Not Sure About this. . .

I called my plastic surgeon's office today because the new nipple is hard and dark, but was told that this is to be expected. Kay said that the outside may even scale off like a scab. She said that she would share my info with Dr. Hodges and if he felt different, they would call me back. So maybe I'm just being paranoid. She asked what I was using on it and told her about the Bio-Oil and she said to stop that and use only the aloe vera like Dr. Hodges told me. So I did. I was still keeping it gooped up with aloe vera each day, but will stop the Bio-Oil on the nipple.

Gourmet Popcorn Tip

There is a line of flavorings you can purchase at some grocery stores called "Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasonings." You can order all sorts of flavors online. http://www.kernelseasons.com/ I really like the Apple Cinnamon, but haven't found it in any stores here yet. Had it once at the movie theatre in Mineral Wells while traveling for the bank.

But I have discovered that the fancy flavored coffee creamers do just as good a job!!! We have some Praline Caramel right now that is to die for on hot buttery popcorn. Good stuff. Of course, this does have a few extra calories. But even just sprinkling Splenda on the hot popcorn resembles Kettle Korn and adds no calories. Netflix members enjoy!

Friday DR Followup

We saw Dr. Hodges again this morning at 9. He was very pleased with the incisions. He removed several little stitches where he had tied ends off, that looks like fishing line. The little incisions he used on the new right nipple are with a different thread that is dark. He said that they will dissolve and may come out themselves. We are to go back April 1 to see him again.

He told me to stop the Polysporin and start coating the incisions with aloe vera gel and put gauze over them, just to keep the gel in place. I'll do that for a while and then I'll start using my miracle stuff, Bio-Oil. It just did a great job on my first surgery incisions.

He said I could start walking every day, could lift a little like 5 pounds or so, nothing repetitious like vacuuming. SOMEONE who was in the room with us asked Dr. Hodges about me playing in the floor with Sandy, and Dr. Hodges said NO, that I still needed to take it easy.

Don't Fence Me In

Tuesday I was feeling great, so I talked David into letting me go to town with him to Petco to get some portable fencing that we could use in the house to keep our child with us in whatever part of the house we are in.

Petco is Sandy's favorite place to go, so he got to go with us and ride in the pickup because we had to do something to corral him inside the house.

The fence works like a charm. It is called an "Indoor/Outdoor Exercise Pen Pet Enclosure". We got 2 of the 16 feet long units and you can clip them together. This way when we're both at our computers, which are right at our front door, we can fence Sandy in right there with us. We were constantly having to go, "Saaaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddddyyyyyyyyy, where are you?" We'd have to get up to go see what mischief he was into. This was we have him right here. We bring all his toys with us and he plays us a storm. If we're watching a movie, we fence off the living room so he has to stay in there. It is wonderful. I highly recommend it. He understands that if he needs to go tinkle, that he whines at the fence, we open it, we go outside with him, he does his thing and he immediately makes a bee-line back to the door to get back in the house.

Alas, by the time we got home, I was pooped and had to go to bed and sleep. . . .

Monday DR Appointment

We went to see Dr Hodges this morning. He took all the bandages off and told me I could take a shower now and for us to keep Polysporin and bandages on the incisions. Yea! No more spit bathes! He was very pleased with the incisions and how everything looked. We weren't there very long. He doesn't make you wait in the waiting room long and you aren't with him very long. He is all business. We're to come back Friday for another checkup. Still no playing with Sandy though. . . .

The Waiting is Over and I'm Feeling Better

Friday is kind of a blur, except we had to wait from 6 a.m. to about 7 a.m. to see Dr. Hodges for him to come draw on me before surgery. I remember that and saying bye to David and rolling into the surgery room. I asked if this is where he does most of his surgeries and he said Dr. Hodges said yes. I woke up in recovery around 11 a.m. I was groggy and I really like the feeling of being under with the drugs they give you so I wasn't in any hurry to wake up. But his nice man named Michael from England kept coaxing me to wake up. He is from York, has been here 30 years but still has that great British accent. He followed the Beatles, loves the Royal family, even though he knows us commoners don't understand that. We had a good visit. He wheeled me back to my room where David was waiting.

I had to stay in the hospital until Dr Hodges came back by mid-afternoon to check on me to release me. I told them I was hungry. She brings some honey graham crakers& saltine crackers. I ate the grahams. I'm still hungry. She brings some jello. I'm still hungry. She brings a cup of chicken noodle soup. David squished up all the saltines, went to get some salt for me and that was wonderful soup. Then I ate some more graham crackers.

Dr Hodges finally showed up around 5 p.m. he said I could go home if I wanted to, which I did. I ate a bowl of cereal for supper. And got a Route 44 Strawberry Fruit Slushy with extra-extra strawberries on the way home. Yum. We have to go see him Monday for him to change the bandages. It's really odd. The right side hasn't bothered me hardly at all, because it is all numb from the mastectomy. But boy, the left side is talking to me. Especially today. And where he removed my mediport is itchin like crazy.

I've been eating like a horse and sleeping pretty good, at least last night. Friday night was awful. I forgot to put a pillow under my knees until 2:30 in the morning when I got up to take some more Valium & Vicadin. That helped. I've been sitting in my recliner most of the day working word find puzzles. Nothing on TV to watch. I tried taking a nap, but that didn't happen.

I'm just so thankful to have this all overwith, except for the tattoo later in this office. It's spit bathes for a while now and no reaching over my head or picking up anything heavy.

Sandy just does not understand what is wrong with Mama and why I'm not playing with him like I have been! He is so cute. In one sense it's like he knows something is wrong and he is treating me different and then the next minute----he's taking a nip out of my. So you have to watch him. I sat outside with him twice today so he could play with someone out there.

