Hi @CathL
No one told me about the drains!
I had a breast care nurse assigned to me but she never contacted me before the operation and I first saw her the day after surgery.
At that stage I was in a lot of pain and throwing up as a result of the anaesthetic and I gave her both barrels!
Anyway , the recovery for me took time and I had to take Endone for a number of weeks.The breast care nurse said “ everyone is different”.
Anyway I wasn’t prepared for the pain and how long it lasted (6 weeks).
But 3 years on it’s a distant memory.
Also there will be an emotional response - even though I was 62 and my “ girls” were quite droopy I did have an emotional response to the loss .
Seek counselling if you need it for that - I had a couple of sessions that I found helpful .
Take care 🌺