Post Surgery Update!

Hi all –

I’m feeling pretty damn good so thought it would be worth a quick post!

• Felt great from the time I arrived at 8:15. Our Internist stopped by to check in on us while Chris ate breakfast and I starved.
• As per my prior experience at NM, everyone has been super nice, informative and thorough. At one point, Chandler (on Hansen’s team) even mentioned he was going to “get some water and eat some nuts” prior to my surgery which (like 4th graders) made Chris and I crack up after he left the room 😂
• I was wheeled into the OR right before 12pm, and I remember seeing lots of people in the room — and then the next thing I remember hearing were people asking me to take deep breaths as they wheeled me into recovery. I remember not realizing I was done with surgery – like my brain was suuuuuuuper slow and I could barely talk. I think the clock said 4 something and that’s when I realized it was over.
• I remember not feeling great so when the nurse asked what my pain felt like on a scale of 1-10, I said 7-8… and she immediately gave me something. I also remembering feeling like I could cry but not sure why, and thought it might hurt so I took a few deeps breaths and felt better. I think it was the pain. Soon, the pain dropped to a 3-4 level and she gave me more. I then realized the goal was no pain, NOT just to tolerate it.

Chris came in and I remember not being able to talk a lot and I could only whisper. Super weird. Prob from breathing tube in surgery. One of my pet peeves is that Chris CANNOT whisper, but now I know he CAN! Besides that good news LOL he also told me Dr Hansen confirmed she only took 1 sentinel node and it looked/felt clean but is sending it along with everything else for full pathology report. Dr Fine (plastics) said everything went great, too.

• Waited for a while to get the “transport” to my room – sounded like they were pretty backed up. My parents were already in the room and I was able to get out of one bed and into the other on my own which was good. No pain, but Chris was giving me the numbing stuff every 15 min and it must have been too much because I was getting super out of it, dizzy/nauseous. So we stopped those extra boosts and let it administer every hour and I feel way better.
• Been in room since 7pm JUST in time to watch the Bachelor. Like literally perfect timing. We ate some not-so-great pizza and multigrain chips while Caelynn went home heartbroken and Cassie continued to not commit.
• I have been taking Tylenol every 6 hours and feeling no pain when in bed. Hurts a little when I move around (obvi), but honestly my throat is more sore than my chest. Went pee 2x, had to replace a bandage for something that was leaking (nasty but fine), and now just chillaxing and watching some bad pawn shop show on the History channel.
• Chris seems relived and less stressed 😉

Going to try to get some sleep as there will be a few wake ups throughout the night. Thank you for all of your texts, emails and FB posts – it has been incredible to see/read/hear all of your love and support.

XO

Note that if I need additional pain meds they are going with Tramadol (circled in red) which reminds me of our puppy Trooper who we had to put down a few years ago. He was on that stuff all the time for his hemophilia before it was diagnosed 😦 Maybe he is here with us in spirit ❤️