Marjorie is going in for her breast removal surgery tomorrow morning to remove the cancer and most likely the lymph nodes.
She has had a difficult time dealing with this new cancer diagnosis especially after being cancer free for 20 years but the cancer came back in the same breast. She has been taking estrogen reducing drugs for the past few weeks leading up to the surgery.
Marjorie still has her chemo shunt in her body on the right side. When Doctors put her pacemaker in they put it on the left side. After meeting with the Doctors the cardiologist was all for removing the shunt and moving the pacemaker over because the breast cancer is on the left side. This troubled Marjorie and she really feared for her life.
Her Surgeon said he could work around the pacemaker and said that a shunt that has been in the body that long would be difficult to remove. Marjorie was a wreck until she talked to the Oncologist and she assured Marjorie the shunt would remain where it was and the surgeon assured her he was fine with the pacemaker where it was.
Marjorie was somewhat relieved until she went in for an ultrasound and the technician focused on the area of her neck and called in the radiologist. Marjorie was then even more terrified that she wasn't going to survive. I told her she probably has a blockage in the neck which she already knew about because she has already had a couple of strokes.
She has had a lot of ups and downs the last few weeks and really is terrified of being put out. Any surgery she has had she has been awake before. I told Marjorie she has survived things that would bring strike most people down so why did she think she wouldn't survive this. I have always said despite how sickly Marjorie has been since childhood she would most likely outlive us all.
She is really stressing out over this surgery - not so much the surgery but being put out and not waking up. I got a call at 10:30 the other night from Marjorie's friend from out of town. She said she had been trying to reach Marjorie for hours but Call Answer came on after the first ring. She said Marjorie was really stressing and Ruth Anne was worried that something happened to her. I tried calling but got the same result. I was pretty sure Marjorie forgot to hangup the phone or was sleeping but to reassure Ruth Anne I called my brother to take me downtown to her apartment. Of course I wasn't able to buzz through to her apartment because the system goes through her phone. I waited for about 20 minutes for someone to come out and in I went. This apartment building is none to secure as you can tell.
I went up to her apartment and I could hear her television blaring and I looked through the peephole and the apartment was in darkness. I was a little concerned then because she doesn't go to bed that early and she wouldn't go to bed with the television on. I knocked and no answer, I knocked harder and still no answer, then I banged on the door and called her name. She yelled out "go away" She didn't know it was me. I had to tell her 4 times it was me. LOL One of the pills she is taking makes her fall asleep and that is what she did. I had brought her some groceries so I told her she had to come to the door. I then told her to call Ruth Anne and relieve her mind.
One other thing that has Marjorie concerned is all the Doctors and the hospital have on record that it is her right breast that needs to be removed. I told Marjorie she better write something or put a sticky on the breast that needs to be removed or write on the right breast and say "not this one" LOL I also told her that when she is on the table the breast is on her left but on their right and maybe that is where the confusion comes in. I hope they remove the right - oh I mean left one. LOL
I've been trying to keep her positive. I will be with her at the hospital all day tomorrow. Normally they release you the same day but because of Marjorie's heart problems she will stay in for at least another day. She will then go to a retirement complex for respite for 4 days then come back to my house for a week.
Marjorie was told that she wouldn't be having chemo which she likes and also she would not have radiation treatments again because I guess you can't have it in the same place you have been treated before. She was also told that her incision may not heal because of the past radiation treatments.
I know she will pull through this and I understand why she is terrified but I am sure she will be okay.
Thanks for your good thoughts.
Anne
lindyluwho
heather_on
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