40. Operation Boob crunches into 4th gear!

Back at the hospital..again. On arrival the car parks were rammed again. I eventually found a space and faced an immense battle with the ticket machine. Being a bit rubbish at having money in my purse because a. I rarely need it and having it makes me buy small bars of chocolate that I don't need! and b. I am just a bit rubbish at being organised in car park change..aways have been. So, armed with a bag of 5ps..(who the hell passed the design on 5ps? they are MINUTE!!) I fed the hungry machine..46 of them..except it would only accept 24 until it ate and spat out the bad 5p and refused to take any more and spat all my money back out. Feeling the eyes and "oh no..she is using 5ps!!" thoughts of the people behind me, I offered for them to go ahead of me. Attempt #2. 21..22..23..24..25..bad 5p..clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk..x 20 more. If I'd have been on the pier or at a casino I'd have been happy but not in the hospital car park, now late for my appointment and stressed worrying I will get a ticket or clamped. They are building a lot on site and closing access around the grounds = parking nightmare.

So..I am parked as far away from the Primrose Breast Clinic as I can get, outside the maternity entrance - which is a sore poke in the eye from yesterdays appointment.

I make it 15 minutes late. The woman at the reception desk asked me lots of questions to make sure that I am me..including,"what ethnic group are you?".."....ummm....white?" like I might get it wrong. I guess it made me laugh because I am very obviously white, not tanned in any way and thought it was weird security question. Anyway, the second I get to the waiting room and before I sit down a nurse comes and calls me so I go in and meet my surgeon again. I told him off for not being there last week and he would now have to answer all my questions.

So, we covered:

Q. When does he get to eat lunch and pee?
A. After he stopped laughing, he said that he does the mastectomy bit first - removing the tissue and nipple from inside the breast skin and then goes for a cuppa and lunch, maybe. Then flip me over, take the muscle and fat flap and bring it round to the front to make my new boobs, maybe have another break..then complete!

Q. Will I be on a ward or in intensive care straight after my operation?
A. Apparently I am having a room to myself for a whole week with an en-suite bathroom. I was stoked! It is because I will be fairly immobile for the first few days and will need constant care from the nurses which can disturb other patients on the ward, especially in the night.

Q. How long before I can start exercising and stretching my body and arms to build up strength for paddling and kite flying?
A. From week 8, just gentle stretching but not to the point of pain, just to the start of uncomfortable. I have 1kg hand weights picked up for next to nothing in Tescos for such exercises! I should be able to paddle again and fly kites but probably not rock climb. The surgery will remove the whole latissimus dorsi muscle in the back and I will lack the strength to lift my body up..so chin lifts are out too...darn! (ha ha ha ha..)

Q. What pain killers will I be on after the operation and to take home with me?
A. Morphine on demand in hospital and paracetamol and diclofenac to bring home, maybe some opiate based painkillers such as Tramadol if necessary. I don't ever take painkillers, I have a good pain threshold and have never been a pill popper for headaches and period pain so I shouldn't need much.

Q. What if things go wrong after - necrosis, infection etc.
A. He says that once fixed breast reconstruction can be looked at by another method if necessary and wanted.

So, there we go..I feel better for knowing and another appointment is booked two weeks ahead of the operation, just for last minute chat, checks etc.

Ok..so commences the waiting game..the clock is ticking.