Tag: nipple reconstruction

The mundane and beautiful feeling of normal

I am sitting and watching the Eagles game, I  wonder if I will even be able to stay awake into the second half.  The day started with a stop for shoes for myself and the girls, then to buy some organizational things for the kitchen and new sheets for our bed.  I can not remember when we got new sheets.   Then to Justice for a new outfit for school pictures this week.  Lastly a stop for a new binder that Megan will need in the TAG program.

At home, time to put it all away and jump right into the organization projects. First put the new sheets into the washer. Back to the projects,  I have a “junk” counter where everything collects.  It is a tiny stand alone counter in a corner that is really not good for anything kitchen related so it became the home of my purse, bills, binder full of insurance paperwork etc from my surgery, all supplies office/school related, glasses, phone charger, tissues  etc.  The ever going list is why it was time for some way to attempt to organize.  This along with another little project took about 2 or so hours.  By the time I was finished it was dinner time.

After the dishes were cleaned up, outside for some Halloween decorating. Back in grab the sheets from the dryer and put them on to the bed, love the feel of the sheets first day on the bed!  Bath the little one, get snacks ready , sit for reading time with Madison, blink and realize the day is all but over.

AHHH, normalcy. For as tired as I am after a day like today, it is still a nice feeling.  Just a few short weeks ago my activites were still restricted due to the mastectomy.  Even when I was released to normal activity I could not imagine pulling off a full day of activity.  It is nice to be basically back to normal, whatever that means.  I never have a day where I am not reminded of the mastectomy (and I do not mean the obvious).  I still have the ever present tightness in my abdomen and the scar has really become irritating.   The newpples are still uneven and one remains twice the size of the other.  Wearing a bra is still not my most favorite thing but I can get through most of the day without an issue.  I can finally lay on my sides for a short while in bed which is a welcome change.

I dread the thoughts of another procedure in my future but I know that is will be minor in comparison to the past two.  Almost there!

Tomorrow is another day

I have been very sore today!

In some respects I feel like it was a lifetime ago that I had my surgery but then when I look at a calendar it has still not even been 3 months.  Less than a month since the nipple reconstruction and revision which in itself was a pretty large surgery.  Today my body waved a white flag. I could not even bring myself to put on a bra today.  I tried to ignore it this morning and ran some errands and then took a walk but half way through my walk I could tell things were off.  I headed home and ever since have been on my butt.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. 

                                                                               -John D. Rockefeller

76 days post BPM, 23 days post reconstruction

Been a little since I did a surgery followup.  The actual bilateral prophylactic mastectomy was On July 2, followed by the nipple reconstruction and revision on August 24.

The reconstruction was completed at the same time via a DIEP flap procedure.  After many weeks of initial struggles with core strength, I am fully able to move as I wish.  I am at the point now where I do sit up crunches every night.  At first only 10 or so now 100+ .  I also either walk or spend some time on the elliptical machine a few days a week. I still have tightness in the abdomen but it is a good tight. I am stunned at the change of size in my abdomen.  I am not on the scale of Barbie but it is by far the flattest stomach I have seen in many years.

I do still have discomfort in the breasts.  The breast revision was much large than initially expected.  Due to the size of the incisions and amount of surgery performed, I still have a hard time wearing a bra.  I feel that I need to wear one if I am going out in public, ie back to school nights, shopping, soccer etc because of the nipple issue.  As I had stated in an earlier post, the surgeon had to make the nipples large to allow for shrinkage.  One of them has and is about right.  The other has not and still reminds me of a strange little thumb like appendage. He has assured me that if needed this can be corrected very easily.  They are also a bit out of line which I am also told is a an easy fix.  So it does look like we have a small procedure ahead.  I see him again mid october.

I do look forward to a day when I have no discomfort but have accepted the fact that the day is not around the corner.

I am thrilled that my life for the most part is getting back to normal, but one highlight of my day does still remain the bra removal.

I have lost close to 40 pounds since my max weight 1 year prior to surgery.

My Bra size is 4 sizes smaller and pant size is almost 2 sizes smaller.

More importantly is the fact that I feel good and have used this situation as an attempt to live healthier.  Most importantly is the fact that I have gone from a minimum 50/50  chance  of developing breast cancer to one of only about 5%.

**(post pathology with the finds of cancer markers, the risk would have increased but no one ever put it into number for me)