Hospital fashion is seriously hot.

So, I am officially post-op.

And all things considered, I’m doing pretty well. I came home yesterday after a two-night stay in the hospital. I had a fainting spell that gave everyone a little scare in the hospital, so they decided to keep me an extra night.

The pain has been intense, but manageable. I’m mostly horizontal, but have been up and walking since the evening of surgery, and my mobility has improved each day.

The drains are gross, but not nearly as bad as I expected.

I took my first real shower today and looked at my chest for the first time since the operation. I didn’t know what to expect, and it wasn’t easy to see what I look like right now. But, as Rodney reminded me, this is temporary and I won’t always look like this.

So, all of that is great, but here’s the best news: my pathology report was all clear. The tissue from both my breasts and my lymph nodes were cancer-free. I know, way to bury the lead!

I could literally hear the smile on my surgeon’s face when he called me with the news. The chemo completely eradicated what was there, and nothing new had formed. He told me this is not only good news for the short-term, but for my long-term prognosis, as well.

As I told family and friends the news, so many of them exclaimed that I beat cancer. And I guess I did in a way, but I don’t feel like I can ever totally feel like I beat it. That may change, but the fear of recurrence is still far too real for me to be so boastful. I feel like I’m jinxing myself or something.

So, I will enjoy this victory and keep moving forward in recovery. Thanks to all who’ve sent good thoughts and prayers my way–they make a difference!