The turning point
Today was it. Today was the day that I woke up and felt a little different. Not an extreme change but enough for me to notice. Suddenly those two delicate mounds of tissue are starting to feel like a piece of me. And not only psychologically… physically!
Suddenly, they don’t lead me while I am walking. I lead them!
Suddenly, they don’t feel like bowling balls within my flesh when I bend over to pick up something from the ground.
Suddenly, they’re no longer tender at the site where a small portion of my rib was removed.
We are healing! Yes we, me and the dynamic duo!
Recently, I received an insurance bill that documented the cost of my DIEP Flap surgery, and I was floored! I thought to myself, boobs this expensive deserve a nickname. They should be addressed properly. For now, I call them my double D’s for short (“d”ynamic “d”uo and because although they are not quite DD in size, they are still much larger than my natural breasts were.) 😝
Before I go any further, let me start with my disclaimer: I understand that my journey may be different than others. My testament is based on my journey and my doctor’s recommendations. Results may differ.
A lot of people have been sending me messages inquiring about my status since surgery. So I thought it would be helpful to jot down my incremental progress. At some point, all of this will blend together and I won’t be able to distinguish one week from another.
Here are my stats so far :
1 week post op - hunched over while walking, no pain but discomfort in abdominal and breast area. Ability to eat only small amount of food in a sitting due to tight stomach. Resting in recliner most of the day. Sleeping in a recliner. Walking in an extreme hunched position every 2 hours (with associated back pain from hunching)
2 week post op - walking better (hunched over only at the end of the day.. guess my body is more tired then). Wounds healing well, dermabond starting to peel from abdomen incision, minimal discomfort in breast though they still feel heavy, stomach less light but still eating smaller portions to avoid discomfort after eating, can shower and dress without help, can eat at kitchen table with minimal discomfort, Swelling down significantly, extreme tenderness continues at site where portion of rib was removed, iNext follow up with Plastic surgeon at 6 wks.
3 weeks post op - no more breast or abdominal discomfort, still slight swelling in abdominal area with minor associated tightness (can’t describe this as pain but it feels like I’ve done 100 crunches), breast began to soften, began scar therapy, good range of motion though still not reaching over head, can eat larger portions, moving around and sitting in recliner only when reading or sleeping, can sit in normal chairs and sofa for extended periods of time, can cook meals, 2 tiny scabs have formed on my navel and it’s healing well.
I will start PT on Friday .. shortly before 4 weeks milestone. I’ll be sure to tell you how that goes.
Also I should note that I’ve been wearing my abdominal binder 24 hours a day since surgery and I had PT before my DIEP surgery (after bilateral mastectomy). These may have contributed to my progress. Oh yeah, my doctor also advised me to take a healing supplement 2x each day (Juven - from the makers of Ensure) .. one week before surgery and two weeks after. I don’t know how I would have felt had I not taken it, but he said that it was effective for healing and tissue development post DIEP flap surgery so I gave it a shot. This also may have contributed. It definitely didn’t hurt. You can find it on Amazon. (The fruit punch flavor is the best IMO).
There are so many stories out there. Before my surgery, I refused to focus on everything that could go wrong. That adds zero value. Remember my mantra. Positive Vibes only!
Why focus on everything that can go wrong, when you can look forward to everything that can go right!
❤️T
