I'm back!!!

It’s hard to believe that at this time last week I was in the hospital—and today I’m back in my office. I’m starting slow with some admin and follow-up (and I’ll probably need a nap after making lunch for my son), but I never thought I’d feel this good just one week after my mastectomy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still uncomfortable, insanely swollen and bloated, and quite limited as to what I can do physically, especially since my drains (a.k.a. “chesticles”) won’t be out until Monday.

I’ll be honest… Surgery and the first few days afterwards were horrific. I totally remember everything that went on in the hospital, including getting wheeled into the operating room (and one of the several doctors and nurses saying, “She’s way too alert”), waking up in recovery thinking I was going to die of thirst, and my morphine- and dilaudid-fueled overnight stay. Once I got home, I couldn’t physically get out of bed—and my abs are still sore from attempting to use my core to lift myself up into a seated position. But (as you can see), I’ve come a long way and am now functioning at approximately 75%.

I still have a ways to go recovery-wise, and my calendar is riddled with doctor’s appointments though May and June—as well as another surgery at some point July. BUT the bright side is I’m cancer-free and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay that way!

Since you come here for the beauty advice and product recommendations, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t share the current skincare state of affairs. My personal maintenance has been on the way-back burner (I mean, I can’t even shower until the drains come out), and my face is all bumpy and blotchy. I think this is a side effect of the antibiotics I’m on, but I finish them today so we’ll see what happens. Before a few days ago, all I was using was Skyn Iceland’s Glacial Cleansing Cloths and BeautyStat’s Universal Pro-Bio Moisture Boost Cream, and I’m steering clear of anything harsh like retinol or exfoliating acids until my skin calms down.

My hair is also shedding like crazy, which is a common side effect of general anesthesia and any major stress to the body at that. As soon as the drains are out (and my plastic surgeon gives me the green light) I’m going to start taking Hair La Vie’s Clinical Formula Hair Vitamins to help get my strands back on track.

In the meantime, I’m still taking it easy and focusing on my recovery. I may not be able to use the pump dispensers for my hand soap and face wash (who would have thought this required chest strength?) but I can remain positive and take it one day at a time.