My Surgery Date is Set

The day I received my BRCA genetic test results, I was pretty upset that I had to pay a $40 copay and sit in the office alone for 1/2 hour just to get a yes or no test result. As long as I was there and I paid for their time, I was not leaving this office without a specific surgery date and time set.

I had told Dr Burke, the plastic surgeon, last Wednesday that I wanted to go forward with the double mastectomy with autologous reconstruction using the DIEP flap and he said he would have his scheduler call me later that day. Now it was Monday and I had not heard from Dr Burke's office, I left a voicemail at Dr Lindfield's office to get her scheduler on the phone and she also didn't call me back. Both Dr Lindfield and Dr Burke will be participating simultaneously in the surgery so I will schedule with whomever will call me back. I asked the see the scheduler at Dr Lindfield's office and pretty much was not leaving until she saw me. I felt very self righteous until the scheduler came out and said "Christina Smith? Great! I asked the nurse not to let you leave until I saw you, I want to schedule your surgery." And I thought I was being all bad ass by putting my foot down. I just can't be bad ass even when I try. 

The scheduler assigned me my D-Day - Thursday March 7th. That was the day my boobs as I know them would go away forever. Because I had chosen the DIEP flap transplant from the stomach to my chest, the surgery would take much longer than just a mastectomy or with the mastectomy with expanders for implants. I had to be at ECMC at 6am for 7:30 surgery that was expected to last 9-10 hours. Then I would be recovering at ECMC for 4-5 days after that.

I can't explain how I felt when I was finally given a date. Everything started to feel more real. I was relieved because some closure was in view. But at the same time, I started to feel terrified. 10 hours on the operating table was a long time. What if something goes wrong? This would be my "final countdown"... I was reminded of an episode of "Medium" that I saw where Patricia Arquette wearing special sunglasses was able to see how many days someone had left to live when it was displayed on their foreheads.What if mine was down to double digits?

 



Sentinel Node Biopsy Injection

So I had my date. And I had a slew of preoperative tests and appoinments that had to be done beforehand. Bloodwork had to be done, a pre-op checkup had to be done, and finally, the day before the surgery, I had to go into the office (another $40 copay) to get a blue dye injected into my breasts. Part of the mastectomy will be a Sentile Node Biopsy which involves removing the closest lymph node to my tumors and biopsying it for cancer. If cancer cells are found, they remove the next lymph node. And if cancer is found there, they move on to the next, and the next, and so on until a lymph is found to not show any signs of cancer. How far the cancer has spread will determine what type of post-surgical treatment I will need... chemotherapy, radiation, hormone-controlling drugs, etc. To make these lymph nodes easier to see, I would need the blue dye injection. A side effect of this injection is that my spit, sweat, and tears may turn blue temporarily. I can't wait to see this!


So. That is it. Now we just wait for March 7th. I mentioned before that from now until D-Day, I was no longer hiding my breasts. They weren't going to be around for much longer, so I am taking care of them while I have them. Also, I have been very strict about my anti-cancer diet including no alcohol (or coffee, or sugar, or wheat, or cheese...). Before my surgery, I was definitely going to blow caution into the wind at least once and have some fun. I decided to have a "bye-bye-boobie" party right before my surgery. For one night, I am planning on pretending I don't have cancer, drinking too much, dancing, and wearing a very revealing shirt. Just for one night. And so I planned it for Friday March 1st. The girls' last night out.  :o)