Tag: Surgery

Insurance

So with the surgery, we have reached our out-of-pocket maximum on our health insurance.  Because of this I have become a crazy person about everyone getting to any doctor needed before the end of the year.  Anything that we had been putting off, not in a rush to take care of needs to be dealt with this year!  I made an appointment for Megan’s yearly for late September and Madison will be November.  I need to call both my primary for a physical (which I have not done in 3-4 years so I guess it is time) as well as the OB/GYN.  I was actually due to go there in June but with the Mastectomy in July I just could not get myself to go there. With all appointments covered at 100%..now it the time!  Blood work, physical etc.  We have put out enough cash, need to try to squeeze as much out of it a we can.

I really can’t wait for the nipple reconstruction and revision to be completed.  Now that I am back to mostly normal activity I have been wearing a sport bra when I go out.  Uncomfortable does not even cover the feeling wearing a bra.  I walk into the house and make it as far as the kitchen and have it half way off.  Very classy but who cares!

Tick tick..almost there!

 

 

 

I did a sit-up….kind of

So after roughly 2 weeks of  exercise, I really am getting stronger.  I am up to 20 minutes 4 times a week on the elliptical with no issues.  The other days we are trying to walk the neighborhood. I would like to work on my punching bag but the girls have destroyed it pretending they were in the olympics, that is another story but punching is out.

I decided to attempt to start abdominal work.  We have this old “ab rock it” . This picture is not ours but pretty close. You hold the handles and push forward to assist the sit up.  There is no way I could do them on my own but with the rocker I was able to do several.   I only did a few, may try more a little later.  I wanted to make sure I did not hurt anything.  I have no pain from my abdomen anymore but it remains extremely tight.  This is not really a bad thing, actually one of the reasons I think it is important to get working on the muscles around it so it remains tightened.

I have finally reached a point where when I look in the mirror I am seeing something positive.  The boobs, well they are a mess but there is a light at the end of the tunnel .  The rest though, not too bad.  Now that the swelling is basically gone, the DIEP flap is really like a tummy tuck.  After 2 kids it is the tightest my abdomen has been in years.  I have taken the opportunity to really focus on my diet and have exercised pretty consistently for 2 weeks.  For the first time in a long time looking in the mirror is not depressing, (not like seeing fireworks either) but I see positive movement.

Continued focus, completion of the nest surgery, the future looks bright!

12 days until the next surgery

“Suddenly, through birthing a daughter, a woman finds herself face to face not only with an infant, a little girl, a woman-to-be, but also with her own unresolved conflicts from the past and her hopes and dreams for the future…. As though experiencing an earthquake, mothers of daughters may find their lives shifted, their deep feelings unearthed, the balance struck in all relationships once again off kilter.”  ~Elizabeth Debold

Sitting with my coffee this morning fishing around the internet as I often do I came across the quote above.  As I believe I have mentioned before, I am not an avid reader…I browse but when I hit this one I re-read it several times.  Interesting!

I am now the proud parent of an 8 year old little girl.  The birthday went well. Although the weather did not cooperate for a pool party, Meg had a good time playing with her cousins inside.  It is always nice to see family.

Now we are back to focusing on what needs to be finished before surgery.  Time is ticking, we are right around the corner!  I am ready and anxious to get the reconstruction completed!  Time to get the “pointy parts” back!