Doctor’s and Kindergarten

SO I had my follow-up this morning. Pretty uneventful visit actually. He agreed that one boob was looking more north than the other but says it could take up to 3 months for healing and that they should align properly. He also feels the nipples will shrink down to a normal size. At the moment I feel like they arrive in a room at least a minute before I do. He told me to make another follow-up in 6 weeks. At that point if they are still uneven then he can make a small incision to lift the left boob. He can also reduce the size of the questionable nipple. I wanted more detail on what this would look like, in office? Hospital? He did not want to discuss it. Says we need to give it time to heal and let my body do it’s thing. If all works out we will not need to do anything. We shall see.

I was cleared to shower…YEAH! So much easier than washing my hair in the sink. I am also allowed to start wearing a bra, no under wire. We will discuss the bra on another post.

After the doctor I came home and picked up Madison for a big day! Meet the teacher at the Kindergarten. I was so proud of her! She did great! As we walked toward her building she told me to follow her. She showed me how to follow the red foot prints to get to the right building. They had a bus parked in the lot so the kids could go on and practice with the seat belts. Then we went into her classroom. She looked around and found her seat and sat so confidently. My baby, what a big girl! They had an opportunity to explore, listened to a story read by the teacher and met some other kids from the class.

I love that our district does this. Really allows the kids to get comfortable with the process. She told me that she wanted to be in bed early so she could be ready for school. She was asleep by 8pm…love it! I am the mother of a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener, where does the time go?

11 days post Newpples, 64 days post BPM

64 days wow! In the months leading up to the mastectomy, there were points where I never thought the actual surgery day would come. Now I look back and am amazed, it seems like forever ago. So how am I feeling?

My abdomen has healed nicely. I have a small lump which is probably scare tissue in the front which I will point out to the doctor tomorrow. It is still tight in the area but it is a good tight. I need to keep it that way! The Surgeon has mentioned that I can have a scar revision done, I will have to think about that possibility.

The boobs are coming along. I still have one ugly bruise on the left side that causes some minor pain. The incisions are healing. I have my first follow-up appointment with the plastic surgeon tomorrow. The newpples are different sizes, one of which way too big. When I spoke with his nurse last weeks she said not to worry. They have to be big to allow for shrinking and anything that does not shrink can be taken care of in the office easily. I still think one is higher than the other but not as bad as it was since some of the swelling has gone down. I guess it will just take more time to determine what the final appearance will be.

I have not been allowed to stand and take a “full” shower since the nipple reconstruction. They did not want the steri strips around the newpples to get wet. It has been a bit of a pain, washing in the shower with the hand-held then washing my hair in the kitchen sink. I remember when I was a kid my mother would freak out if you even brushed your hair in the kitchen. Good thing she is not around to see this!

Big day tomorrow. After the doctor Madison and I will head to the Kindergarten for meet the teacher. I am happy that the district does this. Allows the kids to not only meet the teacher, but see where the classroom is and in which building. Our Kindergarten is separated from any of the other schools and has 3 buildings. They are color codes. Tomorrow Madi will get a lanyard to wear on Thursday that will match a colored set of foot prints that shows which building to go to. This visit helps to relieve some of the first day stress.

She is so excited Thursday is the big day!

Day 39 Post mastectomy

I guess we are in a waiting period once again for surgery but unlike before I am not in agony waiting for this one. Instead just trying to make sure everything is caught up on around the house. We have also focused on getting ready for school to start sorting through closets and drawers, filling backpacks with supplies. Haircuts are scheduled, drawers are straightened and things that do not fit removed. With the nipple reconstruction and revision scheduled for 8/24, I need to make sure we are all ready to go for September 6th…the first day of school! I am really hoping that I am moving around well because on September 5th Madison, who is starting Kindergarten, has met the teacher day. I will be very upset if I can not be there for that!

Most importantly for this week we have a super special birthday on Saturday. My first-born turns 8 years old..yikes! Just a small party this year, pool and BBQ (if the weather holds fingers crossed) with her couple of cousins aunts and uncles.

We went out to the store yesterday and for the first time I wore a sport bra, although the Doctor has never said I was allowed to wear one. It is so hot I can not walk around with the baggy shirt hanging over the tank! I actually wore a T-shirt and felt comfortable that no one was looking at my square boobs. I am feeling more and more normal each day. I still have stiffness in the chest and tightness in the abdomen but I have come to accept that they will be part of life for a long while. It does not affect daily functions and is really no more that aches and stiffness. I only wish I could sleep on my side…that I really miss!

I continue to do some type of exercise daily, elliptical machine, punching bag or walking. I would really like to turn this experience into an opportunity to refocus the entire family on our health. The girl’s exercise with me either punching the bag, jumping on their little trampoline or simple sit-ups. Unfortunately, frank and I both have struggled with our weight as did my mother and his father. We need to do better for ourselves and the girls!

We did have a big event yesterday, Madison lost her third tooth. We were all very excited!