No one tells you everything that chest surgery will affect. Well, that’s not true. My sister warned me that the chest muscles seem to be used all the time, and she is right. Just walking felt jarring at first. Sitting up straight is still awful. Laying back at a slight angle is ok. Getting back up from that angle is not. I cannot open a water bottle. Or a sealed bag. Or the sliding door. I can’t reach to the ground, so whatever I drop has to stay on the floor.

No one told me that my chest would feel so heavy. Like I’m carrying a couple of bricks around. And everything is so swollen that it feels about as hard. Leaning forward is uncomfortable. Turning to the side feels like I’m being torn. And my back hurts from trying to compensate for the lack of chest strength.

But I’m walking better today. That doesn’t hurt as much. And I can now reach out to the side without as much pain. And my drain tubes aren’t getting as full as they were initially. These are all signs that I’m healing for which I’m grateful. The rest of it will follow and soon the heaviness and the pain will subside, and I’ll regain my range of motion. It’s all good.