Posts Tagged ‘scar’

  1. Six Weeks Down

    March 16, 2012 by Julie Moon

    Yesterday marked six weeks since my surgery.  I can say that I do actually feel like myself again.  I feel like I am on the other side.  I am not totally healed.  I still have gauze covering my wounds and I still have scars that need to be revised and more surgery on the books for the rest of the year but I can say without a doubt that I’m grateful I had this surgery.  I feel happy and healthy.  I know I will regain complete mobility in my arms and that I will feel like myself more and more.

    On Tuesday I had the opportunity to get my hair styled and have some very flattering photographs taken.  It is for something we are about to do at our photography studio.  It was just the boost of self confidence any woman needs…especially one who just underwent a mastectomy.  I felt absolutely beautiful.  I took some time to look back on my photos just after surgery and wow what a ways I have come in those 6 weeks.   I have said it before but science and this surgery is amazing.  I feel so blessed.

    Six Weeks!!!! I can hardly believe it!

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  2. You Will Heal

    March 3, 2012 by Julie Moon

    This photo is from March 1, 2012.  One month exactly after my bilateral mastectomy and SGAP breast reconstruction.  I have a 10 inch scar from each hip down into a V on my buttocks.  Yes…TEN inches EACH.  I have an oval shaped paddle of skin 5 inches wide on each breast that is a different color from the rest of my breast because it’s skin from my back side.  It will be removed in the second stage of surgeries.  I have an open wound on my left breast and a nipple that has not healed yet.  That nipple will require reconstruction to look “normal” again.  I have two very sore wounds on each hip that are still leaky and healing from having drains removed.   But…do you know what I see when I look at that picture?  I see ME! I see a woman who looks like she used to with a smile on her face.  I see myself wearing clothes out of my closet that weren’t purchased specifically for surgery.  I see a woman about to go to dinner with her family and enjoy a night out.  I see a woman who doesn’t look broken.  My body has undergone quite a bit of trauma.  I am regaining mobility but I am still sore and weak.  But my heart is happy that I am moving forward.  I am seeing myself heal.  I am working hard to make that happen and will continue to do so.  Someday I believe I will feel together, whole and beautiful without my clothes on because I will heal.   This picture gives me hope.

    Category The Journey | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | 1 Comment

  3. Times of Healing

    February 20, 2012 by Julie Moon


    February 20th…getting so close to being a month out of surgery.  It feels so strange.  Time passes so slowly while I sit at home but yet I look at the calendar and 20 days have passed since that early morning before my surgery.

    Yesterday I was blessed to have a friend pay for a massage therapist to come to my home.  She spent over an hour doing healing work with her hands on my body.  She mentioned more than once the word “trauma” in reference to my surgery.  I hadn’t ever really thought of it as trauma because that word conjures up thoughts of a terrible accident or something that is done to you without your permission.  I had given consent for my body to be sliced and diced and rearranged.  But if my body has a viewpoint I could see my body feeling like it had a “trauma” done to itself.   She helped my body to relax.  My muscles are constantly tense and spasming.  I don’t know what is “normal tightness” and what is just my body being tense.  It’s a new normal completely.

    The best part about the day was that after the massage I felt my heart take a turn.  I felt positive for the first time in a while.  I gave myself permission to be happy that my donor site wounds seem to be healing nicely.  I fixed myself some lunch while my mom was massaged (thank you to my friend for including her as well).  I was independant for an hour…all by myself and I felt “normal” somewhat.  I haven’t really needed many pain meds and last night I found an entirely different way to sleep with many pillows that didn’t encourage swelling in my chest.   I would call these times of healing.  It really gives me hope for what another week of recovery will hold.  I can only imagine how great I will feel when THESE DRAINS COME OUT!!!!! I’m planning a return trip to Charleston with a friend for the grand removal.

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  4. Day 7

    February 8, 2012 by Julie Moon

    My Recovery Home

    Day 7…finishing up the first week of this new life. What a journey it has been already.   Last night was a very hard night.  Neither I or my mom slept very well at all.  We both had some crazy dreams and I was hot and uncomfortable most of the night.  My body feels so tight and swollen and I’m just so ready to be done with these drains.

    I saw Dr. Craigie, the plastic surgeon, first today.  He greeted my mom and I with hugs and a smile.  He prescribed silvadene for my nipple that I may lose.  If I do lose it he will be able to recreate something that looks similar…we knew this was one of the risks.  That side was the side that got the radioactive dye for the sentinel node biopsy so I think it was harder to see during surgery and not damage.  He also shorted my drain tubes for me so that I don’t have as long of tubes that can potentially get pulled on something.   I will go back Friday to see the PA and she will remove my two breast drains.  That will be great!  We will head home to Athens after those are pulled on Friday.

    After we left Dr. Craigie we filled our prescription and then drove over to see Dr. Baron, the breast surgeon.  I had taken my pain meds as well as a zofran before I left Dr. Craigie’s office and the two of those combined really get me loopy.  I feel like I’m floating all over the room and feel like I lose feeling in my legs.  It was relaxing but definitely a strange feeling.  He is so warm and compassionate and greeted my mom and I with hugs as well.  I feel so taken care of by this team of doctors.  He examined me and seemed a bit disappointed with the left nipple’s healing as well.  I know he was hoping that they both would survive and look as they always have.  He did feel great about everything else so far.

    I am happy with my recovery so far.  It’s not pretty for sure…but I know that’s all part of the journey.

    We grabbed a late lunch and headed back to our recovery home.  It’s so peaceful and quiet here.  I need to gear myself up for heading back to my house which is full of loud children.  I love them but it will be a big change for sure.  I was out from 10-4 today and I’m very sore and tired now. I hope I sleep well tonight and really am able to relax and rest.

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  5. Scars

    November 6, 2011 by Julie Moon

    Have you ever seen what a mastectomy scar looks like?  What a woman looks like with no breast?  It’s mind numbing to me.  They look so broken and hurting.  What a true blessing I have to be able to do this surgery before I have cancer…before I have to have any illness cut out of me.  What a blessing I have to be made whole again before something takes my whole-ness away from me.

     

    Amazing images here: The Scar Project

     

    I still can’t believe I’m planning this though.

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