Part Forty-Three: From Worst to Best

            I was prepared for the worst.

            And only now do I realize why:  Because of being so sick all summer from the “red devil” chemotherapy.  Because of the pneumonia that landed me in ICU over Labor Day Weekend.  Because of the peripheral neuropathy from the Taxol.  It’s been a rough road.

            I was supposed to be rejoicing over the death and disappearance of my tumor.  And I was, except that I was having such a hard time with the neuropathy.  And then the week before surgery, I was struggling emotionally with the information about lymphedema and physically with severe joint pain from being off my anti-inflammatory medication. 

            I read up on lumpectomy recovery and also remembered recovering from my dislocated shoulder in 2004.  I was prepared to be helpless and in lots of pain.  Thankfully, oh so thankfully, that is not what happened.

            But let me go back to the day of surgery for a moment.  My daughter drove me to Hillcrest, and we settled in to wait in the pre-op area.  The pale purple disposable hospital gown and dark purple slipper-socks cheered me (I mean, who doesn’t like purple?).  The IV insertion in the back of my left hand was surprisingly painless.  The nurses were very nice.  My surgeon, Dr. LaNette Smith, came to check on me and to ask if I had any questions.  Naturally, I could not think of a single one.  Then she surprised me by asking, “Would you like me to pray with you?”  She and Dana and I joined hands, and Dr. Smith prayed.  How her presence and prayer comforted me!

            After some more waiting, a nurse escorted me into the surgery room.  The anesthesiologist put a mask over my nose, and I expectantly waited to get sleepy.  I didn’t.  I was sure to keep my eyes open as a signal that I was awake, and then the next thing I remembered was waking up in the recovery room. 

            The surgery was both brief and successful.  The only difficulty was getting me intubated, but my throat doesn’t even hurt.  Dr. Smith took out the tissue where the tumor had been as well as a single lymph node.  The most uncomfortable part after surgery was how tight the binder was. 

            Recovery this week has been a bit of a lark.  I am more comfortable, physically speaking, than I have been in weeks.  My arthritic joints are rejoicing with the return of Celebrex.  The discomfort from the incisions is well managed by Tylenol #3.  I’m hanging out at my house with daily visits from church choir members and Bible Study Fellowship friends who signed up to check in on me when my daughter could not.  (I’m not yet ready to face the probability of a grandchild bumping into my sore spots.) 

            Next week I hope to receive the pathology report at my post-op appointment.  Naturally, I’m hoping for the best.