Thursday, February 21, 2008

Zero Drains Now!!!!!!!!

OK! The doc first looked at my left --- whatever that is that's over there. It's not a breast. It's not a side. It's something, but I have no idea what to call it. It had grown to the size of a chicken cutlet though, and while I prevailed upon her that it was skin, she quickly set me "right" that is was fluid accumulation. Remember me telling you what "aspiration" really was? Well she put that needle in and took out 80 cc's and then there was no more cutlet; I was just flat. After that fun adventure, she removed the last drain. OMG but I feel so much more FREE and less anxious about getting my damn drain caught on a door knob or stuck in a chair arm when I'm getting up and PULLING the stitch at my side! I've been anxious about being in a crowd because the one place I went (a funeral) this lady kept bumping into me while we were sitting down and she was bumping my bulb to my drain. Talk about feeling paranoid! I really, really didn't want to find out what it might feel like if that bulb got squished and all the gaaaak went backwards! Yuk!

I took a sport bra last night -- a really TIGHT one from when I used to go horseback riding, and I sewed the cups into flat area, and faced the interior with flat spandex so that I'd have a stretchy but tight binder. Evidentally it's important to keep the scars flat and the tissue flat (so fluid doesn't build up) and so the skin can begin to adhere to the chest wall again after being moved around. The doc and nurse were well satisfied with my adaption, and I like it a lot better than Ace bandages because it doesn't become ONE huge rubberband-like thing that gets squished up into a strangling bit of torture. It's not comfy, but it's not torture either. I'm told I should wear it all the way through April! We'll see how well that goes.

We stopped for a late lunch after leaving the doc's and then got caught up in the most hellish Atlanta traffic I've been in in quite some time! It took us 2-1/2 hours to get home because of that strange stuff that no one in Atlanta seems to be able to drive in: RAIN!!

The really good news for my daughter is that unless there is a problem that comes up, I don't have to see the surgeon until a YEAR from now! Yeah!!!! I'll be able to drive myself the next time!

I have a friend coming tomorrow to put up the new shower head! Yeah! My side is a bit sore right now, so I'm reserving judgement on if I'll try "gentle yoga" tomorrow or not. I'll see how I feel in the morning. Right now I have gotten rid of 2 metal clips that were in me, my port is now gone, and 4 foreign tubes have been removed. I feel like I am no longer one of the Borg: I do NOT have to assimilate!! In fact, I'm totally unassimilated because the only foreign body in me know is the clip they used to end where my gall bladder used to be. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free.

I'm also very, very tired from a very, very long day. I do hurt just a little, but I'm so, so happy that we don't have to make that long trip up to north Atlanta again anytime soon! God bless little Jewel. For a kid that doesn't have a passport, she has hundreds of miles under her two-month-old butt, and most of them are running her grammy back and forth to north Atlanta and back.

Now that the drain is out, I can call back MD Anderson. That is for sure one of my agenda items for tomorrow!

God bless Dr. S. She was sickies today and saw all her patients while wearing a face mask. I'm SO happy she was able to do so, because even if she was feeling like crap, she made me feel better!

So, what would you call the nothings I have now? They're not breasts? They're not anti-breasts. They're just scars? A left scar and a right scar? My left chest or my right chest? My left or right breast's former location? Mmmmmm, in my spare time, I'll give that some thought.

Good Lord but I'm happy (if exhausted) tonight!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

YAY, so happy to hear that you had the last drain removed today, what freedom for you!
Enjoy your unrestricted sleep tonight, Ann--
and how about "right and left front".
Even tho no breasts are there, it's still your front.
Keep doing your amazing healing,
Love from Leslie

Anonymous said...

So glad you don't have to assimilate! What freedom! Lovely... Did you get to have your facial today or did the traffic keep you away?
Love you, Ann....
Meem

Anonymous said...

Ann,

What great news that you are now free of all the extra "thingies" here and there. How about calling it your chest?? Right and left chest or whatever. We all share a chest of one sort or another...flat, rounded or whatever. Sleep well and have happy dreams!!!
Love,
Sigrid

Unknown said...

That is wonderful news Ann. No more gadgets to lug around and make you uncomfortable. How about iddy biddy tiddies. lol Hang there girlfriend, you are amazing. Love Diane

Anonymous said...

Yahoo......no more contractions, no more gadgets!!!! You go girl!! Once again you amaze me how you accomplish so much. Love, good energy, Randy PS I vote for chest, right & front, even if I do like iddy, biddy tiddies.

Susan Tidwell said...

Another milestone on your journey, and one that has caused such happiness, it is good to see you smile again - even though I have never seen you!

The term 'chest wall' is used in my oncology transcription, but I do like Diane's name better!

Hope you have a great weekend.

watercolordaisy said...

Great news!!! Rest well today! Then wreck some havok just for fun. :)