I’m six weeks into recovery of my mastectomy, clearance and diep reconstruction. I’m finding my recovery to be so hard going.
The skin has suffered necrosis and I’ve been dressing and redressing this open wound. It’s so far from what I had hoped for that it’s depressing just looking at it. It’s black and oozy and sore looking. The plastics team have debrided it three times now… so now you can see the fat in the open areas.
This week I’ve had a vacuum dressing which involves being covered in cling film like a supermarket chicken and plugged into a heavy machine that I have to carry around. I’ve read about it…it sounds like they promote excellent healing…but it’s just making me even more fed up. It’s so hard to move about!
I’m receiving good care… and I have no complaints about my team, I’m just feeling so fed up because I don’t feel as though I’m making progress and because my body doesn’t feel like my own. I can was but I can’t shower properly because dressing has to be kept dry and my abdominal wrap is tight and uncomfortable and I want to climb into soft pyjamas and curl up but everything is so uncomfortable.
My husband is wonderful and understanding I’m just having a big old moan because it’s just getting on top of me.
Tell me to pull myself together and get on with it.