Yesterday the PACU nurse told me to expect a call today from my surgeon's office.
The nurse set my mind at ease about the large bruise on my left incision. She said it's typical and not to worry unless it gets worse rather than better.
She also clarified instructions I had about my Steri-Strips. I should take the dressing off before showering on Saturday (2 days after surgery), and leave uncovered until the strips fall off on their own, but if they haven't come off in 2 weeks, then I can gently help them off while in the shower.
She was very nice, but I don't feel like she was particularly knowledgeable or attentive. I mentioned having excess mucus in my lungs that is difficult to cough up. She recommended holding a pillow to my incisions when trying to cough, but otherwise said to treat the cough as I would normally, like with cough drops. She did not address the mucus build-up, and when I later looked at her notes in the online patient portal, she said I had a "dry cough"!
I also mentioned that if there's excess mucus in my nose, and I try to sniff it up, it actually hurts my lungs/chest, and that it feels especially good when I take deep breaths. I was hoping she would respond with deep breathing exercises, which are highlighted in articles about BSO recovery and surgery recovery in general, but she didn't. I will just continue with the deep breathing anyway.
When I described my shoulder pain, she said it was probably from being placed in an uncomfortable position during surgery. She did not attribute it to the gas pumped into my abdomen during surgery, which was the explanation offered by the PACU nurse and also these articles about BSO surgery.
She did remind me to drink a lot of fluids, and to walk around to help relieve constipation. Mostly she wanted to make sure I knew when to call the doctor, like if I have heavy bleeding, increasing pain, or signs of infection.
I also scheduled my follow-up appointment, which will be in 3.5 weeks.
I have to say, a lot of people, including many in Facebook support groups, made it sound like recovering from an oophorectomy is easy-peasy compared to a double mastectomy. I mean, sure, it's relatively easier, but I still think it's objectively difficult. Presumably the recovery time will be shorter (about 1-2 weeks), but during that time, there's still plenty of pain and discomfort to manage.
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