Back in the Drivers Seat of Life

The first thing I did this morning after shoving down a quick breakfast and taking my daily aspirin regimen was jump in the car and head off to my celebratory hair appointment.  No, I did not take my usual seat on the passengers side, I finally jumped in the drivers seat and grabbed hold of the wheel, speeding off in the direction of my lovely hairdresser. It felt wonderful to have full control of my day and know that I was responsible for where I went and when I arrived. While there was very slight discomfort at first, the soreness in my chest as I moved the steering wheel disappeared as I got closer to my destination and by the end of the day driving felt completely normal again!

Don't worry, I was not breaking any rules.  Today marks six weeks since the day of my surgery and coincidentally is the day all of my restrictions are lifted!  This girl can now do whatever her body will let her do...well besides extreme sports, I don't think the Olympics are calling my name.  At my last appointment with the surgeon and cardiologist I pestered them about what I needed to watch out for activity wise and what my limitations are.  For these next six months I am not allowed to lift over 40 lbs (sorry folks, I can't move in your new furniture) but otherwise I am free! This means that tomorrow I will get up and try to get my upper body back in shape.  I will be going to a work out class to start restoring my muscles (don't worry, I will take it slow).  Then, I will head to the mountains to work on walking in elevation and attempt to improve my endurance.

Beyond working my body back to health and taking back full control of my life, six weeks marks the time when I can start to address my scar.  I am very proud of the new scars I have, but will be trying to fade the purple hue around each over the next few months so they can complement my outfits quite nicely. While I will always wear my zipper proudly, I'd like it to look like a flattering battle scar rather than grape jelly smears.

Before the surgery I talked with other women who had gone through OHS and worked to improve the color of the scars.  Per their recommendation I will be using a treatment "Scar Away" (you can purchase at CVS for $20) for my larger Zipper and Vitamin E cream for the smaller drainage tube scars. Tonight I will start my treatment regimen and will be updating this page occasional on how well the product works.

Today has been a wonderful day. I finally feel free and am no longer scared of harming my breast bone.  After the great news from the doctors last week, and this new found freedom my mood could not be better! What incredible opportunities I have in store now that I have my life back. My period of dependence is up and today I happily took on a new load of responsibilities and new opportunities! Watch out world, I am back in the drivers seat of life!