Shopping/packing/to-do list for surgery + recovery....
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I just wanted to share that I came back to this thread because I heard of a local gal needing surgery next week and I want to pass on some of the good info that was shared before I had my surgery. Tomorrow will be a year since my single mastectomy which I had tissue expanders put in at the time. You gals will get through this just as I have : - )
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btqco:
Take 5 deep breaths, take everything one step at a time, do something fun for yourself - We'll keep you in our prayers, that God will give you His peace! This is do-able, and it really is a good feeling to have the surgery finished! Sometimes we (or me anyway!), tend to look at the whole picture of the next 4 months or more. But one day, or even one hour, at a time is more manageable!
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Thank you so much for this post.. I have surgery tomorro morning and have found it very helpful!
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I copy and pasted the above list and added some things:
Here we go, again, please add YOUR favorite tips--
Move commonly used items, kitchen tools, etc to low shelves before surgery
Find NON child-proof caps for meds
Have constipation meds ready
Fill scripts before coming home so you won't have to stop on the way
Have a pillow for the car-ride home. Have extras handy for propping up at home
Lanyard (like for ID cards) for holding drains
Fanny pack for drains
Nurses can make a necklace from IV tubing to hold drains in shower
Lip balm / lotion
Mp3 / Music player
Notebook for managing meds, etc
Phone / have friends' numbers handy
Take clothes to hospital that can be washed/sanitized at home
slippers
camisoles/tanks which can be stepped into (as opposed to pulling over-head)
Silky bottoms/PJs to make getting in/out of bed easier
button up shirts
zip up hoodies/ warm ups
pull on, easy pants
Jog Bras (Natori is recommended) or whatever support is suggested by your surgeon
Milk of magnesia for constipation (anesthesia makes you constipated!)
Grabbers! These are about 23 inches long, have a handle that you sqeeze, and the end clamps on stuff on the floor. GREAT for pulling up your pants when you can't bend over, or picking up stuff that you drop, (like the toilet paper, etc!) I needed two of these, as I dropped the grabber! Great for pulling the wash basket along, too!
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I too like many others just want to thank you and others for all of the wonderful suggestions. Bi-lat surgery in the next few weeks and I feel so much better being prepared. Blessings to everyone and all of the postive encouraging posts. I now feel as if this giant is not too big. Thank You.
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Thank you soooo much for this well thought out list - it saved me much discomfort. By rhe way, I don't have room in my condo to permanently have a recliner, but I was able to get a great one from "rent -a -center" for about $15/week.
Best to all of you,
Geri
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mouse: You're having bilat surgery. Any immediate reconstruction?
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I don't know if anyone had already thought of this, but I am having a terrible time reaching the chains on the ceiling fans. Might want to lengthen these. We're at the time of year when it is warm during the day and still cold at night, so I need to adust them a lot.
Thanks for all the great advice,
Deen
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Deen, I used the pull chains on my overhead ceiling fans and lights as my stretching exercises to help get the mobility back in my arms instead of the spider finger wall walk. I started on tippy-toes to reach the light switch and gradually was able to reach them flat footed. I have celing fans in every room of the house and left the fan running 24 hours a day (surgery in June) but had to use the pulls to turn off the lights.
Sheila
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Yes, bi- w immeadiate recon. April 6th. Will I be able to use my hands? I am just a bit anxious as Im afraid that I will not be able to have anyone help at first.
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Mouse, I had bilat with expander surgery on June 1, 2007. I was able to use my hands but had limited strength (to open drink bottles/childproof bottles) and limited arm motion (reaching up). My hubby is a long haul trucker and I was by myself during the week most of the time, my mother came by every day for a couple of hours to make sure that I was eating and to take me to my follow-up appointments. And my sister came by several evenings to take me to her house and feed me supper and get me out of the house for brief periods of time. With some preparation I was able to function by myself after surgery.
Sheila
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Oh thank you for your answers, I guess the closer it gets all these things keep running through my head. I cannot say I am not afraid, but I think mostly of the pain. I have a hard time with pain, and I know I better just up my tolerance. I was reading some of the other blogs about their doctors taking their meds away after just a few weeks. I guess it's alway worse in your head then what you actually experience. I am very fortunate and blessed to have my husband very close to our home and being self employed he will be able to come home if needed during the day. How long were you in the hospital? And.....being almost a year after how are you feeling today? Thank you again for your help and encouragement.
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Oh I am sorry for not responding I am very new to this site. Yes immeadiate recon, the TE and whatever else comes with that. How long has it been again for you? I feel very blessed that I have my friends at church, however they are really far away from me, but only a phone call for prayers.
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Mouse, I just checked this thread and saw that you asked me a few questions. I am hoping that your surgery went well on Monday. It has been nearly 2 years since my surgery and I am doing great. I didn't need any chemo or rads because I was stage 0, but watched my mom go through both (chemo and rads) in 2001.
Sheila
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Thought I'd chime in with my experience with camisoles/tank tops.
I normally layer my tops & wear some form of a tank top. In December, I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. I was unable to lift my arm up at all to put on my tank tops. But I was able to put a tank top over my head and bring it down to my waist. I would then put my good arm through the strap and pull it up. Then I could bring the tank top up and slip the strap over my right arm. Then I'd put on a shirt that snapped or buttoned up the front.
