Back To The O.R.
Things were pretty similar as the last time. I didn’t have to visit radiology first and I didn’t need any artistic marker lines this time. It was the same surgery center, same outpatient plan with one hour recovery. This time one surgeon instead of two. It definitely felt a lot less traumatic. I wasn’t here to see if I still had cancer, I wasn’t here for “treatment” or because my life depended on it, I wasn’t here to traumatically alter my body in the same way as the first surgery. This was was a lot easier for many reason.
2 Week Recovery
I went home in the same mummy wrap like the first surgery. This one was only a 2 week recovery and I didn’t have any pain this time. Still under doctors orders to take it easy for a couple weeks, but I felt great. He even told me before that he doesn’t even prescribe pain meds for this surgery.
I didn’t have any complications from necrosis this time. It didn’t effect the spot from the first one. He reopened the same incisions that he did last time.
Life After Surgery
The permanent implants are much softer and more comfortable than the expanders. I feel so much better! I did learn that implants and bras are not the same shape so that’s a new challenge.
My skin is really thin from my mastectomy surgery so I can see some rippling of the implant under the skin, but it doesn’t bother me. I can sleep comfortably on my side now, however, I do still have some lingering pain on my sides below my armpits from the original surgery. This might not go away.
I am in physical therapy right now to stretch the right pec muscle and arm from a loss of range of motion from radiation. I tried to start this before my second surgery since it was 6 months out, but the restriction on my movement from the expanders made it too challenging. But I’m getting there!
All in all I am happy with the results and don’t have any regrets.