If you have decided to have a mastectomy with or without reconstruction, you will need to rest for several days and will be very limited in your activities. These are the items that I needed:
- A recliner or a good set of pillows to rest on your bed because you will need to sleep with your head raised for several days. I also recommend having a pillow that you can put under your knees to allow blood flow, as well as a special mastectomy pillow to lay your arms on.
- Buy and have all your medicines ready in one place with their respective instructions and schedules. It is better to designate a single person to provide them. You will be flustered for the first hours and days by anesthesia, and it will be difficult for you to keep track of what you have taken, especially if you do not spend the night in the hospital.
- Dry Shampoo and Wet wipes for face and body because you will not be able to bend over and it will be uncomfortable to wash your face the first night and the second day. If you feel very dirty, the second day you can freshen up with towels, since you will not be able to bathe for at least 48 hours.
- Drain carrier belt. It is very likely that you will have drains for a week or more, which will need to be cleaned several times a day. For the first days that you cannot wear bras and they put a bandage on you, I recommend using a tool belt to hang them on your waist and have easy access. When the bandage is removed and you wear a bra, even with the drains, there are bras with the spaces to hang your drain. I did not use one.
- Surgical gloves or alcohol pads to drain the hoses. You will have to squeeze the hoses to try to move the liquid and clean the nozzle of the pump several times a day.
- Log/report to keep a record of the milliliters of liquid that you drain on each side per day.
- A type of “badge holder” for bathing with your drains. When you can finally take a shower, you won’t be able to stay in the water for long to avoid getting your bandages wet. This cord will hold your drains and their hoses so you can bathe.
- Hot and cold compresses to put on your breasts during the day and help with inflammation and pain. Do not leave them for a long time because losing sensitivity can hurt you if you do not feel the temperature.
- A good arnica cream and oral arnica supplement in case you have bruises.
- A good compression bra, sports type. My doctor gave me a list of bras that I could use after surgery. In my case because my reconstruction was immediate, I had to have compression all the time to help my body be aware that there was something that required it to send a good amount of blood and fluid for it to heal.
- A good coconut oil-based moisturizer, or coconut oil alone. In many cases the skin of the breasts peels, so it is convenient to keep the area moisturized as well as the nipples, which can become purple and crusty. This is normal, and you can have a lot of bruising. When your doctor tells you to, you can start massaging your wounds with coconut oil or whatever cream he/she tells you. This will make them soft and faded.