Home
Articles
Awaiting Surgery

  • Drain Caddy Belt
  • Emotionally Preparing for Surgery
  • Making the Choice
  • Preparing for Surgery
  • Surgery and Recovery
  • Things They Don't Tell You
  • Why Reconstruction Was Not for Me

    • Chat
    Crafts
    Current Events
    Fashion
    Friends and Family
    Fun Stuff
    Mailing List
    Polls
    Profiles
    Prostheses
    Search

    Flattops has moved to:

    http://flattops.webs.com/

    GeoCities will be closing, so this move is necessary and it's important to update your bookmark(s) and link(s). All the same content is on the new site.

    Preparing for Surgery

    There's really no way to completely "prepare" for something as major as having a mastectomy. There are some things you can do, though, that might make the experience an easier one. Be sure to run anything and everything by your doctor(s), to make sure it will be safe and suitable to your specific situation.

    Preparing a Healing Environment

    Take a look at the room(s) you will be occupying during your recovery. Set them up so that everything is easily accessible. While this will vary for each room, I dusted, washed all my blankets, sheets, and pillows, and even spread a blanket out on top of the bed (I chose to sleep on top of everything so as not to have a bunch of heavy things to move). It also helped to have many throw-pillows available, to use for piling up and propping up for more comfortable sitting and sleeping positions. A bedside table is nice to have on hand to accomodate books, tissue boxes, glasses of water, a thermometer, the breathing gauge the hospital will provide, and other items you will want close at hand. Try to envision yourself post-surgery, and make everything as close-at-hand and easy on yourself as possible. If you live alone, you may even wish to freeze meals ahead of time. Another pointer for meals is to tell your house of worship about your surgery. They may have a "ministry" to provide food to people undergoing medical issues.

    Because I don't have cable, I programmed my VCR for nearly six hours of enjoyable programming that was on while I was in the hospital. I came home to a tape full of programs I could watch when nothing was on TV.

    Your personal comfort can also be helped by purchasing a few cotton button-up shirts exclusively for the surgery. While you may already have button-up shirts at home, if you'd like to keep them, you may not wish to use the ones you already have. Unfortunately, it's easy to leak and stain onto these, and nice not to have to worry about stains! It's helpful to have a few on hand so they can be rotated, changed, and washed as needed.

    Many ladies also like to purchase post-surgery camisoles or drain belts, both of which are designed to hold drainage bags comfortably. Hospitals tend to like to just safety-pin these onto hospital gowns, which (in my experience, at least!) isn't comfortable. I wasn't allowed (by the hospital--my surgeon's office approved it) to use my drainage belt until I got home, but I sure felt better once I had it on.

    Perhaps overlooked, but perhaps most important, is to try and have someone on hand who will be a support to you--emotionally and physically. I petitioned the hospital to let me leave a day early. The nurse sat down and explained that, if I were an older lady and lived alone, they would not let me go. My hope is that everyone can find a friend, family member, neighbor, or church member who will care enough to spend a few days with them--or at least check up on them--following the surgery.

    Fun Bin

    When I found out I'd be needing to have a bilateral mastectomy, I thought back to the times when I'd had broken legs or had been recuperating for a while. The truth is, you get bored, and fast! I asked myself: When did I feel the most happy, either now or in the past? What things did I find fun?

    In the weeks leading up to surgery, I started filling a plastic bin full of things I love (a cardboard box would suit the same purpose). It didn't matter if the items were silly or childish. The important thing was that they would keep me busy, doing things I enjoyed. In fact, after surgery, I appreciated that many of the things in the box were childish, because it seemed like it took my brain a while to wake up from anesthesia!

    Following are the items I chose, along with an explanation of why I chose them. If you use this idea, be sure to pack your box full of things that make you you (a side effect of this approach is that you'll also learn there is a lot that makes you "you"--much more than your anatomy!). For example, if your family is what's important to you, maybe you'd like to fill your bin with photos of your family, and scrapbook materials.