Once again, Medical City Dallas was just wonderful. The nurses and everyone were so gracious and caring. We are so pleased to be there.

Sunday the 9th

Sandy just doesn't understand why Mama can't get down in the floor and play with him like before Friday! So Dad has to do double duty rough-housing with him to run his energy off.

I have a little more energy today and don't feel as sore all over. Took a peek under the bandages and everything looks better than I expected. The left breast is really swollen and bruised a bit from removing the mediport and inserting the silicone implant in it. And the right breast with the silicone implant is SOFT again, instead of hard like it was with the tissue expander. The left breast is firmer than it was because the doctor removed so much of the cystic junk out of it at the reduction in May and then he placed in the silicone implant in it Friday so the 2 breasts will more closely resemble each other. The nipple he constructed on the right breast is absolutely amazing. I wish you all could see it-----well, maybe not-----but trust me, it is really really amazing. Later Dr. Hodges will tattoo around it in pink to match the left breast.

I hope to sleep better tonight, learned my lesson and am taking 2 Valiums at bedtime.

The Day After Surgery

Friday night wasn't such a good sleep night. First, I had drains in me again, one on each side. Second, the incisions on the left breast were hurting. And third, I had to sleep on my back. And fourth, I forgot the nifty hint from last May's surgery about placing a pillow underneath your knees to take the pressure off your back.

I woke up about 2:30 and took 2 Valiums and 1 Vicodin and slept pretty good after that. Saturday was lots of napping here and there. We were told not to touch the dressings until Monday morning when we go see Dr. Hodges. I was told not to lift anything over 5 pounds and not lift my hands over my head. The left breast still hurt more, that's because the mastectomy removed virtually all the nerves from the right breast so I don't feel that pain. Guess that's a good thing!

I had a good appetite all day. David kept me fed with McDonald's and Taco Bell. We thought about watching a movie, but knew I wouldn't remember any of it so decided to wait a day.

Flowers From Unitrin Family

What a nice surprise I had Saturday afternoon when a delivery man came with a bouquet of flowers for me!

This beautiful arrangement of flowers was from my Unitrin Family at work. So pretty and those pink flowers swell just scrumptious. I can't thank the people I work with enough for their support and concern while we've gone throught this last year and a half.



Oh, and Sandy liked the flowers, too!!!

Had to keep him from eating the red rose.

He'll eat anything and it just smelled so good.

Thanks bunches!

2 To Go

No, that's not a cigar that Sandy is chewing on---it's a chew stick. This is one of his favorite positions on the stairs.

Sandy is peaking through the stair posts tonight as we play with his ball. He is sporting his new harness 24/7 as of yesterday to get him in the mindset of minding people. He was not happy yesterday but has accepted the harness and the leash when he's in the house today better. Tomorrow he's going to the vet to get his second round of shots. The pickup ride will be fun. Don't figure the shots will be. Then he's chasing the ball down the stairs playing. And finally just a precious puppy!

On a personal note: I turned in my prescriptions today for Vicodin and a muscle relaxer so I'll be ready for whatever comes with the surgery Friday. I also have to call Dr. Hodges office to see when he wants to do the 'drawing' on me prior to surgery. Only 2 days to go! I'll spend the next 2 days getting loose ends tied up at work. I've already been promised strawberry milkshakes and smoothies from Sonic as needed.

Some Things That Sandy Likes

Edges -- furniture edges, pillow edges, throw rug edges

People skin -- hands, ears, noses, toes

Running outside -- like his cousin Kowboy did

Helping Mama grub up crabgrass in the yard -- although 'help' might be a misnomer

Bread -- it's like drugs for him--he only gets 1/2 slice on Sundays

Stairs -- he still goes up them two paws at a time but the coming down is much better

Tiles -- they are soooo cool on his belly to lay on

Rain -- it invigorates him, he just went crazy outside in it today

Playing -- it's like he can't get enough until David plays with him hard and wears him down

Peanut Butter -- worming pills go down easily with a little Jif

Pickup Riding -- with the window down & his head out the window

Baths -- he loves water and would take a bath every time I did if I'd let him

Squirrel -- his favorite toy is his stuffed squirrel, he shakes it ferociously

Being in the house -- he goes out and tinkles and then is so proud to come back in the house

Favorite Store -- Petco cause they let him walk around in there & meet friends

Recliners -- he can get in them by himself now

5 To Go

We had so much fun today with Sandy. First, we all went to Petco to get him a coordinating leash and harness. You can take pets inside Petco if they are leashed, so I carried him until we found the right color and size harness for him. He did very well with it. Sandy loves Petco! He made a new friend there, a Whippet, he tried playing with her, but she wasn't too interested. Everybody in the store had to stop and talk to him and tell him how pretty he is.

Then we went to the farm store in downtown Garland to get him a fresh bale of straw hay for his house. Again, everybody at the farm store had to talk to him and pet him. He was in heaven. And he loves riding in the pickup with the window down. I held him and had ahold of his harness cause sometimes he wanted to lurch out there. He liked the wind.

Next we went to the park, where we took Kowboy to play. But we didn't take him to the big meadow where Kowboy ran and chased the ball. The little boy just played and did some serious smelling at the grass close to the parking area. We sat at a picnic table and let him play.

This afternoon we did away with the old hay and put in the new hay in his house and bagged up the rest of the bale for later. He was having a great time running and jumping in the loose hay until David told him to quit. He really liked that new hay. Cleaned up the backyard and got him all fixed up again.