Monday I went to a surgical follow up. This appointment was full of surprises.

I had anxiously tracked the drains down to 20cc a day for 48 hours and I was prepared for them to remove the irritating things. They did! I couldn’t wait to give my man a proper hug and put my arm around him in bed without getting tangled in my own octopusal appendages.

In addition, I got news we would make the switch from air to saline in the tissue expanders. My thoughtful surgeon warned me not to watch. Apparently, seeing my own deflated breast could be alarming. I agreed. My mom was there for as much commentary as I requested. She diplomatically described it as “fascinating.” She’s a nurse and is capable of enduring nearly any level of gore so her description was all I needed. I stared at the ceiling, did yogic breathing, and chatted about my skin’s aversion to adhesive.

The process didn’t take long and didn’t hurt. My breasts are very nearly numb, especially internally. Dr. P did give me a tiny amount of lidocaine, a numbing injection, on the surface of my breast skin. A needle was inserted into a magnetic port (very much like the chemo port that was in my upper chest) and the air was sucked out. Then, saline replaced the air and I was back to stiff peaks.

This time he increased the volume to 250cc on each side. He said we would increase once more to 300cc each. The size is already plenty for my small frame (5’5″ and 130lbs give or take a pasta dinner) but he recommended over-expanding by a bit so that the final implant easily fits and he can adjust the scars in my breast fold for symmetry and invisibility.

Pressure on my sternum and odd rib muscle soreness was the only side-effect and gentle pain meds took the edge off. In hindsight, I may consider taking one of my left-over Norco pills since I’m a wimp. I did some seated yoga and gentle stretching and within a few days everything feels fine.

These things are solid, folks. They point straight out like Marilyn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Sleeping on my stomach is right out. Hugging is embarrassing and my projection under clothes will take some getting used to for a tiny-chested, sundresser like me. But I’ve always admired women with curves and I have to admit, I may find a silver lining in this process after all.

Also, I’m thrilled that my skin is already beginning to tingle indicating returning nerve function and capillary blood flow. My nipples respond, if you know what I mean. This is great news! I want to hug my breast surgeon!

Since I’m on the mend, I’d like to share my experience on things that helped and things that didn’t.

• I’m a supplement devotee so when my plastic surgery nurse recommended a helpful vitamin and mineral regimen for healing, I was easily on board. I wasn’t surprised to discover I was already taking most of the recommended nutrients. But, they had a specific formula from Vitamedica so I decided to save my regular supplements and just take these instead for the duration of my surgical prep and healing. Many of the nutrients in the Vitamedica blend such as Biotin and Calcium were important for my hair growth and recovery from chemo so I wasn’t slacking on my usual supplement program.
• I also got Vitamedica Bromelain to help with swelling. Bromelain is a component of pineapple so I also ate a lot of fresh pineapple right after surgery. I had very little swelling so I think this stuff worked like a charm.
• Arnica 30X is something I take regularly, especially for the infuriating blood clot I acquired thanks to the placement of the chemo power port. It helps with blood flow and bruising. This was a natural inclusion in my healing and something I recommend for athletes, healing folks, or those of us who are simply clumsy.
• I bought a very comfy, though expensive ($60) mastectomy bra. I’ve worn it 3 times and now don’t need it. This was a waste of $$. It was useful at first to hold the dressing I had on the incisions and drain tubes but I can’t see another use for it now. I suggest waiting until expanders are completely filled before buying any new bras. In fact, I’ll probably hold until the final implants are in place before spending any more on lingerie. A simple stretchy camisole that I already had worked beautifully with the dressings and now I just don’t wear anything. Remember, these things are bongo drums. They don’t so much as jiggle and support is already built in with the Alloderm scaffolding they used during surgery. I look forward to getting a proper fitting at Petticoat Fair as a celebratory and therapeutic splurge once my body transformation is complete.
• I did not lay around like I did during chemo. I was walking, gently stretching, and out and about almost immediately. I’m very careful not to lift anything over 10lbs (including Shih Tzu or groceries) or reach for anything beyond my comfort level but otherwise, my life is really getting back to normal. I was off narcotic pain meds within about 7 days and relied on Tramadol and Tylenol, sometimes taking only 2 Tylenol a day. I haven’t driven much because my mom has been such a help but I feel that when she leaves next week I’ll be ready. I was careful not to over-exert myself but I feel my activity level expedited my recovery and improved my mood significantly.
• I showered once per day using Dial antibacterial shower gel. I didn’t scrub but just let the suds rinse over my incisions. I have had no sign of infection whatsoever.
• Everyone who touched my drain tubes, breasts, or really any part of me washed their hands with antibacterial hand soap.  We also cleaned phones, laptops, remote controls, and other high-traffic things with rubbing alcohol nearly every day. We used bleach and steam to clean my whole house before surgery and regularly afterward. We were very careful to avoid infection. Mom’s a nurse, remember, so she was militant about hygiene.
• My legs and core muscles made up for my upper body inabilities that last few weeks. To get out of bed, I used my yoga and silks stomach muscle memory of balance and force to roll to a seated position without using my arms. I did not let people assist me by pulling me. That hurt. Instead, my boyfriend’s arm was used as an unmoving poll I could use to pull myself, sort of like a jungle gym or climbing a ladder. Sometimes I needed a gentle push on the back or butt to get up. I’m grateful I had plenty of core and leg strength before surgery because it was painful to get up and down or even adjust myself using my arms.
• Anesthesia can interfere with pooping, a topic I don’t like to speak about publicly. But, it is a major part of recovery I’m afraid. To get things moving again from a digestive standpoint, I snacked on dried prunes and apricots, drank plenty of water, and walked daily. We forgot to get the Colace the doctor recommended until a few days after surgery but I would have taken that as well. I also took daily probiotics and drank my usual morning coffee. It took about 5 days but finally everything began getting back to normal and I felt much better. I don’t like to tinker with my regularity with unnatural methods so food and movement was a priority for me.
• People had recommended a recliner chair and wedge pillows. I didn’t get organized enough before surgery and I ended up not needing those things anyway. I’m glad I didn’t spend too much money. Plenty of pillows sufficed.

Best of luck with your mastectomy surgery. I hope you find your recovery as easy as mine has been. Please post your own recommendations if you have them in the comments. I’d love to hear what has worked for others.