Surgeon says she NEVER wants to see me again!

Dr Connor said I am good to go AND hopefully she and I will not meet again. I am a big fan of Dr Connor, but she said my incision looks good, my pathology came back fine, there is no sign of infection, and there is no need to see her again. It really is good news because it means things are back on track for my recovery from chemo and surgery. Her assistant removed my stitches (yes, I had old-fashioned stitches after the second surgery) and my drain tube! She did recommend I see a plastic surgeon to remove my extra skin under my arms. At first, she said I should wait a month before plastic surgery, then she laughed and said I would probably need to wait much longer to let my body heal and to get my energy level back. I said I don't want anything to happen to my body for a year, but we will see what happens. I am feeling much better than I have in a long time - probably since early December. I still need to rest after a day of activity, but things are improving. My feet are bothering me again, but I am attributing that to the Femara drug. My next appointment is with Dr Sharma, my oncologist, in April. Because I was so sick when I saw her in early January, she really didn't make too many plans for me at that time. So, I am sure that she will have a plan for me when we meet in a couple of months.

That's about it for now. I have lots of thoughts running through my head that I want to share, but that will have to wait until I have a little more mental energy to make sense of them. I hope you are having a great day.

Love to all,
Mary Kay

Photos of the Week

Since I have not posted in a week, I thought I would start by sharing a few photos of my weekend in Dorrance. We celebrated Sam's baptism on Saturday night. I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon on Monday and will post an update after that visit.

Enjoy the family photos!

The Godfather and Godmother (Tim and Jody), parents of Sam (Joey and Kelly), Father David and big brother (Garrett) and big sister (Anna)

Kelly and Sam

Matt and his daughter Hallie - she loved playing in the box

My dad enjoyed a visit from Nancy and me - Susan was there too. She took the picture.

Because of the nice weather, Kelly was able to teach Garrett how to ride his bike with one training wheel. That is because his daddy Joey ran over the other training wheel.

Aunt Joan came to Susan's for a visit. We always have fun with her. Can you tell that by the smile on the faces of Susan, Mom and me?

Photo of the Day - my nephew Joey

I took this photo in November before all of the ice and snow arrived. Joey was putting up an electric fence at the Huttie Place.

Recovery is going well

Hello Friends,

As I write this blog entry, I am looking out my bedroom window at falling snow. Is anyone else ready for Spring? My surgery went well on Tuesday, I went in the surgery room around 1:30 and actually left the hospital at 5:30ish. I battled nausea and vomiting until midnight, but I feel much better today. Dr Connor removed my port, fluid under my arm and in the back area, and skin and tissue from the infected site. She also inserted a drain to collect the fluid so that it does NOT accumulate and cause problems. When I had my bilateral mastectomy on October 2, I had four drains and hated them. This time the drain is not bothering me, I think it is because I don’t have much sensitivity in the area. And, this time I did not have body parts removed. Could that have something to do with the pain level being much less this time? Anyway, back to this surgery. Dr Connor sent the skin, tissue, fluid and port to the lab for evaluation and culture to try to identify the bug. I am not expecting any positive news because I have had the fluid cultured in Salina and Manhattan without a positive identification.

I will take a few days to recover, but I do hope to return to class next week. Chris Lydick, a talented teaching assistant, is helping me this semester with class. Chris is a Leadership Studies graduate and has co-taught several of our classes as a graduate student. He will graduate in May with a master’s degree in computer engineering and then start his PhD in the Fall.

Nancy’s sister, Jane, came from Lincoln, Nebraska, to spend a few days with us and pamper her sister. I love having Jane here because she seems to know just how to take care of us. Nancy has been running on empty lately taking care of Frances and me so she deserves lots of TLC. Have I mentioned lately how wonderful Nancy is? Even if I have mentioned it, let me say it again – Nancy is a saint. She has a gentle heart that glows with love, kindness, and generosity. AND, she puts up with me. That tells you the most about her!

Love to all,
Mary Kay

I know I posted a photo of Frances and Nancy a couple of weeks ago, but I felt the need to share another photo of them. Frances is like a second Mom, and Nancy is very, very good to Frances.

Surgery on Tuesday, January 15

My surgery has been moved to Tuesday (instead of Wednesday) because of a cancellation in Dr Connor's schedule. I am delighted that it is a day sooner than originally scheduled because I want the healing to begin. The surgery will probably start around noon or so AND I still hope to go home the same day. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Shout Out to Candi and Karna

Happy Birthday to my friend and colleague at Leadership Studies - Candi Hironaka. Doesn't she look good in her graduation garb? And doesn't she have a very handsome son in Myles?

Happy Birthday to my friend Karna. The two of us have had a contest to see who could have the most medical issues in one year.