On Thursday, Melissa and Liam (who was a most patient kiddo spending a day of his spring break at the Duke Cancer Institute with me!) picked me up to take me to my lymph node needle biopsy which was done using ultrasound. Dr. Walsh was great and now I’ve forgotten the name of the nurse or tech that was there but I was pleased to learn they’ll both be doing my MRI biopsy this Friday. I asked Dr. Walsh if she could find an MRI doc to explain the procedure to me because based on what I know about MRI it didn’t seem like a simple way to get a needle biopsy…and it was scheduled for 120 minutes so I wanted a preview sooner than 5 minutes before it starts. She also does MRI so explained it step by step and strongly advised bringing a driver so I can have valium. After spending 30 minutes getting the prior MRI done, laying on what can only be described as a poorly designed plastic massage table with the boob area cut out, I confirmed I would bring a driver and might need extra valium.
The lymph node biopsy results should be back today or tomorrow…impatiently waiting…
Thursday afternoon, because I am a cancer-fighting overachiever, I was scheduled to have my chemo port installed. Liam and Melissa came with me again and Melissa awaited contact from Amy when she arrived via Uber from the airport.
This turns out to be way more of a procedure than I anticipated. I mean I knew it was a surgical procedure but ouch. They did conscious sedation but put a little fentanyl in me and I get real chatty so I watched the fluoroscope monitor the whole time and chatted with the surgeon. Even though the procedure got started late and he clearly was having a very busy day he was quite pleasant to chat with and explained some things to me and at the end, as I was losing my battle to stay coherent with all the drugs on board, he laughed at what I’m sure were nonsensical wisecracks on my part.
I was excited to wheel out to recovery even though they wouldn’t make my cart zoom any faster despite my encouragement. Soon, Melissa, Liam, and Amy arrived! The nurse, Gail, was telling them I was all loopy from the fentanyl and eventually, she realized I was just being nutty, because well this was a nutty situation, and she let me go. I got to go on what I’m sure will be the first of many wheelchair rides!
It turns out that port surgery is actually surgery. I was told I shouldn’t pick up anything heavier than 10 pounds with either arm that day…and that I shouldn’t make any important decisions that evening. Oops. Wrong day to have a new horse vetted I guess. Luckily, with counsel from my awesome trainer and friend Jeannette Ford and Amy’s outside legal counsel from a non-equestrian perspective, I feel I made the right decision!
I’m not sure either of us expected it but basically Friday I was knocked out from painkillers because it hurt (!) and spent most of the day on my bed icing and dozing in terrible painkiller fog. I switched to Tylenol by Saturday whew. At one point I said to Amy, “I’m so glad you’re here. But it’s so weird because you are here because I have cancer. And, you’re cleaning my house?!” All of that is still so true and makes me choked up.
This weekend once again reinforced how lucky I am to have amazing friends to nurse me, chastise me if I try to pick up something too heavy (and of course I do this), advise me on big horse related decisions post-surgery, and just hang out with while I walk this path.
That doesn’t even account for the many wonderful family, friends, and friends of friends who have reached out with offerings of love, prayers, juju, healing thoughts, offers to give rides or sit with me during chemo or other times I need company (thank you people because I will!) Also so many who have shared their own experiences with breast cancer. I haven’t gotten back to some of you because I am experiencing a lot of overwhelm as you can probably imagine, but I am so grateful and your messages lift me up and are helping me get through this very impatient period before I start the treatment to healing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel so so so very blessed.
The pics are hilarious. Thank you for keeping us all posted on your progress. Keep your focus and keep up the good fight. Hugs!
😘