Surgery

[solarbird]

7:35AM: Anna and I got to the hospital and Anna registered at 6:45AM as scheduled. Then we got dropped into the waiting room and sat around a while. They called for her about 15 minutes ago and took her in to the prep area; I'll see her again before surgery - they'll come and get me before they put her under - but I don't know exactly when. They're supposed to operate at around 8:30.

8:30AM: They just wheeled Anna into the operating room and chased me out to the waiting area. She'll be under general for this, like for her two thyroid surgeries, but unlike last fall's previous breast cancer surgery. It should take an hour to 90 minutes, almost certainly just the hour. The anesthesiologist gave her some sort of heavy-duty anti-anxiety drug the name of which I forget; I asked if he had any sample packs and said "thing is, I have to use this needle" and I said "...unfortunate" and he laughed. He's Dr. Rodriguez, which made me think of Mexican movies about guitar players and shotguns.

9:26AM: Almost an hour. Now you get antsy. Or I do.

9:42AM: Surgeon came out, said things went fine; the tissue was "a little beat up" which I kind of take to mean "moreso than usual" but given three biopsies and an earlier partial mastectomy and radiation I'm not exactly surprised. He'd hoped to take out the previous incision site and scar but couldn't get all of it so she'll have some of that left. She's in the recovery room on a lot of pain meds and wrapped up pretty heavily and he'll come and get me in another hour.

10:50AM: Going to see Anna now.

11:30AM: We're the Silver wing in room 6068, which is a four-person room but Anna's the only on in it for the moment. It's a room with nurse's desk for patients who need constant supervisory care, but the private and semi-private rooms with sleeping areas for people overnighting (e.g. me) are full right now; they're hoping to move her over later. They've got a bandage on that's really huge and is kinda breast-shaped you can't actually tell she's had the mastectomy, which I presume is intentional. Anna's fallen asleep already with my Kerochan plushy.

1:25PM: Anna's been moved to a private room, Silver 6062. It has its own phone number but I'm not sure how useful that is since we'll be out (barring complications) tomorrow morning. The little leg-massage machine stopped working between the previous room in this one and they had to swap it out; that was strange. Anna's used the bathroom, which is important after general anesthesia, and didn't feel dizzy getting up and walking the six or eight feet in question. She's currently eating a little tub of jello before taking another nap, and just also used the pain meds machine for the first time because she started feeling some ache, and you want to keep ahead of the pain curve.

2:56PM: Not actually anything new to report really; they've added an antibiotic drip as standard procedure. She's just finished a little cup of chocolate pudding, too, and wants a book; I'm about to get it.

3:26PM: I brought Anna's computer up from the car, so you might see a post or something from her soon. She's still on painkillers but seems pretty coherent, if tired.

19:38: There wasn't much to update for a while so I didn't; she's asleep again, after eating normal dinner, which is all pretty good. Now she's asleep again. Every so often she has REM sleep and twitches a little, like the cats.

Comments

[zarq.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry she's going through this. :(

I hope and pray that her surgery goes quickly and smoothly and that the surgeons eradicate every last speck of cancer. She's been through enough already.

*hugs* I know this isn't going to be an easy morning for you. But for what it's worth, you're in my thoughts.

[solarbird]

Thanks

i'll be updating the post through the day. she's in surgery now.

[zarq.livejournal.com]

OK. I'll keep an eye on it. Thank you for keeping us updated.

And by the way? If you can't update us immediately, please don't worry. Sincerely. I am quite sure you have far more important things to focus on right now.

[solarbird]

yeah, but distraction is kinda useful as a technique to avoid dwelling on stuff.

[zarq.livejournal.com]

I understand completely.

Distracting links are my specialty, you know. Would you like me to look for some reading material? :)

[zarq.livejournal.com]

Very thankful to hear she's come through the surgery ok and is now in recovery.

[grian-ruadh.livejournal.com]

I'll be thinking of you both today and sending good thoughts. *hugs*

[solarbird]

Thanks

i'll be posting updates. (i dunno if that's obvious.) she's in surgery now.

