The question of the day is....So why does a 45 min surgery have to take 7 hours? We arrived at 6:30 as per request and got home at 2:00. I was taken in a little late but not bad, and the surgery lasted about the time we were told. What a day. The surgery went well other than my right shoulder feels like it was hit with a sledge hammer. I really would have preferred it to be in my left shoulder but I didn't have a say in the matter. Particularly since it has to go into a particular vein. Bad news is (and the surgeon wrote this specifically) "NO golf for a month; can work on short game". Now this impressed me as the guy is not a golfer. Most wouldn't know what short game meant. Actually the release nurse who went over the orders read it and said "Do you know what that means?" I kind of laughed and said yes and she said "ok as long as you do."
Some info about the port. Most of you probably have known someone with a port but I am finding a few do not. The ports these days lie completely under the skin. I can feel it (very gently) but all you can see is kind of a bump. The nurses are trained in how to find it and the receiving part and there is a special kind of needle and connection they use. They can either draw blood or insert meds/i v. Since the chemo is only going to be given twice the main purpose is to draw blood to keep blood counts on me. I understand this could be done more than one time a day while I'm in the hospital. After I leave the hospital it will be done almost every day when I go to radiation. I also understand I will have to keep the port for a while after my last treatment as the radiation continues to work for 8 weeks after the last treatment. So I will be going into the lab for blood work during that time.
Tomorrow I go for my hair cut. It will be a drastic cut as it will be the last time before chemo/radiation starts on the 8th. I really don't know how to describe to my hairdresser how I want it cut. I don't want it shaved but very short. Who knows what I'll get? It will be interesting.
I have been lining up hats of all kinds. Even if I don't lose my hair completely with it being so short and then thining out I will need a hat to protect from the sun or to keep warm in the air conditioning. So I am getting a sleep hat from one friend and a straw sun hat from another friend. Of course, being a golfer I have a lot of golf hats. I have a couple of visors too, but I don't think they would accomplish much.
So I guess in the next couple of days I will post a couple of pics to let you see the hair before and after. And then maybe again, really after. Appreciate everyones prayers and cards and thoughts. God is with us. My love to all.