Surgery Update and then a brief break from MEDICAL speak as it's wedding time!

Here's the latest regarding Monday's surgery from our brave, much loved Sheila.

Surgery is officially set for Monday. I am having a full mastectomy of the right breast with removal of the lymph nodes under the right arm. The nodes will be sent to a lab for dissection. Depending on how many are affected, I may follow up the chemotherapy with several weeks of radiation.

I check into Swedish at 11 a.m. The surgery, whenever it starts, should take a couple hours. I’ll probably be groggy until early evening. I’d like to request no visitors – I’ll only be there for one night and I am going to try and take advantage of the forced relaxation. I’d love visitors sometime after I get back home – I’ll be sure to let you know when that is.

A couple people have asked about recovery. The doctor said I will be quite sore for awhile, and unable to use the arm for a few days. I should have good range of motion within a week; about that time I should be able to drive as well. I’m being set up in the ACTIVE Program at Swedish – a physical therapy program for cancer patients. It should help get me moving again. I asked the nurse when I could start spinning classes again. I think she thought I was crazy.

So tomorrow, before the wedding, I am going to go buy a SOFTEE prosthetic camisole for use after the surgery. Ah, so romantic!

S & J (and little O) may you get lost in the beautiful moments of tomorrow (and one another)!