WOW! One week post-op!

I have never been late for an appointment. Ever. I am one of those people that show up 10 minutes early and check email with that extra time before my appointment.

Well, today I wasn’t that person. I arrived at my first post-op appointment at 9:30 with the biggest smile and greeted the women behind the desk like I was right one time. Once they called me back to the room, the nurse told me that they were concerned because I’m never late. Confused I replied, “I’m not late. My appt is at 9:30.” She smiled and responded “No, Mrs. Parker. Your appt was at 9 am.”

Embarrassed, I apologized profusely. I knew that Dr. Shuck always had a busy day on Thursdays. I knew that I wouldn’t be rushed but I was sorry for putting pressure on the rest of his appointments. I removed my bra and binder, changed into the robe that lay awaiting me for 30 minutes, and stood in front of the full-sized mirror. My swollen belly had decreased in size since surgery and I could clearly see my scar without the added protective gear.

The stretch marks that I earned from the birth of my two children stared back at me. I heard a knock on the door, as I wondered what my belly button would look like under the bandage.

Dr. Shuck greeted me with his signature smize behind his mask. We exchanged greetings and briefly chatted about the wonders of ERAS, how well I looked given that I had major surgery a week before, and finally how much I hated drains. I whipped out my drain output log that I’d been documenting electronically. After a few minutes, he said the most magical words that I’d heard all week. “All, but #4 are coming out.” Had I heard him correctly? I looked at him in disbelief. I had been prepared for the four drains at the breast to be removed maybe, but I hadn’t expected to have the belly drains removed so quickly. #3 and #4 were belly drains. He shocked me even further by stating that he’d reconsidered and he’d decide if #4 would also be removed by the time he got to that side.

OMGeeeeeee. I was a kid at Christmas. Every day this week, I prayed for this moment. Until you’ve experienced having drains, you’ll likely not understand the sheer significance of this moment. And that’s ok. Just trust me on this one. By the time he rolled over to my right side, it was decided. I would leave his office drain-free! Woop Woop!!

(I should also note that my drain output was extremely low.. So low, that I was only emptying them once a day, and only the belly drains measured double-digit cc output. This was the basis of his decision. My complaints had nothing to do with it.)

Next, I was introduced to my newest friend. Dr. Shuck removed the bandage that covered my belly button. I was still so impressed by his apple core analogy that I couldn’t wait to see what my new belly button looked like. What I thought I saw was what I expected my belly button looked like as a newborn, crusty scab and all. Turns out that the crusty scab is actually sutures. Go figure. Gone was the belly button that swam in the kangaroo pouch. This new belly button was tight and perfect. I on’y instructions are to smother the inside with the same ointment that I cover my breast incision with, stick a rolled piece of gauze inside, and cover it with a bandage. Easy peezy.

From there he moved lower to my abdominal incision. Dr. Shuck checked my scar and told me that everything looked perfect. I was healing according to plan, and that’s all I wanted and needed to hear. He reminded me that the derma bond tape would start to flake off in 1-2 weeks and I could remove the loose traces while in the shower. After which, I could begin scar therapy, if I was interested. I didn’t know what he was talking about and we wouldn’t be doing it the following week so I decided to do some research at home and return with questions in a week. I had already put him 30 min behind schedule. I didn’t want to delay him further with a whole lesson when I could easily empower myself with information in the meantime.

My internet research reminded me that a scar is a testimony to the incredible power of our bodies to heal. As quickly as we are wounded, our skin tries to close quickly to prevent infection. Our body rebuilds tissue by sending fibroblasts to the site. These are cells that make collagen (the supporting foundation of the skin). In this race to repair itself and replenish tissue, new cells aren’t always laid out as neatly as the rest of our skin .. resulting in a visible scar. If the fibroblasts make too much collagen, this leads to a raised scar .. These fall into two categories: keloid scars, which are red, thick, and bumpy and spread beyond the original wound, and hypertrophic scars, which are also raised and red, but more contained, and often follows surgery.

Remind you of high school biology?

I, like most people, fall into the hypertrophic category. The scar therapy that Dr. Shuck mentioned is silicone-based. Silicone is effective at healing scars. It works by creating a protective layer over the scar, to stop it from losing moisture. Damaged skin needs moisture to heal, and dry skin has microscopic cracks that can allow bacteria to enter, slowing down the healing process by causing further inflammation. One key benefit of silicone is that the layer is porous, allowing the skin to ‘breathe’, which helps to speed up healing.

This information was timely. Just last night, I looked over my newest scar that spans my body (hip to hip), I was amazed at just how much my body had endured. I am not ashamed of my scar. I will not take on extra effort to hide it, but scar recovery seems interesting. Now that I understand the basics, I’ll get more information at my next appointment.

Next, his focus shifted from my abdominal scar to my breasts. Gently, he reminds me that while I am out of the danger zone, the flaps are still very fragile. By this time, hundreds of little capillaries have developed from the implanted artery. In a few month’s time, he could cut that artery and my breast would live perfectly fine because they would have created their own lifeline. But for now, I should still respect them with caution. Convinced that most late-stage flap deaths are caused when women have unknowingly added significant pressure when rolling over on them in their sleep, he still wants me to sleep on my back. This I can do, I am currently still sleeping in my comfy recliner. And when my stomach muscles cooperate, I will be able to climb into my pillow fort.

I am given permission to wear a normal sports bra. So the ugly post-op bra is also a thing of the past! Whoop! Whoop!

As he scans the results of his work, he reminds me that Stage 3 reconstruction will correct gaps, symmetry, contouring, etc. This stage is not as invasive as my previous surgeries. And I’ve opted for a delay until next Spring anyway. In the meantime, I will focus on weight loss so that we have a better idea of how/if weight loss affects the size and shape of my breasts. Every person is different. I will need to wait and see. And it would be silly to have a corrective procedure before I lose the weight. That’s like signing up for multiple corrective procedures.. Nope, not doing it.

On our way out the door, Theo asked Dr. Shuck if he approved the newest binder that I purchased. (He’s so involved, honestly). With a seal of approval, I tossed the old hospital binder and strapped on the new one instead. I don’t know if it was the absence of the drains or the binder itself, but the new binder felt remarkably different. Secure. Comfortable. Flexible to be loosened or tightened. Easier to conceal under clothes. And an appropriate fit for my short torso.

Winning!