It goes well.
I was hopeful that by yesterday's appointment I would be saying that all of my tubes were out.
But my plastic surgeon really wanted me to go a few days longer with them in. He also advised that I refrain from any immunologically risky procedures for now, since my chest wall, in trying to heal and revascularize was immunologically delicate. So, I rescheduled my dental cleaning for later.
Thursday was also my first appointment where I got to experience getting fluids added to the expander. It is a lot like getting an adjustment on your braces, the first 12 hours afterwards are a little annoying and weird feeling. But it's nothing a small tab of ibuprofen can't handle. The biggest sensations are when I go from either lying down to sitting up or vice versa.
Other than that, I really can't complain.
Except to wish to have the remaining drains removed.
And get permission to work my arms again.
And get to scratch where it is beginning to itch.
But really.
I can't complain.
And to all my circle of those who have reached out, and those who have fed us.
Thank you again for the love!
*****
Life leading up to my double mastectomy was hectic.
I think that we were trying to get as much living done as possible for us and the girls, before the inevitable slow down.
Passed Chinese New Year.
Went to their regular cross-country skiing practices.
Had our post-skiing dinner-and-a-show.
Went to our robotic practice.
Home late.
Went to our book clubs.
Played birdies.
More cross-country skiing.
Homemade bread.
To invite the kids to visit me more in my room, during convalescence, I put up this "Stick-Together" poster (I love that name!). It's like a group paint by number.
It will be one great way to mark the passage of time, especially as I heal, post-op.
Last coffee outing before operation.
Much coffee art.
Time passing.
More coffee art.
More time.
More coffee art.
More time...
Coffee. Coffee. Heart.
Coffee delivery via pteradactyl.
Passing time...
More time passing!
************************
The morning of the surgery!
We are waiting in the lobby.
***
Home after surgery, with 7-8 prescription.
Dada involved the girls in writing up a spreadsheet with scheduling, frequency, purpose for tracking my medication schedule. <3 Professor Callis from Honors Chemistry in college was right Excel can do everything!
Parsing through all of my meds, very few of which I ended up finding necessary.
Of all 8 bottles, I ended up using extra strength ibuprofen (a little), anti-nausea, antibiotic. The rest had to do with more pain meds, and/or opiod use or treating of side-effects of opiod use.
The many colors of me.
Let's make some compassionate little humans: De-mystifying the human-condition Dada involved the girls also in the daily emptying of my drains and measuring. He did the lions work, but on kid helped hand out the alcohol wipes, and the other kid helped with my undressing.
I'm supposed to limit my arm-motions. So sister has to help sister with her hair for dance.
Good job.
*****
Thank you to so many of you all who have fed us this month.
It has truely been a blessing, and helpful in that we don't have to go to the grocery store or cook. <3
Thank you for the love.
*****
More sticking together.
Which the Badgerie Menagerie does so well.
***
My first post-op appointment.
Taking good care of me!
More time passing.
Mushroom coffee art.
I had a little energy, which I used to make a fascinator for Miss 1's hat, since she was going to a teen party.
Valentine's Day coming.
Another coloring table runner!
I managed to get enough energy in the day to paint some Valentine's Day rocks.
***
The polymerization of healing.
Day 7 of empty my drains. The inflammation is going down and now my body is starting to do the work to reknit things together.
If my general surgeon hadn't mentioned that this was natural, I would probably have been a bit worried. However, this was to be expected: tendrils/ribbons showing up in my drains. They are the result of my body putting out chemicals to knit me back together. It's a bit like adding boric acid to PVA glue, the making of human plastics/gak!
***
A cool clothspin from Miss 2.
Meanwhile Miss 3's homeschooling continues and the olders are doing more independent study.
Going out with drainage tubes tucked in under my sweater.
Still managed.
Coffee was yum. But my post-operation tastes have changed. I don't like coffee without sugar anymore (the way I did before my operation). So this was a caramel latte, and not a plain oatmilk latte.
Still, yum.
And the company was so lovely too.
<3
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