All the Newness.

My JP drain tubes (from the mastectomy) were in 43 days before they came out. If you didn’t see it you should check out my Instagram page, @mbtalkspink. I had posted a REEL the day I was told they’d be coming out. I was SO happy!! I was finally going to get back to normalcy or at least some form of it. When you have the drain tubes in you’re supposed to ‘not do much’. There were days I’d sit on the couch and watch TV and do things online and my numbers would be the same as the days I’d get up do some laundry, sweep the floors and make the beds. To get the drain tubes out each drain bulb had to be 30 mls or less for two consecutive days. Well that sure wasn’t the case for me. The numbers would decrease for a few days at a time and then skyrocket again. It was so discouraging and there’s not a thing you can do to make them drain less. Just wait. For those of you that may not know what the drain bulbs are collected; it is the fluid your body is getting rid of as it heals from the mastectomy. Some women don’t have them in but a week or two. There are so many factors. Did you get reconstruction or not. Did you have a full mastectomy. Did they have to remove lymph nodes. And the list goes on and on. But finally the day came and the dang things were coming out. Call me crazy but when the nurse took the drains out I placed my hand on the top of my boob because I wanted to see how it felt as it came out. I’m a curious person what can I say. It was pretty cool but then I began to get the nauseous feeling. I stood up and had to sit right back down. Ha. Ha. Mind you I had already had one drain tube removed at a previous appointment so these were the last two drains to be taken out so I had an idea of what was gong on. Once I was feeling a bit better the nurse told me that I’d still need to take it easy for a week or so. No mowing the yard. No reaching super high. No lifting furniture. So I took it easy. Even though I was so happy to finally have the drains out it didn’t even compare to how happy I was knowing I’d get to pick up my girls. For the first time in six weeks, I picked up my girls and it was THE BEST FEELING! Seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing my oldest say ‘Mommy can hold me again!’ was the best. My youngest wouldn’t let me not hold her for days. She took ever chance she got and how could I say no to that so I held her all the time and I still am… every chance I get… both of my girls!

Life hadn’t been this normal is a long time. Finally getting to do things without feeling sick or exhausted. Being able to see an end in site of all the appointments and scans. Being able to work without any restrictions. Being able to move around without drains coming out of my body. All these things were finally behind me and I could finally see a light to a normal life again. Even though I still had radiation to go I truly felt that nothing could top chemo and surgery. Those two things together were hell. So many unknowns and so much unpredicted pain.

I had originally thought I’d go back to work mid-May but the drain tubes just didn’t want me to do that so once the drains were removed I decided to take the memorial day holiday to just be with my family and friends. I’d head back to work on June 1st. It felt so good to be back in the swing of life. Being around people on a regular basis and having adult conversation on a more consistent basis was so nice.

I began radiation on June 7th. It has been a breeze for me. Not the ocean sea breeze but a breeze with just a bit of discomfort and with a mid-day 10 minute nap for a busy body.