Scheduling Surgery

I received a call around late December 2021, early January 2022 to schedule my surgery date.  In my brain this was going to be a quick in, quick out...maybe week recovery. 

Of course, the tentative date was in February, smack dab in the middle of gymnastics season for High School and CC.  Naïvely, I looked at the day, and figured it would be a good week so, we penciled it in... Then I started asking more questions...

1. Will I be able to coach the weekend after surgery... No

2. How about a week after.... No

3. Will I be ready in a couple weeks to start training for a 1/2 Marathon... No

I think it was around the third question when I was flat out reminded, "Hey dumb-dumb, this is like a MAJOR thing.  You WILL be down... This is not just a "little" thing."  

SIX WEEKS RECOVERY... every question I had, all answered with SIX WEEKS.

In my head it was easy, peasy.  I'd had my implants exchanged before, with a bit of lipo... I was down about a week.  

This was not the same surgery. Not by a long shot.  

I tried to do some research, on a Hybrid-DIEP flat procedure.  I never really found what I was looking for.  There used to be blogs, message boards, websites....Now, it's all Instagram and Tik-Tok.  I spoke with fellow friends to gain their insight on the surgery.  But there just was limited information on true first-hand accounts of what to anticipate.

I decided to push off the February date and was offered one in March.  This date would occur after our High School Gymnastics Season and this date felt right.  It gave me plenty of time to prepare.  Then I came down with COVID... like many folks in January 2022... It was a blessing that I pushed off that surgery.

During my Covid recovery and working with my TU group...I decided what I needed was a game plan. The beautiful month of January was getting ready to end, and the shortest, yet longest month of the year was upon us.... February. 

I was off tamoxifen for four months, I felt great!! I had been working out, mentally in a good place.  February would mark my 6th month of finding a better mental space, doing my "AM" and "PM" routines.  I discovered things like, drinking Sprite Zero at night instead of multiple beers was OK...Having a nice cup of tea was OK... Slowly, converting my questionable habits, into better habits.  Be accountable was still a mantra, but so was "Consistency is more important than perfection." Being such a Type A person, I was always doubting the perfection of things, so it was easy to simply NOT do them.  But, working to understand being more consistent and trying.... was better than nothing at all. 

I asked myself, “What could I control before surgery?”  The answer was simple... ME. 

Drawing from my last breast surgery with lipo (which- that HURTS), I remembered I could use my arms pretty well, my abs were blobs but my legs and quads--- THOSE were my saving grace.  Since I had already survived the double mastectomy - you know the hard part- I assumed my arms would be basically OK.  I figured my abs would be trashed again, but my legs... again, would be my saving grace. 

January 30th, I started my preparation to go into this surgery as strong and as healthy as I possibly could. Surgery date set for March 15th. My goal, workout EVERYDAY of February.  I was coming off Covid, so I did start a little slow.  

Every week, I journaled my workout schedule for the week, and our meal plans.  I set out to do at least 3-4 Miranda workouts a week, plus 50 minute cardio workouts (my goal was typically 4 or 5).  I had a plan, now the only person that could either find a way to get it done or find an excuse was me.  See, here I am still being accountable for me.  Miranda and the TUs knew my goal and helped me stay motivated and accountable.  

Twice in February, I adjusted my definition of workout...one day things went completely sideways and all I was able to fit in was a 12 minute ab circuit.  The other "not perfect workout" day, I was at an all day meet moving mats, coaching, cheering...and I was simply exhausted at the end of the day. I moved that entire day, I closed my stand and calorie circles- I counted it a win.

And then I exited February about 30 pounds lighter and a lean warrior princess!!!!

HA. NOT.  Not even close. 

However, I did exit February in a great mind space, great cardio endurance, and strong.  Looking at me, I was still me. But, I was stronger, healthier, and happy.  I was a damn JOY to be around! Ok, maybe not everyone thought I was a joy, but I felt like I was nicer.  

Recap: February...Prepare for surgery by being as strong as possible.  Schedule March appointments, pre-op with Dr. Chin, pre-op with primary care, and 6 months oncologist appointment.  Oh, and that work stuff get paperwork in order for that 6 week leave.  Yikes.