One Week Post Surgery Update

Hi!  I hope you are enjoying your Thursday!

Its been one week since my surgery and I am doing really well!!  I've gotten my pain managed, Im walking three times per day, sleeping a lot, and doing my breathing exercises.  Most importantly - Im doing really well!!


VATS Procedure 

Last week, I had a VATS procedure done to remove tumors from my right lung.  The surgery ended up being fine, although it had a rough start.  It was supposed to take 2 hours, when I went in at 10:45am.  However, I didn't get out until 4:30pm.  Yikes!!  My husband and family were a little freaked out...  I think it was all my fault!

Here's the photo that was taken right before they wheeled me off to surgery!!

I thought it would be a 'great' idea to quit breastfeeding the day before surgery.  I woke up Thursday morning, the day of surgery, incredibly engorged.  Painful.  At the hospital, I explained this to the nurse and I told her that I was literally spraying milk.  I asked her if I could make some 'hospital pasties'... she laughed and handed over gauze and tape.  I didn't want to be spraying during surgery.

At 10:45 am they rolled me back into the OR... It was time to place the epidural.  I was instructed to sit on the edge of the gurney with my head placed on the OR table. In doing so I was spraying milk everywhere. Even my hospital pasties were soaking wet and fell off. I ended up fainting from the pain.  They laid me down waited a few minutes and then sat me up and tried to do it again. I fainted again. At this point they didn't want to call-off my surgery but, they knew I had to get the epidural put in or they weren't going to start. So the nurses went looking all over the hospital for a pump  that I could use. They found me a pump!!  So, there I lay, on the gurney next to the OR table, in the OR, pumping milk. I couldn't help but look around and laugh to myself I wondered how many times have they seen something like this in the OR??  After I was done pumping I got up on the OR table and thats the last thing I remembered. Lol!!  Im still laughing about this!

My poor family was so worried about why my surgery took so long... and this is why!!

Pneumonia

The biggest risk I face currently, is getting pneumonia.  My right lung isn't inflating all the way, Im laying down a lot and because of this my Dr has me walking three times per day, and doing breathing exercises.  I started really slow but, I can see improvements and it's encouraging.

Hospital Room

After my procedure they rolled me into a hospital room I am mediately just got the hugest smile on my face because I was in a room by myself with no other patients.  I had forgot to request a private room so I wasn't sure what I would get.  The nurse that rolled me into the room said that she had heard how nice I was to all the nurses earlier and throughout the day and during my recovery time and because of that she not only gave me my own room but made sure I had a gorgeous view of the ocean and San Francisco.  So thoughtful!!

Debriefing with Dr. Mann

Two days later Dr. Mann came to meet me in my recovery room. He told me that they ended up taking a wedge resection of my right lobe. He said he wanted to take a larger area just in case. He said he felt the tumors in between his fingers and rolled them around. (Ew!!) he told me that he was 99% sure that it that it was sarcoma and he was really confident that he got it ALL!

He told me that He sent the tumors off to pathology,  It should be about 5 to 10 days and he'd have some results back.  He said he'll bring them to the next tumor board at the first week in January. Dr. Mann told me that he was pretty sure I wasn't going to need chemotherapy however he will leave the recommendation up to the doctors who specialize in that.

Check out the NASTY chest tube that drained the fluid from my lung!!  Probably the best and worst feeling ever when it was removed!!


Christmas Miracle

The best news of all is that I was able to return home to our son on Christmas Day.  It was the best feeling in the whole world to get the hold and kiss JJ after not being with him for close to five days.  My sister brought him to my Mom's house and my whole family was there. What a homecoming that was. I laid on the sofa and all my family; nieces, nephews, sisters, Nate, JJ, my mom, and my dad. They all started opening up gifts (they waited for me), and I had a moment where I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. I put my head in my hands and I cried.  My Mom looked up at me and said why are you crying? And I looked at her and I said because I am so thankful to be here, right now, in this very moment.

Thank you all for all of your prayers!  Can you believe that I have beat cancer TWICE??  Amazing!