Tammy's Breast Reconstruction Journey - Part V: My Surgery & Hospital Stay

THE DAY OF SURGERY – THURSDAY, AUGUST 13TH 

The morning of surgery arrived and I was admitted, checked in and then made my way to the surgery waiting area. I thought by this time I would start feeling nervous. It still didn’t happen.

My name was called and I it was my turn to get dressed and prepped for surgery. I had to wear a special gown that they could pump warm air into and compression hose for leg swelling and circulation. The nurse asked a lot of questions and she carefully typed all the information into her computer.

It was finally time to go to the surgery holding area where all the other patients who are prepped for surgery wait to speak with their doctors. This is where my IV was started and I got to meet Dr. Barrella, the physician who does the anesthesiology. She was very nice and kind. One of the nurses told me that she takes very good care of Dr. Chrysopoulo’s patients making sure that they don’t get nauseated from the anesthesia. She put a Transderm Scop patch behind my ear and told me that she was going to fix me a nice cocktail to help me sleep the day away.

I never had any problems with nausea after surgery and never had any complications. She did an amazing job! I mentioned that I would like to pray before surgery and she went and found the chaplain who joined hands and prayed with all of us. That really meant a lot to me.

Dr. Johnston came and talked to me and it was great to see him again too. He was going to do the mastectomy and then Dr. Chrysopoulo would come in to begin the reconstruction. They obviously have a great respect for each other and work very well together. I could not have asked for a better team of professionals to help me though this. I was truly counting my blessings at this point.

Dr. Chrysopoulo arrived and asked me how I was feeling. I smiled and said “Great!” He smiled at my response and told me that he was not expecting to hear “Great”. But I truly felt optimistic. I knew I made the right decision, knew I was in good hands, and that everything was going to be okay. I was upbeat and knew that I would be sleeping the day away so it wouldn’t do any good to worry anyway.

Dr. Chrysopoulo also asked me about my son and reminded me that his main concern about doing my surgery was that I might be tempted to (or forced to) provide care for my special needs child when I would need care myself after surgery. I assured him that I had everything covered with my son’s care and everyone was on board and understood that I would not be able to participate in his care for a while. I really appreciated his concern very much and I really understood the impact it could have if I didn’t follow his advice. I didn’t want to have any setbacks, so I was completely determined to make sure that I followed his advice completely.

After I had the chance to see all my doctors, it was time to head to the operating room. I looked back at my mom and my friend who were there and I waved and said, “It’s going to be okay…. I’ll see you later”. I was smiling and not one bit nervous. That is the last thing that I remember until I woke up after surgery.

WAKING UP AFTER SURGERY

When I woke up after surgery, I was already in my hospital room. One of my friends told me that my first conscious breath after waking up from surgery would be the most difficult breath. I never experienced that pain. I woke up and tried to focus my eyes and found my mom there in the room.

My first words were directed to my mother, “Did you have anything to eat today?” I was worried that she might not eat during the long day of surgery and waiting. She burst out laughing when I said that. Obviously pain was not the first thing on my mind. My pain level was really not that bad at all.

I was able to sleep some but they were coming in every hour to use the Doppler on my reconstructed breasts to make sure the blood flow was still there. The doctor put a stitch on each breast around the area where they needed to listen with the Doppler. It sounded very much like the ultrasound I had when I was pregnant when I got to listen to my son’s heartbeat.

They came in every hour on the first day, every two hours on the second day, every three hours on the third day, etc… I would hear them come into my room and hope that we would still be able to hear the “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” on each breast. I think I would kind of hold my breath until I heard the wonderful “whoosh” noise. When I heard it, I got a sense of relief and said, “Yay…they’re alive!!!” We always laughed at that.

I had four surgical drains (they become your friends that you have to take care of), the medicine ball inserted into my tummy, a Foley catheter, sensors on each breast to measure oxygen saturation, the compression stockings with the massaging air alternating to prevent clots, a surgical abdominal binder, a surgical bra, as well as my IV for fluids and medications. I had morphine that was available if I needed it just by pressing the button. One of my friends (who is a doctor) told me to use the morphine as I needed it because it would allow me to get up and move easier and get back on my feet sooner. I remembered that.

I slept without pain and I woke up every time they came in to check to make sure that my new reconstructed breasts were still viable and getting blood flow. The nurses were incredibly kind and helpful.

THE FIRST DAY AFTER SURGERY (FRIDAY)

The very next morning after my surgery, it was time to get up and they had me get into a chair. They got me a walker and helped ease me up out of the hospital bed. I was moving very slowly and very carefully. I stood up and took a few shuffling steps to the chair next to my bed and that really took all my energy. I really felt like a 90-year-old woman trying to move only a few steps.

