Say Goodbye to These…

Tonight’s my last night with the old gals. It feels like a normal Monday night outside of the fact that tomorrow is my surgery.  I wanted to send out a few details for inquiring minds:

• I report to Northside Hospital Breast Care Center tomorrow at 10AM for a Bilateral total Mastectomy, left sentinel lymph node biopsy possible axillary dissection with port removal and breast tissue reconstruction with tissue expander or implants
• Surgery is at 2:30pm and is expected to take 4-5 hours
• I will spend at least one night at the hospital
• Mom will have Grace and Shawn will be joining me as a Diamond member at the hotel Northside Hospital
• Surgery:
  • First will be the double mastectomy and port removal
  • Then they will test the lymph nodes
  • They will perform reconstruction either with implants if things look clear or a tissue expander if it doesn’t
  • Acellular Dermal Matrix from cadaver skin or pig skin may be used to contour the pocket around the implant
  • We should have some test results tomorrow, and full pathology 5 days after; this will determine any radiation or oral chemo needed
• Post Surgery Restrictions:
  • No work for 4 weeks
  • No vigorous exercise for 1 week
  • No lifting >10lbs for 4 weeks
  • No showering for 72 hours
  • No travel for 2 weeks
  • No tummy sleeping
  • No driving while on pain meds and use automatic transmissions when you do drive
  • Full recovery 4-6 weeks
  • Drains for 1-2 weeks or once there is less than 30ccs in 24 hours
• Other stuff
  • If there are expanders you have to report in occasionally to have them expanded (filled with water with a needle) apparently this won’t hurt because you don’t get feeling back in your boobs for a long time, if you do get feeling back

With that.. As Kitty would say –  –

Say Goodbye to These,  Michael…