Now that I was done with chemotherapy it was time to start preparing for surgery. The plan was to not wait too long in case the cancer decided to come back, but to still give my body a short break to recover from chemo. Surgery was scheduled for April 4th, 2023. That gave me a month from the last day of chemo which was March 3rd. So I used the sauna almost every day, continued to exercise and eat healthy as well as start to gather necessary items for surgery. Luckily my sister in law came in clutch with all the accessories needed to have a successful surgery. I didn’t even know the things I would need! Well, if you are ever preparing for a double mastectomy these are the following items I would purchase:
1. Chest pillow
2. Clothing with pockets on the inside (for your drains)
3. A belt with pockets (for your drains) in the shower
4. Seat belt cover
5. Lots and lots of books
She even got me a chapstick holder that attached to my chest pillow. My coworkers also got me a chest pillow which was perfect, so I had one for the car and one for home. I passed these along to other people who had to have the same surgery so they are definitely getting used!
Other things I did to prepare for surgery:
1. Take a leave of absence from both of my jobs (lots of paperwork)
2. Clean the entire house
3. Prepare freezer meals
4. Go grocery shopping and stock up
5. Do all of my favorite activities one last time- this included snow boarding the day before surgery. Honestly, one of my favorite memories- my friend Brock decided to skip work that day and join me in the last hurrah!
Alright, now I’m ready for surgery… or was I?
Mandafit 