HAD MY CANCER SURGERY ON MONDAY!

The incubator of the Evil Twins has been removed as well as the sentinel 
node and two lymph nodes under my arm.  It has not spread to the third 
lymph node, but until I get my pathology report, I won't know exactly 
what to expect.  Truly, I'm looking forward to getting my chemo (three 
months) and year of Herceptin, I'm not home free. I expect to find I have stage 2 cancer.

The day was long.  And so was the surgery much longer than expected. There 
was a problem at nuclear medicine with a brew that had to be massaged 
in; it didn't work.  Nor did it work for the woman next to me.  I don't 
think I've ever had something so painful in my life. It hurt so bad I 
almost levitated.  Tiny, thin gauge needle.  My surgeon gave me the 
first one.  At least he was honest. He said it would hurt.

I didn't buy the "You know how it hurts when you shave your legs and go into salt water" 

bit at all from the nuke guy.  I was right.  Let me try it on him.  I waited 15 minutes, 
went to get the picture - it hadn't spread.  Rolled me back and massaged 
more, repeated the pictures. No go.  The other lady's went ok.  Rolled 
me back.  Here comes the radiologist who tells me he's done thousands.  
Gave me the old shave/salt water story.  I would rather been opened by a 
scalpel while looking than have that shot. Setting me on fire would have been more

merciful.  No finesse here - he just jabbed.  This time I could feel it spreading - so the nurse called the 
nuke guy and he rolled me back for pictures.  Nothing.  My surgeon came 
down and showed me a printout.  "You are presenting an interesting 
problem..." he says looking over this glasses.  There would be no more 
useless films.

So back I went to my bed, knowing that the blue dye would be used. 
Nearly 3 hours later I was back to life and getting dressed.

I am wearing a drain; the left arm is numb from elbow to armpit. The 
incision site is small and doesn't hurt at all.  Hardly tender.

I feel great.  Went across to the water, watched a turtle swim by, saw 
clouds building in the west, and the resident ducks.  I hadn't seen them 
in a while and I was worried.  Next morning I didn't take pain pills and made my scrambled eggs and 
jalapenos with toast.

Thank you Celie, Eowyn, Bobby, Paulette and Carolyn for the gifts of friendship 
and all of you for your prayers and positive thoughts and for the women 
of the "sisterhood" who share this horrible illness and survived, who 
have taken so much  time to give me, a stranger, the comfort of their 
personal struggles to wellness, well, I love you all.   I am going to 
love chemo and the wonder pill Herceptin and I can't wait to start.  No 
dread here.  Just ready to whoop ass!  I will let my bald head SHINE!

My friend and neighbor called me a "transplanted steel magnolia". What a 
compliment.  And you know what?  I am!

I am determined that I will survive.

For all your thoughts that came my way and if you said a prayer - thank you so much.