Reconstruction Surgery Post-Op

Hellllooo from the other side!!!

I made it. It's been one week since my DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Surgery took 11 hours. For me it felt like a minute. 😅 My surgery team was amazing! The nurses caring for me for my three night stay were also stellar. (Healthcare workers and healers have my highest admiration.)

Spending this last week at Camp Grandma and Papa has been so fun for the kids. They are worn out and smiley and sun kissed and very, very loved on every single day. Rhodes has cousins, a Papa and Dad to play "b-ball" with. He literally laughed in his sleep twice last night. And also it's been so fun for me because I'm truly at home and relaxed and calm here. My mom gives me great showers in my shower chair and my parents gave me their super cool adjustable bed so I can sleep at appropriate angles. I'm borrowing my dad's walker from his hip surgery and my mom's surgical tops from a shoulder surgery. I tried knitting to fit the aesthetic but my children pulled out my rows to "help" and "try to knit"... 😅

So far the biggest downsides have been the four drains, post-surgery constipation, and post-surgery bloat/swelling in my abdomen. (I hope to get the drains out Thursday!) My abdomen feels like someone blew up a balloon in there and then a gentle brook or tiny air bubbles fly across every now and then. It pulls at my incisions. I thought it was constipation. Nothing helped! So today my lovely mama took me to ER and I had a CT scan to rule out anything scary my anxious mind played through. Turns out it's NORMAL. 😜 Air and swelling and anger from my body. Anyway... I'm back home and happy. Just suuuuuuper uncomfortable. The kids made me cute teddy bear bed dessert and drew me cards and we read books tonight and it was lovely.

Josh is a rockstar. He has two weeks off and is crushing the parenting, along with Grandma and Papa. Aunt Ann's pool is also a hit. Aunt Ann also gets an award for dog sitting Mr. Duke Noodle. 

Thank you for messages, flowers, cards, texts, love thoughts sent in the air, prayers, gifts, ice cream... They make my days of little movement and slow recovery SO much brighter! 

Love you! 

Xx

L