Supporting the Neals- Addie's Surgery Recovery

I’m asking for a little extra support as I prepare for a very invasive surgery and a long recovery. I had a full hysterectomy in April, a surgery in July, and now I’m facing a bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction on October 21. This surgery involves removing all my breast tissue and rebuilding using tissue from my abdomen, which means an incision from hip to hip. My surgeon has told me I won’t be able to stand up straight for 10 days, and I won’t be able to lift, carry, push, or pull anything for 4 weeks or raise my arms above my head. My husband and I will be traveling from Boise,ID to Ochsner Tansey Breast Center in New Orleans( a campus of MD Anderson) from 10/18 to 10/28 as I complete preop testing, surgery and a brief recovery period. I will be in the ICU from 10/21 to 10/26 and the surgery is roughly 8 hours long. If everything goes according to plan I should be released to come back home 10/28 to continue my recovery and start twice weekly PT. I’m making these difficult decisions because my lifetime cancer risk is too high to ignore. My dad passed down cancer-related genes to me, and both he and my grandfather( and many more in our families) have lost their lives to cancer. As hard as this journey is, I’m taking steps to protect my future. Any support,would mean more than I can put into words. Thank you for being here for me and my family during this challenging time. 💗