Update

[annathepiper]

After quite a bit of napping, pain meds, and successfully escaping the bed a few times for necessary bodily functions, I am feeling more coherent. Go me!

I've gotten a look at my chest in between changing gowns; it's significantly smaller. The chest, that is, not my gown. Even with all the dressings and stuff on it. This'll be weird and different once all the swelling goes down, and I'll have to go back to Decent Exposures and get new bras. New shirts may also have to be acquired; shirt evaluation will have to happen. At the very least I will have to make sure to buy a properly-sized T-shirt at the GBS show on the 1st. ;)

The soreness is continuing but it's been manageable with the pain med they've had me on. It helps if I move around, too. My right arm is particularly weak and shaky; this is a bit of deja vu back to 2003, especially the part with supporting that arm under a pillow. There's also noticeable soreness on my chest right over the bandages, which makes the periodic hiccups I've had today annoying!

Dr. McMillan says my bed is not supposed to go under 30 degrees in tilt so as to keep my head above the surgery area. This has not interfered with my ability to sleep, thankfully.

They've given me a device I'm supposed to breathe into every hour or so. It's a weird-looking thing, a vertical bit with a tube that sticks out the side. I put the tube in my mouth and breathe in, and the blue indicator inside the vertical bit goes higher. It's kind of like the strong man game at fairs, only in reverse. I'm supposed to get the indicator at or above the 2000 mark; this is supposed to get my lungs working well again since I was under anesthesia for quite a while, and, it's to ward off infection as well.

I was able to have a liquid dinner last night which amounted to mostly a dinner of red-flavored stuff: cranberry/apple juice, red jello, a cherry-flavored frozen slushy thing that was kind of tasty, and a few other non-cherry things. That all stayed down okay so they've let me have real food today. I've had only one brief incident of nausea, which was the first time I'd gotten up. I've been fine since.

solarbird is still out busking as of this writing; I specifically told her I was okay with that since I was sure that the hospital would take good care of me. She'll be rejoining me this evening, hopefully with nice busking take. technoshaman is coming by tonight to visit as well.

And hopefully, there will be home-going tomorrow!

Comments

[firni.livejournal.com]

*Both* sides are smaller or just the new part? If it's both sides, how did they manage THAT? Was there a booby thief in the hospital?

[annathepiper]

Both sides are smaller. Dr. McMillan did a reduction on the left to make it better match what she could do on the right; it would have been difficult to get me back up to my previous side there. More muscle off the back and such.

So she told me she could get me maybe to a C-cup, and I told her that was fine; I was more concerned with looking natural than being big. :)

This is why the procedure took so long--she had to cut on me in three different places.

[firni.livejournal.com]

Ouch! I guess I missed that part, I thought she was only going to cut you in two places (only? ha!)

Hope you get to go home soon! *hug*

[annathepiper]

Hee, yeah. I will now have a much more interesting set of incisions, that's for sure. *hugs back* Tomorrow, we'll see what happens. I was able to walk around tonight so we'll see what Dr. McMillan has to say when she checks on me next.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

Who hoo, C cup! I was thinking about this, if I had surgery, what would I want? Given that I'm at DDD right now, a B cup (I could run for the bus!) sounds pretty good. C sounds like a nice compromise though.

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

I went for the C-cup after my surgery, and that made running quite easy. Even now I'm pretty good, but I've definitely gotten bigger than I was. Siiiigh. C-cup is an excellent size.

[annathepiper]

It has occurred to me to wonder if I'll stay at this size, yeah! We'll have to see. :)

[annathepiper]

I'm rather looking forward to a lot less weight on the spine, yeah. :) Having to buy new bras will be kind of annoying, but hey!

[desperance.livejournal.com]

...and thank you for replying! I was carefully constructing a question about whether they could promise to rebuild you to the size you were before, or whether that would have to happen later once the original surgery had settled, or whatever; it had never occurred to me that they would reduce t'other to match. As long as they don't get into that constantly-adjusting-the-table-legs thing, where you end up with a footstool...

[annathepiper]

*snicker* Yes, constant readjustment would be annoying. ;)

It would have been difficult to rebuild me to my previous size for two reasons. One, most of the remaining tissue in the mastectomy area was too fried by the radiation therapy. Two, the surgeon would not have been able to pull enough tissue off my back for the purpose.

The plan is going to be to use what came off my back as sort of a cover for the tissue expander that's been put in. I'll go in weekly for a while and the doctor will top off the expander with some saline solution. This will gently stretch the living tissue until we get it up to the correct size (read: matches the reduced breast on the left), and then the expander comes out and an implant goes in.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Thank you for asking; this was exactly my question also (except for the booby-thief bit, which I so didn't think of and am now mindwormed by)...

[annathepiper]

Hee hee booby thief hee. Yes. ^_^

[maellenkleth]

ihoyan!! for New And Improved Boobage, and for home-going!

[annathepiper]

Indeed. :)

[cruisedirector]

*hugs* and hoping you feel better! And continued non-nausea!

[annathepiper]

*hugs back* Thanks. :) Holding up pretty well tonight, was able to get up and do a couple of circuits around the nurse's station outside!

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Glad it went well!

Cathy

[annathepiper]

So are we! :)

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

*hugs, gently* :)

Sorry I've been remiss in commenting lately, but it's good to hear how things are going!

