All systems go

We ventured back down to Houston this week for two days backed with pre-surgery appointments.  There's a lot to consider when you are heading into a 12-hour surgery, especially after you've been through chemo.  The red devil can damage your heart, so I stopped into the cardiologist's office for multiple tests. The nurse at my plastic surgeons's office wanted to talk about preparations, so we visited with her.  Then I registered with the anesthesiology group, which involved a blood test and chest X-ray.  And that was the first day!

David and I met with the plastic surgeon again on the second day.  He and his nurse are an amazing team, and we both feel so confident in the work that they do.  Which is good, because his part is the longest and most complicated of the surgery.  

Things we learned during our appointments: 

-I will likely be placed in ICU for 1-2 days immediately following the surgery, which is the critical time to determine whether the flaps "take" or not.

-We will have a pretty good idea if the flaps take or not by the second day.  The failure rate the is only 1%, and half the time Dr. C can come back in and rectify the clotting or whatever is keeping the flap from properly connecting. He only has about one surgery fail each year, which I feel confident will NOT be me.

-Dr. C has performed about 900 of these procedures. He generally does 90 or so DIEP flap reconstructions a year, mainly in tandem with the surgeon performing my mastectomy, Dr. L.

-The two surgeons were discussing my case during a recent surgery, wondering why they had been meeting with me so early. Apparently patients generally meet with them much closer to the actual surgery date. On some level, it pleases me to know they were chatting about my case! I'm on their minds, even if my early-bird behavior is somewhat baffling.

-I will move from ICU to a very specialized wing of Methodist, where the nurses are specifically trained to handle recovery from DIEP flap. I will be in the hospital for five days, most likely.

-I plan to stay in Houston 2-3 weeks after I'm released from the hospital to be close to my surgeons and doctor for follow up appointments, of which there are several! This will be the first part of my "summer in Houston," as I will be back down again shortly after surgery for radiation.

David and I both realized how fortunate we have been this far in dealing with kind and courteous professional staffs, especially in my oncologist's and plastic surgeon's office, where the staff and nurses are really above and beyond.  Once you are accustomed to top notch treatment, it can be, um, difficult to adjust.  We did have a couple of hiccups when we were dealing with the huge cardiology group, but in the end, everything worked out fine and I was able to get the necessary testing without having to set up additional appointments.  And the best news is....all the test results have come back normal!  I am cleared for surgery on May 27th!

I will continue to see a cardiologist in Austin for the next several years to monitor any possible long term damage, but at this time, everything looks good.  It's simultaneously wonderful and slightly terrifying to realize that the surgery is a go, and the next big thing on my schedule!  Part of me is really just ready to have it behind me, but I also know that that date will be here before I know it.  So I will keep my mind and body busy with some surgery preparations, but also end of school events, swim team practices and meets, and the multiple other kids' activities that are so prevalent during this busy time of year. And on that note, I have two Waves swimmers that need to be reminded to change for practice!  Hope you are all having a great spring week!