We are getting released this afternoon!
Dr. Gainer (breast surgeon) made an unscheduled stop by to see me this morning. She talked to me about how she did not want to do surgery when I had an active infection in the area. After we clear up this infection, we will schedule the surgery. She is also talking with Dr. Moulder (oncologist and primary physician on my team) to see how she feels about waiting to remove the lymph nodes until after chemo. This is not typical, but would allow us to get this show on the road a bit faster. We will hear more in two weeks.
Shortly after her visit, Katie (Dr. Kronowitz’s P.A.) came to see us. She explained the main problem with this infection is that there is not much fluid to drain, but the small amount of fluid that is there has a thick wall (my words, not theirs) around it so the antibiotics can’t get through too easily. The plan is to put me on IV antibiotics for two weeks. Either they will penetrate that wall and I will be better….or they won’t.
If they do, my only concern is getting through radiation with the thin skin that I have.
If I don’t, they will schedule the surgery to have my expander removed and my lymph nodes removed at the same time.
She assured me that regardless of which direction it goes, I will have a good reconstruction outcome.
So we have two weeks of waiting. We are scheduled to come back on January 8 to see all of the doctors for follow-ups.
In the meantime, I’m in the process of getting released from the hospital. We will head home tomorrow morning. I sure am missing those kids of ours a lot.
Also, I now get to enjoy Christmas like everyone else vs. being in a post-surgery stupor. Woo hoo for that!
Thanks for all of your kind comments, texts, emails, etc. We love you all and hope you all have a great Christmas.
