PAIN

This is a picture of a Jackson Pratt drain.  After Last Tuesday's surgery, I went home with two of these. The long plastic part labeled "a" , is the part that is inserted in your skin and allows drainage to be collected through the tube into part "b."  You empty part "b" at various times through out the day and when your drainage is down to a certain point, you can have the JP removed.  And by removed, I mean that they just pull it out of you.  No anesthesia, no nothing, just pull.  Yeah, it's a fun one.  I had one removed from the initial surgery to remove the tumor and lymph nodes last August.  I drained for a month before the JP could be removed.  Wasn't bad at all.  

So yesterday, I go back to see the plastic surgeon for my first post op visit.  I am in a ton of pain already.  I would say, a 6-7 out of 10.  The Lortab isn't that helpful.  Hoping he might take pity on me and prescribe something stronger.  Nah.  Drainage is where it needs to be, It's time to take out the JP's. He preps me with, " Now you are going to feel a pull." Pull?  Are you kidding me?!! It felt like he stabbed me in my ribs!! So I go from a 7-9/10 on the pain scale.  I'm having a hard time breathing, sweat is building up all over my body.  I feel like I am going to throw up, pass out, or die (whichever comes first).  

My husband gave me a priesthood blessing and I all I can say is that the power of God is real. Not all of the pain and discomfort were taken from me, but the unbearable pain was.  Today, pain has been under control until the last 3 hours.  Having a hard time breathing and can't sit up for very long.  It has been a loooong week.

Post surgery stroll

John brought Jamison and Sophie to see me at the hospital on my second night there.  They took me for a walk to help avoid blood clots.  The last couple of days have been rough.  The pain meds they sent me home with just don't do as good a job as what they were giving me in the hospital. 

Fuzz! At 1 month of growth!

Can't wait until I have this much fuzz all over my head!  1 month after we first noticed fuzz!

"Ladies in Pink" lunch

Went to lunch with a few friends to celebrate the end of chemo!  All my friends dressed in pink and we saw this little cutie who had just come from her ballet class.  I asked her mom if I could take a picture and explained why we were all out for lunch.  An interesting conversation ensued about cancer and cancer treatments.  I decided to take her presence at our celebratory lunch as a sign that all will be well!  Just looking at her made me smile!

Last day of Chemo!

Here I am ringing "the bell," on my way out of the infusion room.  It's a lot smaller than the Liberty Bell but I feel "Free at last!"  5 months of chemo....DONE!!  Thank you to everyone who has been saying prayers for me.  Surprisingly, my chemo experience has been pretty good and I attribute much of that to all of the prayers.  The power of prayer is real .  

I only got sick, twice on the adriamycin and cytoxin.  The last 3 months, I have tolerated the taxol with very few side effects.  Those side effects have been bearable.  Slight neuropathy in my thumbs, with the nail peeling away from the nail bed.  Strange looking but not painful.  A little neuropathy on the bottom of my right foot, again, very mild.  The steroids they gave me as a pre-med stimulated my appetite so I have had a huge appetite and insomnia the night of the chemo treatment.  Last but certainly not least (according to my family!) I have become a perpetual gas cloud moving about the house!  I emit strange noises and strange smells on a fairly regular basis!  That and hot flashes have been the most irritating.  I have been pretty tired as well, sleeping in until 10 am every morning and taking lots of naps.  So, not too shabby!  Still well enough to make it to most of the kids games/activities and church on Sunday.  Both of those were very important to me.