Friday evening I received a phone call from the office of Dr. Nakashizuka. Her office assistant called to inform me that the pathology came back on my breast that was removed and the lymph nodes……..no residual cancer cells post chemo!!!!!
Tomorrow (4/4) I have my first post op appointment with Dr. Nakashizuka and she will go over the details of pathology with me and change the dressing over the surgical site. I have read many articles and books, in which they say that it is pretty traumatic for the patient the first time that she sees herself with out her breast. I don’t feel that I will break down, being a Mammographer and my time working at The Cancer Center in Palm Springs has prepared me for this. I have been extremely compliant as far as post op instructions go. I know far to well what happens to the surgical site if you over do it!!!! No seroma for me if I can help it!!!
I have two drains on the mastectomy site that have been draining well. My daughter has been emptying and measuring the fluid daily. The surgeons office gave us a log to track the fluid. I am sure she will be pleased with my daughters diligent entries.
The Little Things:
You don’t realize how important good range of motion of your shoulders is for getting dressed. Due to the ” Lymph node dissection” my left arm has limited mobility. I had planned ahead and purchased tops with buttons up front. I had to do a little retail therapy today and purchase a couple more tops and easy pull on bottoms. I attempted to put my favorite pair of shorts on today, but pulling the zipper up and buttoning the button was too much! So, shopping one must go!!!
It is getting late here in Oahu (well late for me) so I’m going to sign off. Thank you for reading, will keep you updated on upcoming appointments. Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers.
Much Aloha, Pina
My Breast Cancer Journey 