I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2022. In August of 2022 I had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. 

 

At the time of my diagnosis I knew a few things. I knew I wanted:

 

  1. To be healthy, both physically and emotionally.

  2. To nurture and cultivate my relationship with my husband.

  3. To enjoying my children as they moved from their teen years into adulthood.

  4. To live long enough to meet my grandchildren was my ultimate dream. 

 

What I didn't know was if that was the plan for me. 

 

I was scared, tired and overwhelmed. My therapist reminded me that while I had no control of the situation I could control my reaction to the situation. So I started working on my reaction and it helped me get through some really hard times. The pages below are my story.

 

I hope my journey can help you on your journey.

 

Start HERE.

Day 1

Surgery was yesterday. Today I am up and walking. My goals for the day are to walk 3 times including getting myself to the restroom.

 

I am super sore in my chest and abdomin. So sore that I flinch when people come near me. My mastectomy pillow is helping with that. It creates a protective barrier between my torso and all of the activity happening around me. Its helping me not worry so much. My mom found mine on Etsy with the help of a Google search. There are also many variations on Amazon - just type "mastectomy pillow" into the search feature.

 

Update 12.12.22

 

It's been 4 months since surgery and I am still getting good use out of my mastectomy pillow. At this point the only time I use it is when I am driving. My abdomin is still a bit swollen and tender. Having the pillow between my healing body and the seat belt makes me much more comfortable.

I am still actively trying to figure out what normal looks like for me.

I am: Being gentle with myself. Giving myself grace. Finding new normals.