Change is Part of the Journey: Finding Strength After Reconstruction

Seasons bring change. We see visible signs of these changes and they are expected. The changes are often welcome like the first warm day of spring after a long winter. This time of year, during December, holiday lights and long winter nights bring a sense of coziness and comfort. We adapt. Change is also part of the Journey after reconstruction. How do we plan and cope with these changes? It is easier for some than others.

Thoughts of Unknown Changes

When one begins planning their reconstruction surgery many wonder what they will look like after a surgeon carefully takes a scalpel to skin. DIEP flap breast reconstruction involves incisions at both the breasts and the abdomen. Just thinking about that process can be overwhelming. Will there be pain associated with the incisions? Where will the incisions be and how will one take care of them, whether themselves or with the help of a caregiver?

One concern I hear people talk about is how to tell others, work, and family, about the surgery. Many of us have experienced a reaction of surprise and disbelief because there are few who know what breast reconstruction involves. If you are not a person affected by breast cancer, why would you know? The challenge telling others you’ll be having reconstruction can sometimes become repetitive. It feels monotonous to tell the same story over and over again.

Looking in the Mirror for the First Time after Reconstruction

I wish I could tell you I looked like a new woman. That was not the case. I was bruised and swollen. The incisions were long on my abdominal area with one drain on each end that had to be emptied daily. My breasts were swollen and each one had a drain. My reconstruction was delayed DIEP flap, so I wasn’t completely sad about having these bruised, swollen new breasts back. I looked at them in complete awe, in fact. I don’t think everyone feels that way though.

Take your time with this process. Go easy on yourself and know it will take time for the bruising and swelling to go down. Your body is doing what it is supposed to do with the fluids working to heal the surgical sites. Look at your newly constructed breasts when you are ready because results will look different for each of us. To read the blog about touching your breast after reconstruction click this link: https://diepcjourney.com/intimacy-touching-breasts-diepflap-surgery/ There are those, like me, who are completely fascinated by the process while others are a bit more squeamish about that first look.

Finding that Strength After Your Reconstruction

Do some planning and work ahead of your surgery. The online group, DiepCJourney, is transparent, honest, and supportive. They share photos the day or morning after surgery with hospital gowns, oxygen tubes, and just a “barely there” smile on their face while sitting up in bed. Joining groups like this will help you get a realistic sense of what you might look like the day after surgery.

Talk to the other ladies in these groups and ask how they coped with the first few days. Everyone has a different path to recovery but knowing what others have been through, endured, and recovered from is often a way of realizing others have gone before you. This can give you strength before and after surgery knowing you are part of a club that many have successfully navigated.

The Beauty of Becoming: Honoring the Changes that Shape Us

Only you know how you truly feel about the changes that you go through after breast reconstruction surgery. You can compare your reconstruction Journey with others but the beauty of becoming a new you belong to you alone. Your body was uniquely yours before you had surgery. What did you do to make yourself comfortable in your clothing prior to surgery?

Your size and shape will change. Wait for a few weeks after your reconstruction to look for something special to adorn your new body with. It might even mean a new haircut or style. Embrace the change. Try some positive affirmations while looking in the mirror.

• I love and respect my body and all it has been through to recover and heal.
• It took a great deal of strength to make this decision, and I will treat myself with kindness and patience.
• There is not one perfect body walking this earth, but I am perfectly happy in my newly reconstructed body.
• I promise to be easy on myself on days when I am tired and appreciate the strength my body has and deserves to rest.

How have you found strength and embraced the changes that are part of reconstruction? I would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer

References made to my surgical group, surgeon and healthcare team are made because they are aligned with my values and met my criterion after I did research of their practices and success rates. Any other healthcare provider that displays the same skill, compassion education and outreach to patients will be given consideration and recognition on this website.  The information contained on this website is not a substitute for or should be construed as medical advice. Please consult a licensed physician for medical advice.