Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your love and support! All the notes of encouragement and checking in fills my well. I’m 11 days post op. I’m over the worst of it. Whoever said inner thigh liposuction pain is worse than a double mastectomy can shove it. I’m grateful my pain is manageable and not that bad. It’s all relative. I wouldn’t call this recovery pleasant. It’s the annoyance of a fruit fly. The last surgery? The worst of the movie “Arachnophobia”.
Surgery and recovery highlights:
- I was in the OR less than 3 hours, and home by 4pm!
- It was boring with no complications. Phew.
- The anesthesiologist took my plea for a stronger anti-nausea protocol seriously. This is the first of 4 surgeries I have not thrown up in the recovery room or the days after! Learning I was not in fact given any “step ups in anti nausea protocol” after my first post op throw up is my latest soap box. Advocate for yourself! If you know Dr. Molly Groose send her my love (I have a fuzz oxy+THC memory of giving a gushy gratitude monologue to the UW feedback person who called the day after surgery).
- There was one surprise: not waking up in compression leggings as expected. I woke up looking like the Michelin Man, each leg wrapped in multiple ace bandages and gauze pads.
- “She-Wee” for the win. Best $12 I’ve ever spent. Will be added to the essential camping gear pile.
- Managing energy and exhaustion is the hardest part of this recovery. Do I walk twice around the block, or just once and have some energy to stand for a little food prep? And to think, two weeks ago I biked 58 miles. Humbling.
- My mom, dad, brother, and Mike are amazing caregivers (again). I’m pretty sure I’ve burned them out these past two years, they are not looking for new patients.
- I go in for my first post-op check up Monday. Fingers crossed I’ll be allowed to lift more than a few pounds.
I think I’ve responded beyond a heart emoji to all the notes of support. Even though I’m off the hard drugs, I’m all brain fog. If I didn’t respond and you were expecting one, consider this your wave and fist bump, or send a friendly nudge.
I’ll send another email in a few weeks, or months, to close out this chapter. Don’t feel obligated to respond to this email.
Love,
Jessie
TMI Details:
I’m now in the “this is annoying” stage of recovery. Annoyed that I’m in rib cage to ankle compression legging (after 48 I got to remove the Michelin Man costume, shower, and change into post surgery pants). Annoyed that I don’t have the energy to do anything. Annoyed my skin is itchy. Annoyed I’m fine, and the next minute “OMG I have to lay down RIGHT NOW and not engage with anyone”. Annoyed, annoyed, annoyed. My therapist assures me this is a good sign that I’m well into my healing journey. My physical pain has subsided enough to have emotional pain. Woo hoo. Sound the celebration bells.
Mobility with this recovery is increasing by the day. Yippie! It’s difficult to not minimize the seriousness of this surgery after what I went through last year. But when your abdominal muscles are not impacted, everything is easier. I only needed to sleep in a recliner for two nights (vs. weeks). Just this morning I could reach the kleenex box behind my head without having to get out of bed and turn my body (vs. months).
In all seriousness, it’s pretty exciting to be here. It feels like I’m turning the last page of a book in slow motion. Aesthetically, it’s too soon to know the full impact. But even as bruised and swollen as I am, not having multiple scars on my breasts is thrilling. I can look in the mirror, and go “oh, hello body”, not wince, and move on with my day.
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