Now just a warning for any of you, this next section will drift in to the TMI category (too much information). So if you’re a little bit squeamish, I advise skipping to the prognosis/pre-treatment part. And for all of you smart asses out there saying I’m way past when I should’ve given a TMI warning, too bad. You’re still reading, aren’t you?
So a week post- second surgery I had a full day of doctoring. First to see the evil Dr. Ho and chew him out for the excruciating pain he put me in. Then to see the good Dr. Jones and praise what a wonderful surgeon she must be because a) I had little to no pain from her surgery and b) she was kind enough to give me a pain prescription that I would need not for her work but the work of Dr. Ho.
So after Dr. Ho’s nurse laughed at my animated description and colorful language of the hell they put me through. He stated that everything was healing up well, looked good, the surgical glue would continue to slough off and he’d see me when it was time to come out.
Although I had no pain from Dr. Jones surgery, the pain from Dr. Ho’s caused me to over utilize my right side – giving myself a big ol’ hematoma (or so I thought). So when I went to see Dr. Jones I told her that this lemon sized lump in my armpit was extremely uncomfortable. Although it didn’t hurt, it didn’t allow me to get comfortable. I had been icing it but it didn’t seem to be going down at all. The good Dr. Jones told me that I shouldn’t have used that side so much. I reminded her that I wouldn’t have had to if the evil Dr. Ho hadn’t caused all the pain on the other side of my body. Which I wouldn’t have had to deal with if she would’ve gotten the port in during her surgery, the first time. But after some prodding she determined it wasn’t a hematoma, but a seroma that could be drained right there in the office.
Now being the biologist that I am I of course had to watch the whole thing. They numb the site with my friend, lidocaine, take out numerous different gauge needles, and just start digging away. By the third syringe of yellow liquid that they pulled from my pit I was in awe. I asked if it would’ve gone away on its own and the good doctor stated “not this much!” In fact her and the nurse kept going on that they hadn’t had a seroma in awhile. They aren’t uncommon, its just been a long time since they’ve had to drain one. Wow – I was feeling really special now (not). First I was only the second person ever that she wasn’t able to put the chemo port in because of my strange anatomy. And now I got to freshen up her seroma draining skills cuz it had been a long time. Gee – lucky me. But I can tell you after getting close to 50cc’s of fluid sucked out of my pit, I felt way better!
Off to see the Oncologist (finally) to figure out my prognosis and treatment plan.
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