2 days after the “portectomy” the incision is itchy, but not painful.  Oh, I was at a party yesterday and saw a friend who is very exhuberant in his story telling and when he clapped me on the back of my shoulder, it smarted a bit…but it’s not really painful.  Tender, maybe.

It’s interesting to me that no one really could tell me what the procedure entailed…the preregistration caller the night before said “oh, look at that, it looks like you can even have breakfast before you come!”  Usually he has to tell people to be sure not to eat anything 8 hours before the procedure is scheduled.  He could not tell me anything else.  Even the person who greeted me at the ambulatory surgery department didn’t really know.  “I know it has to be sterile going in, but don’t know about when it comes out…”

Well, the prep was really very much like the two/three other procedures I had under Dr. Surgeon’s care. The only major difference was that I had local anesthesia rather than general.  Here’s how it went:

Vitals, hang out in a room with a nurse asking me questions to update my record, put on a lovely johnny and sit and wait for my place in the surgery line.  Fortunately it was early and surgeries were going off without issue.  Dr. Surgeon came in to put her initials on my port side and check in.  She was so happy.  It was a day to celebrate with two port removals and NO port implants or whatever they call it when they put the port in.  I just practiced some new breathing techniques given to me by my accupuncturist while I waited.

I got to walk to the operating room and put myself up on the table.  It’s cold in operating rooms, if you didn’t know.  SO when the area was getting washed and then slathered with alcohol, it was a bit chilly, but the heated blankies really do add a degree of coziness to a sterile and cold environment.  I really wanted to see what they were doing, but had to turn my head to the left for the whole procedure, darn it anyway.  The most painful part of the experience was getting the anesthesia shots all around where the port was.  Dr. Surgeon said “I am apologizing now because this is really going to sting a lot.”   Boy howdy, she wasn’t kidding at all.  It brought me back to the time before the mastectomy where they shot dye into my nipple to find the sentinal node.  Fortunately it numbed up quickly.  In fact, she had already made the incision before I knew it.  Dr. Surgeon and Nurses-with-the-Cool-Hats and I spoke about dogs and cats and halloween costumes the whole time.  Dr. Surgeon’s favorite costume which she saw last year was someone with cereal boxes hanging all over him.  The boxes each had a knife handle sticking out.  Yea, he was a “cereal” killer.  I told E about this and he said if he dressed as one he’d just go out as a spoon.  I like his subtle approach, I think.

Anyway, there was one other time that I felt something and I suspect it was when she was pulling the port out.  I asked to see it. It was just a small plastic device, like the shape of a Rolo if you know what that is.  It has a soft center in the middle where the needles all went in.  It is white and has a very thin tube about 6 or 7 inches attached.  This is what was inserted into my vein.  Really a very simple device, and quite ingenious in my opinion.  I am so glad it was used in my treatment.  I didn’t like having something so obvious under my skin, but I’d strongly recommend that others consider it if there are to be multiple infusions and blood draws. 

I walked out of the OR, and they’d put a recliner in the recovery area for me.  It took longer for the paperwork to be gathered than for the surgery.  I signed myself out and left with instructions to take Tylenol in an hour or so.  It’s interesting to me that it was like an order to take pain reliever rather than “if you are too uncomfortable” take some Tylenol.  I won’t get on the soap box about the culture of zero tolerance for pain…I’ll just say that it has not been so uncomfortable that I’ve even thought about taking anything.  Just tender…oh, and when a kat or two climbs on it, it has caused me to yelp.  At this point it’s just like any other wound that requires stitches.  Have I said before that seri strips are amazing?

So there you have it.  After returning to our hometown, I met the kids at the grocery store to stock up for the annual Halloween sleepover that A  has with 6-8 of her buddies, which occurred last night.  In fact, 4 of them are still here and are just jawboning upstairs, undoubtedly all snuggled up together. 

At this end of things, I must say I really have been thinking about all the attention we and I were given throughout this past year.  I am very aware of how much effort it takes to be as present as you all have been to me and us.  Whether you kept up with this blog, provided food, rides or whatever to our family, prayed for us… I am in awe of what it takes to be so present for someone else.  As I move forward and try to be attentive to others in my life, on top of working and being a partner, mom, daughter, sister…I really don’t know how you all found the time to be so there for us. 

I guess the next thing I will be writing about are the results of the genetic testing.  Unless I get a brainy idea before then!