5 Home Care Tips For Recovery After A Mastectomy
You’ve gone through the hardest decision of going through a mastectomy. Now comes another challenging stage, the recovery.
Recovering after a major surgery, like breast removal, can take several weeks, and you should take all the time you need. There’s no shortcut to getting better so you have to make sure that you follow all the take-home instructions from your surgeon. Before leaving the hospital, ask the doctors and nurses for any questions that you may have regarding your condition. May it be about your medication, stitches, surgical drain, or your incision’s bandage, you need to be completely clear about everything that involves your operation.
Recovering At Home
After you’ve been cleared for discharge, your nurse or attending physician will explain to you how you should care for yourself as you recover. In addition to those instructions, you can also consider the following home care tips so you can recover as painless and as fast as possible:
1. Wear A Post-Mastectomy Camisole Or Bra
After surgery, you’ll need to have some kind of support in your chest area. A post-mastectomy bra or camisole can do just that as it allows you to move easily without binding or pinching. Talk to your insurance agent regarding this concern because it should be included in your mastectomy insurance coverage as mandated by the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA).
These post-mastectomy accessories and garments will also help protect your surgical wound from infection and injury. Before you wear one, though, make it a point to ask your doctor because there’s usually a time frame before a patient who just went through an operation can start wearing one.
2. Rest, Rest, And Rest
If it’s just been days or a week, at the most, since your operation, you’ll feel even weaker as days go by, which is to be expected. It’s been a roller coaster ride since you found out about your illness, not to mention the stressful time of deciding whether or not to undergo a mastectomy. What you need to focus on is to get better and you can achieve that by getting plenty of rest.
While it’s recommended that you move around when recovering at home, that doesn’t mean you can strain yourself. Rest when you’re feeling tired. Get enough sleep not just at night, but also during the day. If you find it difficult to sleep on your side or your back after the surgery, you can lie down on a recliner or oversized chair instead.
3. Take Your Meds As Prescribed
One of the most important instructions that you need to see through while recovering is take-home medications. Aside from your regular prescription, there’ll also be pain meds for your incision. Make sure to follow the prescribed schedule of your medicines to facilitate faster healing of your surgical wound. Even when you think you can take the pain, don’t take the risk and just follow the advice of your surgeon and oncologist. Keep in mind that you just went through a major surgery. Pain meds can help you feel better and less in pain.
If you tend to forget to take your meds on time, you can set an alarm for them using your phone. It can get quite confusing to know which medicine to take at a certain time, so might as well include the essential details, such as the name and dosage of the medicine, when setting your alarm.
4. Eat Healthily
A major surgery, like mastectomy, can take a toll on you, especially if you’re no longer at the prime of your health. That said, you need to regain your strength. One effective way to do that is to eat a well-balanced diet.
Aside from fresh fruits and vegetables, make sure you also consume lean protein, dairy, and whole grains so your body will have all the vitamins and minerals that it needs to recover. Drink plenty of fluids especially if you’re vomiting because of your cancer treatments.
5. Get Some Exercise
As mentioned, it’s recommended that you move around while recovering at home. In the first few days of staying at home, exercising after breast surgery may seem like an impossible feat. But as you slowly regain your strength, you can already feel that you’re ready to do some physical activities. Doing this can greatly help fight fatigue, boredom, and even anxiety while on your way to recovery.
Just remember to start slow, maybe a 10-minute walk on the first day. You can gradually increase your time until you’re strong enough to do it for an hour a day. If you’re looking for additional guidance and support to enhance your fitness journey, working with a personal trainer can be a valuable option. There are a number of qualified personal trainers in Glen Waverley, a suburb of Melbourne, who can help you develop a tailored workout plan and achieve your fitness goals in a safe and efficient way. By receiving expert advice and coaching from a personal trainer, you can optimize your exercise routine and make progress towards your goals..
Conclusion
After spending weeks at the hospital, you’re now ready to go home. Don’t forget to religiously follow all your doctor’s instructions. If you’re eager to recover sooner than expected, you may also follow the home care tips listed above.
