My lumpectomy had to be postponed

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to check in.  I was almost ready for the lumpectomy, which was scheduled for December 12, when 3 days before (so on Monday of last week - when the surgery was to be on Thursday), I got very sick.  I thought at first it was the stomach flu, but felt a bulge and it turned out that the hernia I'd had for years had become an incarcerated one and I was having a bowel impaction. 

I was at our local ER all day before the CAT scan confirmed and they "thought the surgeon could handle it". My family insisted I be taken to the Boston hospital where I was already registered, because of the DCIS.  My daughter was in contact with my breast surgeon and she thought that, depending on what happened, I might still be able to have the lumpectomy on Thursday, while still there. 

It happened that there was a complication - part of the bowel had died by the time the Boston surgeons could operate. So, I had a bowel resection as well as the hernia repair. It was also a surprise that it was a femoral incarcerated hernia rather than the inguinal they'd expected, which made it more difficult. If I hadn't gone to Boston, I don't think I would have made it.

 The breast surgeon was wonderful, coming to visit twice and my surgeons were in contact with her.  After four days of recuperation, I came home on Friday and am still recuperating, of course, 4 days later.  I've been able to start eating solids and all systems are working. I'm weaned off pain meds (except Tylenol).

My DCIS surgery is now scheduled for the 30th, five days after Christmas, and I have to avoid colds at any cost - which is hard, seeing the whole family.  There have been days when I wake up and wonder how I can get into Boston and have another surgery in 12 days.  I have to be at the hospital at 7, have a mammogram at 8 (they want to do their own instead of using the one from October 21st), have the wire inserted at 9 and surgery (twilight type) at about 10:30.

I had asked the doctor how I'd do with the radiation which would start soon after the lumpectomy, since I'd still be recuperating from the hernia and bowel resection surgery.  Since the site of DCIS is on the upper and outer of my left breast, I've been imagining being prone on a table with my breast on the side - to avoid the rads contacting parts of my body they don't need to.  But with the hernia site now, I can't imagine laying on my stomach.  The doctor said that by the time the oncology plan is developed and in place, it will most likely be a couple of weeks later, anyway.   I was so surprised that this sneaked up on me.  One good thing was that I was about as fully prepared for totally unexpected emergency surgery as one could be.

On a lesser note, I had all of my shopping done (expecting the lumpectomy to be on the 12th).  Also all wrapping.  Also, our two Christmas birthday girls (24th and 26th) had their gifts all bought and wrapped.  On a more important note, I had ceased having wine with dinner (this was important for some reason).  No anti-inflammatories.  I was hydrated, having had lots of water in the previous week.  My aunt had died the previous week and I didn't go to the services (my aunt would have understood and my family did, too) because I couldn't risk getting a cold before the 12th.  So, I was in good shape for the emergency surgery, because of DCIS planned surgery.  Now, as long as I don't get sick seeing the family on Christmas, I'll have that behind me as I begin the new year and I can move on to whatever is next.