Tittyology

Scars

Scars ain't nothin' but a story.

My brother shared that with me recently.

It's true. Those of us with scars running across our chests may have breast cancer in common, but we each have our own unique story about how we came to get the scars, what we've learned, what we've lost - and gained, individual trials and difficulties...that sometimes seem unending and make you want to quit or give up.

Yet, you can look at those scars and see where you've been.

Sometimes I see them as slick, cool racing stripes. (I've thought of tattooing them in technicolor.) Sometimes, I see them as the battle stripes that they are.

They remind me of how tough and strong I can be - and at the same time how afraid, how changeable life is, how grateful I am, and I'm left with a knowing that, no matter what happens, I'll be okay. They're a reminder, to me, of how resilient the human spirit can be - and how enduring.

I think the most damaging scars are the ones we can't see.

Hog Tying Your Hooters

That's what it feels like, anyway. (I grew up in the South...thus the hog tying reference for those of you who may be "corn-fused".)

After the mastectomy, the plastic surgeon said I needed to get a really tight sports bra to wear once he took off the one they put on in the hospital. (This was especially necessary because the one they put on me was too large...even with the bigger boobs. So the plastic surgeon had to pad it pretty heavily...all kinds of irony there.)

I had several sports bras, but they all required that I put my arms over my head and slide them on.

As far as I was concerned, arms over the head was NOT happening right after the mastectomy.

Then there was the thought of getting the bra "stuck" on my chest. You know how when you pull the bra on, you pull it to the area above your boobs where it's usually rolled up a bit...once it's in this position, you finish pulling it over the actual boobages. (Or maybe that's just how I put it on.)

Anyway, I panicked at the thought of having to get my arms up, at the thought of anything scraping or pulling over my chest. I couldn't find anything that was tight enough, that didn't require being slipped over my head.

I finally found it...

This is the bra I ended up with. After looking all over the place...which wasn't too many places here in Newport, I remembered the bra shop I had recently visited. (I had done a story on bra fitting.)

I know...one might think that my first thought would have been to go straight to this shop and let her put me into what I needed. The fact that I didn't think to go there first - I blame it on the drugs.

I'm proud to say that the size is for C-DD...I'm on the D/DD end of it. (Grin.)

It's a cotton bra that hooks in the back with extra snap closures for stability. At first, I had to have help to get it on. Before long, at about 4 or 5 weeks, I was able to do it myself.

It's a Champion sports bra, style 072, and it definitely keeps the girls in place - important while the pocket is forming on the implants..and also important because they're now bigger.

She had another style that I liked...reminded me of SuperWoman's outfit. It was shiny gold, which I loved. It just didn't fit me as well as this one...I would highly recommend everyone be fit for the correct bra...but once you have a mastectomy, by all means, go to someone who knows what they're doing and get the bra you need!

Keep those new boobs snug while they recover and adjust...Keep up snug as a bug in a rug. Or shoudl we say...snug as a boob in a really tight bra.

Practicalities

There are practical considerations to having a mastectomy. For example, you may not want to pick up anything heavy right away.

You might want to make sure you have on hand, or pick up, some light-weight drinking glasses. These are ones my brother and sister-in-law brought me from Russia, and they were perfect - light as a feather and pretty, too!

Although, in retrospect, you might want to go with plastic just in case.

Name and source for No-rinse Soap

Thanks again to Sara. She sent me the link for the no-rinse soap that they use at the hospital where she works.

Even better news is that it's available to the public. Go to the Steris link and click the link under the picture and text that says "this product is available for consumers."

It comes in packages of either 4-4 oz bottles or 2-8 oz. (So, either way, you're getting 16 oz. It's just a matter of what size you'd like.) At $13.00, it's a bargain for the convenience it provides!

Razor Run-in

Don't try this at home...or at least wait 'til you're healed.

I'm not sure exactly what I did wrong, It probably had something to do with attempting to shave with arm muscles that have been on hiatus due to a mastectomy... you can see the results of my "Rounds with the Razor" below.

(Keep in mind that these pictures don't do justice to my apparently impaired shaving abilities. I didn't, in fact, know that these abilities were impaired until I saw the results that you see below...wish you could have seen the immediate results...but I must confess that taking a picture of my bleeding leg wasn't the first thing that came to mind.) Click on the pics to get a better look.

