Decidedly Obscure Human Complaints.

SO REFRESHING. After top surgery, recovery, and then a conveniently timed month-long coughing sickness, today I went to the gym with the the best gym buddy ever - my mom. Back in the day we went to the gym together on a daily basis. Until I started hormone therapy and the locker room progressively got a lot more uncomfortable than it already was. Eventually it got to the point where I no longer knew how to navigate gendered gym terrain and resolved to work out from home. Which I did, for a minute. But with cats purring and video games within my reach, that didn’t last long. Until today when my mom and I finally ventured to the gym again together. My first post-op gym work out! It was so wonderful. I hopped on the elliptical and sweat simulated jogged for 30 minutes. My chest felt great. Back in the day just feeling it there caused a lot of physiological distress that had me hating running-like motion. But now? Love it. I could’ve continued to run, but I couldn’t resist skipping...

Student land and selfish post-surgery running aboot celebration have connived to prevent me from blogging as I should! I will also upload pictures of my epic healing nipples at some point in the near future here. They are currently pink and scabbed, with my right one healing faster than the left. Why? I dunno. But, they’re both pink, alive, and resting upon muscle instead of boob. Today was the first day I’ve bicycled to school since my surgery on August 11th. I technically could have bicycled after I was given the go exercise ! green flag by my surgeon, Cori Agarwal, last Friday (the 9th) - but I’ve been sick. Apparently recovering from surgery, math phobia stress, and going back to a college campus germ cesspool are a perfect combo for such things. So for about two weeks now I’ve been congested, coughing, tired, and slowly getting better. Wah. Even though I could barely breathe peddling along this morning and coughed galore, it was absolutely amazing. It was the most liberating f...

Had my first and second day of classes Wednesday and Thursday! The lessons I’ve learned so far? It’s hard to carry books less than 2 weeks after surgery. Sweating in a compression vest is itchier than in a binder. Nipple grafts freak me out. Today I see my surgeon and find out if my tissue is livin’ or dyin’! Yay! Statistics = intimidating. I also endured a lot of hugs. But fortunately, most everyone who wants to hug me also reads my blog - and know to do so side ways, gently, and semi-awkwardly. I foresee this being a good semester. In other news, not riding a bicycle SLAYS ME. I feel like a chubby little lump on a recliner chair. Which I am, but seriously… I absolutely can not wait to peddle furiously in sweaty booblessness celebration!

After working from home on a recliner chair in jammies for a week, I returned to the office yesterday. Wee! I’d predicted that the worst case scenario would involve my being an idiot and trying to lift heavy things when I shouldn’t - but, that didn’t happen. Instead, the worst case scenario turned out to be what I refer to as a "bro shake". I hadn’t realized how often this happens in my world… or maybe just on a college campus (and elsewhere?), but there’s a LOT of grab-hand-hard-and-shake-arm-or-fist-bump-or-variations-of-this going on. To which I responded to this time with a whimper and, "Careful. I just had surgery.” This happened about five painful times. There was one guy who bounced in to the office while I was in there with a couple of other students. When he went in for the bro shake I diverted with, “Just had surgery. No shaking for me.” This prompted him to ask, “Surgery? What for?” Me: “My chest…” Him: “Chest? Did they operate on your heart or somet...

Compression vest washed. Hair did. Squeaky clean. I smell like a bundle of hacked up rose peddles. Well, I doubt I smell that good - but after 6 days of funk? Sure seems like it. Now time to heal and study in preparation for a super important placement test Monday before classes start on Thursday. 2 week summer ~ FIN ~.

I didn’t notice this until earlier today when I removed the compression vest to finally get cleaned up - but I have lacerations on both sides from wearing the vest for 6 days. Why I didn’t feel these, I don’t know. Pain killers initially - but I stopped taking them Tuesday. The moral of this story? Leaving my vest on for 6 days was entirely worth these lacerations, which require less help healing than my chest and nipple grafts. But definitely something to watch for with anyone reading who may be having a similar surgery in the future. My compression vest has been washed and is now hanging up to dry while I relax in the front room with my mom. Topless. Lacerations, bruising, swelling, stitches, and nipple grafts gots NOTHIN’ on how absolutely comfortable and relieving this feels. I still can’t believe that this has happened. The reality is setting in little by little and I love it. My mom put some Neosporin and bandages on the lacerations. We also removed the bandages from th...

Bandage/Stitches/Drain Tubes removal by my surgeon, Dr. Cori Agarwal, earlier today (Aug 16, 2011). I’ll be wearing the compression vest for another 1 - 3 weeks; and I have an appointment in a week with Dr. Agarwal to see how I’m healing.