Pardon the "Delay"

My surgery was Tuesday and all went well, although not quite what I had expected.

During pre-op the week prior my surgeon told me that I would require a "pre" procedure called a vascular delay. This initial surgery would prep me for the mastectomy and tram flap reconstruction by temporarily clamping off my femoral artery, forcing it to swell so that when the transplant occurs it would provide better blood flow, helping the tissue to take. This was to be done through two small incisions made in my groin. The mastectomy and tram flap reconstruction is now scheduled for the 13th of August.

Tuesday morning rolled around with a report time of 0500 and an estimated 0700 procedure. Will & Kelly were at my side. I was relatively calm, unfortunately I've been through way too many surgeries and have the routine down to a predictable pattern. What I didn't predict though was that my surgeon would make a decision based on the very latest of medical findings and also "lift" some muscle while there yet again better preparing me for the tram flap. This new course of action resulted in a low incision literally from hip to hip, closed with staples.

I stayed overnight at Walter Reed where they did a fantastic job taking care of me and managing my pain. Because no muscle was cut (yet!) it is uncomfortable to move, but not dang near impossible. I managed to pull myself out of bed with lots of assistance and walked around the ward 3 times the first night.

I've been home recuperating the past several days where, once again thanks to the marvels of medicine, I have been relatively pain free and getting LOTS of sleep. There are moments of sudden intense pain from certain movements but thankfully, those moments are fleeting and don't happen too often.

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and well wishes. It uplifts my family and loved ones too.