"We Got It."

I remember coming out of the anesthesia with a smile on my face. Seeing the post-op team checking me and my vitals and Dr. Dang approaching the side of my bed.

She too wore a big smile on her face.

"You did very well.", she whispered.

"You did well.", I whispered back.

Why are we whispering? Lol.

"We got it. And we removed only two lymph nodes."

The words We. Got. It. kept replaying over and over in my head even as I heard her begin talking about the pathology report and how long it may take. I heard her. Yet, still, those three little words were loud and clear.

They removed the cancerous mass, it was small.

Again, that is tribute to early detection and how important it is to keep up with regular mammograms.

The feeling of gratitude that beamed through my body I'm sure radiated from my face. In Dr. Dang's presence I thanked God.

I looked down at my chest. No longer wearing my surgical gown but sporting a very nice post-surgery bra. It was snug but it felt good. I was tired and had pain of course but so grateful.

"God you did it. You guided the surgeon's hands and gave her clear vision to the mass to extract it. Thank You Father God, to You be the glory."

Then I got sick.

Telling them, all of them, that a certain pain medicine makes me sick, they gave me something for the sickness before giving me the medication anyway and yeah it didn't work.

The sickness from the medication seemed to intensify the pain.

They kept me in recovery a bit longer till the nausea and dizziness subsided. I got to eat Lorna Doones and had two small bottles of ginger ale. I was so happy! For real, not sarcastically.

There are differing opinions on how a surgical procedure, once guaranteeing a hospital stay, can now be considered an outpatient procedure where you're ready to go home within hours after you wake up.

Some look upon it as a negative. "Just whisk you in and whisk you out. Where's the care?"

Some consider it a money game. "They just get your money and don't care about your health."

Whatever someone's opinion is about that, it is their right to have and it's valid to them. I fret none about it, it doesn't change my belief nor my opinion, Which is...

There used to be a time when breast cancer was an automatic death sentence. With the advancements in medicine and technology I am extremely grateful that it is no longer the case for so many women. There are many different kinds of breast cancer, with each requiring their own route of treatments.

I am so grateful that what I had did not mandate a hospital stay.

I am so grateful that my team of doctors and nurses did not have the "hurry in-hurry out" mentality. The care and concern for my well-being was always at the forefront.

I am so grateful that as a result of it being caught early and the technology and medicines that these amazing doctors are now working with, it was resolved with a procedure and process that was essentially minimal. Because let's be real, if they wanted to put the squeeze on for money, whether from me or my insurance, I could have been hospitalized period.

I am so grateful that because of how this was taken care of I am able to recover at home (and get my Tylenol). Whoop whoop! Praise Jesus!!