So my bilateral skin sparing mastectomy is coming up in 4 days. And I am wicked nervous! Wish me luck. A few of my friends that have gone through this have given me some great suggestions so I thought I would share them with you all. These are in no particular order.
1.) Get a recliner (I borrowed mine). This way you can sleep in it, without putting any pressure on your chest and drains. Also my friend swears that I'll need the movement to help me get up and down. Here is where I'll be hanging out for a couple of weeks. I am hoping to get one more so I can have one in my living room as well, for a change of scenery.
2.) Stay busy. So I've been stocking up on crafting supplies, books, music, magazines, movies, and projects. Not sure how much I'll want to do. But just in case I feel ambitious and really bored then I will have options.
3.) Get a detachable shower sprayer. This way you can shower without submerging the drains and incisions. She even suggested getting a shower bench so I wouldn't have to stand, however those are expensive, so I decided against it. There is only so much you can do. I did however spurge for the shower sprayer. I feel like I'm 80 or so, yicks!
4.) Ask for help, because most household chores, activities, and driving are going to be off limits for awhile. Recovery time is 4 to 6 weeks. So my mom and mother in law are coming and they are going to help with anything and everything.
5.) It was required that I get a post surgical care top. (I guess this is either a new thing.....or not every doctor prescribes it, because my friend wishes she had something like this when she had her mastectomy) You can't tell from the picture, but it has pockets on the inside. This is where I'll put the drains in. I've been told that the drains will stay in for 10-14 days, ugh. Also it has inserts for my prosthetic breasts. Ha! I'm not able to do reconstruction until after the radiation. So I'll be running around boobless for awhile. The reconstruction surgeries are another set of problems for another day. Blah! If you don't get one of these handy tops, my friend said that she purchased a jacket with pockets on the inside, and they helped her. 6.) Stock your house with prepared meals and groceries. It might be awhile before you feel like cooking or shopping. So stock up. (I still need to do this one.)
7.) Take a picture of your chest before the surgery this way you have something to show the plastic surgeon for reconstructive surgeries. I have already had my appointment with my plastic surgeon, but I decided that I would still take a before picture, just in case I decided to switch surgeons later on.
Let me know if you have any suggestions, and I'll be happy to add them. Thanks!
Peace out! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment