Those of you know know me well and know how I just want to power through all of this are probably thinking that surgery still being 5 months away is something I'm not too happy about ... but I did have input into the date, and made that choice. The surgeon was concerned about the damage he can still see on the outside due to my radiation, which has been finished almost 2 months now. He commented that it was apparent that I was burned very badly, and I concurred ... he asked about the skin condition and pain levels and just shook his head in empathy when I told him how bad things got for me for awhile. He said due to what he can see on the outside, it would be at least another 3 months before he would want to do surgery and impact the tissue in that area, which he is certain is not yet completely healed on the inside, since he can still see the remnants of my radiation burns on the outside. So he said "How do you feel about June?"
I told him that my honest response was that I just don't want to spend another full summer in treatment and recovery. I feel like I missed a lot last summer, that I was just going through the motions of my role in the family as I struggled with chemo, fatigue, medical appointments, concerns. And with some things we have going on in our community, with the kids' activities and for work in the month of June ... it just wasn't a good fit. So I said "How do you feel about August?"
His response was that waiting until August was even better. It would mean not having surgery for a full 7 months after radiation, and with deep skin and tissue damage, he felt that I should be looking at the 6-12 month after radiation window for the best results. We also discussed the fact that waiting until August means I won't have my medi-port removed (which is where chemo was administered) until August, and I'll have to continue going to the infusion clinic every 6 weeks for a saline flush of the port to keep it clear. That's not a big deal, but it does mean another 5-6 trips to the clinic between now and surgery time. So we wrapped up our appointment and he sent me out to the scheduler to choose a date for surgery, and a follow up appointment to see him again in June. We talked about preferred dates and she contacted the hospital to find operating room availability. Two of the three dates I had in mind were already booked, so I'm glad we are working on securing a date this far out. Part of the reason it would not be an option on those other dates with bookings is the length of the surgery. They have to block out about 6 hours for me in the OR, as it's an extensive microsurgery that is very complex. He wants me to continue to read and learn all I can about the pros and cons, and if I have any concerns about this option, we can still make adjustments to the surgical plan when I go back in June for a follow up. What I love about this surgeon is his straight forward, candid approach and explanation ... and he sent me off with a smile and the words "Go live your life, enjoy your family, and I'll see you in June." I'm ready to do just that and not have surgery hanging over my head for awhile, I think.
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