Surgery tomorrow – how can you help?

1) The surgery itself is a 10-12 hour surgery. I go to the Royal Jubilee at 6am tomorrow morning and into the OR at 7:50. When I am done, they will call Jeff and he will come to the hospital then. He does not have access to post anything on my FB, and I think training him to do so tonight isn’t very high on the priority list. So pls be patient with him. Please do not inundate him with texts and calls and emails asking how I’m doing and if I’m out yet, as this is already a super stressful time for him, and technology is not his strong suit. When I’m able to, I will post an update or have someone do so on my behalf.

2) I don’t know how long I will be in the hospital, but I know it will be until at least Friday. I will be in 7 Southwest. My inlaws are coming to stay at the house to take care of everyone for the week. Jeff will be home with me for the long weekend, and possibly a few days after that. My mom is also coming down during the time that I’m in the hospital. I really, honestly, don’t want a lot of visitors in the hospital. The last thing I need to worry about is hosting people while I’ve got tubes and drains sticking out everywhere. If I need a sandwich or a Starbucks I have a few people on speed dial. But thank you for all the offers. For the record – my go to Starbucks drink is a “venti 4 pump classic, easy ice green tea lemonade.”

3) Once I am home, I will be also limited to visitors. I’m going to be completely honest with you. I am not a fan of visits. And by that I mean the traditional “hi, come look at me with pity and watch me sit on the couch and tell the same story over and over” visits. I hate awkward conversations. I much prefer a walk or a trip to Starbucks, but I have no idea when I will be up for that. So stay tuned on that one.

4) As far as food goes, it’s always welcome, just not all at once. I don’t have a food coordinator per se, but last surgery I ended up at one point with 7 dozen cookies and ten loaves at the same time. Jeff is adamant that he can take care of stuff here, but every now and then it would be nice for him to have a break. As I said – inlaws are here first week. I’ll let it be known when we need help.

5) How am I doing? Well I’m terrified. I have never been overnight in the hospital let alone cut from hip to hip and armpit to armpit with all things relocated. I have packed my bag ten times. I’m pissed off that there’s no wifi at the hospital, and that Netflix and Shomi and Shaw free range TV all require wifi on my iPad. So here I thought I’d be downloading stuff to my iPad to watch but nooooo. I guess I shall just keep pressing the nifty drug button and sleep all week. I do have books. I just don’t know if I will have the strength to hold them up. This is all new to me – so I have no idea.

Lastly, thank you all so much for all of your support. Once my boobs are gone, technically I should be cancer free. I won’t be free of my cancer treatment, but hopefully the pathology of everything that gets removed will show that the chemo and radiation has done its job and show no evidence of disease.

For those of you that pray, I would appreciate prayer – for me, for Jeff, for my boys, for my family, for my surgeons Dr. Ross and Dr. Robinson, for the nurses on my ward, and while we’re at it, for everyone that is reading this blog. This is all really heavy. But in the words of my favourite Veggie Tales movie, God is bigger than the bogey man. So I shall rest in that! See you on the other side!