Ouch! All I can say is "ouch!".
It hurts. I can't sleep on my left side. No sympathy from Ronnie, who rambled on about how I couldn't "snore in his direction".
It's like someone took an axe and chopped me on the side. It doesn't even feel like "breast" surgery. It feels more like I had an accident. My boobs are fine. My side is all black and blue.
The doctor finally came in the afternoon. He proclaimed that I would be just as well at home than there. He wants to see me Wednesday for the results.
What time? Do I have to make an appointment?
10:52. Very funny.
When do you open. 8. I'm here. I drop off the kids at school and I'll be there...
Eek! But there's nothing to do now but wait.
Mother made it sound like this is unusual, to have to wait but I've asked and it turns out that a week is normal for what it takes. The stories we've heard of patients getting results when they woke up were very specific. They had the lab do a fast freeze test of some sort. I'm happy to not have a false result and just wait till the two tumors are all chopped up and analyzed.
He was very poker faced about whether I'd need chemo or not. I guess he's seen too many exceptions to the "rules" on these tumors. The thinking is little tumors=no lymph node involvement.
I have a nurse assigned to me and all these other privileges being an Official French Cancer Patient. I don't have to drive myself to my treatments. I get a taxi. This sounds ultra-plush but the reality is that the Christmas market is starting soon and traffic will be a nightmare, let alone parking...
I got a list of services that I can use. The nurse explained quickly how it would work. Chemo would mean a port by the end of the week and I could start almost immediately. It would start out once every three weeks, and work up. I could choose from Sainte Anne in Robersau or Orangerie. The latter might be the breast clinic. If I go straight to radiation (yeah!) I can go to Straus (the cancer center) or Sainte Anne. I've been to all of these, thanks to my mother-in-law's medical crises years ago.
Radiation can't start for 2-3 weeks, until this mess heals up!
There are some other possibilities. A friend was sent to get "clean margins". This was a shorter, second surgery. If they don't like the margins, this could happen. Just mentioning it!
Then there is the whole "what is the second tumor" question. There could be, in theory, a nasty surprise.
If this pain isn't better, I'm going to the GP on Monday. I'll take my flu shot (which you have to buy yourself here in France). It'll be a good excuse to discuss it with her again, and to get a better pain drug that doesn't involve aspirin products.
Talia got out yesterday at 4pm, which was convenient as she had just enough time to pick up her sister and they both walked over to Adassa. Then, Ronnie came home with Daniel. We had promised whether I was in or out of the hospital, he could come home to his own bed.
He got 5 Euros tip for carrying a suitcase to the room. His first "earned" money!
The internship sounds like it's gone really well. He hated making the beds and cleaning the rooms but I assured him that a career in hotels would not involve that. They just wanted to show him how it works.
Today's his last day. He looked so handsome in his black pants and white shirt leaving!
It hurts. I can't sleep on my left side. No sympathy from Ronnie, who rambled on about how I couldn't "snore in his direction".
It's like someone took an axe and chopped me on the side. It doesn't even feel like "breast" surgery. It feels more like I had an accident. My boobs are fine. My side is all black and blue.
The doctor finally came in the afternoon. He proclaimed that I would be just as well at home than there. He wants to see me Wednesday for the results.
What time? Do I have to make an appointment?
10:52. Very funny.
When do you open. 8. I'm here. I drop off the kids at school and I'll be there...
Eek! But there's nothing to do now but wait.
Mother made it sound like this is unusual, to have to wait but I've asked and it turns out that a week is normal for what it takes. The stories we've heard of patients getting results when they woke up were very specific. They had the lab do a fast freeze test of some sort. I'm happy to not have a false result and just wait till the two tumors are all chopped up and analyzed.
He was very poker faced about whether I'd need chemo or not. I guess he's seen too many exceptions to the "rules" on these tumors. The thinking is little tumors=no lymph node involvement.
I have a nurse assigned to me and all these other privileges being an Official French Cancer Patient. I don't have to drive myself to my treatments. I get a taxi. This sounds ultra-plush but the reality is that the Christmas market is starting soon and traffic will be a nightmare, let alone parking...
I got a list of services that I can use. The nurse explained quickly how it would work. Chemo would mean a port by the end of the week and I could start almost immediately. It would start out once every three weeks, and work up. I could choose from Sainte Anne in Robersau or Orangerie. The latter might be the breast clinic. If I go straight to radiation (yeah!) I can go to Straus (the cancer center) or Sainte Anne. I've been to all of these, thanks to my mother-in-law's medical crises years ago.
Radiation can't start for 2-3 weeks, until this mess heals up!
There are some other possibilities. A friend was sent to get "clean margins". This was a shorter, second surgery. If they don't like the margins, this could happen. Just mentioning it!
Then there is the whole "what is the second tumor" question. There could be, in theory, a nasty surprise.
If this pain isn't better, I'm going to the GP on Monday. I'll take my flu shot (which you have to buy yourself here in France). It'll be a good excuse to discuss it with her again, and to get a better pain drug that doesn't involve aspirin products.
Talia got out yesterday at 4pm, which was convenient as she had just enough time to pick up her sister and they both walked over to Adassa. Then, Ronnie came home with Daniel. We had promised whether I was in or out of the hospital, he could come home to his own bed.
He got 5 Euros tip for carrying a suitcase to the room. His first "earned" money!
The internship sounds like it's gone really well. He hated making the beds and cleaning the rooms but I assured him that a career in hotels would not involve that. They just wanted to show him how it works.
Today's his last day. He looked so handsome in his black pants and white shirt leaving!
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