Surgery Date

Well, after much prayer and research, I have decided to go ahead with the mastectomy and reconstruction. I have been very anxious and stressed about it. I really don't want to do it, but I feel like that is the direction I am being led. I just have to trust that my God is big enough to get me through this and hold me in His hands each step of the way. My surgery date is April 20th at 8am. The surgery will last for about 4 and a half hours. During that surgery after the mastectomy, the plastic surgeon will put in the expanders. I will be in the hospital for 2-3 nights. I will go home with drains attached to me to drain the extra fluid. You have to empty them twice a day. I will have these for about a week. After I have about 3 weeks of healing at home, I will go in once a week for a few months for them to inject saline into the expanders to start stretching the skin. The expanders can be very uncomfortable or painful for some people, so I am very nervous about that. Pray that they are not too uncomfortable for me! After that process is complete, I will have another surgery to place the implants. There is also a chance I would have to have another surgery after that to correct any problems with the implants. So, by the end of this, I will have had 5-6 surgeries in just one year! That's crazy! Also, implants do not last a life time, so I will have to have at least a couple of additional surgeries in my life to exchange the implants or to correct any problems they might have. I really don't mean to sound like I'm complaining (which I am!:) )
I know that my God is bigger than this cancer, bigger than these surgeries and bigger than anything I will ever have to face! And I know that my God loves me more than I could ever imagine. Thank you God for allowing them to find this cancer early and for saving my life. Thank you for allowing me to find out about this gene mutation so that I could possibly spare myself and my family of even harder times in the future. Thank you for allowing me to live and see my children grow up. Thank you for loving us beyond comprehension. Thank you that when it is my time to go some day, that I get to spend eternity with you. (later than sooner would be great though!)
Amen

Monday after surgery

Hey Everyone! I'm actually sitting at the computer for just a little while. I have been in bed mostly because my stomach has really hurt, probably because of all the endometriosis he had to laser. Also I have been on morphine which makes me tired and dizzy. I'm trying to get off it right now and go to something not as strong, because I don't like how it's affecting me. It has been SO helpful having people bring over meals and people leaving encouraging posts! In the middle of the night I started getting hot and thought, "Oh no! Here comes a hot flash!" I don't think it was one, I think I'm just paranoid! Craig has been able to stay home with me to take care of me and the kids. It has been such a blessing! I know Craig really wishes now that he would have not bought a two story house! Poor Craig has had to go up, down, up and down again! Well, I'm going back up to bed! I am feeling alot better, so thank you all again for all your prayers!