[2023-08-10] 1100 posts and surgery follow-up
I had a follow-up with the surgical department at The Ottawa Hospital today. I met with Dr. Bitoiu, who had assisted Dr. Zhang with the removal of my right implant a week ago today. I reported that I was doing well, with no pain or symptoms of continued infection. This was consistent with his own examination. He noted in his report that my incisions are largely clean, dry and intact, with no signs of infection, fluid collection or dehiscence (opening of the wound). Dr. Bitoiu asked that I return in two weeks for another follow-up.
I continued to get back to normal today: tidying my room (which had become a bit of a disaster in all the activity of the last week), making salsa, putting away laundry. I'm increasingly feeling like myself again. The one exception is that I can't yet lift my arms as high above my head as I used to. I'm confident that this will come with time and exercise. Despite this, I'm pleased with my range of motion just four weeks after my initial surgery and one week after my subsequent surgery.
Yesterday, a new friend wrote to me to say "I am that person who feels so less alone because of your blog." I didn't start my blog 1100 days ago today with the intention of explaining the day-to-day experience of a person dealing with ovarian cancer (and chemotherapy), then perianal skin cancer (and radiation), then a bilateral mastectomy with implants (and then an explant), but responses like this one convince me of the value of sharing my story in real time. As someone who sees the glass as half full, I know that any reflection I might make on past events would inevitably present a rosier picture than I had experienced. So sharing my tears and triumphs as they occur is the most authentic, and helpful, I can be.
