August 31st Post surgery

3 weeks post-op

Well, I didn't make it on after surgery as I had planned. To be honest, the first week was horrible. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it did not hurt. When I woke up, I thought my arms had been electrocuted, and my chest felt as if it were crawling with stinging bees. By that night, my arms had calmed down and my chest started with muscle spasms. I was in and out all day and night, so the pain medicine worked. I only remember watching the clock and asking my daughter how much longer till I could have more pain medicine. I must add, he had to do a good bit of work on the left side. If you go back and look at pictures, it was caved in. Dr. Beckenstein had to reconstruct that side in order to have enough tissue to place the expanders under. (He did a remarkable job!)



Anyone can do this, if I did. By the next morning, I was up and walking. Pain medicine was my best friend, but the pain was controlled. He gave me strict instructions to go home and do nothing. I wanted to laugh at him. I was doing good to breath, what did he think I was going to do? You need someone to be with you that first week. All you're going to feel like doing is sleeping (on your back), sitting up to watch tv, and walking around some.



The next Tuesday, August 24th, I returned to the office to have my drains removed. The hardest part of this was having the stitches cut on one side. Seriously, the stitches had become embedded and so I got a little "nicked" as they were being cut. From there, you count to three, hold your breath, and feel the tubes sliding out of your holes. They are long, so take a big breath. Remember to breathe when they are done. It will sting like crazy for just a second once they are out however; once out, it is like a breath of fresh air. Those tubes are so bothersome.



I am now in my third week and as the picture shows, healing has taken place. Notice how smooth my chest is now and the expanders! It is neat. I can feel them, and I still have a few muscle spasms, but I have not had a pain pill since my fifth day home except for the day I had my drains removed. I took one before I left home. I will do so for my first injection on Thursday. The spasms are mostly on the left side and come at night when I have done too much.



If you are reading this and considering reconstruction, do not let my experience of that one day and night scare you. I have a low tolerance to pain, and any surgery you have is going to hurt. Just keep in mind what your goal is. It will all be worth it in the end!