I took a walk with my daughter at lunchtime—my first walk since my surgery a week ago today. I was slow and a little tentative, cradling my right breast in my left hand as we strolled. My right breast is the one that still has the drain; it also feels slightly more tender than the other one. I don't suppose I needed to hold my breast, but it felt more comfortable doing so—as though I were providing a little extra protection to the stitches beneath the bandages.

The walk to our neighbourhood Farm Boy would take about 7 minutes in each direction on a good day. Today, it took at least 10 minutes each way. But we weren't in a rush.

Though the walk was a little tiring, it felt good to resume another routine, namely, a lunchtime promenade with my daughter on one of her work-from-home days.

I also put order into my medication routine. I've completely phased out the opioid (hydromorphone) that I had used in the early days of my recovery. And I've established a set routine of three hours between pain medications, alternating acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil). I set up my pain relief schedule to align with that of other medications I was already taking, such as my antibiotic, cancer drug and supplements. It all seems more logical and manageable.

Nighttime is the trickiest part of my convalescence because I lie in one position for hours at a time. Whenever I wake up, I feel stiff and a little sore. But a trip to the bathroom and some fresh meds usually solve the problem, and I drift back to sleep to the sounds of Portuguese, Italian or French vocabulary playing in my ears.

I'm looking forward to my first follow-up appointment with Dr. Lee tomorrow. I imagine that she'll confirm that I'm making good progress.