Photo: Wildman sez, "Chill, baby".Saw the surgeon again today to check out the incision and my well being.
There was a bit of fluid collecting under the mastectomy site and the doc offered to aspirate the fluid. He said I would feel more comfortable with it gone.
He proceeded to swab the area with alcohol and inserted a large gauge needle attached to a line/tube to a large hypodermic syringe. (The nerves were cut in the surgery area and so it was numb). I was lying on the exam table and wanted to look but he asked me to put my head back. But once he had inserted the needle, I asked to look again and he gave the okay.
I actually found it very cool to watch the clear yellow (seromous?) fluid be sucked out. He got out about 25cc out. I asked if I could recycle the large syringe. But, no, I couldn't. That's one thing I noticed about healthcare - their recycling is very poor. They have to throw so much stuff away 'cos it's potentially infectious.
In a conversation Ron and I had after the consult with the doc, Ron remarked how he had been able to appreciate this doctor's amazing ability to be a both a brilliant technical surgeon and also be very emotionally present for his patients. A very rare combination.
I lamented how I felt like "a deer in the headlights". Meaning I'm "It". My ordeal of dealing with this breast cancer journey hasn't afforded me the same space to appreciate this good guy who operated on my chest.
The incision itself looks very good and is healing nicely. He said I could take off the "steri-strips" as the wound had closed up enough.
Next post is all about pain. Can't you just wait!!!
Okay - now hand over the narcotics, please!
