Post-Surgery Update

Well, since the surgery is behind me and the news is good news, I thought I would share the details with my family and friends. I didn't want to worry anyone, so we kept details about the surgery pretty quiet. Monday I went in for an outpatient surgery to have a nodule removed on my left chest wall. This was discovered about a month ago when I rolled over in the night and felt pain. An ultrasound determined I had a hematoma--not a tumor--phew!!

After several attempts at having my doctor drain the hematoma, the pathology reports came back clean, no signs of cancer...again...relief! However, this nasty hematoma was not willing to give up. Within 2 weeks it had refilled again and was giving me pain again. Last Thursday my surgeon did another ultrasound and determined that it needed to be surgically removed. There appeared to tissue forming in the hematoma sack and he didn't want to take any risks. It was in my radiation field and therefore the skin and tissues are very damaged there.

So, Monday I went in for simple surgery...and they ended up putting me under general anesthesia...so I was VERY LOOPY and sick afterwards. The surgery went well and yesterday pathology came back on the hematoma..here is the result:

**An organized Hematoma....as opposed to what?? An unorganized hematoma?? Come on...you have to have something to laugh at in all this!!

This hematoma was organized, had its own blood supply and would have continued to feed itself indefinitely if we hadn't removed it. So although I had to go through another surgery, it sounds like it would have come to this at the end of the day anyhow!! So, now my stitches are healing, I'm starting to move my arm more and I'm happy to say the nausea and disorientation is gone!! Anesthesia really makes me feel weird!!

We feel very grateful that everything turned out well and consider this yet another bump in the road for me....the side effects of my illness will always be a part of my life.

Love and Hugs,
Heidi