Home at last
I'm home at last after 11 days in Westmead Hospital for what turned out to be more a free tram than diep. They did after all take a little muscle. But I'd never know.
The operation was 14 hrs after a failure a couple of times with the blood supply on the left side, but all is good now. The recovery has been hard so far, especially the first week. Emotions, physical challenges, the environment. I was very up and down till the meds got sorted. I have a kind of allergy to endone so that was a challenge for me throwing up and hallucinating and for them to work out what to give me.
Turns out though its easy to use a bedpan! So that's a plus when it was too hard to get out of bed.
Each day I improved, but I looked like a train wreck. My hubby took photos detailing tubes, drains, connections the bear hugger (warming blanket thingy), the wounds, the scratches and bruises. But it all improved each day.
My turning point came when I realised that yes I was going to be in hospital for another 5 or 6 days. Despite the sponge baths, I really stank. My gorgeous son who was by my side everyday the first week agreed. I had a shower and got into my own pjs and felt better.
Walking was a challenge also, and I had a walker to help. But I walked a few times each day. The last few days my hubby and I had mornings in the lounge area downstairs reading the newspaper and being more normal. Lasted only a few hrs till I was too tired and sore but was so nice.
I'm now home on my first morning, such a beautiful morning, I've been for a walk around the garden, said hello to the animals had my meds now back in bed.
My wounds are doing really well. I never had big dressings, just steristrips. Seems too little for such wounds. I still have swelling in both breasts and tummy but the skin looks great and the newbies look weird but happily perched on my chest. Bigger than I thought, but we'll see in a few weeks when the swelling is gone. Tummy looks flat flat flat. Bit swelled on one side but still settling down.
So after such a massive operation I feel amazingly comfortable, and look remarkably healed.
It's now just the head to get right, and mourning the old body I think is whats happening. This part I have found the hardest. I've been on this bc road for 10 months now, and will continue treatment for some time yet, and sometimes it just all catches up with me how it is all so unfair for us to endure what we do.
Onwards and upwards now though.
I am very apply to share more details with anyone, even photos, as I know it's a very hard op to contemplate and to find aussie info on. Ill be photo documenting the recovery for myself during the next few months.
Cheers Louie
