Breast Surgery - preparation for and a little extra for sewists

I recently had a double mastectomy,  and I was fortunate to have reconstruction as well.  I am just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and thought I should start jotting down my thoughts while I have this perspective. 

As I approached the surgery date I was desperate for advice on what I could do to prepare.  I didn't find much, so I dug deep.  I remembered that my cesarean surgeries immobilized me, so I signed up with a personal training program and started developing some foundation muscles.  Now, before you abandon me, understand: I am a curvy girl - I walk regularly, and over the years I have been fit several times, but I am NOT a model of healthy physical fitness.

• I love yoga, but can't afford studio yoga. But I pulled out my mat and cds and started rebuilding my stash of tricks to combine my mindfulness with poses that focused on stretches.
• I invested in the 6 week program offered by Tailored Training (they are an excellent, pricey

  

  The Bear Crawl, how hard can it be?
   Babies do it!

  gymn,  and all the staff have significant physical health training - they are kinesiologists, physical therapists, nutritionists and have the paper to back it up) and struggled my way through the first few weeks until I was able to keep up with the group training sessions.  The whole experience was great, but I couldn't afford to stay with the team... but again I built my toolbox: in particular, the Turkish Get-ups, Bear crawls (see #5 on this page), and the more nebulous skill of breaking the goal into achievable increments was a big help.
• I reactivated my Curves membership ($10 a week I could afford! ) and hit each visit with everything I had.

So, Advice #1: no matter how soon your surgery is, do some work on your fitness toolbox.   Drop a few pounds, sure, but more importantly : get your body ready to be able to get up off the ground without using your hands.

Ok, what?  Seriously, you need to understand: your body will be compromised by the surgery, you will need to use your core and legs to do all the work.  I was so happy that I was able to use the toilet on my own, and I was able to get out of bed without asking for help.  It helped, a lot!

I sew. A lot.  But I had no idea what I needed to sew for myself to get organized  for post surgery.  In the end I did nothing.  What I wish I had known:

Advice #2: get a couple warm up suits and a front opening bra (or two) with the following features:

• A) Pockets. 

  

  Pockets to hide your drains

  I had drains for several weeks, and in needed to put the bags out of sight at waist level.  I had a 2 light weight hoodie cardigans that I wore in constant rotation because the pockets were perfect.
• B) Front openings. I couldn't lift my arms for a few days, and now if I want to dress myself, a cardigan with a zipper front is perfect.
• C) Smooth, soft, jersey with good drape.  Reduce the risk of catching terry loops or fleece on stitches, tape, or incisions.
• D) Elastic waisted pants.  Think bathroom with limited arm maneuverability.  (I made a few pairs of Hudson Pants - and they have pockets!!)
• E) I needed a little bralette with a front do-up.  I missed that boat.  I am now into a light fitness top for minimal support that won't compress my armpits.
• F) my doctor recommended putting feminine pads in my old front opening sports bras for comfort.  Go buy some cheap pads for this purpose, it's the padding and the smooth surface that works especially well, the flexible foam la-la-la core meant nothing.

"Cleansing Bottle"
Trust me.

Advice #3.  Bathroom stuff:

• Take the stool softeners the Dr recommends. They aren't a laxative, don't worry.  They are necessary with the painkillers.  
• Drink a lot of water. Get a water bottle with a spill - proof spout.  I have one with a trigger that opens and closes the spout. 
• Stock Up:  Panty liners, yeast topical cream, the little squeeze bottle (the hospital provided mine) for your bits, and all the stuff you might need if you have bum issues (like hemorrhoids) be prepared so you don't have to send someone on a strange shopping trip.

#4:  Sewing addiction advice.  Get as much cutting out done ahead of time as possible.  Cutting is the most difficult of the process, the squeezing of scissors or the pressure needed to use a rotary cutter may not even be possible.  I found I had a lot of back pain from my shoulders being pulled forward by my pec muscles, and the sewing position was agony.  I did little bursts of sewing, planning, hand stitching.  If you blog, maybe concentrate on your backlog (this is why this posting exists) will keep your brain busy.  and start a pin board of things to read:  you will surf yourself to boredom in recovery.

I have no voice - so I can't blog? What's been happening in my troll house.

I have a wonderful sewing space in my unfinished basement - a big space with the water heater in one corner, a lonely laundry tub (Iron refilling station!) and the household deep-freeze in another corner.  It has a window (9 feet up) and a geothermic cooling system (concrete floor).  I adopted a rug (that saw a vacuum when it landed and not since) and my dress forms (my wish I was size and my recent Value Village addition of a plus size Diana) wear my ragged sewing sweaters.

