Be Prepared!
Think about it: you are going to be laid up for at least a month (undergoing your exchange) or more (undergoing your first surgery for your Prophylactic Bilateral Mastetomy). You won’t be able to drive, wash or dry your own hair (big deal)! Put on your own clothes, reach the plates and glasses in your cabinets…the list goes on, so you better get your act together.
Let’s start with self-care:
- Get your hair done–Cut and colored or whatever you usually do, because unless you have someone to drive you around, you are going to be waiting awhile on this one.
- Waxing–Whatever you wax, wax it! You will be in a lot of pain and you certainly won’t feel like more once you are sent home from the hospital.
- Shave your Legs, Armpits, etc.–You won’t be able to do this for awhile so make sure you get this out of the way as close to the morning before as possible.
*Note: Do not get a manicure or pedicure! They will remove your polish before your surgery because it is one of the ways they check your vitals.
Mundane Tasks that just Have to be Done:
- Grocery Shopping--Very important! Stock up on the necessities. If you live by yourself, think easy, light weight, minimal effort. If you have a spouse, partner, or roommate, still go easy but at least they can help chop, open, and cut things for you. Also, from experience, you are not incredibly hungry after surgery so I wouldn’t plan on full course, heavy meals. Another note, you get severely constipated from pain medications, so stock up on veggies and fiber friendly foods.
- Laundry–Make sure all your shirts that button up, or zip up, are clean and ready to go. Those are the easiest and most comfortable to get on by yourself. You also don’t want to have to do laundry while you are laid up and let’s be honest, no one cares if you wear the same shirt over and over again.
- Pack for the Hospital–Your doctor will tell you the estimated amount of time that he/she expects you to stay at the hospital, but always pack for more just in case there are complications and you have to stay longer. Make sure you have at least the following: meds, a few changes of clothes, hairbrush, hair ties, phone charger, phone, license, health insurance card. Now I am a minimalist–you won’t find me getting up to brush my teeth or wash my face while I am on morphine and my breasts have just been chopped off, but we all have our priorities.
The Day and Night Before:
When I was preparing for my Prophylactic Bilateral Mastectomy I performed all my self-care items on the days leading up to the day before the surgery and performed the “Mundane Tasks that just Have to be Done” on the day before my surgery. That day was surprisingly calm. I would encourage you to keep busy. Make sure you have things to do and that you aren’t just waiting around otherwise time will pass SO SLOWLY and you will be filled with angst.
Tomorrow is my “Exchange” or the first process in my reconstruction. Although it is not as BIG of a surgery as the mastectomy, I still will be put completely out and will have to stay at the hospital for sometime afterwards. Like I did for my Prophylactic Mastectomy, I performed my self-care items earlier in the week and just today have been taking care of the Mundane Tasks. I went to the grocery store, have done three loads of laundry, cleaned, and then did something a little different this time around that I would strongly recommend.
While I was at the store, I came across some beautiful, rare coral peonies. Peony season just began and I could not deny their pink beauty in leu of my pink surgery approaching. I grabbed a few closed bunches and began down the produce aisle.
Guavas! My Mom always introduced us to new things growing up. One of the many new items we enjoyed as kids, were the different tropical fruits she would bring home from the grocery store. As I perused the fruit aisle I recognized a familiar scent, guavas! It had been years since I had seen them in the states. I touched a few to find those that gave at the skin, signifying ripeness and took some home with me.
One self care item I had left to do was shave my legs. As I drew a hot bath, I carefully arranged my beautiful, bright, cheery peonies. I knew that when I came home from the hospital, when I was alone and my husband off at work, I would have the gleeful pink with the yellow smile in the center to keep me company.
I grabbed one of my guavas, a martini glass, and gin. The exterior of a ripe guava is a yellowish green, but the interior flesh transforms you to a glorious tropical vacation. Do you know the color of guava? Yes, it is pink! What is more appropriate than celebrating my last day with expanders before my exchange than with pink peonies and pink cocktail?
Last Thing to do Before your Surgery:
- Something for yourself–For me it was displaying pink flowers and making a pink cocktail then taking a bath. For you it may be something totally different, but do something, because tomorrow you will never be the same; you will be better!
Breast Cancer Free Cocktail
1/2 Guava
1/2 Lime
4 oz Gin
Handfull of Ice Cubes
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1. Make your simple syrup by boiling the water and sugar together until dissolved. Set aside.
2. Scrape out the inside of the half of the grave and place in shaker.
3. Squeeze lime in shaker with guava and muddle. Add a tablespoon of simple syrup.
4. Add gin. Add ice cubes then shake and pour with strainer into martini glass.
My IVs had been put in, I peed in a cup (and deemed not pregnant), and I had been drawn on with a sharpie by my doctor (you can see a little of it on my neck). This time, compared to the Double Mastectomy, it was so easy going and carefree. I was brought into the OR instead of knocked out beforehand. I did not have to have a catheter, but I did have a breathing tube. I remember the Operating Room, my doctor, and the nurses, however I do not remember being drugged whatsoever! The next thing I knew my throat was sore and I was groggy.
fight like a girl 