Friday 3rd November 2006

It seems like ages ago I went into hospital....Jon took me in on Sunday evening at 6pm....

Got shown to my bed and then a deluge of paperwork began, I did have a pre-op assessment done but the NHS is a bit like the civil service everything has to be done in triplicate.

There were 3 other ladies in the bay of 5 beds and the 2 opposite me were so friendly and we soon got chatting, the one to my left was out for the count.

The surgeon came round at 7am on Monday morning and I went down to theatre at 9am, straight in, as they were waiting for me..oh I love that drifting off feeling......

Back on the ward at 12.10pm, oxygen up my nose and a lovely drain in my side, with the drain bottle neatly hidden in a flowery bag (will never drink tomato juice again I can tell you!!)

Jon came in at about 3pm to see me, well he read the paper, ate some chocs watched sky sports news and left at 5pm. I promptly threw up all over my bed and was told 'no food for you', well I was devatated as I felt fine once I'd been sick, never been sick after GA before so not sure why I was this time.

Anyway, the next couple of days went really slowly, every time I tried to read I fell asleep and the 2 chatterboxes both went Tuesday afternoon.

I had a visit from Jack on Tuesday afternoon as I was the only one in my bay, lots of hugs and kisses given to my 'Little Man'.

A couple of times I thought I was going to pull the drain out (accidentally not on purpose)...I didn't know it was in about 5/6 inches and also stiched, I wouldn't have been so careful.

Can anyone answer me as to why when I had an op on my breast and arm I found it necessary to hobble to the toilet...anyone would have thought I'd had a leg op!!!I did have a very good hospital experience the nurses were really lovely and a couple of the trainees will make superb nurses.

The consultant was pleased with how it all went and I have an appointment to see him on 14th Nov to see if the surgery he did was enough or whether I'll need a mastectomy.

My breast is not sore at all just bruised with a long cut along the middle of it and a clear waterproof dressing on it.

My arm however, is sore and achy and quite numb from the shoulder to the elbow down the back of the arm, I've just taken the dressings off..yuk, a cut of about 4" under my armpit, very crudely stitched up.

I'm using the arm as much as possible and am able to look after Jack much more than I expected. Sleeping is a bit of a struggle as it gets very stiff towards the end of the evening and I don't know where to place it so it hurts the least.

So..roll on the 14th when I want to hear that they took all they could and there is no need for further surgery (at least for now).

I did have some sad moments when there was not a lot to do but sit and think...cried once at the reason I was in there but soon stopped as that really isn't how I am or want to be. Oh and for those who have ever wondered, I asked what colour the cancer was (assuming black) and the surgeon told me it was grey.

love Clare xx