Today I had my 3rd follow up that was also my first expansion. I was extremely concerned as I was still feeling pretty tight and sore as of this morning. I've taken a pain pill twice this week to help me sleep and to just try to enjoy one day pain free - yesterday was one of those pain pill popping nights (see yesterday's post). I was trying to explain it to my mom and I guess the best way I can describe the pain is it's not so much hurtful pain just constant, annoying pain, like a tattoo! I was going to go alone but wondered if I would be too sore to drive home or in too much pain so my mom met me there and we went together. I had her video the expansion and when I can figure out how to remove the sounds and make it look decent, I will post it here for you to see. Here are the supplies the nurse set out: So first he used his magnet locator to find the ports in the expanders and marked the area with that purple marker. Then he used the smaller syringe to inject some Lidocaine into both of my breasts to numb the area...small prick! Then came the big dogs. He slowly injected 60 cc's of saline into each of my boobies and viola, they grew in front of my eyes! It was very surreal and thankfully I got to see it all in the videos my mom took as well as trying to watch during which proved very difficult. The only part that "hurt" was the prick from both syringes but I wouldn't really say it hurt just a little shocking. A few minutes later I was on my way, now totally 120 cc's. I will go back next Tuesday for 60 more and will be really close to my size prior to surgery, about 200 cc's. I have felt pretty good all day and even ended up going to work for a few hours before heading home. I was so excited when I got home to find my Soup Peddler order on my front porch thanks to Jeff and Joanne! Here's my loot: I don't know WHO ate that 1/2 of my cookie! ;) Anywho, 7 hours later and I still feel pretty good but I did take some Ibuprofen and am washing it down with some red wine while icing myself down. I hear the few days after, are the worse as far as swelling and soreness goes...eek!
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If each day is a gift, I'd like to know where I can return Mondays! Today was not a good day! I started back at my part time job last week and I was so thrilled because I at least have a daily purpose besides popping pills and watching movies. But today was not a good day and I'm so glad it's almost over. I slept pretty good last night, even finding a way to prop myself on my right side around 6 AM this morning, sort of, and fell asleep for 2 hours. I woke up and headed off to work but I decided today that I would not wear an all constricting sports bra and that I would dress up a bit and just wear one of my new lacey camisoles from Soma that I purchased this weekend. I left the house feeling cute, as I put on make up, jewelry and real clothes, with coffee in hand. About 30 minutes later I wanted to crawl back in my bed. I just did not feel good all day. I ended up taking 1000 mg of acetaminophen around 9 am and again around 2 pm. All day at work I just felt awful. The best way I can describe it is that I felt like someone walked outside, picked up 2 largish sized rocks and super glued them right onto my chest. My chest is tight, sore and heavy. The acetaminophen never really kicked in today and around 2:30 I had to leave work and head off to a school training from 3:30 - 5 pm. It honestly took an act of Jesus to get me there but I grabbed a Starbuck's and off I went. It was a terribly boring training and all I could think about was how badly my chest hurt, just throbbing pain all day long. Saturday was a similar day and it ended with me taking one of my new 12 hour Percocet release tabs and heading to bed. After training today I ended up meeting up with a great friend of mine for happy hour and she distracted me long enough to forget my pain for an hour. I came home and after a quick soak in a very hot bath and a good cry, I grabbed my best friend, the ice packs and here I sit, on my couch with my ice packs, numbing the pain away, watching Bachelor in Paradise....lame, I know! But the ice helps take the pain away for those glorious 20 minutes, then back they go into the freezer for 40 minutes. When I'm really hurting I ice 20 minutes each hour to help with the pain.
I'm extremely nervous because tomorrow I have my first expansion and I just don't know where on Earth I am going to fit 60 more cc's of saline in each of my breasts. If they don't feel like they fit comfortably now, what are they going to feel like tomorrow after being maxed out with another 60 cc's?! Please say a prayer for me! Of course I will update you tomorrow on expansion #1 but don't expect butterflies and roses people. Curse words are probably more likely! Happy Monday....I hope yours went better than mine! |
About This Blog:This is my journey to beat breast cancer before it beats me, by undergoing a non-nipple sparing, prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. Archives
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