Post Surgery Update

I have written about 5 posts and keep deleting them because i just can't get it where I want it to go.  But I will try yet again, and hopefully it won't be a novel!
Surgery has come and gone.  It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Yes, I felt like a truck had driven through my body, but overall I thought the pain would be much more intense than it was.  That's not to say there wasn't, or isn't pain, but its just pressure, tightness, lack of mobility, and annoying pains.  I only stayed in the hospital overnight and on prescription pain meds 1 day after coming home.  I just couldn't handle feeling like I was coming in and out of the real world, so I switched to Advil and felt much better!
There were so many people at the hospital and at home during that first week.  The hospital is a little foggy but I do remember all of the people who came by, sent flowers, or brought food.  Then when we got home there were people here constantly.  People dropping off food, or bringing baskets of goodies, or just coming to visit.  It was overwhelming how many people stopped what they were doing to check on us or provide us with things to get us through the upcoming weeks.  These people would be family, friends, church friends, college kids, and many others.  Our family has never been so surrounded with love and prayer!  We cherish each person who has sent a card, texted, emailed, called, stopped by, brought food or other stuff, picked up our kids, and especially prayed for us.  There is no way that we could get through a single day without all of these people in our lives, that we continue to be blessed by!
So when I came home, I came with 4 drains attached to my sides.  After the first week, I got 3 of them out.  However, even today, 19 days later, I still have 1.  There have been more tears shed over these stupid drains than any other part of this surgery, I think!  There is nothing pleasant about them. They hurt, they are in the way, they are claustrophobic.  I have been to the doctor twice, thinking I would come out drain-free, and have been let down both times.  I keep telling Corey, there is a lesson that God is trying to teach me with this last drain, and I'm hoping to learn it soon!  Maybe by the end of this week drains can be just a memory???
We went and saw the surgeon and the oncologist last week.  They both spent lots of time going over the pathology of what they removed and the plan going forward.  Hold on, cause it's A LOT!
The tumor itself was not considered to be that big, but there was a lot of surrounding tissue that was involved and had pre-cancerous cells in it.  Also, they removed all of the lymph nodes under my right arm and 4/15 tested positive. That sounds pretty good, but just the fact that they were involved at all is no bueno.  They staged me as a 3.  Corey asked the oncologist if what they found was what they had anticipated and he said for the most part, however he was not expecting it to be in my lymph nodes.
So here is the plan... December 8th I will begin chemo.  I will be given TCH, which is a 3 drug chemo combo.  I will have this "big" chemo every 3 weeks for 18 weeks.  It will take 3-4 hours.  On the other weeks in between, I will have just the H part of the chemo, or "little" chemo.  That will only take 1 hour or so.  After I finish the 18 weeks of chemo, then I will have 6 1/2 weeks of radiation, while continuing the "little" chemo treatments.  Radiation will be 5 days a week for about 20 minutes or so.  I will also begin taking an estrogen blocker pill, which I will continue for at least 5 years.  The kind of cancer cells that I had were estrogen positive, which means they attach themselves to estrogen and grow faster, so I have to block the estrogen in my body from getting anywhere.  After, radiation I will continue the "little" chemo for a few more weeks, and then I can finish my reconstruction surgery. And now, take a moment to breathe!  I told you it was a lot!
Many people have asked about me losing my hair.  This is a big concern with the kids I work with at school.  That's one of the first things they want to know.  I was told about these caps that you can wear on the day of chemo that will help avoid losing your hair.  The caps are kept in dry ice until you put them on, so they are SUPER cold!  The cold temps constrict the the blood vessels in the scalp that would normally carry the chemo to the hair follicles, preventing it from affecting the hair.  You can read more about it a www.chemocoldcaps.com. There aren't many who have heard of it, but we have  friend who's cousin has used them and now works for the company, so we are going to try it and see how it works!
I guess that is about all we know for now.  We continue to take things one day at a time and try to limit the overwhelmed feelings.  Please continue to pray for us as we go through the months ahead.  Pray for treatments to work, pray for comfort, pray for our relationship with God, pray for our witness to others, pray for our girls and the rest of our family.
As Thanksgiving approaches, even with all that is going on, we continue to be thankful for the blessings that we have.  We are blessed to have family and friends who will come to our aide, we are blessed with doctors who have wisdom and experience that we don't, but mostly we are blessed to have a Holy Father, who loves us!  He has orchestrated all of these parts...family, doctors, friends, plans, and put them together just for us, and for that we are eternally grateful!