Pre-Op Appointments

Today I had 2 pre-op appointments - one with Dr. Wallace and the other with the anesthesiologist. Everything is set for next Thursday's surgery. The time of the surgery has been pushed back, so I don't even have to check in at the hospital until 11:30 for a 3:30 surgery. I'm a bit annoyed at that, not because of the delay in surgery, but because they didn't change the time I need to stop eating. No eating after midnight on Wednesday - not even gum. How cranky will I be going into surgery without my daily Snapple and M&Ms? I did get permission to take Tylenol PM that night though, so at least I'll be able to sleep. I received my pre-op instructions and some are pretty funny. - like "your copay is required on the day of surgery. We accept cash, check or credit card" That itself isn't funny until you read the next instruction, "Please leave valuables at home, including credit cards and money (except your co payment)" I find it scary that patients need to be advised to shower or bathe before coming to the hospital and to arrange for an adult to drive you home. If I need to share a hospital room with another patient, please let it be with someone who has followed the bathing instructions!

The surgery schedule is still the same - check in, go to radiology to get injected with dye for the sentinel lymph node biopsy, wait, then surgery. I did learn that the dye is injected at the nipple - no that doesn't sound painful at all! For the surgery, Dr. Wallace will decide where to make the incisions that day. Basically she'll wait until I'm unconscious and topless and poll the surgical team for their opinions on the best places to hide a scar. Not really, but she will decide the best places to make the incisions on surgery day based on the type of reconstruction necessary (lift, no lift, etc) The best news was that I will be able to shower after the 2nd day! I'm a grump without my shower, so this makes me and my caretakers very happy!

Also go0d news is that I get to go Nordstrom and buy lingerie paid for by the insurance company. The lovely post-surgical camisole seen here has interior pockets to place the 2 drains I'll have hanging from my body (one under my arm and one under the missing breast) and built-in breast forms so I won't look so lopsided. Who knew such an ingenious garment existed? Now if it only came in red...

I met a current patient who had a bilateral mastectomy a few months ago. She was very reassuring and said the whole thing was a piece of cake. She also said that I should milk the entire experience for all I can get. I really liked her :)

So, with all the pre-op stuff out of the way, the only thing left to do is worry (and shop for lingerie). I've gotten pretty good at the worrying part, so let the countdown to surgery begin!