I'm baaaaccccckkkk!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013:

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having a nice summer.  Wayne and I took a break between Doctor's appointments and took a little road trip.  It was nice to get away and will be our last chance to go any place once my radiation gets started.  To give you an update on my progress, I have lost all my hair......AGAIN!  No one warned me about this.  Now, granted, I didn't have much to lose but now I have NONE AT All as of last week.  The Oncologist said it was normal and expected due to the anesthesia I was given when I had my surgery.  As of today, I can see something that looks like peach fuzz, like the soft hair women have over their lip.  I still have a few stiff hairs I didn't lose but I could probably count those.  I just want some hair before cold weather gets here or I will freeze.  Hahaha!  On a good note, I have a great tan on my bald head!

On my last visit with my plastic surgeon, I complained about the stench that was coming from the tape on my right breast, (which was taped over all the cut and stitched areas of the surgery).  He told me it was o.k. and to not pull or remove the tape.  He said if it begins to come loose I could cut the loose ends.  Well in the time between me seeing him again the stink only got worse and the drainage became thicker.  As a result the tape was staying very wet and of course began to 'let go'.  When it was obvious it would no longer stick to my skin, Wayne and I went to work cutting the loose pieces off.  When we did, we found a large open wound where the skin had split open.  It was a section about an inch wide and two inches long and it was gross.  We were out of town so we had to doctor it ourselves.  We did a good job and saw the Doctor on Monday.  He removed all the tape, cleaned everything up and explained that the split open area was common and nothing to worry about.  He said my immune system is still compromised and I am healing slower than normal.  He would not stitch it back up because it would only burst open again.  He instructed me on how to take care of the wound and also told me that he did not want me to have any radiation until I was healed up.  So, this has put my start time for radiation on hold for at least two weeks if not longer.  Once Dr. Kays says I am healed enough and gives me the o.k. to have radiation I will call my radiologist and start the process.  The radiologist does not want to do any of the pre-radiation testing and prep until I am released for treatment by Dr. Kays, and is adamant that I must start treatment no later than 8 weeks after my surgery.  I also started physical therapy today for my right arm lymph node removal so I won't lose any mobility.  Fun, fun, fun! 

So, that's all the news up to this point.  All is well with me and Wayne and I will update you further next week after my visit with my plastic surgeon.

Have a nice week and thanks for the prayers!

Glenda