Happy

Good morning :)

I got to go home from the hospital yesterday. Surgery was on tuesday and it went very well. Dr. Laliberte was talking to J and I prior to surgery and marking out areas for cutting and building on my front and back and he commented that it was nice to work on someone healthy and in shape. He said it makes his job so much easier and it really makes rebuilding things simpler because there isn't excess fat or other things in the way to complicate things.  He was confident it should go well for me as far as healing goes. As a bonus I managed to convince him to not give me a catheter and was the perfect obedient patient in recovery....and I have been really pleased so far with the results. J was able to talk to him and ask him questions and liked him as well. Being my usual lightweight self I didn't even get to the counting down part before I was out and was in recovery before I knew it.

I am happy to report that I feel pretty good and can rest up here at home now. With my insurance I could have a private room which was nice. I'm not gonna lie - the first night and day after were pretty rough, but things have settled down now and I'm reasonably comfy. It turns out that I do much better on Advil + a bit of delaudid than I do on lots of more hard core pain killers and once we found what worked for me things went much better. I also convinced them to replace a few bandages on my back held in place by the most itchy and annoying adhesive ever made (I react to that kinda thing badly) I was light years comfier and much happier. I have 3 drains to look after but I'm hoping 1 or 2 will come out in a few days. The main one in my back will likely be in the longest, but when I see the doc in a week and a half any drains left will come out, so I just have to be patient. They're uncomfortable but not the end of the world. It's not like I'm going out anywhere in the next while, so it'll be fine. I am stiff but still fee like I have normal movement in my arm and shoulder so it all seems OK.

Before I went home yesterday I got to look at everything when they changed the bandages and well...it's crazy amazing. Yes I will have some interesting scars, but those will fade...hopefully my back and the skin flap will heal up quickly. Overall I have gone from literally nothing on my chest AT ALL to having a nice little breast there. It's amazing. Seriously people - if I hadn't seen it myself I wouldn't believe it were possible- I have a breast again. AND it looks natural and wonderful. It smaller yet and it still needs to be expanded - it only has about 50 mL of the total 200mL that the doc would like to put in before the implant is swapped out but I cannot even describe how great it looks. It doesn't look fake or bulgey or weird...just like a young healthy breast.

*My* breast.

*grin*.

They will definitely need to alter my left to make it match when they put the implant in, since the new one is perky and the old one is deflated and droopy, but that should be simpler. I believe they can do it after all this.

I am happy. I'm still rather sore and it's currently impossible to sit in any way that is comfortable with the incision right across my right upper back, but that'll get better. It was definitely all worth it. Once my drains are out i can do some physio...but for now it's just rest up and get better. J has been pampering me and bringing me everything I need. His dragon onesie came in the mail a few days ago so I was served supper and tea yesterday by Spyro. I love that man.

the cats missed me

I must go vegetate with the cats and rest up. All is well.