It’s been four days since my surgery, I’m home and under strict instructions to simply rest and recover from the procedure.
That is easier said than done! As I mentioned in my previous post I am lucky that I have come out of my op well. I have good movement in my arm and not much pain. However, I that makes it all that bit harder to listen to the advice and just rest and recover! Whilst I’m not in masses of pain if I started lifting things up or moving my right arm in the wrong way too soon, I could damage my stitches or cause other harm to the surgical wound.
So I’m in this limbo land of, happily, not feeling too bad but equally not being able to move how I want. This is incredibly frustrating, for both me and hubby, S! On my first night back home on Friday my youngest had a night terror (nightmare when they scream but don’t wake up) all I wanted to do was pick him up and give him a cuddle. But he’s 4 now and so this was out of the question. S is obviously more than capable of sorting this out but as a Mum just standing by feeling helpless was horrid.
That’s and extreme example but the days are full of little frustrations. Every time I go to reach for my favourite tipple (pint of water) I go to use my right arm, as I’m right handed. But it’s too heavy to really do that consistently so I have to keep reminding myself to use my left. Not to mention the fact that hubby has to help me shower and get dressed, (including my ever so sexy surgical stockings and post surgery bra)! Pretty sure he never expected to be doing this sort of thing so early on in our marriage, but he’s a real keeper!
Another fun side effect is having suffered from bad tummies throughout chemotherapy the aftermath of surgery and the painkillers I had in hospital is that it causes constipation. So I’ve gone from one extreme to the other, which is fun!
I appreciate these are such small things and I’m so lucky that this is all I have to contend with after having surgery! The biggest worry awaits me next week when I’m hoping to see the surgeon for my follow up meeting.
He will check and change the dressing and hopefully we will have the biopsy results from what they took out. In other words, were the cancer cells living or dead when they were removed? This will then determine the next phase of treatment for me. Once again it’s a waiting game.
So until I see the surgeon again (hopefully later next week) I will need to do my best to be a good patient and just rest! We shall see how I get on….
As ever take care everyone xx
