Six Weeks Postop

New Clinical Cancer Center, Froedert Hospital

I am six weeks out of my main surgery, four weeks from the second surgery. It is hard to believe that that much time has passed, although some days seemed very long. When the surgeon's nurse told me during my preop consultation that I was not going to feel like myself until about 5-6 weeks out of surgery I thought to myself "nah, not me." I do have to say, she was right. Not that I have not been feeling good, but just not myself (tired, not sleeping that good, etc.) I am really feeling like my old self this week. I went in for some physical therapy yesterday on my arms and I can't tell you how much better my arms and upper body feel. The muscles in your back and arms get tight and shorten when they are not used as much, and once she worked me over, I really felt good. For the most part, this really has not been all that terrible. Recuperating from the surgery was not that bad. The pain was minimal. Tiny things annoyed me more than anything; seams in a camisole that hit me in the wrong place, stitches from the drains when they were in, seat belts that hit you right across your chest, pain in my armpits from reaching up in the cabinet for dishes, not being able to use my Pampered Chef apple corer to core an apple (I didn't have the strength to push down on the darn thing), pain in my arms when trying to close my trunk on my car. I thought it would be worse. Despite the crappy hospital exerperience I had, the crappy care from my breast surgeon whom I have fired (long story, don't want to go there) and the major complication from the surgery with an added surgery, I really feel lucky and am grateful that I am where I am today! I feel very confident in the medical team that I have now as I move forward. I am in the hands of a great plastic surgeon and oncologist and moving on to the next phase of treatment.

I need to add another thank you to all of my friends and family who are supporting me! I couldn't be doing this without all of you!