Tag: Plastic surgery

20 Days Post Prophylactic Mastectomy

After dinner tonight I put on my sneakers and out he door I went with my girls.  We went for an adventure..well we walked around the block. Being as it was the first time I have left the house for anything other than a doctor’s appointment it is the closest thing  to an adventure as I am going to get.  Lap number one went great…”let’s go around again”.  Sounded better coming out of my mouth then it was in reality.  Half way around I began to struggle.  We made it home but I do believe I bit off a little more than I was ready to chew.  Oh well…no harm no foul I guess. I am not in the best of moods at the moment though…sitting quietly by myself waiting for a pill to kick in.

SO for the updates, the abdomen continues to heal nicely.  A few spots still a bit raw but for the most part wonderful.  I took a shower yesterday but since I have had some weeping on my left breast at the corner of the flap.  I think some of the scab once wet came off leaving this little spot of weeping.    It is not a lot and it has no odor and is watery thin.  The site is not red or warm and there is no increased pain.  For the most part it is colorless maybe a tinge yellowish.  At first I was worried but as I was released from the hospital they warned of some weeping.  Of course I spent some time on the internet looking around about it and have decided it is not an infection.  I will keep a close eye on it.

Other than that physically still sore but each day still get better.  I am a bit annoyed that a small walk around the block wipes me out the way it did but I will get over it.  All in all doing great!

No Bra

So when I was at the doctors the other day he reaffirmed that I am under no circumstances to wear a bra until at least the next time I see him in 3 weeks.  No Bra…last time I can say that I could get away with walking around town (not that I am going anywhere right now), without being ticketed or poking myself in the eye was like maybe when I was 12?

Heading into the surgery I was a 40DD.   I had thought about reduction for a while but once this process started it was like “all in”.  We agreed that we would be going smaller but he could not guarantee a size per say and that we would need to “tweak” the initial work which would be done at the time of the nipple reconstruction.

So the no bra thing is really is not a problem at all for a few reasons, first they are still so swollen they are like annoying (yet non moving) bricks on my chest.  Second, I am not going anywhere fast right now, and third they are well, not at all “boob” shaped.  They are clearly different sizes and I swear they point in different directions. They strike me as more square.  I will need another small procedure probably in about 4-5 weeks back in the main hospital OR.  my Surgeon say it will be about a 2 hour process where he will hide the flap, build new nips and liposuction the new bricks boobs. The plan is that since I was so large anyway, to utilize the extra skin that would have been cut away in surgery.  Instead of having to harvest skin for the new nips, he will gather what is forming around the new flaps as the swelling goes down and make the nip out of it , at the same time hiding the flap and  creating a nice “boob” shape.   The doctor says they will be lovely when finished and not to worry.  Honestly, I am not at all worried.  I fully trust in my plastic surgeon and the “boobie vision” he has painted for me.  For now I have been hanging out in a tank top which I pin the last drain to but then put a baggy button down over top.  It works.

Anyway, yesterday was a down day.  I really spent the day just lying around and napping.  Frank took the girls out for a few hours in the afternoon which was great.  I had no real energy or inclination to do anything more than hang out in my size smaller bike shorts. Sleeping is improving (still with assistance).  Almost made it through the night.  Closest I have come anyway!

20 days….

Each passing day brings us one day closer.  I can’t believe we are at the 20 day mark.

So, back when I started this blog I made a statement, about revisiting the brave vs. scared thing.  So, 20 days out am I scared?  Thankfully I still say no.  I may be a bit more nervous since I am more familiar with both the surgery and recovery.  I worry about something going wrong during the Mastectomy.  Maybe when they cut they may find something.  I also worry about the reconstruction.  Will there be a vascular problem?  Infection?  The biggest concern continues to be that of how my girls will handle the fact that I will not come home for several days.   Mommy is a superhero.  How will they handle seeing mommy sidelined for a while?  And lastly…how long is that while? I will say that although I worry about these things, I am in no way consumed with them.  I am really at peace right now about the entire thing.

I plan on talking to the girls over the weekend.  They know something is going on at this point.  Two doctors appointments in 2 weeks and the bruise I still have from the blood work.  Tonight we came home from softball games to a message confirming my appointment on Wednesday with the plastic surgeon.  It announced that it was from the department of surgery.  The call ID on it was a woman’s name…had I known I would never have played it with them there.

Anyway, that’s it for now.  Today I am thankful for the end of softball season!