P.P.S.

Post Post Surgery

Once again, I am past due for a post so here is another very brief update. And, again, as last time, no news is good news. 

First off, feeling much less sore from the surgery. The swelling and general discomfort has been replaced by a somewhat normal looking bruised area on my right breast, as if a bruise can look normal. The steri-strips are still going strong on both incisions, there and just below my underarm. The stretches and exercises for shoulder mobility and to prevent tightening around the surgical areas have been effective if not poorly written. Give me a specific amount of time and number of reps, and I'm happy. The vagueness of 3-4' total, 15' per day, or "stretches for any time of day," really needs to be rewritten. 

Tomorrow, I am going in for a CPET,  a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test designed to determine my baseline prior to radiation, or as it says in the pre test instructions it will "evaluate my exercise tolerance ... to maximal effort." Uh oh. Good news - it will be done on a bicycle, treadmill, or indoor rower. 

Thursday, meeting with my medical oncologist, and, I hope, reviewing the final pathology report which is due out on Wednesday (tomorrow). This is the precursor to getting set up for radiation treatment to begin in September 

Lastly, my hair is definitely on the return. I had nearly a true 1/4" of very wispy, extremely fine hair starting to appear on my head which is what I had expected timeline-wise. I did shave it off this morning, however, because it was fairly patchy and growing unevenly - not a good look. I'm ready, however, and will wait for the real stuff to start growing back. And, yet, at the same time, I am down to a total of 19 eyelashes evenly split along both upper lids. Fastest growing returns first.