Pre-surgery beauty prep is no joke
It’s been 46 days since I received my breast cancer diagnosis (and 75 days since I went for the follow-up MRI for a mass spotted in July that detected my current cancer). Needless to say, it’s been a looooong 75 days filled with doctor’s appointments, scans, biopsies, making lists, shopping for post-surgical gear, securing extra help for when I’m out of commission, working my ass off to make sure my clients are covered through the end of the month and A LOT of worry and stress.
Although it may sound strange to be excited, tomorrow is FINALLY the day I check into the hospital for a double mastectomy and my first phase of reconstruction—and on top of making sure everything is covered on the home and work fronts, the personal-maintenance prep has required a lot of planning as well (because this is equally as important to me as everything else). Here’s the breakdown:
Hair color: I went 3 weeks ago because I absolutely had to, but I fear I went too early. I should totally be able to drive myself to my next appointment in a month—but my roots are going to be a hot mess by then.
Facial hair: This required extra coordination… Yesterday morning I waxed my lip (for the first time in like a year). I also wanted to dermaplane to get rid of the peach fuzz, but I thought it would be smart to wait until the afternoon as not to irritate my freshly waxed skin. (All went well.)
Toes: Perhaps the highlight of my pre-surgery prep was getting my first professional pedicure in over a year yesterday. (Being 48 hours away from “official” fully-vaccinated status I figured the risk was worth it.) I even splurged for the paraffin treatment. It was amazing.
Body hair: This was even more tricky than the facial hair as I have several medically-dictated guidelines. Since I can’t shave within 24 hours of surgery (to minimize the risk of infection), I went to town from the waist down this morning. But the real kicker was my decision to get my armpits waxed yesterday. I won’t be able to take a razor to this area for quite some time, so I’ve been “growing out” for the past 3 weeks. Believe me, I was nowhere close to Julia Roberts’ pit-bush moment on the Oscar red carpet in 1999, and I actually came to enjoy petting my underarm fluff before I waxed it off. (For the record, it was nothing compared to a Brazilian pain-wise and if it lasts for up to month, this may be my new go-to.)
From here, I have to shower tonight with the Hibiclens cleanser the hospital gave me at my pre-op testing appointment and once again in the morning. I’ll blow-dry my hair without any extra styling product since I won’t be able to shower again until the drains come out (which might be the worst part of this entire process). Then I’ll see my plastic surgeon at 8:30am to get marked up and head to the hospital at 11. To prepare for my inability to bathe, I have a shit ton of body-cleansing wipes on hand and will definitely get someone to take me to a salon for a wash and blow-out as needed.
Even more disconcerting (for me)… No skincare products whatsoever after showering with this body-disinfecting cleanser. Of course I stocked my hospital bag with the essentials—although I likely won’t have the wherewithal or capability to use them. Think facial cleansing wipes, moisturizer and lip balm—along with my toothbrush and toothpaste (as well as mouthwash in case I can’t even manage brushing). I also threw in ear plugs, a sleep mask, Mag07 that I’ll be popping as soon as I’m cognizant enough to keep things “moving,” dry shampoo (as if I’m going to care) and a scrunchie.
With this deep dive into my surgery preparation, I am officially signing off (temporarily). I hope my experience can help any of you who may be in the throes of breast cancer treatment, or G-d forbid have to tackle this head-on in the future. If any of you have any questions about ANYTHING, please don’t hesitate to reach out to paige@insiderbeautybuzz.com. If I can help just one person navigate these crazy waters, my job is done (although I’m planning to do a lot more once I’m on the other side and officially cancer-free).
xoxo
