Under the knife

My good friend Jo-Ann asked to come keep me company at the hospital before my surgery as I ran between departments checking in, getting filled with nuclear substances and going under scans.   It was a perfect distraction and a great way to do what we usually do together - walk and talk.  

We walked to the hospital and I was given a schedule of where to check in over the next few hours.  They handed me my chart and set me off.   So, now I had an hour - ok - let's walk.  Out of the hospital with my hospital band and chart walking through the neighbourhood.  Check in, get nuked and off for another walk taking the time to read my chart on the way.  Back to get scanned, given back my chart and some other woman's chart - lucky she was watching them and grabbed it.   Once at pre-op they lectured me for not coming to see them first - apparently they were waiting for me all morning - guess I was out walking - but as I pointed out - they were 4th on my schedule so I was on track.   Don't push this one on me - tell the girl at admissions to update her material - oh and by the way tell them in nuclear medicine that they should watch whose charts they hand out.   Yes, I could fix that system - but wait - I'm hear to be treated - leave it alone.

Last thing I remember saying to everyone in the operating room before surgery was that I never felt like I'd been so pampered as I had so many nurses, doctors, anesthetists prepping me.   Would they please do my nails?   God knows what I babbled to them after that - they must hear it all.

Surgery - 2 inch incision on the breast and 1 inch incision under my arm for lymph nodes.

I got gold stars in recovery and was out of there 2 hours early.   My daughter picked me up and we cabbed home - very much feeling no pain or much of anything.    I know that I don't need or handle pain meds very well so I took a day worth of T3's and then decided that I needed to think clearly so by day 2 I was on regular tylenol.   Felt pretty good - actually feeling very little.  The best was yet to come.