If you made a list of “easy things to handle in life,” a mastectomy wouldn’t be in the top 10. In fact, it would be nowhere near that list.
A mastectomy isn’t just a surgery — it’s a big change to your body that affects your emotions, self-image, and relationships.
But there are a few things you can do to make it easier. With our mastectomy recovery tips, you can learn how to recover and even thrive after your life-changing surgery. Check out our top five tips on how to care for yourself after your surgery.
1. Button-Front Pajamas Are Your Friend
First things first. After any surgery, the first hours are the worst, so pamper yourself by slipping into something new and comfortable.
After a mastectomy, you will have trouble raising your arm — or both arms, depending on whether your mastectomy was unilateral or bilateral. That’s why button-front pajamas are a lifesaver. Find them in a silky, comfortable material that won’t chafe against your bandages.
2. Don’t Judge Your Emotions
There’s no right way to respond to something as life-changing as a mastectomy.
Maybe you expected to be cheerful and upbeat after the surgery, but feelings of depression and discouragement came out of nowhere.
Maybe you were prepared for sadness, and you’re surprised by feeling emotionally neutral.
Research has shown that our emotional reactions to mastectomies are complex, and there’s no way that you “should” feel. Instead of pressuring yourself to feel a certain way, give yourself space to sit with your emotions. Ask yourself how you are doing, and give an honest answer.
3. Say Yes When Friends Offer to Help
There’s a little part in all of us that doesn’t like to accept help. Look, I’m a capable woman — I don’t need anyone to come to do my dishes for me!
You are a capable woman. And when others could use a hand, you’ll be there for them. So let them show their love by being there for you.
Especially if you have young kids, those offers to bring over a meal so that you can rest will be a lifesaver. Practice saying, “yes, thanks,” and your post-surgery self will thank you.
4. Reconnect With Your Body
Your body has changed, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s exciting — you get to make friends with it all over again!
Since studies show that women feel most confident after a mastectomy when they have the option to wear a breast form, it’s important to know your options. You can look as similar to, or as different from, your pre-surgery self as you want.
For women who choose to wear a prosthetic bra, Amoena bras are a comfortable, natural-looking solution. Offering bras, camisoles, and even swimwear with weighted breast forms, they let women feel like themselves again after surgery.
They even have sizes from AA to DD. So if you’ve had a unilateral mastectomy, you will be able to find a perfect match.
Mastectomy Recovery Tips and More
With these mastectomy recovery tips, you’ll be on your way to a healthy recovery and life after surgery.
Find these tips helpful? My Zeo offers more insights for healthy, happy living at My Zeo.
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