In the last article, I discussed how I found out I had breast cancer. I talked about how my family and I reacted. In this article, I will discuss the treatments and how we all pulled through the year from Hell.
Next Step: Lymph Nodes
After having the lumpectomy and finding out it was cancer, my doctor told me we need to check my lymph nodes. First, I had to go get a simple scan to determine where they were. What she didn't tell me was I would need to lie perfectly still while they shoved a needle into my breast and squirted painful nuclear medicine in.
It seems, to locate the lymph nodes, someone has got to insert nuclear medicine into the site. Then they use a machine to see where the medicine goes. This takes a few minutes but is very freaky thing. Then, they mark you up for the surgery the next day.
The day of the surgery, I was lucky enough to discover, I had to get metal wire stuck into my breast so the surgeon could locate the lymph nodes. However, the whole thing was easy and I got to go home the same day.
No lymph node involvement for me.
Mastectomy vs. Radiation
My next big decision was to decide between mastectomy and radiation. I did some studying and found out that if I wanted reconstruction, then I would need a mastectomy. The thing with radiation was that if it didn't work, then I would not be able to have reconstruction later on.
I decided for a bilateral mastectomy because I wanted both sides to look the same. I was also going to have reconstruction at the same time. (Well, at least I thought I was. Turns out reconstruction is a year long process.)
Bilateral Mastectomy Here I Come
The big day came and I had both breasts removed and in their place expanders. It seems, when they take every little bit of your breast tissue, you need expanders put in. Expanders are hard silicone that stretches out the skin slowly.
Every two weeks, you go in and get a little more saline put into the expanders to stretch you out more. This is done by inserting a needle into the breast, through a port in the expander, and filling it up. This process hurts!
Anyway, I stayed in the hospital for 5 days. This is great considering some women have to go home the next day due to insurance policy. My doctor gave me an anesthesia thing to press when I felt pain. This meant I did not need pain medication in the hospital because it removed the pain completely. It was great.
Full Time Care Needed
The doctor told me I would need someone to take care of me when I got home. We just didn't know how much care that would be. I was stuck on my back not able to move my arms. My husband had to cook, clean and take care of me. In addition, he had to squeeze my drainage tubes to make sure I was draining properly.
If I was to move, it could cause infection. This is not something anyone wanted and was very difficult. However, the last surgery proved the hardest.
Chemotherapy Next
In the next article, I will discuss the chemotherapy and what no one warned us about.
Sherri has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit her latest website over at http://woodjewelryboxes.org/ which helps people find the best Mens Jewelry Boxes
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