Month: June 2007 (Page 3 of 3)

I apologize for the last “depressing” post.    I’m not usually prone to feeling down.  I even feel selfish focusing on myself rather than Sophia.   She’s the one who should be depressed, but instead, she’s keeping her spirits high — thanks to many of you!

We heard back from her surgeon yesterday, and our celebrating was a bit early.  They saw some more DCIS in the sample they removed, meaning Sophia’s not over this mess just yet.  They will either want to do a THIRD surgery on her breast, or give her some sort of radiation therapy.   We’re waiting for the final results.

Doesn’t that suck?

We have to keep in mind that DCIS means “Stage 0” cancer, and no one has talked about more serious treatments, like chemotherapy.  But still, it is a major major major downer — and Sophia still hasn’t recovered from the first surgery.  Can’t someone invent some machine to see cancer cells without removing the tissue first?

I know my blog might seem like a downer lately.  Hopefully, you won’t see it like that, but instead focus on Sophia’s inspirational strength, like I do.

On a lighter note, Yahoo and Google mail are now embedding personalized “cancer treatment” ads with the mail.  Nice! 

1)  Sophia went into surgery with her usual good humor, making the staff laugh, and giving them the stickers that she had received from Eileen in Australia.

2)  Sophia patched things up with her surgeon, who explained that the “error” during the last surgery wasn’t really an error at all!  Sometimes, the tissue comes out in a twisted strand that doesn’t allow for orientation.  This still doesn’t explain why the other doctor told us this while the surgeon was on vacation.  Do doctors communicate with each other?  Was all that emotional stress for nothing?  Is the emotional well-being of the patient an afterthought?

3)  The surgery took about an hour.  The surgeon came out into the waiting room (finally!  He never did after the other surgery) and told me that the procedure went well.

4)  After Sophia woke up from the anaesthesia, she was crying so much that her pain got really bad and her blood pressure went extremely high.  The nurse had to give her some morphine.  The nurse told me that sometimes “the sub-conscious” speaks after waking up from surgery.

5)  As the nurse took Sophia’s temperature, I stood in front of the bed and massaged Sophia’s right foot.  I was surprised when Sophia, drunk from the powerful morphine, used her left foot to rub my groin up and down.  It felt good, but a little inappropriate in the recovery room.  Sophia insists this episode never occurred, but I have the nurse as an eyewitness, even though she was very polite about not mentioning the result.

6)  Sophia is exhausted and in terrible pain.  She took a vicodin, and it didn’t help at all, so she took another one, despite my protests.  The bottle says – only one every 4 hours.

7)  I slept on the bedroom floor last night — to be close to Sophia, but to also give her some room.  I’m glad I vacuumed the carpet on Wednesday.  I’m going to go back to sleep now.

8)  Despite her pain, I know that everything will be great in a few days.  Sophia will be healed and healthy.

9)  Thank you for all your support.  I’m sorry if I haven’t thanked you personally for your card or email.   (Nics in Belfast — Thanks for the beautiful flowers!)

10)  The Cedars-Sinai Breast Cancer clinic was packed yesterday.  Is Thursday free mammogram day?