Operation 'Boob'…Round 2!

Operation Boob, round 2 went without a glitch! Steve and I arrived at NGH at 7.30 on 26th March and this time we were promptly taken through to the ward and I was official admitted.

Mr Dawson met with me, and again went through what would be happening and preparing me for the appearance of my wound/breast area. Having asked whether there was anything I had done to lead to the infection, he reassured me that I hadn't and that when I go on to have reconstruction in the future , the risk of it happening again would reduce as I would not be having chemotherapy at the same time.

Because the skin sparing implant, has been removed , any reconstruction now is likely to involve grafts from either the back or the tummy. More war wounds and more decisions for another day.

The anaesthetist also met with me and mentioned that I was anaemic, which explained my marathon sleep yesterday!

Steve planned to go to work whilst I was at hospital and he had been preoccupied with work texts and emails as he waited with me for the surgery. Feeling 'alert' to the activity around me, the time went quickly and at 9.20am Steve gave me a hug and a kiss and left me in the hands of the anaesthetist who had come to collect me for surgery .

Whilst the significance and implications of the surgery was not lost on me, I do not remember feeling anything other than 'acceptance' of what was about to happen. There were two attempts to get veins for the anaesthetic and I was soon out for the count.

The next thing I remember is looking at the clock in recovery at 10.10am and I was taken back to the day ward shortly after that , where I snoozed some more!

I woke to a large tight dressing over my left breast area, which I was expecting and I felt no pain at all. The drugs probably helped, but I can honesty say that I have not felt any pain from the wound…may be some discomfort in certain positions, but otherwise all very doable!

During his rounds , Mr Dawson confirmed that it had been the right decision to remove the implant… he used the word 'manky' to describe what he had found…The word sounded so wrong coming from Mr Dawson, who is well spoken and  has a very soothing tone, but it just 'humanised' the whole thing and I appreciated that…

The ward was a great deal calmer than it had been in November and the nurses as usual were great . I was initially under half hourly observations and my blood pressure was again causing debate.

I made it out by 4.20pm an after a stop off at Waitrose …. we arrived at home , I made myself some soup and it was back to normality… as if nothing had happened…..for the outside world anyway!