1 week post surgery!

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

I’m happy to say that Sarah is continuing to do well in her healing process since my last post.  The nights have gotten a little better since her mobility has improved, I do not have to accompany her to the restroom or help her sit up which helps me get a little more sleep since I wake her up about every 4 hours throughout the night to take her meds.  This is allowing her to sleep better and get more rest at night.  Her back continues to be a little sore throughout the day, more specifically in the morning but I think that just part of the process and hopefully will continue to subside.  We still try and get out at least one time a day to move around have some sense of normalcy.  On Sunday we did get out and enjoy the nice weather and take the dog and the kids for a small walk around the neighborhood.  She wasn’t setting any land speed records but she was walking fairly well!  We were able to have a somewhat normal Easter for the kiddos but couldn’t attend church which a first in forever! L Each day that passes is one day closer the end of this process and we can put STUPID CANCER behind us!

We did get some wonderful news today from Dr. Moore pertaining to the number of lymph nodes with signs of cancer and the condition of the breast tissue.  Dr. Moore did let us know that there were only 2 lymph nodes that showed signs of having cancer…..praise the Lord and hallelujah!!!  So what does this mean some of you may ask…..well it means that there will be no need for radiation therapy….anything less than 4 is good news!  So she remains as a Stage II due to only those two lymph nodes….this is great news since she will only need chemotherapy!  There is always that possibility (slim very slim) that she will not need chemo but Sarah has made the decision to be as aggressive as possible through the whole process to ensure that this does not come back!  The other good news was that the breast tumor tissue “looked good”…so it appears that the tumor was not like spider webbed all over the breast tissue and isolated to that one section.  The tissue in the right breast was completely clear and no pathology of a malignancy.  Sarah spoke with her oncologist and she diagnosed Sarah as a Stage IIA, tumor size was .6 cm in diameter, margins were negative.  The oncologist will be sending the cancer tissue for OncoType DX testing which will help determine the reoccurrence percentage and the aggressiveness of the cancer.  This will help determine if Chemo is necessary and the regiment of chemo if deemed necessary.  Overall the news from the general surgeon and oncologist was really good and she was happy with the pathology results that she received.  Sarah was so happy that she wanted to do the “Happy Dance” but really couldn’t so I told her to just shake her booty!! J

We had another follow up with her cosmetic surgeon Dr. Rhee today and things are continuing to progress nicely.  The drainage from the remaining drains is still too much at this time to get them removed.  We could tell that Dr. Rhee was really hoping that the drainage would be at an appropriate level so Sarah could get them out today.  They said that Sarah is most likely moving her arms above 90 degrees to often causing the Alloderm Membrane to continue to stretch causing that fluid buildup so no more reaching for Sarah for the next 2 days.  Once the drainage is at a reasonable level then they can pull them out and we can be done with that.  They did fill the expanders today which can be somewhat painful afterwards (more pressure than anything as Sarah puts it) the goal is to get to a size that Sarah is happy with and comfortable having from this point forward.  Sounds like she has some decisions to make about the size she desires to be.  We have another appointment on Friday and the hope is to have the drainage down and remove the last two drains.

Sarah did get her “HEY CANCER……You picked the wrong Bitch!” bumper sticker so that will be going on the car soon….that’s pretty cool! 

Just a couple things I have recently learned since Sarah’s diagnosis and watching my wife go thru this battle:

·         Courage and bravery come in many forms…..I see both in Sarah every day!

·         I’m continually amazed by her spirit and perseverance to get through this and fight every day.

·         Not to worry about the little things and to appreciate every minute of every day (cliché I know but very true)…something that I used to always remember after my father passed away when I was 19….something I have recently regained!

·         At the end of the day…….Family, Friends, and Good Health are probably the most important things in life…..everything  else is an add-on to appreciate.

·         You can be pushed to your breaking point and then go beyond it because you have no other choice but to persevere!

·         There will be good days and bad days…..really really appreciate and value the good days!!

·         Sarah is truly a badass (my words not hers)….Her strength is so amazing and she is so much stronger than me!
 

This last month has been difficult and challenging but each day is a blessing and I appreciate my family and all of our friends!  Without all of you we wouldn’t be as strong as we are…THANK YOU!

I do want to continue to thank everyone that has supported us throughout this whole ordeal.  If you still want to help you can always donate toward Sarah’s medical fund at http://www.gofundme.com/nlv6tk since we are still short of our initial goal and the bills are beginning to roll in……every dollar counts and helps out!  The meal calendar is full for April and we will revisit the needs for May if Chemo is necessary.  Thank you to Nate & Christin Bogg, Junior & Kristin Fischer, Nick & Brooke Kelsey, Aunt Debbie, and Jack & Kasey Kuskie for participating in meal calendar and the meals thus far.   Everything has been so delicious and made our evenings a little easier to get thru.  I always want to send a special thanks to our mothers, Barbara and Theresa along with Sarah’s sister Brittany for your help, love and support….you guys have been amazing!

As always I keep you posted as we move along……things are looking up!  Please continue to pray for us, specifically Sarah and her healing along with the kiddos and that they never have to face this again with their mother or themselves….genetics and cancer is scary and can be unpredictable!  We will take all the prayers we can get!

Thank you and we appreciate you all!

Mac