Post Surgery 12 Days

     Got my biopsy report back. All good. No cancer.

Post Surgery, 11 Days

     Started the morning feeling tired and depleted. No energy. No get up and go. But ended the day on a great note. The reason was because I started using the treadmill. I did two 10 minute sessions. Made me feel just great. I told myself that I would walk for only a minute or two. Better when there are no expectations.

     Also was able to cook a full course dinner tonight and clean up the kitchen afterwards. May seem like a small accomplishment. But earlier in the week I was having trouble making myself even the most simplest of meals. Staying in bed hungry rather than venture downstairs for something to eat.

     Tomorrow's goal is simple. Three sessions of 10 minutes on the treadmill. I will spread it out through the day. Will work my way up until I am doing an hour spread through the day. This treadmill has turned out to be a really good way to build my strength back up.

     Thinking about one of the purposes of this Blog. I am a woman born with the genetic mutation that causes several cancers. I just found this out last year. It is the BRCA2 gene mutation. It doesn't mean I will definitely get cancer, but there is a high probability. This gene is actually responsible for finding cancer cells and getting rid of them. However the mutation of this gene prevents it from doing this important job.

     I am very health conscience. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables. Little meat. Lots of vegan. Low fat. Don't smoke. Exercise. Walk. Run. Lift weights. Hike. Basketball. Yoga... Here's the question.  Are health habits enough to override gene mutations? Or does it not matter what you do health wise because your genes are going to do what they are going to do. And we will find out...

     So getting through my surgery. Total hysterectomy. Not because they found anything. Not because I was having any kind of issues. Simply as a preventative because I have this gene mutation. Was this the right thing to do? May never know.

     Interesting tidbit. This was completely covered by insurance. Having the BRCA2 gene mutation is in itself a diagnoses. This surgery was recommended to me by several different doctors.

     So here I am. Post surgery. Starting to feel better. I feel like I got this behind me but wondering what the future holds. My doctor is now asking about mastectomy. Oh my. If I do, it will be a few years. In the mean time I have to be very diligent about checkups and monitoring symptoms. This is literally a life time struggle.

Post Surgery, Day 10

     Well things are not going nearly as quickly as I would have liked. The bloating is starting to go away now and that is confirmed with losing a few pounds on the scale. So that part is good. Just left with this terrible exhaustion. Like walking for more than five minutes is difficult. I was slightly anemic after the surgery from blood loss.  I was 13 before surgery and 10.6 after surgery. The doctor called that minimal blood loss. So not really tired from blood loss. Could be from the blood thinner shots. Or just from the trauma of the surgery.

     One big improvement is that I now can sleep on my side. I was only able to sleep on my back while my stomach was all bloated out. This is a great deal more comfortable.

     I was able to sneeze and not fear ripping open my insides. I held back dozens of sneezes this week. I think I am in the clear for sneezing now.

     Walking is coming along very slowly. My husband bought a treadmill for my rehab and I have yet to even step on it. Exhausted just from walking around the living room. Will maybe try some time this weekend.

     Still haven't gotten the biopsy back yet. Trying to stay positive. Hard to do.

     Had my best eating day today. Ate very well and was not queasy at all. Got in lots of fruits and veggies as well as protein.

Post Surgery Day 6. Constant Companions

     From the minute I came home from the hospital my pets have surrounded me with their healing unconditional love. There is always one, two or even three of them in bed with me.

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Post surgery day 6

     Well almost a week since the surgery and feeling a bit better. The major complaint is still the bloating in my stomach. Literally looks and feels like I'm 5 months pregnant. This makes it difficult to eat drink or walk very far. It does seem like it has gone down somewhat. I read that this could take several weeks to go away.

     The only other annoyance is that I have to have my husband give me a shot of blood thinners every morning. It was very hard the first time but now is quite easy. It is amazing what you can get used to. I have to take them because I had a blood clot after my last surgery, which was a thyroidectomy.

First Days at home

     My surgery was on Wednesday. Today is Sunday. This is the first day that I felt good enough to type.

     Every movement hurt. They gave me a prescription for oxycontin. I did not fill it. Not only do I want to avoid these drugs but they also make me totally loopy and severely constipated. Nope not doing it. I'll stick with Tylenol to take the edge off.

     Me and my daughter have been binge watching 'The Good Place". This was truly a life saver and took my mind off of my body.

     Taking blood thinners in the form of a shot. This is to prevent another DVT aka blood clot. I had a blood clot in my leg the last time I had a surgery which was my thyroidectomy. It happened 2 days after that surgery. Not taking any chances. The only thing is, is that  my husband had to give the shots. He stepped up to the plate. The first time was a little hard for him but I think it's ok now.

     So feeling a lot better now except for this bloating of my entire stomach. I literally gained 4 pounds. They said that this should go away in a few weeks.

     Been trying to take small walks. It feels pretty good but then I get really tired. I'll have to build up slowly. Running will have to be on hold for several weeks. Not allowed to lift anything heavy.