  • Books from My Childhood. My favorite memories of being a child include reading wonderful books. Like many voracious readers, I usually pretended to be the main character, sometimes mouthing the dialog. Books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Anne of Green Gables, The Molly series by Valerie Tripp, and Emily of New Moon brought back many happy memories.

  • New Book(s). A hot-off-the-press new book (or books) that you have been excited to read will give you something to look forward to. It doesn't matter about the age group--even if it's a kids' book (sometimes they're more happy and positive, anyway). I preferred reading children's books after surgery, because my mind didn't have to work nearly as hard!

  • Magazine(s). These are pretty easy to stock up on. I just started throwing them in the bin when they arrived in the mail! The three I read were: Cricket (a children's literary magazine), Country (a magazine full of photos and stories about rural areas), and Reminisce (a magazine with stories written by retired-age folks, remembering their younger years).

  • Puzzle Book(s). These are readily available at newsstands. Sure, I had to cheat a lot on the answers, but hey! A Yes & Know book is also really great, and a little easier than a newsstand puzzle book. This was the only thing I ended up using at the hospital. When I got off the anesthesia, my mind seemed really cluttered and unwilling to take in too much input, including the TV, bright lights, or excess text. The Yes & Know book was something I could just stand to use.

  • Paper Dolls. The ones by Midwest Dolls even include "clothes" to color, so I packed colored pencils. This helped me get back some of my basic motor skills and coordination when my arms were really refusing to move. You can also find paper dolls to color from Dover Publications.

  • Crafts. Needlepoint, knitting, etc. Whatever you like and know how to do well already. There are some crafts on the site that you might like to look at, especially the Pot of Gold Afghan.

  • Old-Time Radio Programs. Available for purchase online, old-time radio shows are incredibly fun to listen to. I stocked up on comedies. These are especially pleasant if you get tired of seeing buxom ladies on television!

  • Gerbils. No, that's not a typo! They were one of the main things that got me through my diagnosis and surgery. The first laugh I uttered--though pained and short--was at the expense of my gerbils. A lot of research and effort were expended before acquiring them, and it gave me something fun to do. Of course, another family member was entrusted with their care during surgery and recovery. I don't expect everyone to go out and purchase pets. But animals are great at helping us feel a little better--even something as small as a betta fish in a bowl. Your hospital may even have "therapy pets" around (mine only had a photo of one of their therapy pets around, but it was still fun to see)!

    • Rejoicing in Small Accomplishments

    My arms were double-jointed before I went to the hospital. When I came home, one of the biggest disappointments was that my arms refused to do what I wanted them to. And, if they did, it hurt. Additionally demoralizing, I wasn't allowed to shave, bathe, or use deodorant, and couldn't reach my hair to comb it. Then I developed complications from surgery, and became more upset at how my body had a "mind" of its own. It became easy to get disappointed. But it didn't help my psyche any! After a while, I learned that I had to rejoice in little accomplishments:

    "I put something in the dishwasher today!"

    "I washed my hair today!"

    "I was able to put my hair up!"

    "I was able to reach that!"

    "I went out of the house today!"

    Each day these accomplishments became bigger and bigger as I was able to add in new things. It seems silly to encourage yourself regarding something as basic as being able to reach up your arm, but trust me--you'll feel a lot better about it if you learn to rejoice in the accomplishments. You did it!

    Life Goes On

    One last activity that helped me emotionally was to think of fun activities I wanted to do once my doctor said I wasn't under any more restrictions.

    Writing a list of activities before surgery will provide something to look at visually for encouragement. It can be difficult to think of things while recovering; if you feel bad, you may not feel like even doing anything. However, if you write all the activity ideas down ahead of time, the list can then be used as an encouragement that life goes on, and there are bright things to look forward to in your future.

    Nothing above should be construed as advice or medical advice. Please check with your doctor(s) before doing anything mentioned above. Inclusion of brands does not indicate endorsement. Article by Melissa, September/October 2006, for Flattops.

    Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

    1