Preop visit

I saw the surgeon today for planning and getting ready for surgery. After talking to her, I went to the hospital across the street and had a blood draw, vitals, and an EKG done. Now it's just waiting.

She marked me up so I could see what's going to be done, and says that my build makes the mastectomy easier -- the breast is not tight against the chest wall, but somewhat loose and saggy. She agrees that the right breast and lymph nodes look clean, but still recommends a sentinel node biopsy, which I agreed to. We're really expecting the sentinel node to be clean and the surgery to stay simple.

I can eat soy -- she said "We're doing this surgery so you can enjoy life, not spend the rest of your life on restrictions!" I can start my supplements as soon as the day after surgery. I need to find a new supplement, though, since the multivitamin I have contains soy. I'll probably go with fish oil, a multivitamin, and start up my calcium and vitamin D supplement again. We're thinking about a green food for me but haven't found one we want to try yet -- many of the more comprehensive ones contain one or more things I'm allergic too. (Flax seed, capsicum, pineapple.) I need to electronically preregister tonight online, as well.

I could have an annual breast MRI to check for problems. I think, discussing it with the doctor, that I'll go every three years and get annual mammograms. No one has any clue why I developed breast cancer -- I don't know how old my grandmother was, but the docs have been less interested in her than in my first-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter).

I have to talk to the anesthesiologist before Tuesday to schedule my pain meds. The surgeon told me today that she doesn't want me to be in pain, but doesn't want to kill me, either, so if I'm in pain, give her some time to fix it. She is going to give me the patient-controlled morphine drip for the first day or so. The hospital room will be a single.

I'm going to ask you wonderful local folks to refrain from visiting me in the hospital. While I'm in there, I'm not going to be up to having visitors; as soon as I'm feeling even somewhat better I'm hoping to leave. Last October I was in for some time while my kidneys repaired themselves; this time I don't expect to be in for long.

Oh, and I'm getting an excuse for the gym so I don't have to pay for a month and a half while I'm in recovery.

The whole family is taking Tuesday off for the surgery. I have to be there at 7:30; will get tracer dye injected at 8:00, and am scheduled for surgery at 12:30. I'm putting together a call list for Hubby to call after I get out of surgery; he'll also update my blogs when he gets home that night.

I lived in a community with my ex that has a reputation for causing cancer. The doctors both said they hadn't heard of that neighborhood, so if it is, it hasn't been marked enough to reach medical notice. Which means there is absolutely no reason for me to develop cancer so relatively young. Yippee skip.