Physical Therapy

Wow! I cant believe how time has flown since my surgery! It has almost been 4 months now. I came back and read some of my posts and its funny how much of what I wrote is a blur. I was so drugged that the pain and everything to go with it is just a distant memory...thank goodness! Currently I am in physical therapy 3 times a week. I have the most awesome physical therapist and she is working with me to get my strength and range of motion back in my arms and also the strength back in my stomach. I do stretching and she massages out some scar tissue spots under my left arm and nodules throughout my stomach scar. Then I do exercises to build up muscle again. I can really tell the difference in everyday activities especially with my arms while doing housework. Annoyingly I still have pain in my chest. Not constant pain but if the kids bump me or if Joey is too rough. I will take that minor pain compared to what it was though!
I had a scare this past week with a red spot on my left breast. For about a month I had been keeping an eye on a spot about the size of a quarter that varied between looking bruised and red. Just this past week or so the skin on the spot started to peel and a small spot within the colored area felt very thin, like my skin had thinned out and you could feel a hole. I called both the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon and they seemed quite concerned and got me in right away. Dr. Fusi took one look at the spot, touched it, and said he had never seen anything like it...fantastic. He wanted to put me on antibiotics in case it was an infection, but I just finished a round of antibiotics for a sinus infection. So he determined that it might have been an infection or a cyst of some sort. I was NOT comforted when he said to just keep him updated if it opens and drains or oozes! He also said if it becomes a further issue they can just close the spot up. Right now, it almost seems to be getting smaller, but continues to peel. Im really hoping that it was just a minor infection and that the antibiotics took care of it!
Our family right now is getting ready for a crazy summer. Joey is going to be out to sea for a majority of the summer and the kids and I will be going back home for several weeks. I have to get special arm sleeves to wear on the flight because of the pressure change and the fact that they took some of my lymph nodes. I guess the pressure can cause fluid build up and a condition called lymphedema. We are really looking forward to seeing family and friends whom we havnt seen for quite some time! Its funny, but im excited to show off my scars. I am proud of all that I have gone through and hope to be able to help other family members brave the surgery as well!