Awake, Alive & Ready To Thrive

How often do we start our day with this thought?

Not often.

Usually, it's a drag out of bed, off to work and get on with the day.

Even for those not working life isn't necessarily exciting.

August 9th was Bye Bye Boobie Day, as the nurse asked me to describe in my own words what was happening: chopping off a boob.

Let's be honest, the best part of the surgery was my underwear, I owned that operating room. If you don't have a sense of humour in this scenario, you will struggle. MeUndies for the win!

Surgery was seamless for me, woke up in recovery and this interaction will forever be engrained in my memory.

As I come to I can barely hear the nurse asking me how my pain is. Too groggy to answer I keep deep breathing looking at my breathing rate on the monitor.

I hear her say: "You're frowning you must be in pain."

Finally, I'm able to say: "No it's resting bitch face. I have no pain lol."

Today as I awoke my first thought was: I had breast cancer, not I have breast cancer. That is a very important differentiation. I'm a little sore but moving in full range of motion with my body and between napping/eating living as I would normally.

I'll be honest I feel like we've set the baseline pretty low for the world, the exercises for post-surgery most 80-year-olds could do easily...why do we scare people to be active after surgery?

The likelihood of people overdoing is fairly low, many are too anxious they will wreck something. Give them the farthest range to reach for and let them self-dictate what they are capable of. Pain is normal, excessive pain isn't. Move if it's stiff and manageable now even if it's sore. The physio required to get that movement back will be far harsher later down the road.

As the surgeon came in to mark me with the sharpie I told her there were two things I needed to be able to do after this surgery: Paddle boarding and pull-ups. She said to me: Lift your arm the minute you are out of surgery then and don't stop. Copy that, I was lifting my arm as soon as I was awake from recovery and haven't stopped since. I can wear normal shirts, do a full 360 with my arm and have been walking every day up to a mile.

It's my 47th birthday and I am humbled every year to age. Obviously, this one hit a little harder and I am much more grateful to be alive than ever. Usually, I do 47 pushups and 47 burpees to celebrate but a one-mile walk and ice bath were perfect for the situation followed by a nap. I have so much gratitude for my body and what it's capable of.

Get after life, stop waiting for the perfect day!

The day is now, with no regrets!

Sending You Love N SUP,

Lisa Stocking