So the surgery is scheduled for July 18th. Now I have about a month to do as much fun stuff as I can until I am basically bed ridden for a few weeks. Well actually I will be recliner ridden. Sleeping in a bed after a mastectomy is just not going to happen. I remember last time. You dont really think about how much you use your chest muscles to get yourself in and out of bed, until your chest muscles have been compromised. So my lovely neighbors, The Zellmers, have offered to let me borrow their big recliner. I can put that bad boy in my living room and be surrounded by the comforts of home.
I decided to recuperate from home rather than my parents. My parents are moving to Avon Lake in 2 weeks. The more I thought about it the more I thought it would be better for me just to stay home. I will have everything I need there. Plus with my parents moving, I know its going to be crazy there with unpacking, organizing, etc. I will need quiet. And I will need sleep. I do not want to be disturbed and I dont want to make them tip toe around me.
One of my friends, Sue Klika, was nice enough to start a "Meal Train" for me. Basically you can sign up for a day in which you can drop me off some grub. I am not picky. I will eat almost anything but mayo, raw onion and any cream based sauce. So if you would like to sign up, you can do so at the link below. The only thing I ask is please do not make 3 pounds of something. I am only one person and I dont want anything to go to waste. Even if you just simply picked me up some take out that would be awesome. You can email me from the site with any questions:
Meal Train
I am really tired lately. I think the lack of sleep is catching up. I am getting serious insomnia at night. My mind races constantly. But there was a point this morning when I really am relieved this is happening. That probably sounds totally crazy but you have to understand that I always had a feeling this might happen. It has honestly been in the back of my brain. And now I feel like, lets just get this over with and I wont have to keep wondering: "What if?".
Tomorrow I have my appointment with Dr. Soltanian, my plastic surgeon. This is to just go over the procedure which I expect will be quick since I have "been there..done that" before. I know totally what will happen. The overall reconstruction process is quite amazing. When you get a mastectomy, its obviously quite shocking when you see it at first. It took me almost a week to look at myself. And you wonder to yourself, "How the hell is THAT ever going to look like a breast ever again?". I guess that's why they pay Dr. Soltanian the big bucks. Plus, with the reconstruction process, it's really at your own pace. His office is ten minutes from my job. When you have reconstruction, they put an expander underneath your skin. Once a week, they fill it with saline. So on lunch break, once a week, I can go out to his office and get my saline fill. The expander fills and stretches your skin. After the expander is at a size that is acceptable, they swap out the expander for a silicone or saline implant. Once that is done, you can decide if you want to have an aureola and nipple. I decided too. The aureola was tattooed on and the nipple is a matter of him taking a needle and creating a nipple with your skin. Its unbelievable. Again, you wonder what the hell he's doing and then when you are healed and see the final product, you are amazed.
I also get to go to the dentist tomorrow for my permanent crown. So I get to deal with my boob and a tooth all in one day. Jealous? ;)
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