July 8, 2019 - Road Trip!
We are in route to the ATL. The truck is packed - really packed. And for those who know Jamie well, knows that no detail is too small. I can't imagine we (HE) forgot anything. In fact, he even packed some of his tools "just in case". Because you know - you never know when you need that flathead screwdriver or that crescent wrench. Wow, I actually sound like I know about outdoorsy tools, NOT.
I am officially going out on medical leave from SAP. This is incredibly difficult for me, as I haven't not worked (not counting maternity leave) since I was 16. Before I go any further, I have to mention how AWESOME my SAP family is. I am so blessed to work for such a wonderful company. I have received and continue to receive the most amazing support from my colleagues and leadership at SAP. It is humbling to experience the outreach and love from the company that has been my family for the last 14 years, especially during this very uncertain and scary time for me and my family. As an example, I will unabashedly share a link to a Kudo's board that they created for me. Thank you Kristin and Kathryn for spearheading this electronic love letter. I cherish it .https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/oXTsX11w
Tomorrow will be filled with "fun" pre-op procedures. At this point if you don't want details, you can stop reading. I know some of you may be squeamish, or totally uncomfortable with my oversharing. ?. Also, I hope I am not offending anyone, especially anyone who has experienced cancer first hand or with a loved one. Writing about this, writing about me, is quite difficult. Please know that I am not minimizing this diagnosis, procedure or treatment. It could be and often is a death sentence. I choose for it NOT to be for me. And in writing about this experience, it helps ME personally to add a little levity. So if my humor, sarcasm, or snark offends, I truly am sorry. It is not my intent.
////// Oversharing Alert //////
So, everyone says, "it is "Amazing" what "they" (they = medically licensed healthcare professionals) can do these days and that Breast Cancer care and treatment has improved dramatically". I DO believe this. As an example, tomorrow I am going to have radioactive contrast (dye) injected into my breast for my Sentinel Node Biopsy that will occur during the DMX surgery on Wednesday.
Sentinel node biopsy is a surgical procedure used to determine whether cancer has spread beyond a primary tumor into your lymphatic system. It's used most commonly in evaluating breast cancer and melanoma. The sentinel nodes are the first few lymph nodes into which a tumor drains. Sentinel node biopsy involves injecting a tracer material that helps the surgeon locate the sentinel nodes during surgery. The sentinel nodes are removed and analyzed in a laboratory.If the sentinel nodes are free of cancer, then cancer is unlikely to have spread, and removing additional lymph nodes is unnecessary. If a sentinel lymph node biopsy reveals cancer, your doctor might recommend removing more lymph nodes. - Mayo Clinic
During the DMX surgery on Wednesday, my surgeon will be able to tell which lymph nodes look compromised. Jamie likes to say that the Doc will use a Geiger counter device over the lymph nodes and the nasty suckers will light up if they are radioactive. If any "light up", then she will remove and have pathology done while I am under anesthesia. The awesomeness of this procedure is that Docs now only remove the necessary lymph nodes. Gone are the days when they would remove All (40+) lymph nodes. So, I am putting my happy positive spin on the procedure tomorrow to INJECT (ouch) the dye. I'm just hoping for really powerful numbing cream ?.
After that fun, we head over to my plastic surgeon's office to be "marked". Seriously, he will mark my chest with a Sharpie. Since I am having 2 surgeons and 2 procedures on Wednesday, the Doc's need to have a "map" per say to direct each other. As Jamie likes to say, they will do a "high-five" in the operating room. In simple terms, the Breast Surgeon removes all of the nasty evil cancer and the Plastic Surgeon puts me back together.
Depending on how I am feeling tomorrow, I may post an update. If not, the next one may come from Jamie.
Thank you for dropping by and caring about the Krankings. We love you all!!