I have compiled a list of things that seem to be the most recommended items and courses of action immediately after bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction (and have now included my own personal input from my own surgery and recovery):
Medical Recliner chair – the kind that lift for you, I have a rocking recliner at home, so that’s good enough for me – check – Only a necessity if you have a TRAM reconstruction afterwards, or if you have weak tummy and leg muscles. I spent most of my recovery on the couch, sitting with my back to the arm of the couch. But the regular recliner worked just fine as well.
Small table for next to the recliner – check
Pouch belt for the drainage bulbs – ordered one from CureDiva – got lucky and it was on a good sale, at $16.19 with shipping. https://m.curediva.com/post-surgical-drain-belt-shower-satchel.html – check – The hospital should also send you home with pouches that velcro to your dressings and bandages, you can use them on your bra after the dressings come off also. But, have a belt ready at home for those days when you don’t really want to do the velcro thing. This particular belt came with a special pouch for showers, super glad I had it.
Shower Lanyard/ Pouch for Drains – check, comes with the Pouchbelt
Post Surgical Breast Pads – might be provided by surgeon/hospital –http://www.drugstore.com/curad-post-surgical-breast-pads-one-size-fits-all/qxp576660?catid=184355 You probably won’t need these, the dressings that my surgeon put on me took care of any seepage, but I really didn’t have any. Don’t spend money on them, the nurses should send you home with plenty of sterile gauze pads, ask for them if they don’t mention it.
Stool Softener (Senokot/Sennosides NOT Colace) – start taking a couple days prior surgery to counteract Anesthia and pain killer effects – check – Definitely need this! Glad I took a nurse-friend’s advice, my nurses were too 😉
Bendy Straws – for in the hospital and at home – check – Only use these in the hospital (they provide). If you want to recover well and quickly, start using those arms to lift your cup to your mouth. It’s not that much weight.
Big cup with screw on lid, straw included – for at home – check, gonna borrow Julia’s for a couple weeks – Just used a regular cup, no need for the lid and straw
Chapstick/Lipgloss – check
Hard Candy – to combat cotton-mouth – check – Definitely needed these, especially in the hospital, Don’t let it replace water, you want to drink lots of water and eat lots of ice chips, it helps you heal more quickly and get home and back to “normal” sooner. But, you can only drink so much and the candy was my go to at that point.
Backscratcher – got kids – check
Wet Wipes / Facial Wipes – for freshening up during “no shower” time – check
Sponge on a stick – I didn’t need one, but you might
Two small pillows, for under your arms – check – Definitely need these, make sure they are slightly squishy, not too firm, as your sides will be sore. You just need something thicker than just your clothes to cushion your arm and sides. Have a friend who sews, even beginner level? Ask them to make you a set. The dimensions I used: 2- 8″ x 10″ pieces of soft material, any color but have fun with it. With a 1/4″ seam. Will make a 9″ x 7″ pillow. I had two of them made up with a 3rd but smaller one that I used under my seatbelt. These will come in handy across your chest during reconstruction expansions as well.
Extra Pillows – for car ride home, under knees, for propping up while sleeping in bed, to place between chest and seatbelt, brace for bumps in road – Bought new ones at a good price, make sure they have good loft, you’ll be using these alot, and hey, who can’t use new pillows in the bed 🙂
Wedge – for sleeping propped up in bed (reduces discomfort and easier to get up) – just going to use a super big pillow folded in half – check – If you can get a wedge, go for it, if not several pillows piled just right or one extra extra large one will do just fine.
Post Mastectomy Bra – provided by hospital or Surgeon – check – Make sure they give you one BEFORE you leave the hospital. This one is a must and they all provide them. If the hospital staff hasn’t given you one by the time your surgeon comes in to check on you, ask your surgeon about it, they will know how to get ahold of one.
Tank Tops with a Shelfbra – best for varying size while healing and prepping for permanent implants – check – I bought some and used occasionally, but found them really hard to get on and off even after several months of recovery. Anything you have to stretch out as you put it on isn’t going to be easy enough, and if you are having Immediate or Immediate-Delayed Reconstruction you will need an actual bra for support, the shelf bras didn’t provide enough for me. I much prefer to use the Front Closure Sports Bras, be sure to get the right size for around your ribs, but a bit loose in the cup for expansions or pads. Here is the brand I preferred http://www.walmart.com/ip/FAST-TRACK-Fruit-of-the-Loom-Comfort-Front-Close-Sports-Bra-2-Pack-Style-96014PK/23091827?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=23091827&placement_id=irs-2-m2&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=cf004101-c56b-4b62-a3f4-b35883e17fe6&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=13997192&parent_anchor_item_id=13997192&guid=ab71cc36-64a3-4cc0-8278-e999f6fa5c90&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n, They are cotton (which is a necessity if you are doing radiation post mastectomy), and fit easily with most necklines (even my new cute shirts), and they were inexpensive enough that I knew I could replace them easily if I needed a size bigger in a couple months, and you can buy them at almost any department store.
