A diagnosis of breast cancer is scary! I wrote the message below over a week ago, but thought the points of collaboration, responsive healthcare, openness about my concerns, in short, claiming my voice were important and might help others. So I decided to share it now.
Today has been an interesting day. When we took a shower this morning my waterproofing around my right drain lifted and the padding underneath got wet, necessitating a call to my plastic surgeon. He thought Andrew and I could safely change it. Before we got the chance, my left drain inflated indicating an air leak. With 2 issues I felt we needed the doctor.
He met us at his office on a Saturday afternoon. He removed the packing and waterproofing on my right side, cleaned the area, then moved to the left side.
It took a while, but Andrew figured out that the effort to seal the slice in the tube leading to my drain (it was accidentally clipped as they were changing my dressings 2 days earlier) wasn’t working. The 3 of us then collaborated on a strategy to find and seal any leaks that included replacing the bulb and the stem on that side. This still didn’t do it, so Andrew posited that we needed to close the slice in the tube and tape it closed. I appreciated how collaborative my surgeon was in sorting everything out. In my experience, many physicians aren’t collaborative or creative problem solvers. Dr Lin is a wonderful exception. Once the leak was patched, Dr Lin instructed Andrew on how to manage both issues should they arise again and loaded us up with supplies just in case. Our goal was to keep the left drain working for another 1-2 weeks until it could safely be removed. The only alternative was to do a second surgery and replace the drain, an option we all hoped to avoid.
Then Dr Lin injected 120ccs of saline solution into each expander, bringing my total to 180ccs. The ultimate goal is 550-600ccs. (Since then I’ve reached 460 ccs.) Dr Lin thought this would both get us back on track and help reduce my fluid output. Our bodies create fluid to fill spaces and with more space taken up by the expanders, my body doesn’t have as much space to fill. This will hopefully facilitate drain removal.
I also talked with Dr Lin about his PA whom I really like, but who has also made a couple concerning mistakes, including clipping my drain tube. He set my mind at ease, and affirmed my perceptions. I then asked that he encourage trainees/interns to introduce themselves to patients when they enter rooms as a gesture of acknowledgement and respect. He thanked me for my feedback.
Here’s the interesting thing. I feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more myself today than I have to this point. I also feel more optimistic. It’s an awesome feeling.
I have an amazing medical team, an amazing support team, and I have this cancer situation. I know I will likely float in and out of this feeling of assurance and confidence, but I’m grateful for this feeling today.
A cancer diagnosis is an emotional roller coaster, as is treatment and follow up. But like any healthcare situation, openness, responsive, collaborative healthcare providers, asking questions, and claiming your voice are critically important to the success of treatment. I have more decisions coming up, so will have more to say on this topic. In the meantime, wishing you health and happiness.
Deborah's Deliberations 