I haven't really talked in detail about the recovery yet so, here we go!
Tight - For women who have been 40 weeks pregnant and you just think your skin cannot stretch anymore - multiply that by 10 and move that pain to your boobs. If my skin could talk, it would be saying many much profanities. I knew that going from an A-cup to a C or D cup would make everything tight, it's just hard to imagine it. I'm mostly feeling the tightness at the top and along the side of my boobs.
Swollen -Find your collar bone. Put your index and middle fingers side by side and place your index finger along your collar bone. Now imagine that your middle finger is resting on the top of you boob. Yep, that's me right now. The doctor actually gave me a strap that I have to wear. It wraps around my back and velcros together on top of my boobs to basically push them down. It is super comfy. *rolls eyes*
Backaches!! - This was something I was not expecting. I have been having a very difficult time getting comfortable because of my back and most of the time the pain in my back has been worse than the pain in my chest. I have been using a lot of pillows to support my upper and lower back and a lot of heating pads (on my back only).
Medicine - The first couple days were rough and I was definitely taking one Percocet every 4 hours. Chris even set alarms in the middle of the night to make sure I was able to get my pain pills on time. Today, I've been able to go down to half a pill every 5-6 hours. I'm also taking an antibiotic three times a day and stool softeners - which is basically a necessity when you're taking narcotics.
Moving - That has definitely been interesting. I have been giving my ab muscles a major workout because I cannot use my arms to lift myself up. (So, I should have a six pack when this is done right?!). At first, Chris would have to help me sit up and get me off the couch, but last night I finally sat up all by myself! I was pretty proud. haha. Also, moving as far as the boobs go - that is nonexistent. Literally. Even if I push on them, they barely move. I'll learn the massage techniques to soften them up at my post-op appointment on Wednesday (Chris is pretty excited about that part).
Appetite - Starting to get one. I pretty much only ate crackers, chicken broth, and water the day of and the day after surgery. Yesterday I started venturing into more foods, but still just don't feel hungry. It's really frustrating because I have four boxes of Thin Mints staring at me in the kitchen.
First post-surgery shower - I had to wait 48 hours after surgery to shower and take the bandages off. Ow! With a lot of help from Christopher, I was able to get my hair washed, towel dried, and brushed. He didn't do too bad...but it was definitely interesting. I have steri-strips (??) on my incision (areola) and those have to stay on for a bit longer.
So far, today has been the easiest and I'm starting to think that I may feel good enough to go back to work on Monday -- but we will see. My doctor called me this afternoon to check on me and I asked him if he beat me in the chest with a baseball bat during surgery because that's what it feels like!! He told me it's all downhill from here, so let's hope he is right!
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