Bra Enhancers – optional – I bought Tanks with pads in them, used them for the first week after my dressings came off as my enhancers over top of my surgical bra, but didn’t need anything after that second expander fill, my doctor was pretty aggressive with the fills. If you will have any length of time between the surgery and your reconstruction I would suggest getting some enhancers to go inside of front closure sports bra, your insurance should cover them as well, but cheap and easy works too. I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal to me, going out in public with “nothing up front”. But it ended up being, I wanted those pads for the rest of that week. Have them just in case.
Spray on Deodorant – check
Button Down Night PJs – (large buttons due to fingernail issues) – check – Get some that are really soft and comfy, that are easy to pull up and down and are loose fitting both on top and bottom.
Medium thickness Robe – check
Easy slip-on shoes – check – You will need these, you will not be able to tie your own shoes for quite awhile and it can be tiresome and humiliating asking someone else to do it for you. These are a must for expansion appointments as well, you will be sore after each one, sometimes immediately, other times for the next couple of days. Find a pair that are good for walking in, as they will tell you to take a 30 minute walk each day after the first week.
Button/Zip roomy shirts – check – You can find some good ones at Goodwill for your lounge around the house ones (first week). Once you feel up to it, go out and have some fun getting some super cute, “girly” ones. I’m not “girly” and it helped me. Being bald and no chest leaves you feeling not so feminine. So it’s important to wait to buy these after surgery, your “fashion-style” will change. Make sure the shirts are easy on and off. After the first week or two they don’t have to have buttons or zippers as long and the neckline is nice and round/big. It will be a few months before you can or want to wear a fitted shirt, so make room in the budget for a few cute, blousey, or tunic style shirts.
Zip up hoodie or jackets – check
Protein Shakes – not a necessity unless you have issues getting enough protein in your diet. You will be eating regular foods before you leave the hospital.
Easy foods – Even if you have someone at home with you, neither of you are going to feel like cooking much, and there are only so many meals people can bring in. Have semi healthy munchies on hand too, stress will make your appetite do weird things, but you need to be eating.
Meals brought in – online sign-up calendar set up – check – This was a wonderful way to allow people to “help or do” something about my cancer. The online calendar was handy but you will need to have one or two other people be in charge of it..and be sure to give details of what kinds of food you and your family will actually eat, maybe share some of your recipes for others to make.
Paper Plates and such – check – This was extremely helpful! No one had enough energy or brainpower to even think about doing dishes for the first three weeks post-op, and seems we had people bringing food in, we didn’t even have to clean cooking dishes either.
Post-Mastectomy Massage – reduces scar tissue and texture – If you are going through reconstruction there is no need to purchase the ederma style ointments, the massage itself is what breaks up the scar tissue and odd textures, use ointments that are non-petroleum based. I found a plant based “nipple-ointment” in the baby section, that promotes healing as well as moisturizing damaged skin. Once you are totally done with reconstruction, your surgeon will give ointment to use for help the scars to fade as well.
Physical Therapy Referral – I cannot stress this one enough! First of all, do your stretches as soon as the surgeon gives you the okay, and do them exactly as he says to, don’t over do and don’t sluff off. Even with your at home stretches, you will need professional assistance and guidance to get full range of motion back in both arms and shoulders. You will also experience the need to have help getting your posture back in line, no matter how good you were at it before the surgery. Your body naturally curves in toward your chest to “protect” the damaged tissues. Be sure that you do get a referral, as you will need a therapist that specializes in post-mastectomy rehab. There are certain stretches you can and can’t do. Also, they will know the most about reconstruction and radiation therapy issues too. And again, follow their instructions exactly and diligently. If you will be needing radiation therapy following surgery, be sure your surgeon knows you will need to have PT before radiation mapping…that means you need to have PT sooner than some.
Caregiver/Helper Plan – check – It might be a bit overwhelming to think about all the who and whats and hows before surgery, when you might not know exactly what to expect. But it will help you post-surgery if you get it all lined out. Have people ready for the worst case scenario, but verbally tell them that you may not actually need that specific thing, so they can understand if you don’t “let them help”. You will need someone at home 24/7 for the first two weeks. You will need rides to and from appointments for 4-6 weeks, as you will not be cleared to drive until a PT has said you can physically maneuver a steering wheel without tearing something. You will need someone to clean, this is in addition to your main caregiver. Have cleaning supplies on hand, like make sure your mop is still usable :). I used a rag on my hands and knees for years, bought a new mop for my helpers, but forgot about a mop bucket for rinsing and squeezing. Have a list of things you are okay with people cleaning, that way when they get there to do it, all they have to do is look at the list and jump in. Have back-up ones too, some of your helpers are super fast at cleaning. And if you are feeling up to it, invite them to sit and chat for awhile…it will do you and them some good. If you have children, you will need them to be “somewhere else” for the first week, maybe longer. No matter how good a mom you are, healing from THIS surgery requires LOTS of rest and being away from small, energetic, moving bodies. Grandparents or Aunts and Uncles are great resources for this. If they are going to be home sooner, be sure to have one person as a dedicated emergency caregiver for the kids, “on-call”. Or let someone be in charge of coordinating playdates for them once a day, so you can get a good nap in.
Dalynn's Road to Recovery 