Day 3 post op

So on Monday morning at 6 am, Jeff brought me to the hospital for my bilateral mastectomy and autologous DIEP flap reconstruction. Basically, this means they removed all of my breast tissue, and replaced it with my abdominal tissue. Two surgeons, 9 hours, and I got a tummy tuck and new breasts at the same time. No, I don’t have nipples. No, I don’t have implants. Yes, I got to keep my belly button, it’s just been moved to a higher place. My incisions are one large cut from hip to hip, with two drains coming out of there, a circle around my belly button, and two circles where my nipples were. I also have two drains coming out of my armpits, which I’m hoping to have removed today.

The hardest part of all of this is that every hour the nurses have to come check my “flaps” to make sure the blood flow is still happening. So they use this really loud Doppler machine to listen to the arterial and veinous blood vessels in my breasts. For me, this means I have had to be woken up every hour. And I don’t do so well on limited sleep, let alone in pain as well.

I managed to keep ahead of the pain last night, as opposed to the night before when I had no meds between midnight and 9 am. Let’s just say the morning nurses didn’t see the best side of me. But as the day progressed and I got some meds and food into me, I started being able to move around a bit, which was good for me. The more walking I do (even if right now it’s at a snails pace around the ward) the better for healing apparently.

I haven’t been open to visitors, but my Mom and Jeff have been here with me. The ward is really quiet. I have a great view of the city. And some old guy across the way has seen my ass a few times.

The best part about all of this? My Ingress friends spent the time that I was in the operating room making field art for me. The key is the symbol for our team, and all of those dots and lines are a carefully executed map surrounding the hospital. My room is just at the top left corner of the key. Even people from the other team helped! It was truly an act of love, and not one I will ever forget. There are a lot of people to thank, but they know who they are. I am so thankful for this game! Vive la resistance!

They may let me go home today. I’m looking forward to my own bed, my own fridge, my own shower. One significant change of plan? No Starbucks for 6 weeks. No caffeine at all, which includes chocolate, green tea and coffee. I can’t even have one of my granola bars that I brought to the hospital for snacks. Also, no driving, no alcohol, and no lifting of anything larger than a large can of soup. So my boys will be learning how to be super helpful!!

Thanks for all the love and messages of support. It’s meant a lot to Jeff and I.