Rest 12.14.2007

Dan got up this morning at 0700 to go work out; I rolled over and liked having the bed to myself. When I surfaced, I think it was either 8:30 or 9:30, I don't remember which. I was pretty foggy. Sinuses full, tired, eww. Get up. I took a Claritin and a couple of tylenol. Man, my breast is full and sore. Maybe not so full as last night....

I sat on the sofa with my arm propped on it's arm, and the heating pad. yo, that feels good. I unlooped the ace wrap from around my neck, and sat there for a while, probably an hour or so, just surfin' the net, kinda veggin'...

The phone rings, it's Sharon from Human Resources at Foote. I had called her and left a message to ask about the info needed to submit to Colonial for the Cancer Policy claims. Her advice was to get the medical records from the hospital relating to the surgeries to include with the Blue Cross Explanation of Benefits. Thanks for the info...

I might be feeling a little better, it's about 1030, and I get up to take care of biologic matters, and I'm hungry too. As I was fixing breakfast and brewing a fresh pot, Dan came home. I finished eating, we chatted, then I go to shower. You know I had to inspect the wounds. Where the most discomfort has been, yesterday and this morning, it's reddened, and still tender and full. There are a couple of quarter-sized spots of drainage on the pad, a darker, almost brownish tan color, different than what I've been seeing. The incision under my arm is kind of puckered, but maybe it's because of the fluid underneath?? And it does look a little wet, like it's oozing slightly. I press a little, and a spot emerges. It still looks like the orange red stuff I saw the other day. ok. In the shower.

The water feels good, and I massage the breast and underarm to try to move the fluid out. I only get a couple of drops, but at least some of it moves. After the shower I leave off the ace wrap and bra to let everything rest. About 3 o'clock I ask Dan to help me rewrap, and we looked at how things are healing. There is still a shadow or discoloration on the bottom or underside of the breast. The breast and nipple are softer, but still very sore and tender. The incision on the breast itself looks scads better. hm--maybe I did need antibiotics. There is redness, however, still on the top of the breast, and the underarm incision definitely is reddened, mostly at the incision and below, maybe to an inch or so. Good call, Doc. Fullness above that incision and into the pit, and forward of that, but not like it was, a lump. Just full, and tender now. Dan also notices that my back appears to be full, over the shoulder blade and the shoulder socket itself. You know, my shoulder was tight and a little sore yesterday, I found myself rubbing it and not using it as much in the afternoon. That fluid has to go somewhere.....

We wrap the 8 inch wide ace wrap around my torso, over the breast (to "lift and support", and to compress also) and around my neck to the back, then under the arm and back to the front, under the left breast. I hold the end of it, and we use the 4 inch wide too, overlapping the ends a bit, then bringing it around the back, under the arm to compress the incision, around the neck, around the back to the front, and taped it to secure it. That feels really good. He helps me with the "everyday" bra (the right breast is dangling in space and feeling left out) and I feel mostly put together. Daniel has prepared a lovely meal of steak and mushrooms and acorn squash and tells me it's ready. Has God been good to me or what...???

I go to Jackson, all is well there, get mom fed, washed up and tucked in, and come home. I have sharp burning pain at the areola where the dye stain is. It seems to ebb, then come on again. The heating pad is my friend, but the pain doesn't stay gone. After a couple hours of this, I finally take a couple tylenol while I try to finish my blog. Daniel has gone to bed, and can you believe it's 11:30 again??

I'll write tomorrow. Thanks for reading.