October 9, 2025

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 Pre-op Appt #1

Today Nathan and I traveled to VCU to meet with my breast surgeon to go over my upcoming surgery. 

Dr. Louie explained the procedure, how long I'd be there, etc. I did review my notes and books the night before and had a list of questions prepared for this visit. Here are some things I asked:

Do I need to self donate blood ahead of time?  

    Answer was No. There shouldn't be that much blood loss.

How many days in the hospital after surgery?   

    Answer was 1, 2 if there were issues with bleeding, hematomas or anything like that. 

Approximately how long will it take Pathology to determine if there's need for further treatment?

    Answer was typically 2-3 weeks.

Approximately how long will the drain tubes be in?

    Answer was 2 weeks on average, depending on the volume of drainage.

How long is the typical recovery time? Is working from home an option?

    Answer was 4-6 weeks, but they will write me a note to return to working remote if I'm up to it, but really focus on healing.

When will physical therapy begin? 

    Answer was when plastics give the clearance. 

I tend to prepare for the worst, hope and pray for the best so I also inquired about the signs of Lymphedema and how common it is. 

The doctor also suggested I get a soft pillow for the ride home to help with the discomfort of the seat belt across my chest and was told that a recliner might be helpful as sleeping flat may hurt for a little while. I don't have a recliner so I guess I'm gonna have to deal with the pain. 

Rebecca is my surgical oncology nurse and just so happens to be the nurse that phoned down to the Roanoke oncology office when I was having the terrible reaction to the "red devil" cocktail before... I love her. She went over some more post-op info with me as well, including the surgical bra and how the drains hook to it. She also went over with us how to empty and measure the fluid and how important it is to track the volumes at each empty. 

   

The good news is that I can shower 48 hours after surgery.... so basically once I'm home and settled I should be able to shower if I'm up to it. 

Post-op pain management instructions were stressed by both the surgeon and the nurse.... Motrin and Regular Strength Tylenol, alternating every 3 hours. They will prescribe a pain med as well, but this regimen was strongly recommended, even if it meant setting an alarm to take it in the middle of the night. I highly doubt that'll happen, unless the timeline happens to fall on the same schedule as my middle-of-the-night pee times... 

Next up.... Plastic Pre-Op Appt....


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