Today I had my weekly doctor visit. I expected a quick "everything looks good - next week we'll start your fills". Instead Dr. Mosharrafa asks how I feel to which I reply "much better!" "Me too," he says. His allergy eyes have cleared up. "You're ready to start your fills," he says. "Today?" I ask. "Yes, if you're up for it," he says. "Veronica will be in to get you started." "How does she know where to insert the needle?" my husband asks. So Dr. Mosharrafa places a little device on my chest which is a magnetic gizmo reminding me of a well driller witching for water. The magnetic cylinder "points" to the port.
While we wait, Shoyei picks up the sample expander from the shelf and runs the little device over the valve - it works!
Veronica, who doubles as the front desk girl, enters lugging two giant syringes. I try not to look. I probably won't be able to feel them, I tell myself. My chest is still mostly numb. But I am wrong. It's not excruciating, but I definitely feel the needles enter. My husband is squeezing my hands a bit tightly, easing his own apprehension for me. At least afterwards, there is no pain.
I've done a fair amount of research on this and have been expecting something akin to having teeth braces tightened. However, Dr. Mosharrafa says I shouldn't have any pain. Rather than 100 ccs every other week, he does 50 ccs weekly. Time will tell but I leave happy - finally underway. I am looking at 12 to 14 fills before the exchange surgery which will replace the expander with a permanent implant.
Afterwards my husband and I go to lunch and discuss what size I should be. Surprisingly, he is encouraging me to go smaller - in keeping with my advancing years. Fifteen years my senior, he is always pushing me forward on the aging cycle. I find this amusing but totally agree. I'm after a sense of balance, that's all. This is certainly not a conversation I ever imagined having.
As we leave, he helps me into the car humming Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles" with a smile, muttering his irreverent version - "tiny boobies on her chest, one points east, the other points west". "Hmmph," I say, "too close to the truth right now." At least we're laughing.
No comments:
Post a Comment