Surgery Prep + UPDATE

Update....I'm about to head home and everything went well. :)


Earlier today I wrote this full report....

Surgery is today! Not until the afternoon, though, so I can channel some of my nervous energy into writing about yesterday's pre-surgery adventures.

I had a lovely walk yesterday morning - look at this sky! Amazing crepuscular rays.



I was at the hospital around 10:30 for surgery prep. First stop was ultrasound where they used a needle similar to the biopsy needle to place a small magnet next to the titanium clip that was put in last spring during the biopsy. This will help the surgeon orient herself today; my understanding is that she will use a special tool to help her locate the magnet. This wasn't too uncomfortable because there was local freezing. There was a 4th year student from McMaster learning alongside the ultrasound technician and they did a great job. After the placement of the magnet I had a mammogram to check its location. I got to see one of the mammogram images and it was clear that the magnet was right next to the titanium clip.

Next stop was nuclear medicine. A lovely nurse had the terrible job of injecting radioactive dye into my breast. The dye contains technetium, the same radioactive element they used for my bone scan in March. There were four needles containing dye that she injected one after another and each injection was pretty painful. I avoided swearing by doing my best to go to a happy place, but boy did they sting! (These injections were not as painful as the needles used to freeze my infected chemo port site which was already irritated and sensitive by the time they did the procedure to remove it - THAT pain was next-level.) After the injections I was given a warm blanket toga to wrap around my body to help the dye circulate. In my hospital garb and blanket toga I took a trip out to the cafe to finally sit and eat some food. I'm sure I was quite a sight!

After about an hour a technician took some images of my breast and armpit area to locate the dye and identify the lymph nodes that may be removed tomorrow. They marked me up with some permanent marker - I'm covered in black dots - and finally it was time to go home.

Glamour shot from the change room after my radioactive pics were taken


My surgery is this afternoon. I'll be home sometime this evening. My mom is here and I feel well supported and loved. I am, in all honesty, also feeling very calm and kind of excited to get on with things! I will make a short post tomorrow to let you know how I'm feeling. :)



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