Cut it out!

So it’s surgery time and I am struggling to think of appropriate songs to add to my playlist for this phase. The only thing I can think of is Full House and “Cut It Out.”

But between the playlist I made myself and the playlist you all made for me, I do have plenty of music to entertain/comfort/energize me.

As for the schedule, I have the lumpectomy tomorrow (November 12th) and reconstruction on the 26th. During tomorrow’s surgery, they will remove the tumor, the calcifications left from the chemo and the surrounding areas (called the margins). They will also remove a few lymph nodes to test them to make sure the cancer hasn’t spread there (all imaging has not indicated there is, but they like to double-check).

Even though chemo shrunk the tumor, it still is a fairly substantial surgery. So, that’s why reconstruction will follow two weeks later. And yes, if you are looking at a calendar, that is two days before Thanksgiving! The plastic surgery itself will be more complex (it is a latissimus flap surgery–feel free to google it!) and require more recovery time than the lumpectomy itself will.

As for steps after that, tomorrow after surgery, they will send the tumor off for more genetic testing. The results of the testing is what will determine the radiation next steps. Radiation length and type is apparently all over the place. So as a planner, I would really like to know those steps, but I won’t know that until December!

And after that, hormone therapy for, well, years…

My plans for recovery from surgery: to recover! But as someone who multi-tasks a little too much, I don’t usually do well sitting still to watch TV. So for this time, I have a list of subtitled shows and movies–that should keep me focused and clam since I have to read and watch. I also have Sudoku and Duolingo to keep me relaxing appropriately and still keeping my brain engaged! I’m also sure there will be recommended exercises as well. And if that’s not enough, there is always Murder, She Wrote!

I also did some grocery shopping today so make sure I had some favorite foods on hand during the recovery. And the snack in the featured image is my favorite for the day before surgery: propitious ice cream. I love the idea of ice cream to bring a successful result! (It’s also delicious.) If you can find it, have one for me!