JP Cups

I had my first post-surgery doctor's appointment today. I thought it would be a good time for an update.

I've been doing pretty well this week, and each day gets a little better. My physical limitations are that I can't lift anything, I can't bend, and I can't drive. It really takes the pressure off. I can't really do anything, so I can't feel bad about not doing anything.

Emotionally, I'm doing great. After all the work I did preparing for the loss of my breasts, I found that the reality of the situation wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I think I did most of my grieving and mourning before the surgery. Which was great because when I finally saw the post-surgery incision wounds, I found that I was okay with it. I think I was prepared for the worst and it just wasn't that bad.

By far, the worst part of the post-surgery recovery has been the JP cups. These things protrude from my sides to drain fluid from the space that was left after my mastectomy. Right now, my body is producing more fluid that it can absorb... hence, the cups. In the last 24 hours, two of my three drains actually produced only 2/3 of the amount my body can absorb. So, I was hoping that when I saw my doctor today, he would take out two of the cups.

I can't even begin to describe what a pain these cups are. They are bulky and cumbersome, so I don't want to go out in public with them. They can also be painful when they are being drained. So, I've been looking quite forward to when these cups could be removed. So, when my doctor told me today that he'd like to leave them all in for another week, I was really disappointed.

He explained that if you take out the drains too early, you can get a build up of fluid and you have to remove it with a needle. So, rather than risk that, he opted to keep them in for another week. Another week!

So, that's my most immediate goal... getting the drains out. I'll keep you updated.