A little more than minor...

Well, I was wrong.  This surgery turned out to be a little more major than I thought it was going to be.  I was thinking, "Oh this will be a piece of cake!  How many times have I had an implant taken out and put back in?"  Unfortunately, more than I would like.  I was expecting it to be about a 2 hour surgery- ok, 3 because my surgeon is a perfectionist.  I think it ended up being over 4 hours in surgery.  And when I came to, I remembered exactly all the reasons I loathe surgery.

Feeling loopy and disoriented

Feeling pain and discomfort

Not remembering if I've said or done anything to embarrass myself.  :/

Oh ya, and one more thing about breast surgery in particular.

I woke up with two more of these babies.

Surgical drains- one on each side.

*sigh*  

Well, this takes me back a little over a year ago when I had to have one of these drains in for 7 weeks after my mastectomy.  That was a new record for my doctor.  Not exactly happy to be the holder of that record and I REALLY hope that my body will behave itself this time and I can get these out on schedule, which would be a little over a week from now.

I have made a lot of enemies over the course of this cancer adventure.

The cancer itself, of course

Tissue expanders and

surgical drains.

This surgery also brought on some new adventures.

I did not go to my usual surgical place.  (Isn't it sad that I have a USUAL surgical place?)

My doctor does surgery in 3 places and now I have been to all three of those places.  This new place...not a fan.  Despite telling numerous people and having them write on my right arm with permanent marker the words

"NO BP OR IV" (No blood pressure or IV),

they still put a blood pressure cuff on that arm so I also woke up with my other good friend, Lymphedema.  Thankfully by today the swelling is mostly gone.  But I did not enjoy the two days of a swollen hand and fingers with numbness and tingles, wondering if it was going to get better or if I would need to see the specialist again.

I also discovered something fun when I took the compression bra off.

These are 2 of about 30 little sutures that I have all over my chest.  This is what is holding that Alloderm (cadaver tissue) in place.  I look like a quilt that has been tied.  

They itch...a lot.

Fortunately, I have not had too much pain.  I strongly dislike taking anything stronger than an 800 mg. Ibuprofen.  I don't like what the Lortabs and the Percocets do to my brain.  It is foggy enough without adding that to the mix.  So I have been able to stay on top of the pain alternating Tylonol and Ibuprofen.

I would say my biggest complaint right now is just being plain uncomfortable.  I have to wear a thick elastic band around my rib cage to support everything and keep them in place.  I also have to wear a very tight compression bra.  Not only does that make it difficult to breath, but it smashes the two surgical drains into my skin.  Add that to the itchiness of the sutures and I am just a mess.  

I REALLY hope this will be the end of this reconstruction road.

I don't think I can take any more detours.