There was a 1% chance of this complication.
"There was a 1% chance of this complication" but it happened to me. I asked my doctor what are the chances of another complication? That I could go home from the hospital and move the wrong way and have another hematoma and bleeding? He said the chances are small but the chances were small that at 43 I would have been diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and there was a small chance the mass would be so large that they would have to take 4 inches of skin along with the tumor and not be able to put in an expander, thus making me walk around with only one boob for 7 months. Leading to a Lat flap surgery, and there was a small chance I would end up having to have my gallbladder out in the midst of it all. Going thru 4 rounds of chemo before that even.
So, what are the chances? Small, but they happened to me.
September 9th, 2016
Surgery day. The out patient surgery to take out the expanders and put in the implants. It's simple and I would be home that night watching my photos scroll by during the Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon. That is exactly what happened. I got there early in the morning, just like with my last 3 surgeries. I answered the questions, I breathed thru getting my IV explaining that no IV, Blood draw or Blood pressure can be taken from my left side. Most the time they even write it with marker on my arm to be sure. I chatted with my husband and took photos smiling to have him show my children so they wouldn't worry about mommy. Then off to surgery I go waving goodbye to my husband and making small talk with the attendants pushing my bed down the hall.
I remember being in the OR each time. I remember the nurses hustling around getting things ready and then I see the face mask coming and I start breathing in and out and then I'm out. I never had any crazy experience where I saw myself laying in the bed, I never woke up having had some crazy dream. The most interesting thing that happened was after my Lat Flap surgery I woke up and told my husband to tell our 9 year old that now I know what it is like to "be a sloth" we had taken the girls to see Zootopia the week before my surgery and there is a hilarious scene where the DMV is run by sloths. Apparently I dozed off and work up 4 times in recovery and each time I told him "Tell Ava I know what's it's like to be a sloth"
Everything went as expected. I went to sleep with one boob and woke up with 2. I had fancy white ribbon looking tape wrapping everything up so I couldn't really see anything but all seemed well. I watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon and fielded texts of friends who were excited to see my photo blown up over the celebrities heads as they talked about the importance of cancer research.
It seemed like the perfect end to a crazy year of cancer diagnosis, surgeries, chemo, meds and healing. It was the exact anniversary of my first surgery, my double mastectomy. But it wouldn't be quite the end to my story.
September 18th, 2016.
The 1%.
So, what are the chances? Small, but they happened to me.
September 9th, 2016
Surgery day. The out patient surgery to take out the expanders and put in the implants. It's simple and I would be home that night watching my photos scroll by during the Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon. That is exactly what happened. I got there early in the morning, just like with my last 3 surgeries. I answered the questions, I breathed thru getting my IV explaining that no IV, Blood draw or Blood pressure can be taken from my left side. Most the time they even write it with marker on my arm to be sure. I chatted with my husband and took photos smiling to have him show my children so they wouldn't worry about mommy. Then off to surgery I go waving goodbye to my husband and making small talk with the attendants pushing my bed down the hall.
I remember being in the OR each time. I remember the nurses hustling around getting things ready and then I see the face mask coming and I start breathing in and out and then I'm out. I never had any crazy experience where I saw myself laying in the bed, I never woke up having had some crazy dream. The most interesting thing that happened was after my Lat Flap surgery I woke up and told my husband to tell our 9 year old that now I know what it is like to "be a sloth" we had taken the girls to see Zootopia the week before my surgery and there is a hilarious scene where the DMV is run by sloths. Apparently I dozed off and work up 4 times in recovery and each time I told him "Tell Ava I know what's it's like to be a sloth"
Everything went as expected. I went to sleep with one boob and woke up with 2. I had fancy white ribbon looking tape wrapping everything up so I couldn't really see anything but all seemed well. I watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon and fielded texts of friends who were excited to see my photo blown up over the celebrities heads as they talked about the importance of cancer research.
It seemed like the perfect end to a crazy year of cancer diagnosis, surgeries, chemo, meds and healing. It was the exact anniversary of my first surgery, my double mastectomy. But it wouldn't be quite the end to my story.
September 18th, 2016.
The 1%.
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