Today marks 2 weeks until my exchange surgery! I have been studying 24/7 for finals, which has been a welcome distraction and has helped the time pass by very quickly. I have my pre-op appointment on Thursday, which I am really excited about since I finally get to go implant shopping. My surgeon said it’s about time I have a fun appointment, and I couldn’t agree more. Here’s a list of things I’m doing to prep for the exchange, hopefully it will help any of you planning an upcoming surgery.

• Eating clean
• Switched from Aleve to Tylenol
• Hyperbaric oxygen treatments
• Strength building at physical therapy
• Arranging for friends/family to come and help while I recover
• Pick up prescriptions and make sure all bottles are non-childproof
• For the mastectomy, our friends gifted us with a home meal delivery service – we plan to order from them again (it was a huge help for Adam not to have to cook)
• Make sure everything I need is at waist height
• Practice getting in/out of bed without using my arms
• Get a blowout the night before surgery (I can’t shower for 3 days post-surgery)
• Underarm wax (I can’t lift my arms above my shoulders for 3 weeks after surgery, so this prevents me from needing to shave)
• Reorganize closet so button-up shirts/shirts I can step into are easily accessible