Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Day 5 - My first post op checkup

I wore a seat belt today.
And that belt fell between my boobs naturally just as God intended.
Who knew?!


That was just one of the little things that I learned today. 
I like being able to see my toes when I walk. <3
I'm sorry it's not a very good picture, but I was barely holding it together as we drove.  It was my first time out of the house.   My father in law was kind enough to drive Jake and I up to Carmel for the appointment.  Jake slept all the way.  I did not.  In fact, highway riding is rather nauseating.  Don't think I'll do that again voluntarily for another while.  I prefer to ride like a little old lady... slow.  My goal is to drive myself somewhere around Brownsburg sometime by the end of the week.  But this was not that day.  
I also learned that going from Two naps to No naps is no good.  I took no pain relievers today.  I did that so that I would be coherent enough to remember what the doctor told me.  I remember very little of what she said last Thursday.  She asked me if I was showering entirely with my back facing the stream in the shower?  Whoops.   Was I using a hair dryer to dry the steristrips after showering?  Whoops.  Nope.  I've been using Lavender soap on my shoulders and rinsing so things get cleaned all the way down.  Then patting dry with a clean towel, boobs first for no contamination.  No rubbing, just a pat dry, then air dry before I start padding up.  I've been using my old Nursing Pads (man, I knew I saved them for some reason!) as nip covers.  Handy that!
Today I slathered up in PanAway around my stitchy places this morning.  I had a friend come over and bring my coffee, and she stayed and chatted a while.  Then Stacey came to help out with the house, and we chatted a while.  Then my mother in law came, bringing Jacob home from Preschool, and guess what, we chatted a while.  I got no morning nap.  I used my morning rest time, chatting with friends and loved ones.  I liked being able to do so.  And with special thanks to E and Starbucks, I was having a fine time doing so.   But then about 1 I started to crash.  But by then it was too late.  My appointment was at 2, there was no nap in my future.  So I drank some Ningxia Red, and geared up to go see the doctor.  But I missed our afternoon nap too.   And that was too much.  I was exhausted.   I am feeling much better, striving to push to my limits every day so I don't regress much.  But in this case, cutting all naps was a mistake.   At least I got by with Oils.
I have been using my Oils on my chest, but not directly on the wounds.  And the doctor said they all look good.  I liked that!  When I went to the doctor, the nurse removed some stitches and a large glob of glue taking a layer of skin with it.  That wasn't fun.  They had removed the bolster gauze pad holding my newly transplanted nipple, or nip guard as I was referring to it, and put some kind of relective gauze with bacitracin on me.  She said it was like the inside of a bandaid. But it wasn't I think the worst thing was that whatever kind of bandage they put on me, started itching.  By this evening, I felt so white trash, itching and wanting just desperately to scratch.  I touched gently with fingertips just to get a bit of relief, but not a full on scratch.  I didn't want to undo all the healing.  They removed a couple stitches under my arms, which actually are giving me a bit of relief with regard to contact with the bra.  But I'm still So Itchy.  I know it's good and all to get a bit itchy, means that the nerves are starting to heal.  And healing is Good.  But I hate being itchy.  I've been putting on Lavender and Melrose around the areas today, careful not to mess with the stitches or steristrips to combat that a bit.  And I'm really trying to be a compliant patient.  But I couldn't take anymore, and ended up peeling off that bandaid tonight, there were red squares where it was on my chest.  Whatever they put on me, I reacted to it.  Forget that!  So  I wound up slathering up a pair of Chris's old feeding tube gauzies in neosporin and using them instead.   Part of me would much rather use some of my Oily compounds, like my Cuts and Butts, or Rose Ointment.  But I want to be compliant.   So I'll use my Young Living stuff once the wounds are sealed and closed.  But I can use them around the wounds in the mean time.  At least Lavender helps with the itching, for now.  It just relaxes and refreshes me, so I have to watch how much I put on near bedtime or naptime.  For bedtime tonight, it's Melrose and Helichrysum.  Man, I love that Helichrysum.  My sample is getting low, but my new bottle should arrive on Thursday.  Come on Thursday!
Meanwhile I still am not firing on all thrusters, when I found out this evening that my plans had unexpectedly changed, I burst into tears.  Perhaps exhausted, plus a tad hormonal isn't working in my favor.  Blessedly, I had a friend stop by with food, more perfect timing, and my husband is wonderful, and supportive, and offered to bail me out if we needed him to, luckily, I don't think I will need him to do so.  I'm not quite comfortable driving, nor being home alone all day yet with Jacob.  Jake has way too much energy for this slow little old lady.
We are Blessed to have lots of Friends and Fam who have offered to help us out, and like today, they contact me at the Perfect Time, so that even in my time of tears, I know how much we are Loved.  Thank you All!

1 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I'm just now getting caught up! Thanks for the updates. I'm glad the healing seems to be going ok. I can't get over the 5.5 pounds!!