Post Op Day 5

March 19, 2012:

I apologize for not doing an update yesterday. It's hard to believe that it has been 5 days since my surgery already! I imagined this time going by very slowly, but actually it all seems like a blur.

Overall I continue to improve each day. I am trying to spend more and more time out of the recliner and up moving around. Since the weather has been fabulous I try to go for 2 short walks outside each day. I was originally taking my pain medication every 4 hours but I can usually get by with every 6 now, and I hope to continue to slowly wean down from that. Getting up in the morning is always the hardest as I am very stiff and sore. I have a particular area on my right side that can be quite painful and sometimes makes it difficult to talk or catch my breath.

Having my parents here over the weekend was a great help! We decided to send the dogs home with them for the week. They still get a little jumpy sometimes. Derek will be working from home while I recover, but we figured it might be too much for him to try to work, take care of me and both dogs! He has been absolutely fantastic and supportive throughout this entire process. He has even been emptying my drains twice a day (a shock for anyone who knows him)!

Speaking of my drains, I don't think I have mentioned them yet. I have one on each side, sewn into my upper lateral chest area. We empty them twice a day and measure the amount from each side. I have been around 15 cc/day, and if that continues over the next few days then I should be able to have them removed at my first post-op appointment on Wednesday.

I have my oncology appointment scheduled for Wednesday April 4th. This will be the major appointment to fully discuss my risk of recurrence and treatment with chemotherapy and Herceptin. I will most likely have to undergo a few more tests after that appointment but I should be starting chemo by the end of the following week.

Thank you all again for your love and support...I have a LOT of thank you cards to start working on!