My call time for surgery was 0630. Very early in the morning. We arrived at 0630 and called pre op and they came about 15 minutes later to take me to pre op. We had a nurse. Who asked me a bunch of questions and placed and iv and started me on Lactated ringers fluid. I got tylenol 650mg, Zofran 4 mg and a neurontin (don’t know the dose) We waited a while and them the Nuclear med guy came to inject radio – tracer (Isotope: 492 uCi technetium 99) into my breast near the site of the marker. This is supposed to help the doctor see Sentinel Lymph nodes. What are sentinel lymph nodes? The sentinel nodes are the first few lymph nodes to which cancer spreads. In sentinel node biopsy, a tracer material is used to help the surgeon find the sentinel nodes during surgery. The sentinel nodes are removed and tested in a lab. If the sentinel nodes are free of cancer, then cancer probably hasn’t spread. About 20 minutes after this the Nuc Med guy took me to nuclear medicine to be scanned. I was scanned in three different positions. Flat on my back with my right arm over my head. At about a 45 degree angle with a pillow at my back with my right arm over my head again. And finally a scan with my laying on my left shoulder with my right arm up over my head again. Each scan took about 4 minutes.

We waited a long time to see my doctor. (i know the girl across from me in pre op was having surgery with my doctor as well because she was across the hall talking with her.). I managed to take a power nap before my doctor came to see me. In fact, I was out for about 20 min according to my husband. We talked about the surgery and what was going to happen and about more tracer she would use during the surgery which could turn my urine blue so I should not be alarmed. She used Methelyne Blue. Methelyne blue is mostly used for the treatment of  methemoglobinemia (MetHB) . Without getting too technical methemoglobinemia affects the ability of your hemoglobin (made of iron) to carry oxygen from your lungs to your tissues.

And yes, my urine was blue for a couople of days. We’re talking tidy bowl blue for the first day or so and them It was less blue until finally after a couple of days it was gone.) I was assessed by a resident (who i worked with). The rest of the OR team was there. We did out time out and she signed the correct breast. (a time out is the entire operating room team reviews the patient’s identity, the procedure, and the surgical site before surgical incision or the start of the procedure. It is usually including the patient prior to anesthesia so we are all in agreement.

I signed my consents for the procedure and she put my hairnet on my head. Next I saw the anesthesiologist, Dr D. who asked me a bunch of standard questions and had me open my mouth to look at my throat to see how difficult an intubation I would be. After he left, a nurse anesthetist came by and did all the same things and asked all the same questions. Then she had a syringe and said to tell her about where we were going in my dreams for surgery. It would be anywhere and the Anesthesiologist had a black card and would be paying for it. LOL. Then, she asked if it was okay to “juice” me. And everyone said yes, and I do not remember anything after that except waking up in post op after the surgery.

I was wearing this soft pink bra and all was all bandaged up on my right side. The doctor had already spoken to my husband by the time i woke up. He told me the doctor said the surgery went well and that she took 2 lymph modes (although i read the surgical report and it seems to be three but perhaps I misunderstand) for pathology. I am told i was in surgery for about 1.5 hours. We left around 1 pm from the hospital. They had me drink some water and ginger ale before I left. I did wake up with a sore throat from intubation (which persisted for like 3 days and was really annoying. )

I went home and took along 3.5 hour nap because I was still woozy from anesthesia when I left the hospital. Pain was really minimal but i did take pain medicine and Zofran for the first two or three nights to make sure I wasn’t in pain and to help me sleep,