Knowing this surgery is coming up can feel daunting, but preparation can make the experience smoother and more empowering. Here’s how to prepare for a mastectomy and set yourself up for success before surgery week:
1. Educate Yourself
Knowledge is power. Knowing what to ask your medical team and surgeon’s office before your surgery day can help your recovery process go smoother. It is helpful to ask questions about the procedure, recovery timeline, any restrictions, and what garments or tools you will be expected to use after leaving the hospital. It’s also helpful to have a patient’s perspective (keep reading below!) about what the pre-op and recovery is like. Understanding what to expect can ease your anxiety and more properly prep your support team at home.
2. Prep Your Recovery Space
Create a cozy, accessible area with everything you’ll need: pillows, purified drinking water, anti-inflammatory snacks, light weight things to read like magazines or small books, and your recovery essentials. Think of it as your healing sanctuary. Check out my blog about the Top 5 Mastectomy Recovery Items to have on hand after your dismissal from the hospital.
3. Gather Your Post-Surgery Clothing
Button-up shirts, loose pants, and slip-on shoes are your go-to. Look for items that prioritize comfort and functionality. Remember you may have limited mobility for the first several weeks, so things that are button up or zipper front that you don’t have to raise your arms above your shoulders / head are essential attire. You will likely also have surgical drains to tend to during your immediate recovery weeks. You’ll want a drain belt or internal pockets to help carry the drains so they don’t tug at your wounds.
Launder your mastectomy wardrobe and let your main support partner know where those items are before you go to the hospital. You could even think about it like having a “capsule wardrobe” of essential pieces that are a mix of things for the immediate days of recovery at home & going to surgical follow-ups: attire you don’t mind getting dirty. Along with attire that you feel good about being out in public in, as your recovery progresses and you want to get outside your home.
4. Make a Meal Plan
Whether it looks like having some friends & loved ones craft meals for you or you preparing freezer meals or arranging meal deliveries, intentional nourishing meals like these are an important aspect of healing well after this invasive surgical procedure. Nourishing your body with wholesome, easy-to-digest foods is key. After surgery, anti-inflammatory meals help calm swelling, speed up healing, and keep the immune system strong. Foods like wild blueberries, leafy greens, turmeric, ginger, and omega-3-rich fish are powerful and gentle on the body. Adding these to simple dishes makes recovery nourishing and gives your cells more power to repair those incisions. Organic juices and smoothies that are gentle, nutrient-dense, and anti-inflammatory can also really support healing to help move the surgery medications out of the system and hydrate the cells for repair.
5. Arrange Support
Don’t be shy about asking for help as you prepare for a mastectomy. Friends and family can assist with chores, errands, or simply keeping you company. Your body won’t be able to do all your normal daily tasks like putting away the dishes, doing laundry, or doing your own hair. Even showering those first few weeks may feel extra exhausting. And you may not be able to reach above your shoulders to do things like wash or dry your own hair. Sharing all this isn’t to scare you, this is to help you prep by thinking a bit ahead, so you can do things like ask your hairstylist if she’d be open to you coming over a few times during recovery to just do a shampoo & dry, or see if your sister/bff/partner would be willing to help you.
There are normal hygiene things that may seem like no-brainers to an able-bodied person, but when you have surgery-related movement and lifting restrictions, you’ll want to have your support team already “in place” so you know exactly who to contact for which piece of help.
6. Do some Emotional Preparation
It’s okay to feel nervous. Journaling, meditation, or speaking with a cancer coach like me who’s gone before you and knows what all this is like can help you process the mastectomy journey with practical tips and tools that can reduce the burden of overwhelm.
Preparing your mind is just as important as preparing for the procedure to your body. Many women find working on the mindset ahead of the surgery gives them a foundation for more peace while in pre-op and beyond. That’s why I created this free printable affirmations guide for breast cancer surgery patients. It contains 20 carefully crafted affirmations to help you stay calm, centered, and empowered before, during, and after surgery.
7. Plan for Pain Management
Discuss pain management options with your doctor ahead of time. Having an understanding in place of what types of options you will have after surgery will help you feel more in control. Ask your surgeon if you will be receiving a nerve block during surgery and what you should know about that.
PRO TIP: Have your care taking partner set alarms on their phone for when your next medicine should be taken and label the alarm with the name of the medicine.
Want more practical breast cancer related surgery tips like these that we can personalize to your case? Book a 30 Minute 1-on-1 Surgery Clarity Call here with me.
8. Gather Entertainment
Whether it’s books, magazines, funny movies, or your favorite low-energy hobby, having something to distract and uplift you can be a great comfort. Keep in mind, you’re brain might be a little foggy for a while and may need to rest from too much screen time. Having a nice spot on the back porch outside to go sit and quietly observe nature can be an entertaining respite for your brain and body without you having to engage in a full story-line and stimulating screens. While this is one of the items you could deal with on-the-fly, it’s also an easy one to take care of as you prepare for a mastectomy.
9. Stay Hydrated
Hydration supports healing. And staying hydrated with healthy drinks is just as important as eating nourishing meals during this time. Keep a tumbler of purified water within arm’s reach and sip often, especially the week leading into your surgery! Other drinks that can be hydrating and healing are coconut water, pineapple juice, watermelon, fruit/veggie infused water (think lemons, cucumber, watermelon), non-caffeinated herbal teas, and bone broth. Make sure to look at the ingredient list on any drinks and opt for ones that don’t have any sugar or artificial sweeteners in the list as those are inflammatory. For more ideas, you can get my free Anticancer Drinks guide here.
10. Pack Your Hospital Bag
Include the essentials in a small bag like a backpack: your ID and insurance card, a phone charger, lip balm, important paperwork for admissions, and your recovery-friendly clothing & slip-on shoes. If you wear glasses, bring your glasses case. Same for hearing aids – bring a case for them.
If you know you’re having reconstruction, especially a DIEP Flap or PAP Flap, that you’ll be staying in the hospital for, grab my Hospital Packing List that you can download and check-off as you pack.
My Biggest Piece of Advice from my Patient Perspective and as a Certified Cancer Coach for How to Prepare for a Mastectomy
Preparing for a mastectomy is an important act of self-love. By taking these steps, you’re not just getting ready for surgery, you’re creating a foundation for a smoother recovery!
MY BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE as a patient and as a cancer coach:
Don’t wait until the week-of your surgery to prepare for your procedure and recovery. The people I know who have the smoothest recoveries have been the ones who have prepared ahead of time. You can download all my free guides, but you will get the most support by booking a 30 Minute 1-on-1 Surgery Clarity Call with me. I share honest breast cancer thriver perspectives, mindset support, and encouragement for you to navigate your surgery journey with confidence and more peace.
