Over the weekend while driving with my kids, I had Disney radio on. The song “I’ve Got No Strings” from Pinocchio came on. As I listened I realized I missed a chance for a humorous post tied to the post-mastectomy drains.
Those drains are so limiting and annoying that you really do feel like singing “I’ve got no strings to weigh me down” after they are removed. You have a new found freedom after they are taken out.
Once these physical strings were gone the invisible strings and limitations remained. You go to reach for something and there’s the instant no you shouldn’t have done that! You pick something up that you shouldn’t have and there’s this instant tug or sting that makes you stop and instantly you know you did too much.
One thing I am learning (and still working on) is listening to my body. If something is too much I don’t need to do it and shouldn’t do it. I’m learning to ask for help or stop when it’s too much.
After resuming workouts after my mastectomy it’s been a lot of baby steps to see what I can do. I can make modifications as necessary and it took awhile to even attempt anything upper body but I’m slowly working on getting that back. I’m learning it’s not how quickly I can come back from this but how healthy and strong. If it means going nice and slow, so be it.
While my physical drains or strings are gone I’m learning to be a bit more cautious than Pinocchio was once he became a boy. I’ve worked too hard and gotten too far in this battle to slip up and set myself back. I’m learning to always let my conscience be my guide and listen to what feels like too much. Only I know my body and what it can handle and even without strings or drains I’m learning my limitations.
#breastcancerbattle #drains #mastectomy #mastectomydrains #findthehumor #nostrings #pinocchio #learningmylimits #onestepatatime #onetoughmother
