Margo had cancer surgery March 12, and has been recovering well. However, this week, at her checkup, the doctor said that there is still some fluid buildup under the flap of skin covering the removed breast. They put in a drainage tube, and drained it out, and decided to leave it in for a few days.
Friday, she goes in for a minor surgery to inject something into the area where the skin flap is loose that will make it so the lymph leakage or bleeding into the area will stop, and the skin will grow fast. She goes in early and will be home later in the day. This happens to something like 1/3 of women who have Margo's type of surgery. It is a nuisance, but needs to be done to allow radiation to work in May.
Otherwise she has been doing good. She has to work on raising her left arm high to stretch out the muscle where the lymph nodes were removed. She also continues to have her arm and hand wrapped 24 hours a day. It hasn't gotten worse, but doesn't improve either. However, she can use the arm and hand OK with the elastic glove and sleeve she has during the day. At night it is a bulkier and tighter wrapping of elastic and padding.
Scott is back to Pine Island to help with the Friday appointment and surgery. I am still up at the cabin watching for maple sap to drip. Not really running much yet--half of the trees on the west slopes have not run at all--late to thaw out I guess.
Comments and photographs from an old local historian and backwoodsman about life in the St. Croix River Valley
