Now comes the hard part...
Let me start by saying that we have been fed EXTREMELY well since Dawn's co-workers are signing up to provide dinner for us every day for a few weeks. The outpouring of love and support Dawn and our family have received continues to amaze me. I can only hope that someday I will be given an opportunity to show someone else in a similar situation the same unconditional support that we have experienced. Thank you!!!
It's been 5 days since Dawn had the surgery and she is recovering well. She is learning quickly what her limitations are and exactly how much she can do with her left hand....and she is making the most it. For the most part, she has resumed our daily routines with the exception of the obvious NO-NOs imposed since we caught her trying to wash clothes the day after surgery. She has accepted that she needs to take it easy and ASK for help....which does not come naturally to her at all. Dawn is a very strong woman and she often amazes me with what she can tolerate. I'll be he first to admit, she's tough.
She came home with a pretty bulky dressing covering the incision and hiding her loss. She avoided mirrors and just looking down at it made her tear up. I knew that she would cope with everything on her terms, but she knew that she wouldn't do it alone, so we did it all together, in steps. The first time she looked at the dressing when we changed her pajamas. She cried and I held her and tried to console her. It didn't feel like it was enough, but I think it was exactly she needed and wanted. She wanted to remove some of the dressing that was coming off, so I removed some of it and re-secured with tape in other areas. We got her back into pajamas and into bed for the night. The next morning when I woke up she informed me that she had 43 staples between the the 2 incisions--one from the mastectomy and on under the armpit from the lymph node removal. She wanted help to remove some of the sticky tape residue and to replace the dressing with a thinner, less bulky dressing. Again, understandably, she began to cry. It breaks my heart that I can't make this pain she has go away. I can only imagine the feelings she is having, but I t continually tell her that I love her and everything will be OK. I remind her that she's not alone and that I will be there for her no matter what....and she knows that is true. I replaced the dressing and removed what residue she could tolerate. I encouraged to reach out to her support people at work and online, but also made her promise to ask for help if she felt that she was getting depressed. I wanted to make sure that her toughness wouldn't prevent her for asking for help if she needed it. She promised me that she would seek help if needed, but we agreed that what she is experiencing now is more shock and adjustment to the changes in her appearance. Seems that keeping her busy is a great way to keep her mind occupied and not focusing on it, it's the down times that sneak up on her.
Sunday, she felt up to going out to one of our local hangs for breakfast and then to Target for a brief shopping trip, so by the time we got home she was ready to rest. Aeden and I met up with one of his friends and his dad for a play date. Aeden has handled everything in stride, but you can tell that he is concerned. Dawn spoke to him prior to surgery about some of the things that she may go through in the months ahead. He asks questions from time to time and she answers him very honestly. He's very curious about her incision and drain, but has only seen the drain and the fluid in the collection bulb. It's good for her to be able to discuss this with him.
So, she is still scheduled for a follow up visit with her surgeon this Thursday and I'm sure I will have more to add at that time. Until then......
It's been 5 days since Dawn had the surgery and she is recovering well. She is learning quickly what her limitations are and exactly how much she can do with her left hand....and she is making the most it. For the most part, she has resumed our daily routines with the exception of the obvious NO-NOs imposed since we caught her trying to wash clothes the day after surgery. She has accepted that she needs to take it easy and ASK for help....which does not come naturally to her at all. Dawn is a very strong woman and she often amazes me with what she can tolerate. I'll be he first to admit, she's tough.
She came home with a pretty bulky dressing covering the incision and hiding her loss. She avoided mirrors and just looking down at it made her tear up. I knew that she would cope with everything on her terms, but she knew that she wouldn't do it alone, so we did it all together, in steps. The first time she looked at the dressing when we changed her pajamas. She cried and I held her and tried to console her. It didn't feel like it was enough, but I think it was exactly she needed and wanted. She wanted to remove some of the dressing that was coming off, so I removed some of it and re-secured with tape in other areas. We got her back into pajamas and into bed for the night. The next morning when I woke up she informed me that she had 43 staples between the the 2 incisions--one from the mastectomy and on under the armpit from the lymph node removal. She wanted help to remove some of the sticky tape residue and to replace the dressing with a thinner, less bulky dressing. Again, understandably, she began to cry. It breaks my heart that I can't make this pain she has go away. I can only imagine the feelings she is having, but I t continually tell her that I love her and everything will be OK. I remind her that she's not alone and that I will be there for her no matter what....and she knows that is true. I replaced the dressing and removed what residue she could tolerate. I encouraged to reach out to her support people at work and online, but also made her promise to ask for help if she felt that she was getting depressed. I wanted to make sure that her toughness wouldn't prevent her for asking for help if she needed it. She promised me that she would seek help if needed, but we agreed that what she is experiencing now is more shock and adjustment to the changes in her appearance. Seems that keeping her busy is a great way to keep her mind occupied and not focusing on it, it's the down times that sneak up on her.
Sunday, she felt up to going out to one of our local hangs for breakfast and then to Target for a brief shopping trip, so by the time we got home she was ready to rest. Aeden and I met up with one of his friends and his dad for a play date. Aeden has handled everything in stride, but you can tell that he is concerned. Dawn spoke to him prior to surgery about some of the things that she may go through in the months ahead. He asks questions from time to time and she answers him very honestly. He's very curious about her incision and drain, but has only seen the drain and the fluid in the collection bulb. It's good for her to be able to discuss this with him.
So, she is still scheduled for a follow up visit with her surgeon this Thursday and I'm sure I will have more to add at that time. Until then......
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