I'm awake, with lots of breast talk!

Today was the day. Bi-lateral lumpectomy day. Thank goodness it's over. I checked into the out-patient surgical center at 7am. Blood sugar too high, 197 after treating a stubborn low with 2 juice boxes before bed. I corrected the high in half, I don't want to go low if I can't eat before surgery.....No coffee to wake me up.....oh man. That's torture in itself! I was so jealous of all those people in line at the hospital coffee cart!

((It's now 10 hours post "twilight" anesthesia, I'm finally awake and not falling in and out of a deep sleep! So much for the "local" anesthesia only plan!))

Upon arriving I was Pre-registered, blood draw.....by 8:30am I was called back to have a "wire" localization in the right breast mass because its so small and isn't easily found without ultrasound. This crazy procedure table had a large hole where you place your breast laying face down. Weird stuff! Lidocaine injection to numb the area.....not numb enough! I could feel the wire being fished into the lump. Pushing and pulling. Ouch! On to Mammo to see if the wire is in right. As if Mammo's aren't uncomfortable enough, strecthing your breast to China and back....this way and that. Now with wires protruding through my open wound! Double ouch!

No luck. The Mammo shows the wire didn't make it to the mass. Repeat the procedure from a different direction. Blood sugar 152. Perfect for surgery. But this time standing at the Mammo machine after being squeezed to death (now with 4 wires protruding from my breast) I got dizzy. I knew my blood sugar **should** be stable, so it couldn't be a low could it? I'm weak and shaky. The Mammo tech noticed I was pale. We had to stop the Mammo. In rushed Dr Z.....I asked the tech to grab my meter in my purse. Blood sugar stable, 158. Dr Z couldn't believe how fast todays blood meters are to display a result. I thought that was funny in my confused haze. Stat order for IV and D5 from the lab. I'm back to laying on the weird table with the hole in it after the panic of everyone running around preparing to treat a low that ended up not being a low. Stress and anxiety I guess. A boob can only take so much! Darn wires!

After half an hour to recover from my weakness, and with IV inserted (BS now 131) The THIRD attempt for wire placement was successful. Three times I was numbed, and all three times I could feel the wire trying to make its way into this mass. "Push" "Pressure" OUCH. I'm thinking puncture, not just pressure! Finally going upstairs to surgery....The 10 minute wire placement ended up being nearly 2 hours of torture. By now I'm exhausted and haven't even had the excisions yet! I was quickly informed that I needed to have "twilight" anesthesia, not just "local" anesthesia for the mass removals. GREAT. I didnt plan for this! I planned for a simple cut, cut, stitch, stitch. Blood sugar is 156. Turned down my pump to 50% for two hours. Medication injected into the IV....the countdown......1....2.....3....OUT.

I consider myself to be pretty pain tolerant. I would take pain over waking up from anesthesia any day. Pain I dont mind, anesthesia I HATE. The first words I remember asking the RN upon waking was "what is my blood sugar?" I felt low. I was 123. Perfect! The excisional lumpectomy for both masses took just 1 hour, while the torture of wire placement was longer than the surgery itself! I dont remember the drive home. I went straight to bed (thanks Toni!) and slept several hours. The girls gave me kisses. The stinky dogs pushed the bedroom door open to check me out. Weird how dogs know when something isn't right. 5 hours after the "twilight" anesthesia I still couldn't stay awake. I had a quick bite to eat, bolused half and went back to bed.

Now the pain set in. Not the left side with the huge excision. Nope. The pain is from my poor right side with the questionable tiny mass that was poked, stretched and tortured for an hour to get the wire in. Percocet. I really didn't think I would need it, but I guess that right sided torture did me in. Back to sleep, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Man how I hate anesthesia! Finally.....10 hours post "twilight" anesthesia I'm AWAKE! I'm sooooo happy to just be able to stay AWAKE! I hate feeling controlled by medication, anesthesia, Diabetes......YUCK.

So, I feel good! Monday I have an appointment with Dr Z's office to go over the results. I'm not worried. I'm just happy this is over and done. (and sad we missed Wendy's swim party for our support group today!) Thanks everyone for your well wishes! Time for more Percocet and sleep, Dad is taking care of Diabetes for 2 tonight!