SEPTEMBER 2015 Surgery Sisters

Lovey, I think the idea of your party is wonderful. Will you be dancing topless? When is your surgery?

Pennsygal, I also have a teenage male at home. He's horrified just by the notion of Mom's breasts (even though they were once his favorite things in the world). I'm draped in scarves so as not to call attention to them--or lack thereof. I haven't read the new Judy Blume; that's a great idea. I'm reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which I'm quite liking. But S-L-O-W-L-Y....because my brain can only handle so much this week.

I've eyed that Erik Larson book--thanks for the recommendation. Looks good! And I know what you mean; this whole process is so overwhelming that I have to take my reading in short chunks. I have Kate Atkinson's A God in Ruins out from the library, but I wasn't quite up to it in those last few days leading up to surgery. Will try it again after I finish Station Eleven.

Yeah, this is hard on a teen boy. Mine doesn't want to talk about it, but if I share some news, i.e. "doc says the chemo is working well," he is unspeakably relieved.

If we are talking books, let me just say that I've read a bunch in the past three weeks. It's always hard to recommend books to people when you don't know what they like, so I'll just tell you what I've read. I thought all these were good reads - because if I don't get into a book now, it goes right back on the shelf. So, I've read...

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - mystery type of book; fast read!

Gut: The Inside Story of the Body's Most Underrated Organ by Guilia Enders - ha ha, can't believe I'm admitting this publicly! (Have I mentioned that I am a nerd?) (And I teach biology. LOL.)

Everything I've Never Told You by Celeste Ng - kind of depressing book about a dysfunctional family, but I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day.

Together Tea by Marjan Kamali - nice mother-daughter story; much more warm and fuzzy than Everything I've Never Told You.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - I'm sure you all have heard of this one.

Now I'm reading another nerdy biology-related book...

I loved Station Eleven, but I can well imagine it'd be slow going if you were distracted. I'll have to look up Girl on a Train--good thing I hung around!

Books! My favorite subject. I just read a book called "The Dirty Life" by Kirstin Kimball. It's a memoir about a city girl turned farmer. I loved it. "Gone Girl" is much better than the movie. If you like detective novels the first two books by JK Rowling as Robert Galbraith "The Cuckoo's Calling " and" The Silkworm " were fun reads.

Kelly Anne, I'm so sorry you've had complications. Hope your surgeon can give you some good options.

I really enjoyed the two "Robert Galbraith" books! Dang that woman can write.

cbwitt, I think we have already started a book club thread right here!

Gone Girl: good to know it's better than the movie. Maybe I'll dip into it. I finished Station 11 last night. I really enjoyed the way the plotting came together in the end. The story wandered from present to past and back and was really satisfying. Recommend it highly. And she's really great with settings.

Next: either Kate Atkinson's latest or a Harlan Coben thriller. Or both at the same time? That's allowed!

Good luck to all those having surgery this week.

I decided to go it last night without the narcotic (Norvo). Found that extra strength Tylenol is now adequate for pain control, but my body was expecting the narcotic. Was playing solitaire at 3:00 AM and suspect I'll be napping this afternoon.

I AM DUE TO HAVE A LUMPECTOMY AND LYMPH NODE REMOVAL ON THE 8TH OCT

Thank you. Fortunately I am in the hands of a very well respected surgeon who I believe made the right call to give me the best outcome. It just really sucks that I will have surgery again in the next couple of weeks. My kids are 23, 20 and 13 and the first was hard enough on them.

On the bright side I'm ready to get moving! Can't wait for these drains to be out.

I am struggling a bit at night with anxiety creeping in. I had a very bad bout of it during chemo from the steroids I had to take. I ended up on medication and had just managed to get off it a couple of weeks before surgery. Probably wasn't the best time!

Anyhow I really can't believe there are so many of us with Sept surgeries but I sure am glad I'm not alone!!

I also wish everyone the best of luck with surgeries this week. Please pamper yourselves....
I agree with

Best wishes to all of you having surgery this week!

good luck for all the surgery buddies this week. Im a week out and thankfully down to two drains. I must have over done myself yesterday so I'm really sore tonight. Been only using extra strength Tylenol and Valium for the muscle relaxer. Not sure how I'm going to sleep,tonight. Pain is real today. Please make sure you don't over do it!! Now why didn't I listen to myself on that note

@39andhip- I think you might have to take in TKAM the way I did: at age 12 or so. We were visiting friends of my parents, and they had a copy. I gulped it down in a day. For some reason when my son was a toddler I bought a copy and tried it again. So interesting to read with an adult perspective--and you could see what she was doing to make it such an extraordinary book. But for me, the read I'll always remember was my 12-year-old self, crouched over the book in someone else's home, not understanding all of it but knowing that it was nothing like anything I'd ever read before.

any one experiencing any dizziness I'm a week out from surgery 1 have no pain haven't took any pain meds for 3 days but I'm dizzy if I make sudden movements or if there's a loud noise it's so frustrating

Steph, no dizziness, but I'm surprised at how energy comes and goes. Yesterday i was fine, today kind of groggy. Tomorrow I'll be a week out. Can't wait to get the drains out--Friday, I hope.

Pennsygal, staying calm is almost impossible. I think I posted above: when they took my blood pressure before surgery, it had skyrocketed. Of course I freaked out, but they said everyone has stress-related high blood pressure before surgery. The next morning, it was completely back to normal.

I'm 9 days out and although healing well, I'm still tired and in pain. I think I actually have new sore places that I didn't feel several days ago! But I'm only taking Tylenol. I had dizziness the first 3 days but I think that was from the anesthesia