[2023-07-21] Girl's day, pathology and recovery day 14
It was a girl's day. Mel had the day off and we took full advantage of it.
We started the day with one of our favourite breakfasts: Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal. We had made it together last night so that we could enjoy it this morning.
The weather forecast suggested that we might get a break from the rain, so we considered going for a walk. But with threatening clouds all around, we instead drove to Morning Owl Kanata, where we drank delicious lattes and shared a small chocolate-covered cereal ball. We talked about my progress and my friend's advice to take it easy, which Mel labeled "compassionate straight talk."
We returned home for lunch: zucchini fritters and an egg wrap.
After lunch Mel said, "What would you think about going to the Barbie movie?" I thought it was a grand idea. An afternoon in a comfy recliner watching a feel-good movie sounded like a splendid thing to do, especially considering that I was back to feeling low-energy today. She bought the tickets and we headed to the theatre. The movie was funny, light and entertaining. It was also very in keeping with the mother-daughter day we were having.
Back at home, we collaborated on dinner: pizza with homemade dough and homemade Healthy Alfredo Sauce, topped with chicken, red onions, mozzarella cheese and arugula.
As I sat down to write tonight's post, I was tired but content. I had had an active day, though not a strenuous one. More importantly, I had had an awesome time with my daughter.
Today was big in one other respect: this morning, the results of my surgical pathology report popped up in MyChart. It presented the analysis of the breast tissue removed in my bilateral mastectomy. I'm not a healthcare professional, but terms such as "benign breast tissue," "benign skin," "negative for malignancy" and "no evidence of atypia or malignancy" led me to believe that this was very good news. The whole purpose of the mastectomy was to get ahead of breast cancer. It would appear that I did just that. As my niece, the nurse, said, "YOU BEAT IT."
In response to last night's post, a friend commented:
The Buddhists say that pain is a part of living. Suffering is "optional." It’s resisting the reality of our situation that creates suffering. "Softening" helps us to accept what is here, right now.
So today, I chose to accept my reality. I still had discomfort, though less than I've had in the past. I still had my drains, though I'm less fussed by that reality now that I've figured out how to shower with them. I didn't have as much energy today as yesterday, though that didn't stop me from having a terrific day with Mel.
Often, life is made better or worse by how we see it. From where I sit tonight, I am two week's beyond my bilateral mastectomy, two week's into my recovery, and a lifetime ahead of breast cancer.
