77. 3 weeks post-op and not dependent.

wow!

i can't believe it's been 3 weeks! it feels so long ago.

all of the scabs have officially come off of my incisions as of yesterday. i had to trim some of the ends off the stitches though, because they were causing irritation and redness. i had a pretty good post-op kit set up from the initial mastectomy that i received through o.h.i.p. when i was having nursing care. it came with these nifty little surgical scissors made just for the job. (i made sure to sterilize them.)

since i am still up north and snow bound i have not been able to have my post-op appointment. it will be on january 13th when i am living back in the city. i am looking forward to getting the go ahead to start working out as i have accumulated some flab and lost a whole lot of muscle definition since the mastectomy in april. i am still a skinny mini, but i am missing my muscles - particularly the abs and firm butt;)

i went apartment hunting last week in the city and found a to die for 2 bedroom apartment right in my price range. i am so excited to be moving back to Hamilton. Nursing starts in only 2 weeks.

i am completely off the percosets (oxycodone). i am not in any pain. sometimes some stiffness and the odd twinge, but nothing that warrants any analgesics. i had strong worries about coming off of the oxy's as i had been taking them daily since april (that's almost 8 months), but decided to just go cold turkey. i had some withdrawal symptoms but mostly bearable. i had some pretty crazy night sweats for a week and some pretty major panic attacks, but i have suffered panic attacks since i was a teen and know how to over come them. i decided for me, it was best to get them out of my system right away because i want to be as alert and focused as possible for school. i think it is safe to say, that after a week and a half, they are mostly out of my system.

if however, you should find it difficult or find yourself dependent, it is important that you contact your plastic surgeon/prescribing physician so that he/she can provide a tapering program. opiate dependence is a real risk with this type of surgery and i have read about some woman on FORCE who needed extra care in coming off of them.

i am totally excited for the future. i think 2011 is going to be my year! happy new year everyone and thanks for following my blog.