/brusing.

On the way back from the doctor we went to Target to buy the compression undergarments...and to Whole Foods for the Arnica cream which I bought in gel and cream form.  I have to say that it has been helping, just a bit...but it's better than taking Tylenol for it, which was pointless. 

I was surprised as to how much drainage was still going on, but the compression has been helping a lot and this morning, everything seems to have slowed down.  ::phew::

Sooo....I'm home...and trying to clean house a little.  Not very easy when you can't bend too well.  But I'm trying to do what I can.    Everyday gets a little better.  My next doctor's appointment is not for another four weeks!

Oh!  And Dr. Berger said it's good for me to walk.  Ani and I told him we had signed up for the Avon Walk in September....he said, "Great...just don't walk ten miles tomorrow....but start training, just don't go crazy".  : )

So if you'd like to support us:  http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/LosAngeles?px=2246507&pg=personal&fr_id=2060    Only 121 days left!

Day 4: The doctor's appointment, the pain pumps, and comments

I had an appointment today to get my pain pumps and dressings.  Pain pumps are these fat grenade-like balls filled with pain meds, and they are sutured into your skin and distribute medication into your incision.  Along with your drains, you carry around a pouch with your pain pumps...and as the meds are used up, the grenades become smaller.  So today the sutures came out and the tubing was pulled out of the incision....and pulled, and pulled and pulled.  It was wild...maybe 15" of tubing X 2 were removed.  Apparently, the tubes have holes in them (kind of like a tiny irrigation hose) and the tubes are laced throughout your incision to give you pain relief.  I do miss the pain relief, but I don't miss carrying them around.

My abdominal incision was unwrapped today as well.  It's healing really well, but I look like Sally from Nightmare before Christmas with a zipper of stiitches going from one hip to the other.  The drains are still doing their thing and will remain in til at least Wednesday.  The breast is bruised but healing fine.  And I'm still really sore and hurting, on pain meds, and unable to do much.

Along with all this, I wanted to write a little about comments.  I know it's really awkward when talking to someone who has cancer, or has undergone surgery because of cancer.  But as difficult as it is, it's also hard on the person.  I talk to family and friends on the phone and I get comments like, "You sound great!  You sound so energetic and happy!  I'm glad you're doing so well."  Or something like that.  I know the caller has good intention.  But the truth is, you don't feel energetic and happy.  You've had a body part that you were born with cut out of you.  It hurts to sit down, stand up, walk, lie down.  Emotionally, you have highs and lows.  You have had cancer.  Is it in the past?  Did they get it all?  Will the pathology report show more in the nodes?  Yes, there's relief because the surgery is behind you.  The worst is over.  But now there's a lot of healing to do...physically and emotionally.  So as encouraging as the comment may seem, it's really not as comforting as intended.

So what do you say?  Just ask, "how are you feeling?" And listen.  Ask if there's anything you can do?  Pick up anything from the market?  Help with anything?  And unless you're immediate family, wait a few weeks before saying you want to come over for a visit, and understand when your idea to visit isn't met with the same enthusiasm.  I know in my case, I can't even get dressed most days, let alone pick up my house.  The idea of having visitors is too much at this point.  Lastly, know that your friend loves you, and appreciates your friendship so much, but this thing that she's going through..it's not always black and white.