Can’t believe I’ve been home from the hospital for a week now! Things are going as well as I could have hoped for and I’m still very much so “hanging in there!”

I ditched the Vicodin 2 days ago and feel like I’m finally a little more out of the haze the last week has been! Though I overestimated myself last night for sure… Thought I would try moving up to my bedroom at my parents. Worst. Idea. Ever. Unless you like waking up having slid off the mound/throne of pillows feeling like you can’t breathe because your lungs are being crushed by a liter of expanders. It was awful! So I’ve retreated back down to the lovely recliner I’ve called home for the last week. Equally as unfortunate was subconsciously trying to flip over to sleep on my stomach. Talk about a rude awakening! Epic fail. So recliner it is! The muscle spasms are impressively less sitting up, and they’re really still my only complaint at this point.

I had some wonderful visitors the last couple days – it’s hard to admit they had to be spread out, but I’m slowly getting my strength back and able to do more and more each day!

This morning was the first time I left the house since I got home… Seems like forever since I was in the hospital. But off to my plastic surgeon for my first post op visit! Between showering and drying my hair (I was ambitious, what can I say!) I was already a little worn out. Then literally right as they called my name to go back this atrocious obnoxious alarm goes off saying “Attention, attention! An emergency has been detected in this building…” with the instructions to evacuate. Those 5 flights of stairs and out to the front were more physical activity than I’ve done in a week… Probably combined! So yeah, always keeping it interesting! No idea what that was about but thankfully it was unseasonably cool outside and short-lived so not terrible.

So after that excitement we finally got on with my appointment. I had to laugh when he was like “you’re sweating!” Haha definitely a bit deconditioned from the last week! Anyhow, a good visit overall. Love this guy! He fawned over my drain chart… If you know me in real life you can appreciate this:

The greatness of the chart is that I got drains 1 and 4 pulled! Woohoo!! Such a strange feeling coming out… Not painful, just super weird! The other two are still draining a decent amount, but we’re both hopeful they can come out when I see him in a week. I asked what my activity restrictions were at this point and got a “do absolutely nothing!” response, meaning no lifting and taking it easy. That plus a compressing sports bra will hopefully get the drainage to slow down enough to pull the last 2… They are right under my skin so it would a relief for both of us to get them out sooner rather than later.

Thankfully the daily dressings of the clinical trial are over! Not to be graphic, but there is a small area that’s open on my right nipple, which earned me another week of Keflex and strict instructions that any redness or warmth earns an immediate picture text and direct admit to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Please cross every appendage possible that this doesn’t happen! We are so OCD with cleanliness so no fear we’re doing everything possible to prevent this. But it’s especially scary with the proximity of my shunt (that goes, you know, to my brain)… ahhh I can’t even think about that!

So anyway, such a relief to have ditched 2 drains! And my surgeon is so pleased with the results, and so am I! The incisions look amazing, and I’ll have my first fill once everything is healed… We’re aiming for that to happen in 2 weeks. It’s just really weird getting used to not having feeling… Like my arms will hit the expanders and its bizarre. Hard to explain… But strange nonetheless.

Well that’s the latest from over here! I see a nice, long nap in my very near future! I’m so excited to see my Aunt who comes in to town this weekend. And am grateful that I’m feeling up to doing more, while still abiding by taking it easy – will make these next couple weeks fly by!

Thanks again for all the cards, visits, food, flowers… Everything! I truly have the best support system and nurses (aka parents!) a girl could ask for!