surgery tomorrow

Today was one of the longest days of my life.  I had to be at MD Anderson at 7:15.  I began with an EKG, blood work, and chest x-ray.  Then the really fun part - breast lymphoscintigraphy.  They gave me a local and then inserted a very large needle that sticks out.  While this needle  is sticking out about 5 inches they take mammograms to be sure of its correct location.  The local anesthesia then made me dizzy and I passed out for a few seconds.  Apparently this happens very often because they put you in this special chair that can pretty much throw your feet up and head back to help with the dizziness instantly.  Once most of it passes then they cover the needle with a styrofoam cup and tape the cup in place.  I am then wheeled (yes in a wheelchair) to nuclear medicine.  There they give me the lymphoscintigraphy dose.  That was very painful.  They take a smaller needle and basically thread it through the larger needle that is sticking out and slowly administer the drug.  All of this is to see how the fluids drain from my breast.  It will help determine which lymph nodes need to be taken out and tested.  Then I had scans to see how it's moving through the lymph nodes.  I had scans 30 minutes after the dose and then again one hour later.  In between that I met with my plastic surgeon, Dr Kronowitz.  He talked about the surgery and marked me up for tomorrow.  I also had my anesthesia assessment.  Then I met with my surgical oncologist, Dr Hunt.  I signed all the consent forms.  I will have a single mastectomy tomorrow morning at the main hospital of MD Anderson.  I need to check in at 6:30.  My surgery is scheduled for 8:30, luckily I am the first surgery for Dr Hunt.  Her part takes about 2 hours.  When she is finished then Dr Kronowitz comes in and places the spacer.  His part takes about 2 hours.  They said to plan for surgery to last 4-6 hours total.  I will most likely stay for 2 nights.  My reconstruction is scheduled for June 8th.

That's it for now!!  Wish me luck!

God bless,

Terrie