5 days PO!!!!!!! ---- TT, BL and BA Scheduled for 6/11/2012 - Colorado Springs, CO

The days are flying by! I can't believe I am already 5 days PO. Yesterday the movers where here to start packing my stuff and I honestly over did it even though I took breaks and laid down on my bed various times to rest. I took my second shower by myself yesterday and it felt wonderful.... however, after reading someone's post about their surgeon's theory of showers increasing the risk of infection I am starting to think that maybe I should skip days.... I just look forward to taking this binder off for a little while! During the day the thing that bothers me most is the tightness in my upper abs muscles and not being able to walk straight. At night, the story shifts and its my boobs that take center attention. I haven't been told to massage them yet but they feel so engorged and hard - especially the right one --- that it makes it hard to sleep. My lower back is taking the grunt of all of this... what have you ladies done to make it not tense up and hurt?

I drove a little yesterday and now I am about to go to Target cause I just noticed that the movers packed all of my pantry!!! So I need to get some healthy snacks and other stuff for the days we have left here. In between the move, the surgery and TOM I am super emotional and cant believe everything is happening so fast!

I am so happy to see others results, I will try to take more pics today and post them. I feel super swollen under this binder so I know they wont be super pretty pictures but I think we all here appreciate the "real thing" rather than only the best stuff...

2 little perks I have noticed so far are that I don't have to pick up my boobs to dry under them after a shower! I was so happy when I noticed that I had a silly grin and kept patting and drying that area! LOL The other is that even with the swelling going on, when I sit on the toilet and look down I can see ALL the way down... without having to suck it up or move anything!!!!!! YAY!!!! oh, and I had a BM today... it was funny cause I had to sit down and meditate and convince my body --yes talking to my body parts and deep breathing like a lunatic! ---- that we could do it but it worked and it happened! Double yayyy!!

Thanks for all your good thoughts and prayers and for sharing all your stories and recoveries! I actually spend more time on this site than on facebook now and that is a lot, especially when most of your day goes by sitting down taking breaks!! :-)

Surgery day ---- my surgery was scheduled for 5:30pm. We checked in at 4pm, and the prep started shortly after. They got a urine sample and then got me in one of the infamous backless gowns, into my compression socks, under warm air blankets and then Dr. Vath came to do his markings. I reminded him to make my incision as low as possible, and little as possible and a cute BB... And to please take all my blubber out! Shortly after that the anesthesiologist came by, explained what woul happen and also told me that hd would give me something to relax before putting me under. I remember him putting the medicine, telling my friend what to do to get back in the office, and then someone asking me how I felt and not to open my eyes cause they had put grease on them.... That's it! For some reason my pain was concentrated on my left boob and my left arm. They gave me more pain medicine while in recovery, then my friend noted that my right boob looked bruised. They kept me in observation a little longer than anticipated cause they wanted to make sure that it was just bruising and not bleeding inside. They explained that for pain I could take 2 Perc's every 4 hrs and if it was still bothersome I could do the Valium 2rs later and alternate between them. The ride home wasn't that bad and I just passed out when we arrived.

1day PO ---- the first day wasn't as bad as I thought it would. I thought I would be sleeping thru the day but I was very surprised to be awake, alert and wanting to move. It was a challenge to walk hunched over when my body just wanted to go straight. I had to find a good way to sit down at he toilet using my legs for strengt, the same as for sitting on the recliner hair. The PS had said I could shower after 24 hrs but I decided to wait til The next day cause i was worried about not being able to put the cg on the right way. I took "laps" around the kitchen every time I needed to go to the bathroom, which has been around every 2 hrs on the clock. My boos feel gigantic and the right one feels like it needs to pop or something... My PS said I don't need to massage them this week but I am wondering if that will make them feel better and help with the swelling.

2day PO ---- yesterday I was more sore than the first day for some reason.i tried to walk a little straighter but it was hard. I ate wheat thin crackers - the low sodium kind right before pill time just to have something in my stomach. I wasnt hungry at all during the days but I did get hungry late at night and my friend got me one of the strawberry chicken salads room Wendy's and it was yummy. I decided to take a shower and took some pics. Ive been waiting to see my bb and the TT scar. I was very excited with what I saw. I did notice that the top of my ribcage, like right under my boobs is a little dented kinda forming a line going down my torso....it kinda freaked me out.... Will that go away?


3 day PO ---- first I still haven't had a BM but ive been taking dulcolax for 3 days..so hopefully it will happen soon. I am waking a little straighter today than yesterday. I just got my period too this morning and have been cramping like crazy and with a blinding headache on top of it. My right breast is more painful than the other one, and also feels more engorged... When should the massages start? I feel like they are under my armpits too and the sides around the compression bra are swollen too. the top part of my chest is also swollen and I kinda feel swollen/bloated under the CG so I'm not sure if I will take it off today or not. I can't wait for the day that I can walk straight... When will that happen? Other than that things are pretty good. I've added some pics. The breast ones were taken immediately after surgery, the full body ones were taken yesterday when I took the CG off to take a shower.

Holy moly! It's surgery day! My surgery is late in the afternoon so I have most of the day to run some last minute errands and freak out! LOL I am a little calmer than I have been these past days... just a little anxious about this next three days and then for the move next week. I went thru a crying bout last night as it was the first wedding anniversary after my husband's passing away. The day was busy and I have noticed that when I am really busy my mind goes into "auto pilot" thinking that he is deployed or in a training exercise, just away from home... I am in that stage of grief where sometimes I have to force myself to accept that he won't come back.... its not complete denial but it's so hard to accept on some days and I guess it is ok to allow my mind to give me those "breaks" and "protection" according to the bereavement counseling. As the move back home comes closer reality is definitely settling in.

My best friend and I will have to drive a little less than 2 hours for surgery to be there at 4:00 pm and then the same back home after its done. Surgery is supposed to be all done by 10 pm (MST) then recovery for 1 hr. God willing, that puts us back home by 1:00 am or so! I already told her that I may be more "emotinally bipolar" than usual on this drive... I know I will be happy with the results but I also know I could share it all with the love of my life.... :(

I will try to post as soon as possible and will have my friend take pics also as the days progress. I am keeping my mind with good thoughts about a speedy recovery and excited about the extended support that awaits me back home, and of course the beaches I will be able to go in a sexy bikini without having to suck it in or cover the stretch marks, or try not to bend over or sit down so my "blubber" wont show!!! ;-)

Happy surgery day to mel44 and qmommy who are also having their MM today!! You are in my prayers and thoughts!