Mammaversary

That's right—another Cancerversary.

Sunday Feb. 15th is the big one. At 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15, 2008 I was wheeled off to the OR for a bilateral mastectomy with sentinel lymph node removal and immediate reconstruction. I was in a suite on "8 Main"—the Founders' Floor of Mt. Sinai—for 3 nights. Many of you have come along on this crazy scary ride with me this year. I know it has been helpful to some of you, entertaining for some of you and enlightening for (I sincerely hope) most of you. My Filofax pages are still missing. But I came across my mom's uber-detailed timeline of surgery day that I'd like to share. So here goes. I haven't looked at this in a while, and wasn't cognizant to remember much.

Friday, Feb. 15th

10:10 a.m. Arrive—Nancy, Mark, Dana and Steph
10:20 a.m. Bam, surprise! [Some of you may recall that in my PTSD, post-diagnosis state I had a rather torrid affair with a black hip-hop musician who happened to be married with three kids. Another story entirely. But his 'name' was BAM. Yes, BAM. Shock makes you do crazy things.]
11:30 Aunt Cheryl arrives
1:30 Off to surgery
1:30 Lunch—Lynn arrives. Flowers in cafeteria from the S family. Lynn: "Those don't look like orchids to me!" [I'd requested orchids from people in lieu of flowers that die quickly.]
2:30 Jeff Weil arrives
3:20 Bam called. [Christ, my poor parents. A washed-up, broke, married, freaky looking, hip-hopping Schvartze. I can't even do shock normally.]
3:30 Michael, Kim, David, Jimmy arrive
4 p.m. Dawn from work came so nice!!! Dr. Laura calls to see how we all are. Gina [a nurse I suppose] came in with update. Vivian charge nurse on 8 Main
5:30 Dr. Mesko [Thomas Mesko is the surgeon who lopped 'em off, working simultaneously with Dr. Rosenbaum. Meaning when he came out it was likely that he was done chopping 'em off and Rosenbaum would begin putting 'em back on.]
5:45 Bam Called
[Mom seems to have left off the minor detail of me waking up from anesthesia.]
7 p.m. Renee arrives
7:10 Dr. Rosenbaum
7:50 Gloria conversation—dad tried to give away dinner. [Have no idea who Gloria is or why dad was pushing food on her.]
7:55 Lynn recording [?]
8:10 Kicked out of waiting—Dad gets locked out [For reals.]
(Calls, texts, emails: Cindy, Jay, Barbi, Nancy P., Sabba Silverman, Joe Davis, Stan Blake, Buzzy, Donny, Karen and Harold, Daryl, Barney, Lee Ann, Joanne, Durrett, Faye, Susan, Leslie, Dan, Joanne and Ray
9:30 p.m. Out of recovery and into room 822.
12 a.m. Michael and dad go to Steph's apartment. Bam arrives and leaves at 2:15 a.m. Mom spends the night.

I received a package from the jeweler today with a lovely diamond necklace but no card. Obv. it was from mom, but apparently the card was supposed to be read first. No idea why.

Everyone keeps asking me how I will feel on the anniversary, but how can I know? I've been all-right mentally this week, despite PMSing. I get emotional reading this stuff; I'd be inhuman if I didn't. What a year. It's indescribable (except in book form of course), but if you've been reading you know how it's affected me.

I can offer photos in comparison. Taken Tuesday Feb. 10


To my surprise, I ran into one of my oldest and dearest friends I went to elementary and high school with—it'd been about 16 years!


February 2007 in room 822.


That's all.