One week after surgery update on Janet

Hi Everybody,
I went to the general surgeon for a visit today. He thinks I am healing fine. The plastic surgeon yesterday thought so also, but the drains have to stay in because there is still too much work that they are doing and they can't leave yet! Anyway, the main thing today was finding out about the pathology report.
The two sentinal lymph nodes taken in surgery were positive for cancer. The other 9 axillary lymph nodes that were taken did not show cancer.
The tumor (infiltrating ductal carcinoma) in the right breast measured 1.7 cm. (larger than the ultrasound showed, smaller than the MRI indicated)
The cancer is grade 1, stage 2A.
There was no cancer found in the left breast.
The oncologist, Dr. Ann Stroh, is being sent all my records. I asked for an appointment after May 17. I am supposed to get the drains out on May 9, stitches out on May 17. Our kids' graduation is May 12, party May 13. I would rather wait until these things are over before seeing the oncologist.
I am very grateful that the cancer was not found in more of the lymph nodes. Even though I still have to have chemo, I feel it is an earlier, safer catch than if it had already gone in the other nodes.
I am able to comb my hair, be up and around, even though I am supposed to take it easy, not lift anything over 5 #. Because of the lack of lymph nodes now to drain my right arm, I need to not overdo, or I could get into lymphedema.
Most of my pain is not intense, but just the frustrating, nagging, aggravating sort of discomfort. I am not having the swelling now that I was before today, so overall I am more comfortable. I have some numbness that could last 18 months or longer in my right armpit and arm. I am enjoying having several naps a day and my family doing "my" work for me. We have been blessed with meals and cookies from friends, family, and homeschoolers.
Please pray that the drains will complete their tasks and I can be free of them soon. They are frustrating. I guess their task is to encourage healing inside without fluid buildup. Outside the healing looks good, so I want it to heal inside too.
My left calf has been hurting for 3 days now, like a charley horse in my calf. Yesterday I had an ultrasound to rule out a deep vein thrombosis. The test was negative, so I don't know why my calf is hurting.
I appreciate all the prayers that have been prayed for me. I know I would not be doing so well without the touch that the Lord has given me. He has been holding us, keeping anything from crushing us emotionally or physically.
Now it is time for my nap, so I will close.

How do YOU wash your hair?!

Sometimes you have to get creative when you have hair "this long" and can't take a shower for weeks after a surgery or do the normal in-sink hair-washing method!! Here Mother's getting her hair done by laying across our counter (under cabinets - can you say teensy-weensy bit claustrophobic?), where our drainer and microwave usually sit.


And yes, we'd rather do it this way, then how it will probably be soon- no hair!

Runny Babbits

Our flower/rock mound this year...

As some of you remember, we did a post about our mound back in September 2009. This is what the mound looked like last week, before we cut down the flowers--bad weather was forecasted and we didn't want them to go to waste. (We didn't end up getting bad weather, but it was nice to have the flowers in our living-room.)