I'm Radioactive!!!

So, it was a long day but we are ready for tomorrow.  Saw the surgeon first thing this morning for a rundown of what will happen tomorrow.  He was positive and said things look good but they can always be surprised.  We made the decision to go ahead and do a mastectomy if they find more than what they anticipate and a lumpectomy is no longer an option.  So we are praying that is not the case.  He also talked about the lymph nodes and that they would initially take the first ones and if there were no obvious cancer cells that would be good and he could stop there.  That is also a prayer!  If they have to take more lymph nodes I will need to be in the hospital overnight as well as if they do a mastectomy.  I am planning on coming home!  Hopefully not wishful thinking.  Dr. Jakub seemed competent and had a good demeanor so I liked him and he is supposed to be the best. 

I next had a nurse consult to go over information once again.  All seemed to be what I was expecting so I feel good about what will happen.  I had to call tonight to get my surgery time.  I report at 7:15 but actual surgery happens about 2 hours later.  Surgery is supposed to take about 2 hours if it is as they anticiapte....longer of course if not.  Then a couple of hours in the recovery room and then out the door.  I knew that I had to do a follow up appointment and had things planned in my head for Monday the 13th but they have it planned otherwise.  My appointments with the medical oncologist, the radiation oncologist and a follow up with Dr. Jakub will be on Tuesday the 7th so now we are just going to stay here.  Too much driving otherwise. 

My next appointment was right after lunch where I was injected with a radioactive material into the breast so it will follow the lymph system.  They used lydacaine to deaden the area and then made 4 small injections around the nipple.  Each one felt like a bee sting but didn't last too long.  During surgery tomorrow they will inject a blue dye so they can follow it to the sentinel lymph nodes which they will remove to check for cancer cells.  They also use like a geiger counter to find the nodes.  If they need to they will follow up to the next ones.  I guess the blue dye kinda stays for awhile so it will look interesting.  I was also informed that you actually poop and pee blue.  Won't that be fun!

I went from that appointment back up to the mammogram area where I had a radioactive seed planted right in the middle of the lesion that they will remove.  That was done under local anethesia with the aid of ultrasound.  It was amazing how quick it was.  They also marked me to notate exactly where the spot should be.  Here again I guess the geiger counter thing comes in handy.  At that point I thought I was done but, oh, no, they still needed a mammogram picture to make sure the seed is actually there.  I guess sometimes it sticks in the hollow needle.  Thank goodness that was not the case.  Then I was done until tomorrow morning.  So, I guess I should sign off and try and get some sleep.  I will update again tomorrow night.  Love and hugs to all.  Patsy