O'Donnell Rehab Center

We are home!!!!!!! Woo hoo. We got to leave around 1:45. My oldest sister came to see us off and then my middle sister came to greet mom at my house! She is all set in her new room. She ate a delicious dinner cooked by my husband and my mom said it was the best thing she has eaten in a week. She is asleep now and hopefully will be for the night. Thanks for prayers and support. She will be turning on her phone and updating her blog soon....I promise. She knows how much love she has gotten from Facebook, email, phone calls, and texts! She loves you all right back. Thank you to my friends and sisters' friends who have prayed for mom on her journey!

Things are looking good!

Mom slept pretty well last night and has eaten great. She has been working with the PT and RT and is a fabulous patient. They have her in a yellow gown that indicates she might fall so "take caution with this lady." She hasn't fallen yet so not sure she is labeled like a granny but at least she looks pretty in her bright yellow gown and socks. :) She might get to come to the O'Donnell Rehab Center as early as tomorrow. :) yay! Just in: They are taking off the granny yellow and putting her back in blue. :) Go Mom!

She got a room with a view!

Mom got moved up to her new room. If you want the room number please email me at monicaodonnell@sbcglobal.net. I don't want to post it on the worldwide web. :) Mom ate well today and walked a few steps but then got a little nauseated. They say she is a very good patient and tries everything she is asked to do. Mom wanted me to give a message to Carolyn Rogers. The hardworking nurses told mom they need some new beds in ICU. Mom used a broken bed that after tonight they were taking to the basement and labeling it broken. Mom told the nurses she had a friend who could help. :) Also, they didn't have a wheelchair that still had footrests so they had to transport mom to her new room in her broken bed. did I mention that her room has a beautiful view of downtown Dallas?

The Day After Surgery

My sis spent the day with mom and then I hung out with her for the second part of the day. Here are mom's accomplishments: 1. She sat in a chair twice 2. She took two small labored steps 3. She ate jello, broth, sandwich, and baked potato and kept it all down. She did all of her breathing exercises per hour and coughed a few times like directed. She is still really uncomfortable but managing okay with her pain meds. I left her so she could go to sleep for the night. Oh, also they are keeping the Bare Hugger on her so her new breast stays warm and they are checking it with the Doppler every hour. She has had the best nurses...Sarah and Christy! The Dr. will check on her tomorrow and she if she can walk around. If she does well tonight they will try to move her to her new room tomorrow.

She looks great!

We got to go up to mom's room and see her for a bit. She was really sleepy but was curious how it all went. I gave her some of the facts but know she will want to hear more tomorrow or hear it again. I got a peek at her new breast and tummy and Dr. Teotia did a beautiful job. Her tummy is thin and flat and her new breast is perfect! It is quite amazing how doctors can do things like that! Mom was feeling pain so they gave her more meds and more anti-nausea meds too. She was falling fast asleep so my sis and I headed home until tomorrow. Side note- the valet had to jump mom's car so I could drive home. My battery had 3%left on my phone and inforgot my charger, so I called my husband to tell him my route home, just in case i got stranded. Major traffic problem-highway was shutdown so I had to go a different way but couldn't tell Brion my new route because my phone was dead. I saw a really awesome part of East Grand Praire and drove down Jefferson street all they way to 360. I made it home though. Thank you to everyone who lifted my mom in prayer today. Your prayers worked. She is doing so well! I will update more tomorrow. :)

Done

Dr. Teotia came to talk to me and Melissa. Here are my notes in bullet fashion because my brain can't handle composing complete sentences right now. -no trouble with veins and arteries -because of the radiated skin, he had to make a very big breast. (it is actually bigger than the right breast which has always been the biggest). -he took lots of the abdomen -he will liposuction that big breast later -he had to use pig skin -4-5 months he will lift the other breast -thinned the blood for her arteries -lots of tension in her stomach for 1-2 weeks -she will be in the flexed position for a couple of weeks -her big breast will settle with time -20%of patients will have some wound issue -ICU for two days -we will get to see her in about 1-2 hours

Almost finished!!

After nine hours of surgery, Dr. Teotia has finished attaching the breast. Now he is making it look good!!! The next phone call will be the one where he is finished and it is time to talk to him. Yay!