Pre cancerous cells (DCIS)

I was in hospital for 6 days (my ps told me to expect 7-10 days)  and I was encouraged to start walking and doing the stretches on about Day 3 (when I had the self administered pain drip removed and therefore was able to get out of bed).  I really struggled to walk to the end of the corridor (about 20 steps) with assistance before I felt out of breath and exhausted (note, take a fabric bag like your Coles/ Woolies ones with you to the hospital to carry your drains as it makes it heaps easier to walk around).  By the time I left the hospital I could walk around the corridors quite comfortably but still walking pretty slowly.  I think you might need to lower your expectations on what you might be able to do when you get out of hospital as I doubt that you will be able to do lunges and squats.  When I got out of hospital I walked every day.  In the beginning I could make it about 100m down the road and back again before I felt out of breath.  Every slight hill took it out of me.  I was generally quite a fit person before the surgery.  The length I could walk grew over time but that was the extent of my exercise initially.  

I was directed by my ps to not use my arms for a month after the surgery.  That meant no pushing myself out of bed, using my arms to get out of a chair, picking up bags etc.  I could only do the stretching exercises I was given in hospital.  I was able to drive a car again after about 2 months.  My first attempt to drive the car I managed to back the car down the driveway but had no strength to turn the (power steering) wheel.  I started to do aqua aerobics at a local hospital for people recovering from breast surgery which I found really helpful and meant that I could do some kind of exercise besides walking. 

I took 2 months off from work.  I started to work from home for a couple of hours each day before the 2 months but I had some issues with neck pain which meant that I struggled to sit on a train.  I think that this was due to me tensing up and therefore causing me a lot of pain.  Massages helped ease the pain. 

I work in an office all day and am either in front of a computer or going to and from meetings. 

I had my initial surgery in Dec 2011 and my implants put in in March 2012.  I was pretty much back to normal a week after my last surgery.  The only difference I notice now is mainly to do with my strength and flexibility.  I still don't feel like I have my full strength back but I know that this will take time as the muscles have shifted and require re-training.  I used to be able to do push ups but because of the nature of the chest muscles now I do a modified version of ladies push ups.   I can now put my hands straight up but you can still feel the muscles pulling.

I love my new boobs both in looks and feel.  There are things that you get used to after a while but this is part of the new me.  As an example, I know when it is cold outside and I start to feel cold as my chest starts to spasm which was a very odd feeling to begin with.  They don't move like normal boobs so when you lie on your side or you push your arm up against them, they don't move.  I have no feeling in them so I have to be more conscious of them as i have "hit" them against things unintentionally.  My bs did a great job so I have a great looking cleavage (which I never had before) and no-one knows that they aren't real! 

I hope this helps but if you need any more info, let me know!

Wendy