Post-Surgery Update

 

Post-Surgery Update

I’m officially three weeks post-surgery, and recovery has been a journey, to say the least. The toughest part so far? Definitely trying to get a good night's sleep. I’m a right-side, tummy sleeper, and that’s exactly where my incisions are. Adjusting to different sleeping positions has been challenging.

The first few days at home were tough. Pain and discomfort were constant. I had some oxycodone, but the relief was short-lived. The higher dose I’d been given in the hospital worked wonders, but the prescription at home wasn’t quite cutting it.

I’d planned to take two weeks off work, thinking it would be plenty of time to recover. But by the end of those two weeks, I was nowhere near ready to jump back into my usual routine. I decided to take an extra week of leave, which gave me the time I needed to slowly get back on my feet. During that time, I watched the entire Friends series, Last Man on Earth, Insatiable, and a few movies, with naps in between.

Thankfully, I didn’t go through this alone. My family and friends have been incredible. They made sure I was well taken care of, bringing in meals, and my delivering lots of lunches (along with plenty of Diet Dr. Pepper!). I was spoiled with flowers from my coworkers, Ehcapa family, and church members, plus Crumbl cookies from my sister. And as a huge help, some church members came by and helped clean out my garden—a task I definitely wasn’t up to but was grateful to see done.

Marty, my trusty companion, has been my constant sidekick through the entire recovery. He’s become extra attached and super protective, never letting me out of his sight. His comforting presence has meant the world to me—there’s something so reassuring about knowing he’s always by my side.

As for my incisions, they’re healing up well. I have five in total: one under each breast, one on my upper right chest, and two on my right side. The one on my upper right chest is pretty gnarly, with a good amount of scar tissue building up behind it. It’s not the prettiest, but it’s all part of the process and a reminder of this journey.

When I finally felt ready, my first day back at work was slow and steady. Luckily, working from home meant I could sit in my recliner with my laptop. Even with the relaxed setup, I was wiped out by the end of the day.

All in all, recovery has gone as well as I could hope for. I still have a little pain on my chest and right side, and there’s some numbness lingering on my right side and breast. My doctor reassured me that it just takes time for the nerves to regenerate.

Taking it one day at a time, but I feel so lucky to have such a caring support system to help me get through this.