[annathepiper]

*hugs back* No worries! I'm only erratically reading comments anyway! ^_^

[gerimaple.livejournal.com]

yay recovery!

[annathepiper]

Indeed. :)

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

We waved at you as we drove by!

I am so glad to hear the recovery is going well.

[annathepiper]

Hee, when was this? And thanks! I'm happy it's been all fairly easy, indeed. :)

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Last night on the way to dinner (Pip requested lassis and the Indian place in B'vue we used to go to has closed, so we hit up Tandoori Fire in Bothell).

[annathepiper]

Cool. :) And yay lassis! They are indeed tasty, and feel free to tell Pip I agree with him on that matter. :)

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

My mother was pleasantly-astonished at her new 'perkiness' following a cancer-related double mastectomy.

May your utilization of the 'stunt boob' be short, humorous, and may its demise be related to an explosion.

[annathepiper]

Hee, yeah, the surgeon told me I was going to be quite a bit perkier. Which'll be weird. Nice, but weird!

Re: explosions, I'll see what I can do. ;)

[raise-a-jar.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear things seem to be looking good for you. Fingers crossed that there is home-going tomorrow, but don't push yourself too hard.

(and let me just say, for the record...down to a 'c' cup? I've never been up to a 'c' cup! lol... <---is jealous)

[annathepiper]

Home seems pretty likely today; the doctor was here a little while ago to change all my dressings and take out a couple of the dangly things attached to said dressing. Energy-wise I'm pretty good so she was okay with me going home probably after lunch or so! I did a few loops out around the nurse's station without any problems, either.

And hee, um, yeah, I was pretty (aheh) chestally gifted before. *^_^*;; My bras are all sized a little weird since I get them from Decent Exposures, but I think the two new ones I last bought from them were something like a 38E and a 40E. I'm actually going to appreciate being smaller, it'll be way easier on my back. Sean will, I fear, just have to look at other large and bouncing bosoms besides mine!

[raise-a-jar.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry about it, luv. He's an equal-opportunity boobie gazer :D Speaking from experience, he seemed perfectly delighted with the view of my size-b bosoms during the Tucson concert. For, like, 95% of the concert! LOL

I think it's honestly more important to him how they're...presented, if you get my drift ;)

[annathepiper]

Hee hee... well, he'll just have to wait till the next time they swing back around here for me to do proper bouncing. This time around, he'll have to get a waved Canadian flag!

[logrusboy.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping you heal well and quickly!

[annathepiper]

Thank you very much!

Also, icon love. <3

[chamois-shimi.livejournal.com]

They've given me a device I'm supposed to breathe into every hour or so.

Oh, the much-beloved pneumonia preventer. My mom and dad both hated that thing.

Glad to hear you're on the road to recovery! I hope it's not uncomfortable for long ...

[annathepiper]

Yeah, that thing! They told me its proper name and it went right out of my head. But I'm doing pretty well with it. It shook a bit of something loose last night and gave me a bit of a cough, which hurt, but I'm okay with it this morning. :)

Home is likely this afternoon, at which point the major discomfort will be if George manages to lay on my chest. ;)

[akadriver.livejournal.com]

Walking and solid food are good signs, so here's hoping!!

[annathepiper]

Home is looking very likely this afternoon, probably just after lunch. The doctor was here this morning to change all my dressings and take out a couple of the dangly things attached to said dressings, and she seemed good with me going home in the afternoon. So we're aiming for that. :) I did a few more circuits around the nurse's station without any problems, so I think we're on target!

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

The breathy thingie is standard after any surgery. Mostly it's to get the anesthetic out of your lungs and to protect you from getting pneumonia, which is easy to catch after surgery. Deep breathing helps clear your lungs out. :-)

Yay! I am glad that you are feeling better! :-) I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll be home tomorrow. :-)

[annathepiper]

Home is nigh, yay! Dude just came in to give me my discharge papers, and Dara's going to go get my discharge meds, and then I'm going to get dressed and we can come home. And I can commence convincing George not to lay on my chest. *^_^*;;

[ghost-light.livejournal.com]

My friend had one one those tubes and it nearly killed her.

She had a hysterectomy RIGHT after delivering her second daughter and they wouldn't let her out of the hospital until she could reach a certain pressure with it.

Well...she put it together backwards and shot the whole thing clear across the room.

I started laughing. She started laughing, and she hurt so badly she couldn't laugh but it was too funny not to laugh. Watching the looks on her face, I couldn't stop laughing (yes, I'm a bad friend) which made her laugh even harder, except she still couldn't laugh. Which just made it funnier....

About the time she started turning purple the nurse called us a cab and handed us the discharge papers.

[annathepiper]

HAR, oh man, I can just imagine the looks on both your faces. :) I did actually try to breathe the wrong way into the thing at first, but fortunately someone who knew what they were doing was here to correct me, so I didn't have that wrong for long!

[peregrine-ek.livejournal.com]

Anna, I am happy to hear you are doing well.

Go, you!

{ Hugs }

[annathepiper]

Thanks much! *hugs back* I'm about to go home, even, so yay. ^_^

[urbanbluesky.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear things are going along fairly well. Take care of yourself!! Thinking about you!

[annathepiper]

Thank you very much! As of this comment, I'm home now. ^_^