Questions post op

Hi Livvie,

You've been through such a huge operation that I'm not surprised you are feeling anxious and overwhelmed :-) You are actually doing really well considering how recently you had your surgery. I can absolutely understand the frustration of wanting to feel better and stronger as soon as you can (particularly when you  have a young family) but you need to remember that your body has just been through an enormous shock and it does take time to heal, both physically and emotionally.

I had a single mastectomy in 2012 and delayed (2yrs) DIEP flap reconstruction this year and while I am glad I went down the reconstruction route, the DIEP operation did knock me about and it was a good 6 weeks recovery period (although I did have a few complications, including a couple of infected areas on my tummy scar and underneath the new breast, as well as a seroma that needed to be drained).

Following the DIEP op, I was told not to lift anything heavier than a half filled kettle for the first few weeks and was able to gradually do some light housework around 4-6 weeks. The heavier stuff (like vacuuming, changing beds etc) had to wait another week or two, so hubby had to pitch in and get those jobs done. 

In those first few weeks I also made sure I did the exercises I was given by the hospital physio and did some walking to help with mobility. I slept in my bed when I got out of hospital but was elevated with support pillows and had a pillow tucked under my knees to support my tummy area. I think that lasted about a week or so before I felt ready to lie down straighter. I didn't have a binder on for too long, perhaps a couple of weeks, but I know other ladies have had theirs on for around 6 weeks, depends on the surgeon I guess.

It did take about 4 weeks for my breast to feel less swollen and I found my aah bras were quite good supports as I couldn't cope with anything that rubbed underneath. I'm now 8 months down the track and my new breast has probably lost around 1 cup size, so I recently had a breast lift on the remaining breast to provide better symmetry. Now I have matching B cups!

 Anyway, just want to wish you all the best with your recovery and let you know that you will get there, just be kind to yourself along the way :-) Jane x