[dustin-00.livejournal.com]

What zarq said.... and *hugs*

[solarbird]

Thanks... she's in surgery now. i'm updating the post occasionally. blah.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the updates. My best wishes for everything going smoothly. I can drop off Horrible Fucking DVD's this afternoon.

[solarbird]

as of yesterday we were going to be overnighting here. dr. tobin wants to keep her around tonight for observation and stuff, and i'll be here throughout.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

good luck. i am thinking good thoughts from over here.

[cow.livejournal.com]

Oi. Best wishes, again, in this. I'll be keeping a good thought for you both this morning.

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

*hugs* love you. I think the good anti-anxiety drug is Versed. I know they dosed me with something before both of my thyroid surgeries.

[solarbird]

*hugs* That sounds right. it started with a v anyway. i think.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

*hugs offered* you hang in there... the waiting is the hard part. Definitely blows kittens. You need anything you let me know...

Rodriguez, eh? nickname Slowpoke? :)

[brazilrascal.livejournal.com]

Very best wishes to you both. I'll be going against my nature and sending all the good vibes I can your way.

[firni.livejournal.com]

If they did a full mastectomy, I guess I'm confused as to why they couldn't take out the previous incision site and scar.

[solarbird]

I dunno either but I think he's trying to preserve as much skin as possible for reconstruction later.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Anna (and you) and I hope you both get rest and good news soon.

[mojave-wolf.livejournal.com]

Damn. I'm glad she made it through okay, and again so sorry you both are having to go through all this.

I'm so happy you guys had a great time playing this weekend (I usually on my f-read everything even if I don't always comment) and I really wish her a speedy recovery and you two a trouble free life from here on out!!!

Y'all have had more than enough character-building experiences; time for the powers that be to let you get on to well-earned enjoyment. =)

[denelian.livejournal.com]

someone else already said Versad (or however its spelled)

i sent manymanymanymany good/happy/healing thoughts your way. Thru the ISP

:-D

[lothie.livejournal.com]

I'm glad things went well and I'm hoping for a swift recovery...

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

it's good to hear how things are going. Hang in there, and take care, both of you.

[kissare.livejournal.com]

Lots of love and good healing thoughts for Anna's recovery, and yours as well - I know that this is so hard on *both* of you.

[janne.livejournal.com]

Thanks for updates, glad there's been no unexpectedness so far. Best of wishes to Anna and yourself.

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

Yes, I also echo the love and the hopes for healing. Thanks for keeping us all posted. I know she isn't going to be typing for a while, but I friended Anna's lj also so I can read her own account as well.

Glad she made it through the surgery okay. Hope you're both hanging in there.

[solarbird]

I know she isn't going to be typing for a while
lulz

wrong

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

I'm quite happy to have misinformed myself *L*

[risu.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm so happy things went fine! Give her my best wishes when she wakes.

[brombear.livejournal.com]

*snugs you both*

[gerimaple.livejournal.com]

*HUGS* to you both, and much good energy sent as time and circumstances permit.

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

*sends along snugs*

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

thanks for the updates, & glad all's going smoothly!

[kmarier.livejournal.com]

Many best wishes for a full recovery!!

[shikyrie.livejournal.com]

::hugs to both of y'uns::

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Glad it went well!

Cathy

[racitrack.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear it went well. We're sending lots of healing thoughts your way.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

*hug*, and sorry about how scary the whole 'surgery' experience is (can't they put YOU out too?). Having a friend having ankle surgery totally freaked me out last year and it wasn't even part of a major invasive disorder, yow!

[(Anonymous)]

So far, so good. Best wishes for Anna's good health and rapid healing, both in body and in mind.

- paul

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Very pleasant to arise to the news of progress; thanks greatly for the compte rendu. I do hope that recovery continues smoothly, for all of you.

[flit.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it went smoothly. I hope her recovery is swift.