Topic: Who Has Advice For New Surgery Patients?

So sorry you didn't get much information.....Here is what I learned.....And what I wish I had known......I didn't get a gift bag but I got a stuffed toy and a bunch of pillows.....

1. When I got home I wish someone had told me how hard it would be to get out of my own bed by myself.......I had no problem at the hospital cause I had rails to hold onto...You can't hold onto your nightstand to get up...It will move!......

2. When my drain got clogged I wish someone would have told me how painful it can be if not caught earlier than I caught mine....OUCH!.....

3. Since I had my surgery in February I wore very soft flannel button up shirts and pinned my drains inside......... When I go too hot with the flannel I put on short sleeved pj's and pinned my drains inside the pocket...I put the tubes through  the shirt and buttoned around it.....

4. I used the dozen or so hospital pillows they sent me home with and built myself a fortress in my bed to help support me when I slept on my back...I could not sleep on my sides or stomach obviously with a TRAM and bilat masts.......I also used some of the pillows to keep my knees supported so I didn't feel liek I was getting pulled down the bed......

5.  I made sure I had plenty to eat n the house before surgery...Of course with teenagers you never have enough food in the house so I had lots of neighbors who brought over meals.....

6. Set up a plan for housekeeping..YOU can't do it so someone else will have to do it..This means laundry too.....

7. As for the drains, use alcohol wipes on the tubes when you milk them...This keeps germs out of the bulb and away from YOU........Wash your hands thoroughly before and after drain cleaning.....

8. For the shower it helps to have a chair that is specially made for the bath......You wil have some place to hang your drains and you won't fall in the shower cause you are sitting.....ALWAYS have someone near who can help you get in and out of the shower....NEVER attempt to do this alone the first few weeks af ter surgery!.......You have a higher risk of falling.....

9. If you haven't done this before surgery, make sure someone knows to keep all objects off the floor that you may trip over...I tripped over my dd's suitcase 2 weeks after surgery and I thought I had killed myself!........I had huge bruises for weeks but luckily my drains didn't get pulled out....

10. A small pillow is useful for car trips..... Place the pillow between your chest and the seatbelt....This prevents you getting hit by the seatelt.......

11. As much as it hurts you need to try to walk as much as possible to prevent clots from forming in your legs and to keep pneumonia at bay.........Even if you only go a few steps a day .....Try to go a few steps farther each day.....It took me 2 weeks to be able to go to my mail box and it is only 150 ft from my house........

12. No lifting anything over 5 pounds until your doctor tells you you can.......

13.  Have someone with you 24/7 that first two weeks.....This is a must!....You never know when you may run fever and need to go to the hospital......

Weel that is all I can think of right now...I will update later when I can think some more......Hope this helps......

still-me,

Hollyann's suggestions are great. 

A couple of other things to add,

1. Buy a wege pillow for sleeping, this worked great for me.  In my area they can be purchased at any surgical supply store.

2. Arm exercises.  When I left the hospital, they gave me a book w/ ten arm exercises to use after the drains are taken out.  The excersise helped me regain my range of motion in both arms.  But check with your doctor on when to start them.

3. The tops to wear for about 4-6 weeks are either button or zipper.  I could not raise my arms to put a shirt on over my head for that time frame.

4. Wirefree bras. My PS did not want me to wear a underwire bra.  I actually feel more comfortable in the wire free bras.  Playtex makes some nice ones.

I think your idea for a booklet is great and will be very helpful.  I wish the hospital that I had my bm had something like this.  I was pretty clueless about what to expect and learned by trial and error.

I hope you are doing well and healing smoothly.  Sending you (((((HUGS))))).

Heymoose (Cheryl)

1. Treat yourself to a hair washing somewhere like Fantastic Sams...since you can't shower till sutures come out, it is hard to wash hair....I took sponge baths which were okay....but my hair was long...I think I paid $5 in 2006 to have my hair washed....such a treat....

2.  let yourself be a patient....let people pamper you and take care of you...if people offer to help...let them...tell them what you need....meals, help with cleaning, help with grocery shopping, errands, play dates for kids, carpool help....whatever you need...don't be shy....

3.  I slept on 3 pillows in bed....and tended to nap on my comfy chair...kept a water bottle beside the bed...

4. I got front hook "jog" type bra at Walmart to wear for 1st month post Mx.  After that, I did not wear a bra, as I was getting fills and I was lopsided....but I got soft cotton camis....The bra at Walmart was less than $10 and offered a lot of close to the body support

5. listen to your body...rest when you need to....but don't be inactive...walk everyday even if just a couple minutes at first..I had Mx on a Wednesday and I was pretty much wiped the first several days... I was very fortunate to stay in the hospital 2 nights....but by 2 1/2 weeks post Mx, I felt pretty good....was driving...went out to lunch with a couple girl friends.....

Thanks to all of you for your advice!!!!!  Today is the day I meet with our breast cancer advocate.  Maybe now the women here will be better informed by our experiences.  You all are fantastic!!!!

Thanks again so very much...Live well

Teri

I found a great organization called Cricketts Answer For Cancer <---click this link. Crickett lost her battle with  breast cancer at an early age.  She had gorgeous hair.  Scroll down on the site and you will see her - beautiful!  Her family wanted to honor her life by starting a non-profit that would help women with breast cancer.  Carol, her sister in law, helped me get my first wig and they paid for it completely...a $250 wig that I chose!  They also provide free prosthesis and mastectomy products.  You do not have to prove financial need at all -  just fill out simple paperwork.  Please tell Carol I sent you and by all means if you are able to donate to their cause, they help so many of us!

Also I recently made a video showing you how to make your own t-shirt stretchy scarf. take a look! Video <-----

~Koryn, age 45

InvasiveDuctalCarcinoma,InfiltratingLobularCarcinoma, ER+/PR+/Her2Nu+++, Grade 3 tumor, right mastectomy w/ tissue expander 10/08, Taxotere,Carbo,Herceptin through Dec./09, Tamoxifen, implant placed 07/09