#OOTD

Well, you've had your surgery, and you made it home from the hospital! Now, what to wear?!

For my at-home outfits of the day (OOTD), I wore a lot of plain t shirts, v-necks shirts and zipper sweatshirts. Looking back, I basically wore a lot of outfits that made me look like I had just worked out, or gone on a super long run...Nope, just had my sternum cracked open, no biggie.

Here's a sample of the kinds of tops I wore for the first month post-surgery.

Zipper hoodies are excellent because they keep you warm, especially if your body has a hard time thermoregulating after surgery. Also, they are so much easier to get on! Don't even try lifting those arms to get into a regular sweatshirt-- I can guarantee you'll be in a lot of pain.

Cotton t shirts, especially v-neck shirts are ideal. You want something breatheable and comfortable that places minimal on your incision. I was lucky because my incision was relatively small, so I didn't have as much of a hard time with the scar sensitivity.

• Because my incision was so small, I actually wore more shirts that showed my scar. I know it might be counterintuitive to want to show your scar (especially right after surgery), but think of it as a caution sign... When people see a scar on your chest, they're probably going to be a little more careful and intentional about where they're walking. 

Sports bras were my life savers. They put pressure on your chest, which braces your sternum and helps with healing! I recommended getting a few sports bras with fun colors and patterns.

Oversized tank tops are great, especially if you live in a hotter climate or have your surgery in the summer like I did. These look great with a tank top or sports bra underneath. More importantly, they are so easy to put on, since they are already oversized and have super huge arm holes! It's like they were made for us heart patients...

Running shorts, sports bras and oversized tanks make the perfect combo. 

Teddy bears/ pillows. Seriously, friends. Carry these everywhere. They are such a help when you're  getting out of the car, or sitting down to eat, or coughing, or sneezing. And they give you a great excuse to carry around your favorite childhood stuffed animal!

Whatever you chose to wear, make sure it's comfortable and loose-fitting. Some no-nos:

• buttons
• really challenging when you're hopped up on Vicodin. Also just not necessary.
• tight shirts/ tops
• it takes more energy that you'd think to get these kinds of clothes on/off. Your energy is so precious after surgery... don't waste it getting dressed.
• hooded sweatshirts w/o zippers
• like I said earlier, it's not worth it. So painful. And even if you manage to get it on, there's no guarantee you'll have the energy to take that thing off when you want to.

Need more ideas? 

Click here for OOTD: Post-Surgery 

Click here for OOTD: Hospital Stay