Counting Down To A

OK.... It has been more than 2 months since surgery and these stupid incisions are STILL not closed totally! They have been *almost* closed for the last 2 weeks, but still not totally there yet. I am finally back almost 100% but I have noticed that even now there is still residual pain and discomfort. My breasts are still tender and sore like your muscles are after exercising.

I really wish I knew how long that would last, as I have no idea what normal is. After ripping out my sutures so much, my scarring under my right breast is wider and redder than my left. I massage it carefully on a daily basis but am trying really hard not to touch it too much because i don't want to open those sores any more than I am currently.

Overall, though, I am still pretty happy with where I am to date.

Haven't been on here to update anything in a while. I am finally "on my feet", so to say that while I am still babying it a bit, I am still more active and doing for myself more. I haven't gotten to fast paced exercise yet because these wounds are still open, but I am walking more and doing stuff around the house.

This really surprises me because I am usually the person that heals quickly and usually up and at 'em before anyone recommends it. However, my incisions are now about 3/4 closed and are only open about an inch. I am not seeping the way I was, even 2 days ago and my holes under my nips are closed totally! I am so happy to be at this mark, which sounds weird to me when surgery was on June 13. I know I should be closed and back on par by now, but I'm doing well, all things considering!

The thing that really hung me up was the "wear the bra 24/7" thing from the PS. Nowhere in any of the instructions does it say, "air out for an hour a day"! That and some of the skin was entirely too fragile to support movement, stretching and even light lifting like a gallon of milk or doing dishes until late this week. Even swinging my arms while walking prohibited those incisions from closing. Now I am paranoid about getting out there to normal activities too quickly and really want to go swimming. The LAST thing I need, though, is an infection in my slow healing incisions, though. Cold showers just don't cut it, though!

Today is July 16th and I am getting really frustrated with the amount of time this is taking to close the holes and gaps in my incisions. On the upside, they are doing much better than they were last week, but only because I am using a combination of butterfly stitches, neosporin, the liquid adhesive and tape. My daughter checks them every morning and evening because I can't see them myself.... Thank God for cell phone cameras! Basically, I am lying on the bed braless or with the edges rolled up my chest while the neosporin dries and then I have the butterfly stitches holding everything closed with the tape holding the sticky parts of the "stitches" on securely, leaving the incisions exposed to the air partially. The liquid adhesive goes on over the actual incision, if the neosporin is dried. After all that, I have a piece of gauze that I just layer between my sutures and my bra, untaped, while I go to work. They are getting lots better, but I am definitely getting fed up with all this, it has been 5 weeks on Wednesday and I still have open sores. I did figure out not to exchange the butterfly stitch every time we check them because it is just like removing a regular stitch every time. Hence, the tape to hold them down because they are not as waterproof as they claim to be!