Unplugged. Week Two Follow Up.

I had my two week follow up today with my surgeon. My drainage has decreased to 5-10ml's for the last few days, so the drain is coming out! After two weeks I can finally take a shower!!! My plastic surgeon didn't want to risk infection from any thing getting in the drain tube so she advised "No showers/baths" until the drain was removed. She said some patients get creative with saran wrap or garbage bags and tape, but that seemed too complicated so I stuck with sponge baths.

I was really nervous about getting the drain removed. Terry and Scott did a great job distracting me, talking about everything except what was happening, which was really helpful. My pain meds make me a little wonky so when I felt a poke I thought it was my doctor injecting an anesthetic to numb the area, but she was actually cutting and pulling out the sutures. I was thinking, if I can feel the tube coming out with anesthesia, it must be really painful without. In truth, no anesthesia was given and it wasn't that bad. It was just weird to feel the tube sliding out from under my skin. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined. (I have read on forums that some drains have barbs on the end that hurt like hell when they are removed. Talk to your doctor about what kind of drain you have. You may need to take something before hand to take the edge off.)

The combination of drugs has made me nauseous, light headed and has increased my insomnia. I feel like I'm walking around in a foggy haze and not able to think clearly. I've felt dazed and confused but not in a good way, more in a paranoid the cops are coming way. My doctor recommended backing off of the narcotic pain killers and only using them as needed and instead scheduling the muscle relaxer into my medicine routine to help control the pain. After the mastectomy, my plastic surgeon put the temporary expander under the muscle that will be filled gradually and then replaced with the implant. I can feel the muscles tightening around the expander which has been painful and sensitive to the touch. The muscle relaxers should help everything loosen up and hurt less.

When I'm up and active for too long I get fatigued and more sore, so I'm still trying to stay in bed as much as possible. I've been listening to podcasts and farting around on the inter webs. "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons really struck a chord with me and when I looked up the video I found this non-official one below and learned about Tyler Robinson. If you don't want to cry you can watch the band's video here https://youtu.be/sENM2wA_FTg to hear the song, otherwise check out the home video below that Tyler's brother took.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqwx2fAVUM0
Tyler battled a life threatening staph infection when he was 12 years old, he fought and beat it after 8 surgeries and a month in the ICU. Followed by 6 months of heavy antibiotics and hospital visits.
4 years later, at the age of 16 he was diagnosed with stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that had infected 95% of his bone marrow. After a year and a half of chemo (20 rounds) and 6 weeks of radiation he was declared cancer free. No doubt he fought like a champion during his battle with cancer. Just 4 months after being declared cancer free, at the age of 17, he unexpectedly passed away due to complications from 3 large cancerous tumors that had formed in his brain. This video is a memory of the great man that he is.

The story of Tyler's life and how Imagine Dragons got involved to start the Tyler Robinson Foundation is perfectly told in this additional video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISpAgxW1vQw

"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top
Don't hold back
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

So this is where you fell
And I am left to sell
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top
Don't look back
Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain check

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

This road never looked so lonely
This house doesn't burn down slowly
To ashes
To ashes

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

2/18/16