I love this space.  I call it my Troll House - mostly because I hunker down and mumble back to people when they dare invade my mommy time (lips pressed together over the latest pin, usually).  My Dad put up the walls for me a year ago, and my DH and DS (the elder) worked hard to put up shelves for me for Christmas.

I have had a WICKED COLD (via the snotty DS (the younger) and his blessed day-care buddies) and in my line of paid occupation (work from home telephone support to accounting software users) that's a curse - though I get a lot of sympathy from my clients as I squeak my way through their accounting nightmares and solve their conundrums - more compassion than I ever got from my live-in-person colleagues when I came to work sick in the past.

I suddenly realized today that I haven't blogged the whole time I have been sick - no voice means no blog?

I have been sewing baby clothes this month - and now it is time for me to move on to clothes for me... it's getting desperate and it IS the time to do it - Me Made may and all.

Plans?  They are laughably fluid - but I have an Alder Skirt up first, and then I am thinking of doing a SeamWork collection.... I am in love with the Sydney.  I need some shorts too - and I am tempted to make another pair of pjs from the Hudson Pant and Bronte Top (I love my set made in January).

okay more to come: but first, tylenol.

Stash Buster #8: Dream Realized! Lavender Stretch Lace Bronte Top

1993.  

(or was it 1994?)

We were organizing for my BFF'S wedding, and selected lace tops to wear with pretty skirts.  We even bought the tops before my GF got super-clever and simplified her wedding (just me in a nice outfit as her MoH).  I have no idea what happened to the top.  I have looked for it over the tears to no avail.  I dream about that pretty, golden and taupe lace once in a while; wearing it with a navy blazer, or a pair of palazzo pants (it WAS the 90's).

So a while ago in the remnant bin at Fabricland I found 1.5 metres of stretch lace fabric, and I pictured wearing it as that top.  Sure, it wasn't gold - it was pink and grey - but I wanted the top.  Into my stash went the fabric.

Recently I have pulled out the lace and fondled it, I wondered how difficult it was going to be to work with, I read articles that had you cutting around the lace to make invisible seams, read  Threads 175 about a Guipure skirt, and (the proverbial straw) I have been considering a six item capsule wardrobe for a Patternreview.com

So I was in a manic sewing mood and I am out of tracing paper - so I am limited to a recent pattern - Hudson Pants?  another Julia Cardigan?

OOOOOOOH!  A Bronte Top!  

I was thrilled with how easily this sewed up - I shortened the arm by (cough4inchescough).  It looks like I should do a FBA next time (there's a self correcting "dart" there).  My serger is off sprouting angel wings somewhere, so it was stitched with a little zigzag and it looks great!  I used self-fabric for the binding - and it worked (but I DID topstitch in the same little 1.5x1.5 zigzag).  It looks great!

I know - I need to wear a cami with it, but I LOVE THIS TOP!

WOOOOOOFREAKING HOOOOO!

Meters Used on this projects: 1.5

Total Meters Busted 2/07/2015: 13

The Julia Cardigan - palooza

There is a really great promo that rears up on the Internet from time to time at Perfect Pattern Parcel

It's a package of patterns that you buy en masse at your self-determined price.

Recently, Parcel #6 was available and I splurged:

Mostly it was the first 3 I wanted, but now I regret not paying a little more to unlock the bonus pattern.

The Bronte Top and Hudson Pant became a wonderful pair of matchy match PJs - I don't think I want to share a body shot photo.....  The fabric is an adorable silky knit (to which velcro on baby bibs absolutely ADHERES...)

I do want to make more of both that I might wear for public consumption - I need to do a FBA on the Bronte Top - I made the size that matched my measurements, but I am not fully thrilled with the fit, I think I will go down 1 size and then do a FBA.

The Hudson Pant is comfy and fits exactly as all the images on Google portray - I find them a manish, low rise, and sloppy - BUT COMFORTABLE!

Now I am making a bunch of The Julia Cardigan

It suits a lot of testers, so I am giving it to people for Christmas (shhhh!)   I had some great vintage fabric that made a wonderful bohemian in the capped sleeve version, and another in two fabrics in 3/4 length, I have 3 more cut out that I am whipping together this weekend.  I'll post photos of the finished objets once they gifts have been unwrapped.