Finding Life's "Silver Linings" or "the medicine" for the soul

Surgery can be super scary….I believe these tips can help with whatever surgery you may be going through. It’s also a touch decision to make…to read more about my decision-making & journey, you can go here.

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Contrary to popular belief, the doctors do NOT tell you everything you need to know. Yes, there are 2 doctors in this scenario if you are also having reconstruction–a breast surgeon and a plastic surgeon. The breast surgeon removes the breast tissue and the plastic surgeon works on your reconstruction. They do not give all the necessary information to heal as quickly as possible. I conducted extensive research. I read a lot during my recovery journey to make sure I was giving my body the best care possible.

I also think it is very important to mention that I did not have cancer. This procedure is even more complicated if you are treating cancer at the same time. I did not have that added obstacle of which I am grateful. I had the surgery prophylactically (preventive) so that I would not have to deal with this added complication. This is the same preventive surgery that Angelina Jolie had back in 2013. As a PALB2 positive person….it was an eventuality that I would get breast cancer if I did not have this surgery.

(NOTE: PALB2 is a newer gene that increases the risk of several cancers akin to the BRAC gene. The field of genetics is growing exponentially. More data is being gathered constantly. Additionally, more genes will continue to surface that increase the risks for certain diseases. It’s all in your genes!! haha)

Choices/Options

There are several different ways a mastectomy can continue. There are also a lot of choices. It can be overwhelming so I will outline the choices below:

• Mastectomy without Reconstruction. A lot of women choose to stay flat and I respect this choice.
• Mastectomy with Reconstruction.
  • Staged Procedure involves a mastectomy surgery and tissue expander insert. There are weekly fills. The second surgery is to remove the tissue expanders and insert breast implants. I opted for this surgery because I wanted smaller breasts than I originally had. Angelina Jolie famously had a preventive double mastectomy in 2013 and had this same procedure. Additionally you have 2 choices here:
    • Tissue Expander Under The Muscle–said to give a more natural look & support. **This is more painful as you will be stretching the skin AND muscle each time you fill.**
    • Tissue Expander Over The Muscle–you can sometimes get that rippling effect to your implants with this choice. This happens because there is only skin there to support.
  • Mastectomy + Implants are suitable if you want a similar size and don’t need a lift. Alternatively, you can use fat from another area of your body instead of an implant. This is called a “Flap”.
• Lastly, with both procedures above, you can try to save the nipple. Alternatively, you can have a nipple tattooed later. You can also go without nipples. I found this dumbfounding as I had never given much thought to my nipples. Did I want to “Save The Nipple”? There is an extra risk with saving the nipple. If the blood supply is cut off, the nipple may die. This would result in another surgery to remove the dead nipple or nipples.

I know, I know…it’s a LOT to think about and process! Take your time….my surgeon told me that I didn’t even need to make the final decision until the day of surgery.

What Surprised Me?

• No Physical Therapy is prescribed unless you have issues (i.e. you lose mobility in your arms). (I wrote this article so you can prevent issues.) Movement is KEY to not having issues. More on this later. The more I got back into yoga/movement the better I felt and I started to loosen up. BUT, I did have a couple times that I pushed it too hard and was in pain the next day. So GO SLOW!
• I repeat….the Doctors or I should say, Surgeons do Not tell you what to do after. Surgeons are surgeons…they preform surgery…I find that the other care is not their strong suite. I do not say this to disparage them…they are brilliant and have their specialty area. They are very specialized doctors!
• Your Breasts will not look normal for a Looong time. There can be bruising and swelling for up to a year depending on the procedure and many other factors.
• You will have Surgical Tape on your incisions. I mention this b/c I noticed discoloration and starting googling….I thought I had skin necrosis which is really bad! Turns out it was surgical tape….it stays on for awhile….and can cause discoloration.
• Your chest will be Hard as Rock with the tissue expanders in. You have a foreign object in your body and they will not be like your final breasts. This is just a “phase” in your journey.
• The Tissue Expanders will take some getting used to….they are not very flexible. It will NOT be comfortable but will get used to it and I do have TIPS!!
• It will take some time and tissue expander fills to reach your desired breast size. After that, you have to wait at least 1 month for your final surgery, the breast implants. Which means you are living w/ those uncomfortable tissue expanders for awhile.
• You will feel weird sensations in your body that you have never felt before. This doesn’t mean something is wrong. Although you should talk to your doctor. I had what they call “zingers” or electric shocks from nerve damage. There is no way to avoid the nerves with this surgery so there will have to be some nerve healing.

NOW, having said all this….I do NOT regret my decision to have the surgery. I know I dodged a bullet by having this surgery without the added pressure of also having and treating cancer. AND, there are ways to minimize these negative outcomes to continue living your Best Life!

So, what can you do?

What can you do to maximize Healing?

• MOVE, MOVE, MOVE….there is a reason they get you out of bed right away after your surgery. The longer you do not move the more risk you have for complications (blood clots, loss of mobility, etc). It is hard at first but as soon as you can, do some light yoga. But, follow doctors orders for all exercise. I started increasing the intensity of my yoga routine from very light to more intense. This change happened after 4 weeks, really once the incisions were closed.
• Eat Healthy. The most important thing is to get PROTEIN. This will help to re-build. Cottage Cheese became my best friend as it is high quality protein w/ no additives.
• Rest. Listen to your body. It is hard to sleep at first but get adequate sleep. I even slept during the day a lot at first. Get a comfortable lounger & put a heating pad on it. You will need to sleep here for the first couple weeks.
• Massage around the incision sites to break up scar tissue and this also relieves tightness. Again, be careful…this is best done after the incisions have closed. Massage also brings in blood flow which helps to heal & break up scar tissue.
• Use a heating pad on your back. Your back may hurt and the heat will help. I slept in a recliner with a heating pad for the first couple weeks.
• Use Lidocaine Patches on your back. This can help w/ the pain here as well. You can buy these at any drug store. Avoid the incision area…this is why I suggest putting them on your back.
• Avoid Stress. If it’s going to cause you stress, don’t do it. You need to let your body heal and stress prevents that. Take care of yourself right now. I eliminated anything or anyone that could cause stress.
• Watch Your Mind. Feed it positivism, stay away from the negative! This is not the time to make big decisions or ruminate. Keep it Light.

**Always follow doctor’s orders. This is what helped me! But, I am not a doctor!! Listen to your body. It inherently knows what is right for you. Now, with this being said, you will experience weird sensations. These are sensations you have never felt before because you have never gone through this! But is it painful? Does it feel wrong? Give your body the time and grace to heal!

That has worked for you to help heal after a surgery?

XO,

Kelli

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