Mastectomy

The day of surgery arrived. We had to get up very early so we could be at the surgery center by 6:00 a.m. My parents had come to be with us and were going to help the girls get off to school before they came to the hospital. My surgery was schedule for 8:00 a.m. It was Friday, September 12th, 2003.

When we were signed in and waiting to be called back, one of my friends from church walked through the hospital doors. She had come on her way to work just to see me and encourage me. It meant to much to me to see her! We hugged and talked briefly, not sure what to talk about. We prayed together and she went on her way.

They called me back and said they would call John back to stay with me in a few minutes. I was taken to a surgery waiting room, like a little hospital room with a bed, TV, closet, and small bathroom. I changed into the hospital gown and waited on the bed. They brought John back to the room to sit with me. The nurses came in periodically and asked questions, the anesthesiologist came to talk with me about the procedure and his part in it. Then Dr. Billy came by. He greeted us, then examined my chest area briefly, marked the left side with a pen and was about to leave the room when I asked him, "Did you get the results of the scans yesterday?" (They were to determine if cancer had spread anywhere else in my body) He turned his head halfway around and said, "Oh yeah, they were normal. They'll come get you soon, Michele." John reached to hug me as we cried a few tears of relief and praised God together. At least it has not spread anywhere else!

They came to wheel me to my surgery before my parents arrived so I didn't see them until afterward. One moment I'm riding the gurney to the operating room, then falling asleep in an instant from the anesthesia. I time-traveled once again and the next moment of consciousness for me was when I awoke in recovery.

It seems the nurses were there as soon as I awoke, hovering over me, checking the dressings, IV and other things I wasn't even aware of. I remember feeling some pain from the incision, but more intense was a feeling of sadness. The tears came quickly and I let them come. The nurses thought it was because of the pain, but I was mourning the loss of part of my body. They put more pain killer in my IV and wheeled me to my room. My family was waiting for me, but I can't really tell you what they said or much else about that moment. I was floating on a morphine cloud and was in and out peaceful sleep the rest of the day.