After moving into the chair, I decided to use the morphine to help with the discomfort that I was feeling. Because I had been told that I needed to stay ahead of the pain rather than letting it get the best of me, I was paying close attention to that.

I stayed in the chair for about 12 hours that day before I got back into the bed. It was tiring to be up all day like that but it felt good. I had visitors and family come to see me and it was a really good day. I never had any reaction to the anesthesia and my pain was completely under control.

THE SECOND DAY AFTER SURGERY (SATURDAY)

The second morning after surgery arrived and it was time to get up and try to walk. I was a little bit nervous about walking because I knew how much effort it took just to shuffle to get in and out of the chair sitting beside my bed the night before.

Once I was ready to try to walk, the nurse helped get me ready. She had to get the walker and disconnect me from all the monitoring things and get me (and all my attachments) organized. She told me that it was very important not to stand directly upright, that I would need to walk hunched over like a “90 year old lady”… which is exactly what I felt like!

Once I was up and started moving, I made it about one-third of the way down the hallway and then back to my room. I was completely exhausted from my very short stroll in the hallway. I got back in bed, pushed the button for some morphine to help with the discomfort and got connected back to everything and then I rested for a while.

Dr. Chrysopoulo came to check on me. Since my pain had been under control and it was now two days past my surgery, I had a question for him about his analogy of waking up and feeling like I had been hit by an 18-wheeler. I asked him if “the 18-wheeler was still coming – or did it miss me?” He told me that it had missed me. That was good news and it made me smile.

I got up and walked two more times that day, once making two laps and then the next time making three laps around the 5th floor hallway. It really felt good to be able to get up and move, was completely exhausting, but I felt like I had accomplished something when I got back into bed.

The nurses were coming in on schedule to check the Doppler of my breasts and it was always such a relief to hear the “whooshing” noise. I continued to be awake all day long and would sleep at night until they came into the room to check the Doppler or my blood pressure again. My pain or discomfort was completely under control during this time too.

THIRD AND FOURTH DAYS AFTER SURGERY (SUNDAY AND MONDAY)

The next two days I was working hard at walking the hallways. I tried to walk about four times each day and I would try to go a little farther each time. I was very aware of my limits and I was careful not to push myself beyond what I could do. I was moving better but I was still hunched over. The abdominal incision did not need to be stretched out yet, so it was important to remain hunched over.

I did not want to do anything that could jeopardize the surgery that Dr. Chrysopoulo had worked so hard to accomplish. I was moving around more and I was taking some oral medication by this time and I was not using the morphine any more. In fact, during the last two days of my hospital stay, I didn’t need to use the morphine for pain. I was feeling fine without it and it felt better to be walking.

I was awake during the day and was able to enjoy my friends and company who were coming by to see me. I knew that I was supposed to be discharged from the hospital on Monday, so I wanted to walk one last time before going to bed on Sunday night. I did my final walk in the hallway about 11:30 that night. I was feeling so good and so positive about the future.

The nurses all had just wonderful things to say about Dr. Chrysopoulo and they loved working with him and taking care of his patients. They said that they could tell “his work without even asking who the doctor was” because he does such a great job.

GETTING READY TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL

Monday morning arrived and I knew that I was supposed to be discharged from the hospital. I didn’t have any problems or complications during my hospital stay and I felt like I was making good progress. I knew that once I was discharged, I would be staying at the hotel for ten days until my appointment with Dr. Chrysopoulo. My friend was ready to drive me home once I was allowed to leave San Antonio.

My last shower was the night before surgery and I was really ready to get a shower. A very nice lady came to help me get my shower and she really knew what she was doing and she was very organized and reassuring. I was very nervous about it because once my surgical binder came off and the surgical bra came off, I felt a little lightheaded. I had to stand in the shower and realized that sitting was probably not a good thing to do since I didn’t have my abdominal binder on for support. There were no visible stitches and no tape or gauze on my abdomen.

This was the first time I got to see the incisions. It was amazing to look at and my mind was wondering, “How could I be closed up with no visible means of holding it together?” I think I was expecting to see a huge incision with a blanket stitch holding me closed so this was really amazing to me.

Once I got dried off, she helped me get dressed and I felt human again! It is amazing how much better you feel after a shower! Dr. Chrysopoulo came by to see me and discharged me from the hospital.

I cannot say enough about the nurses at Methodist Hospital and the care that I received. I was sad to say goodbye to so many wonderful people at the hospital. They were great and obviously loved their jobs and it really showed. But I was ready to start the next phase of my recovery by leaving the hospital because that was one step closer to going home. I intended to be a good and compliant patient and follow my instructions to the letter so that my recovery would be on track.

Back:

My Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Making The Decision

Finding My Surgeon

Preparing For Surgery