Recovery phase

February 14, backyard chez Random

We’re on the other side of It! Mrs. Random’s surgery went well, and now she’s in the recovery phase. Weather added some spice to the ordeal for me. I had to chain up due to icy roads on my way back home from the hospital Thursday after she had gone into surgery. I haven’t had to deal with that little chore for a couple decades!

Mrs. R stayed overnight for observation, scoring a room in the quiet and well-staffed maternity wing. She was discharged yesterday afternoon after I got a lesson on how to empty her two little drain containers, which are connected to tubes inserted into her mastectomy wounds. I’ll be doing that probably thrice a day. We are keeping track of the drainage (mostly blood) on a DIY chart I made: date, time, side (R/L), and amount (in milliliters). We’re told that she’ll be draining for up to two weeks. Fun!

I’m making meals and helping her with random things she can’t do right now. She can’t raise her arms up very far, and she has a 15-pound lifting limit for two weeks. To prevent any blood clots, she’s supposed to get up and walk around the house at least three times a day. I don’t think that will be any problem—she’s normally an active person. She’s also on pain meds, and so far over-over-the-counter drugs are doing a good job, so she hasn’t needed anything more powerful.

So, the stress of anticipating surgery has been replaced with the slog of recovery. We’ll get news on what they found in the tumor and lymph tissue early next week when the surgeon receives the pathology report. Fingers crossed for all good news!