The last 72 hours have been a whirlwind! We checked in at Sanford for surgery around 9:45am on Tuesday morning. Mom was wheeled away for surgery at 1:10pm. It is good the surgery was delayed because Dad decided it would be a good idea to park a block away and wander around looking for the surgical towers. He made it in time to give Mom a hug and kiss. I hugged Mom tightly and tried my hardest to hold back tears. As soon as she was around the corner, I cried. I cried because I didn’t want her to be scared or sad. I cried because I didn’t know what else to do. The mastectomy went well, only 1 sentinel node was removed and the immediate pathology showed no cancer, so there was no need to remove anymore lymph nodes. Dr. Denevan met with me after her work was complete and said everything went as expected and we should expect the full pathology from all of the tissue from both breasts on Friday. 

Next, was Dr Breit and his reconstruction work. This procedure lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was getting later in the day and I was called to the consult room. Dr. Breit said the blood supply and muscle tone was excellent. The expander was placed under the muscle, which can be slightly more uncomfortable during recovery, but best for her long term. Her expanders were filled with 200cc each and the remaining skin below the breast was healthy and thick, so she will be very happy with the final results. 

We waited another 1.5 hours for Mom to wake up and stay in recovery until she was moved to her overnight room. When she arrived, she was very groggy and looked very pale. Honestly, I was slightly concerned. She was in a lot of pain and discomfort. When the nurse asked her pain level, she said 3…we had to remind her to be honest and not try to be a hero. Finally she said her pain was a 7/10. She was able to receive pain medication through IV. I later learned that she was definitely in a lot of pain because she was given only a small dose of pain medication in recovery and it was not enough coverage with the anesthesia wearing off. Speaking of anesthesia wearing off, it’s funny the things people say when in that groggy phase. I’m not sure if Mom remembers, but at one point she said to the nurse, “I’m done playing number games with you”. She was referring to the constant question of what pain level are you at. When the rounding resident asked how she was feeling she said, “shitty, shitty, shitty, that’s how I’m feeling”. 😂

The remaining hours were filled with keeping Mom comfortable, trying to have her eat, encouraging rest. She did eat a few bites of chicken noodle soup, orange jello and ice cream. When I say a few bites, literally just a few tiny bites to appease me. She is still having food aversion and issues from the months of chemotherapy. We are praying her taste returns, she loves food and loves cooking. 

Dad went home at 8:00pm when visiting hours were over and I stayed overnight. The evening was quiet, just the regular checks. Beeps, blood pressure cuff filling and deflating, etc. The morning started at 6:00am, catheter removed, breakfast ordered, but not eaten, more number games 😂, visit from both surgeons and lots of napping time for Dad. Mom was cleared for discharge, but she didn’t know if she was ready to go home. We worked on walking and more pain control through the morning (while Dad napped and wandered around) and she was discharged at 2:00pm on Wednesday afternoon.

I will say once we got home, things drastically improved. She seemed more comfortable, happier, just all around more like herself. She ate a full dinner, even having seconds!! My friend, Chrissy, brought Mamas Ladas and all the fixings and it was a hit! I didn’t have to ask, I didn’t even think about dinner and she did it, knowing what we needed. I have not seen my mom eat a whole meal in months, to see her enjoy a meal meant so much, it was a glimpse to what our lives were like before cancer and what it will be like now that she has beat cancer. ❤️

Now on to the best news! I was delayed in sending this update, but I’m glad I waited! We received the pathology results from both the left and right breast tissue removed during the mastectomy. We were expecting the results Friday, so receiving the results today was a nice surprise. The results showed no residual carcinoma (cancer) found in the right breast and no carcinoma found in the left breast. The chemotherapy worked on the cancer and kept the cancer from spreading.

The next steps:
-surgical followup next week with Dr Denevan and Dr Breit
-drains removed in the next 1-2 weeks 
-re-evaluation for radiation (based on pathology results we will push for no radiation at this time)
-fill expanders to the desired breast size over the next 90 days
-surgery to remove the expanders and place permanent implants
-Herceptin and Perjeta infusion every 21 days until March 2022

I’m not sure if this is where the journey ends, but it is the end for Mom’s cancer.

Suffering is redemptive. Whatever we endure we can offer on behalf of others, just as Jesus offered the pain of the cross. Instead of running from our suffering, we can embrace it. I am so proud of Mom, she taught me this and lives it out with grace.

Thank you for walking with us on this journey. With love and gratitude, Jaime