Corrective Surgery

May 13th, 2011

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I had gotten a little case of necrosis.  If I thought I had friends that were not squeamish I would have put a photo up of the actual beast. But it was a little gnarly to say the least.

Dr. Moore did a fine job of removing the dead  tissue and sewing me up. Actually the right side now looks better than it did after the first surgery. I think I have a little less skin to work with so I’m not quite sure how it will all shake out.

If I were a plastic surgeon and knew anything about anything, which of course I don’t, this is how I predict it might happen. They’ll put me through chemo and radiation, then the old silicone bag in there will probably need to be replaced anyway. They will put in a larger silicone implant than the one I have now or maybe put in a tissue expander (which I probably should have done in the beginning but I was stubborn even though Dr. Moore didn’t argue with me – maybe he heard about the disadvantages of that). Either way somehow or another they are going to have to add some more volume to the right side to match the voluptuous curviness of the left side. It’s looking mighty fine to me right now. I don’t even notice the scars myself and its only been two weeks. I assure you that all you perfectionists out there would notice them because they are there but I know they will soon be gone so I can imagine it without them.

The bottom line is I don’t see how I have enough skin on the right side to match the fullness of the left side without stretching the skin out somehow. I’m hoping just forcing in a larger implant will slowly stretch the skin but who knows. Then a little while later they come back and create a fake aureola and nipple and tattoo the little sucker and i’m back in business.

Hanging out reading trash mags waiting for surgery. Already dosed up on Versed and Dilaudid

Now about the surgery. I would say it was pretty simple to me. I had to sit on a very comfortable chair for about an hour with warming blankets and a big blow up fluffy float like thing on me, leg compression, and IV for administering antibiotics, Versed, and Dilaudid. In my mind I wasn’t acting any different than normal. I was talking a mile a minute and every little thing that came to my mind just floated right out. No one seem offended by anything I said so I guess I was somewhat pleasant.

After about an hour they took me back to the surgery suite. They told me they were putting an oxygen mask on me just to give me oxygen. I said “Don’t try to lie to me. I know that is the stuff that is going to knock me out isn’t it? It smells like strawberries.” The anethesiologist said “Nah, that’s just aromatherapy.” Of course I argued and said “Oh no, I’m not falling for that. I know what you are up to – it’s not gonna work.” Then the nurse said “I always win.” And she was right. Next thing I know i’m in a whole different room and all sewed up and ready to roll.

I asked the nurse how she knew I was back in the world of the living and she said I just started mumbling. I asked her what I said and she said it was unintelligible – dang I wish they took video of that. It would have been hilarious. I do remember the first thing I asked for was my husband and a cup of ice and where the heck was Dr. Moore and Dr. Gunn. Dr. Moore had already left to do some other surgery and Dr. Gunn was at the main ARMC in surgery and wasn’t able to get over to visit with me.

Within 20 minutes of waking up, I was in a wheelchair being taken to my car, then rode with Buck to pick up kids, went home and did the dishes, made homemade icecream, did some financial projections for company, dictated my session with oncologist for my blog post about my upcoming treatments, visited with Ashley Harp who brought over dinner, went to hobby lobby to get a crystal for Erin, had my hair colored by Andrea Griffith then finished up responding to some facebook messages and off to lala land with my restoril. They call it restoril because you get some Ril Rest! Didn’t really interfere with my day at all except took up about 3 hours of my time.

It was a nice and easy surgery and i’m feeling great.  I did get another one of those dang Jackson-Pratt drains but the tube on this one was smaller and it isn’t near as bothersome. I’m barely noticing it.

  1. David Stroud says:

    You are Superhuman…

  2. Kim Landrum says:

    I’ve gotta say you are mighty brave the way you breeze through all these procedures. Makes me feel like complete chicken sh!t that I can’t watch someone drawl blood, fly in an airplane, climb something tall or look over a cliff, etc.

  3. kirk Smith says:

    yo steph

    thanks for your willingness to share all this info about your surgery, progress and life during this. its incredibly informative and brave (your oddball sense of humor is a nice touch). all of us here wish you the best and are keeping tabs. Also hoping that Buck and the kids are doing well also. Please let them know we’re thinking about them too.

    livestrong
    kirk & the adsmith crew

  4. Jackie Goforth says:

    You did good sorry about the pain from the port