Wednesday, December 16, 2009

My Mass General Hosptial Initiation

Oh my goodness is Massachusetts General Hospital huge!!!! That's where my surgeon who sees patients at the Dana Farber does surgery. What a different experience Mass General is compared to the past four months of visits to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Maybe it's because I'm used to the Dana Farber facility and the familiar, friendly faces, but I prefer the Dana Farber. It has nothing to do with the quality of care because I felt confident yesterday as I endured a bunch of mammogram views on both breasts--two on the left, three on the right initially. But then was called back not once, but twice for two additional views each time on the right. Ouch! Even though I hated it, I was reassured that the goal was to get the best possible films for my surgeon to do her job tomorrow. I think Mass General doesn't have the personal touch that the 9th Floor Breast Cancer Clinic at the Dana Farber has. It's understandable considering they are very different facilities, so I don't hold it against Mass General.

After the hour and half visit to the radiology department, John and I found our way to the pre-admission testing department where I gave up four more vials of blood and had another EKG. For someone who is terribly modest and couldn't bring myself to openly shower and change in the girls' locker room in high school, I'm forced to let it all go as best I can. Eeewe, I hate it with a passion though!

After all the tests, we settled in for what extended to an hour-long wait to see the anesthesiologist. In the end, we met with an RN who took my medical history and then a nurse practitioner who assists the anesthesiologists. Even though I feel a certain fear of the unknown about tomorrow's surgery, I think I'm a pragmatist at heart and approach tomorrow knowing it has to be done and I'll get through it. The unknowns are inevitable. Will they have to remove several lymph nodes requiring two incisions and a drain insuring an overnight stay? How quickly will I recover from being under general anesthesia? In the end, it is what it is and I will cope and it will all soon be a memory.

1 comment:

  1. By the time you read this, it will all be over and you will be in the healing process. I hope you are feeling well and stronger every day!

    Please post when you are feeling well and let us know how you are doing!!!

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