On Monday, I had a post-op appointment with the Plastic Surgeon.
This is my sweet Becky. When I say I took a walk with Becky, it’s this chick. I’m really looking forward to our walks this Spring and Summer!
She drove me to my appointment since I hadn’t been released from the gyno to drive just yet.
Everything is healing nicely and I should be able to go binder free after two more weeks! The binder is super uncomfortable, but it helps the body to contour, so I’ll keep wearing it knowing it’s helping me have a good shape!
After my diagnosis, my breast surgeon had me stop taking the birth control pill. I had taken it for years for the hormones. I was a nervous wreck to not take it for fear that my mood would be all over the place. I stopped taking it several years ago and my anxiety was terrible. I was overly upset about small things and I was aware of that. My reaction to particular situations didn’t seem rational to even me! I started taking the pill again and things were good.
Since I stopped taking the pill back in July, I’ve not noticed any negative side effects other than the hot flashes, the first sign that I had jumped right into menopause after I stopped taking the pill. Any emotional stuff seems rational for now. Just to be clear, even Mike agreed, so that’s not just me saying it. He promised to let me know when I become irrational. Lets just hope that doesn’t happen. I want him to continue to like me.
These dang hot flashes are cray cray though! One minute I’m curled up in my blanket by the fire watching TV with the hubs, the next minute I’m throwing blankets and clothing and running to stick my head in the freezer! Minutes later, like MINUTES later, I’m freezing and back under my blanket. I figure I’m burning some calories running from room to room, right?
The medicine that I am taking for hot flashes is making me nauseous, so as of today, we are trying something new. With a hormone positive breast cancer, you are limited as to what you can take for menopausal symptoms, so I’ll try something different in hopes that it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll just be hot for a while.
On Tuesday, I spoke with my nurse at my gynecologist and as of today, I can now drive. I can also walk! My limitations are “no lifting over 10 pounds, no excessive bending and reaching” specifically no loading/unloading of the dishwasher, no vacuuming, no loading/unloading of the wash machine. At first it’s like….Um, okay, great! But in reality, it’s really hard for me to know that those things need to be done and I’m not supposed to be doing them!
My mom wants to help, so it’s nice to have things for her to do. After a few more Saturday’s of Julie chores, she may change her mind.
Me sipping coffee and supervising… “Hey Mom, ya missed a spot!” (Have I mentioned that I think I’m funny?)
Yesterday morning I cooked up a big skillet of diced bacon (2 slices), 1/2 red onion, and 2 bell peppers. I microwaved a medium sized sweet potato until fork tender (about 2 minutes, then flip and microwave another 2 minutes), then diced it and added it to my skillet. This is one of my favorite breakfast meals.
I made extra so I can just heat some up, cook an egg and have breakfast in minutes!
This is one of my favorite foods. I’d eat it on almost anything. Except cake, I don’t think I would eat an Avocado on cake. But hey, never say never.
A couple of runny eggs and diced Avocado topped with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. So. Dang. Good.
Before surgery, I cooked up lots of protein and placed it in the freezer.
I grilled up several beef burgers, turkey burgers and chicken breast. I sliced the cooked chicken breast before freezing it so it would heat up nice and even later. I cooked several chicken breast in the Instant Pot (the only time I’ve used it…must get on the Instant Pot Band Wagon!!) seasoned with Mexican spices, then shredded them. I cooked up some Julie’s Steak Soup, and I browned a few pounds of ground turkey for soups, taco’s, spaghetti, etc. I knew that having several things cooked in the freezer would make for some easy meal prep post surgery.
It has really come in handy!
Our most convenient meals this past week have been bags of salad from the store and something pulled out of the freezer. A few salads we topped wth grilled chicken breast…
Last night we had burgers on our salads. I topped my burger with Smashed Avocado, cuz member? I would eat Avocado on just about anything.
Have a great day!! I’m having lunch with a friend, then getting in a walk, just like a normal person. YAY!!!
2018 Goals
Make time each week to Meal Plan
Drink 100 ounces of water each day
Exercise 5 days a week
Eat three meals and one snack daily
Fitbit 10,000 Daily Steps
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
Hi Lucy,
My mom has been so great. Her mom had breast cancer when she was in her 50’s, and my mom was married with kids at the time and lived a few hours away, so she physically she just couldn’t be there. I know this has been kinda tough on my mom emotionally for several reasons, but my grandma was a survivor and one tough cookie, so I have those footsteps to follow in!
🙂
Avocados. How I love thee. lol. I look for dark ones, but not too dark. I apply a little pressure to see if they are like, much like I would a peach. If I buy them just a tad soft, I put those in the fridge and eat within a day or two. If I buy them more firm, I store those on the counter until they soften a bit then transfer those to the fridge.
Does that help??
Hugs and thanks for sharing mom thoughts. It really is great being a mom!
Hey Julie, sorry to hear about the hot flashes but hang in there girl as you know this too shall pass. Your mom is adorable! So sweet, something my mama would do. Be grateful and enjoy it. Something I learned after my Mom lost her memory was how much she wanted to be needed. She raised 4 children and when we all grew up and moved out she missed that more than anything. Being a Mom was her greatest pleasure as it is mine. I totally enjoy doing things for and with my daughter. My husband says “if you keep doing it she will never learn”. Well, as long as I’m alive I will keep doing it. She can learn when she’s ready. Or better let her husband do it. 😀 She’s still years away from that but you get the point. Joy joy joy in doing for my kid.
Wanted to ask you a question on the love of avocado. I too love them but I can’t seem to pick good ones. Any tips? Please send them over.
Stay blessed 😉 and Cheers to your mom!
Lucy
Oh my gosh Susan!! Going to a night meeting when you are used to going to an earlier meeting can be a big deal at the scale, so I TOTALLY get it!! Nice job! That’s awesome. 😃
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. I always appreciate that and love knowing how you all are doing too! Thanks for sharing your recent success! Keep it up!
I really enjoy your blog. I know you don’t know me but I am so proud of you and your attitude. I always go to WW in am but today I went at night and I had had breakfast and lunch and a snack and I still lost 1 lb. I was thrilled. Take care of you and keep blogging. Susan Strickland.
That’s what they have me taking Linda. Effexor! We even upped my dose and…nothing. Plus now I’m nauseous. 🙄They are going to have me try Lexapro now. I’m Picking it up today, but I know it can take 2 to 3 weeks before I will be able to tell a difference. I’ve thought about doing nothing for a while and seeing how I feel. I’ll pick up the Lexapro today and cross my fingers. I guess for now we just stick our head in the freezer.😬😬😬 Hugs sister!!
What are you doing for the hot flashes. I too was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was removed in January 2017. I had been on the lowest dose Premarin forever and they took me off. The hot flashes are just awful and have been for over a year. I am taking Effexor but that has little or no benefit. Like you my cancer was estrogen receptive so the limits. THEY NEED TO HELP US. hot flashes are no fun and to boot my oncologist that I really do love said well, I guess you are just stuck!!! He is not sweating like a pig one minute. at least I haven’t seen it. 🙂
Thanks, I have been inspired watching your journey.