This is what happened...

As if I hadn't been sliced and diced enough as of late, I decided I was going to shave my own legs. It's  not such a big deal, I thought.

I was in the bathroom, using my handy dandy wipes to clean my face. I thought, "Hey, I bet it'd be easy to shave my legs if I just put one in the sink. That way, I can lean over and won't have to stretch my arms or work them too much."

Mind you, it's not so much that I can't use my arms at all. I actually have reasonably good range considering the nature of the recent surgery. It's more that I've learned my lesson about the pain that can result if I use my arms too much. (I tried to clean out the fridge one week after the mastectomy...not a good idea. Had to call to get more vicaden.) Lesson learned.

Anyway, with my leg in the sink, I figured I wouldn't have to reach, and I was right, I didn't have to reach. Arms (and chest muscles) were safe. Unfortunately, my legs weren't.

I finished shaving my legs and yelped when I looked down and saw all the dots of blood. (This picture doesn't do it justice. My first instinct was to wipe it off, which I did.)

And, no, it didn't sting at all while I was doing the actual damage. I hadn't felt a thing.

And, no, I was no longer taking any kind of narcotic medication!

And, yes, it was a new(er) blade. It had only been used once or twice...maybe that's why I didn't feel it initially... after all, a sharp blade makes a clean cut.

Anyway, I'm glad my surgeon's got better hands than I have! It rather looks like something's been nibbling on my shins.

While the other leg escaped less harmed, it didn't get away scott free...althought it didn't require as much Scott tissue to clean it up...which I had already done when I took the picture below.

I promptly went back to letting hubby shave my legs.

RESULTS Round One:    

Razor: (about) 50

Sandra: 0

Cleaning up - Addition to Tip below

Just in case you didn't see it, my friend posted a comment below that's really helpful. I'm reposting it here because it's so useful.

Earlier I had posted about using wet wipes to stay reasonably clean. They work great, but in the hospital, they gave me soap that doesn't have to be rinsed off. You just wet a wash cloth, add the soap, and then dry off. (Actually, they brought me the warmed, soapy washcloths. They warmed them up in the microwave and put them in a plastic bag to keep them that way.)

I've been meaning to contact the hospital to ask what this was and how one can get some. Why it didn't occur to me to ask my friend, Sara - who is a nurse, I'll never know...actually, I do know - the brain wasn't working so well after the surgery, not as swift. I marked it up to drugs.

Anyway, here's what she has to say about the soap:

Get a bottle of no-rinse soap and use normal washcloths and warm/hot water with washcloths. Granted, you'll eventually have to do laundry, but it will get you cleaner and it's marginally better for the environment. :)

Once your time off limits from the tub is up, it makes great bubble bath! And you don't need any more soap to get clean, just soak and poof your done!

No rinse soap can be found in medical supply stores, and/or your hospital *might* be generous enough to give you a bottle as a momento of the surgical experience.

Thanks for the info, Sara!

I was thinking that if you were to take a small, travel-sized bottle with you, they may be generous enough to fill it up for you. Never hurts to ask.

I'm actually working with Sara to put together a list of tips and tricks for hospital stays. She was such a HUGE help! From practical tips like, take chapstick to bigger issues, like how to work with the nurses...it made my stay run extremely smoothly and has made my recovery that much more speedy.

Tip 2

If you're going to be alone at any point after your mastectomy, have someone take the caps off your meds so you can get to them.

Thanks to Emily for this idea. Mom left today, and hubby had to work. He remembered to take the caps off thank goodness.

Tip

Pond's Facial Wipes - After the surgery, I found them useful for just cleaning up a bit. (Baths and showers weren't allowed. I made it five days. Bleh.) It made me feel better just to wipe off.

Have someone pull one out and wet it with some warm water. Then you (or the person helping you) can at least wipe down your face, arms...and maybe even nether parts.  : )

Of course, I suppose any other facial wipes, or even baby wipes, will do. It made me feel loads better.

You might want to put these on your "pick up list" before surgery so that they're waiting for you when you get home.