Sounds like I'm going to have to go through the same routine all over again but on the other side. Physical therapy for my right shoulder ends on Friday May 8th and I get to go through the routine again as my (left) mastectomy is scheduled for Monday May 11.
Brahna
Realized that I wrote the directions backwards, but you would have figured that out. When the tank top is at your waist, bring the strap up your 'bad' arm to your shoulder and then up to your 'good' shoulder as that arm has the mobility that the other one lacks.
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Just wanted to add my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed their suggestions to this thread. Now I need to make a shopping list in preparation for my surgery on May 11!
Brahna I have the same date for surgery as you, and I am also having left mastectomy. Great idea of yours about getting into camisoles/tanks, I'll definitely give that a try.
Jayne
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I'm so glad that I found this site. I'm going to be checking all of the threads. I am 33 years old & having a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (DIEP Flap) on Wednesday (2 days). My mother was diagnosed over 20 years ago at the age of 38 with Stage 4 breast cancer. My sister was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 34 with Stage 1 breast cancer. Given my strong family history, I'm having my surgery preventively. I'm not even giving the cancer to get me. I'm going to get it! Although with all of the tests being done beforehand, my MRI found some abnormalities, so during surgery I'll have the sentinal node testing on both breasts. It sure would be something if cancer was found. That will just reaffirm that I'm doing the right thing. Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions on what to bring to the hospital. I do have my sister to ask advice from as she had the exact same surgery that I'm having, but she seems to have amnesia somewhat. ;-) Especially with the first 2 weeks. She was so doped up, she doesn't remember much. Hey...sounds good to me! I'd rather not be in pain & have amnesia. :-) Again, thanks to all!
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THIS LIST IS THE BEST! My husband and I used it when planning for my bilateral MX and reconstruction, and my recovery, and it's a godsend.
For those of you about to do surgery... it's actually not bad at all. My recovery has been relatively painless compared to what I expected. Kind of like what I'd feel if I tried to do 250 military style pushups. Sore chest, abs can be achy too; also sore armpits. Incision sites can really twinge. I'm tired of sleeping on my back and cannot WAIT until I can sleep on my stomach again. But other than mostly minor annoyances... it was a piece of cake.
Now I'm going back to bed. Good luck everyone!!
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The list helped me soooo much! The list is great! The oncology nurses were impressed by everything I had remembered to have with me (because of the list). It should be a permanant part of this site.
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I want to thank you all for the list. Because of this thread, I questioned my bs office staff about a camisole. Doctor prescribed one for me - he obviously wouldn't have done this otherwise. I went to get it and was told that my insurance usually pays for 2. So I went home with two post-surgical camisoles and I am so glad that I have them. I don't have to worry about where to put the drain. I guess I'm lucky that I only have one drain.
It had never crossed my mind that my insurance would pay for a post-surgical camisole or mastectomy bras. I have learned a lot. So ladies, check with your insurance to find out what items they'll pay for.
Another item that I got for post-surgery is an Amazon Kindle. I love it. I always have a choice of books that I can read.
Kaidog - Oh to sleep on my stomach! I haven't done that in almost 3 years. I sleep with a CPAP (for sleep apnea) except when I'm recovering from surgery and sleeping on the recliner - I'm not gasping for air if I do snore.
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I have been reading through this thread and taking notes for my DIEP next month. Back in March 2008 AndreaM4567 said "Definately make sure you are getting the pain blasters put in your abdomen if you are doing the DIEP. It made everything go really well for pain control in that area."
I couldn't find an explanation of what pain blasters are, but they sound like something I should know about.
Can anyone explain?
Thanks!
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A few more hints.
1. I found it painful to bend over - putting on shoes, pulling up pants, feeding the dogs, etc. - I had hip surgery many years ago and still had a reacher. A reacher is a device with a long handle and pincers at the end. It allowed me to pick things up from the floor without bending and was a big help following my surgery.
2. It is possible to pull on a stretchy T-shirt (I have found all of my button down shirts feel rough). Put the sleeve of the shirt over the the arm on the side that you had surgery first and pull the cap of the sleeve up to your shoulder. Next put your other arm through the opposite sleeve. Finally pull it over your head with the arm on the side that did not have surgery. Obviously, these instructions only work if you had surgery on one side.
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Not exactly a "list" item, but I still remember not having an appetite at all in the hospital. I could barely look at the tray brought to me each day. But someone had sent me a fruit basket and the freshness of that fruit tasted "heavenly" compared to the hospital food. My roommate gobbled a piece up like she hadn't eaten in days too!
PT6 - I had a bilat mx with MS tram recon and a stretchy T was my favorite top too, so it can definitely be accomplished with a bilat - just make sure it has a deep V neck. Good luck to all you ladies just starting on this journey. You'll do just fine;)
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Thanks ladies for the shopping list. I would have been totally unprepared for my left mastectomy. My doctor only told me when to come to the hospital for surgery. I'm getting my to do list ready right away. Many blessing to all.
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Thank you for the list and your wisdom. I feel so much better prepared now.
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Hello Everyone,
I am waiting for my bilat surgery date and the shopping list is a great help! I was wondering if anyone has tried the Amoena post surgery camisole? It's a little pricey, so I would love to get some feedback before I purchase one. Thank you all for being here!
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hi, im new and this information is very useful. I was wondering about the bra wearing, so i will order or get my bras zips in the front before the surgery. thanks ladies.
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Our local hospitals are big on breast cancer and womens centers, so a cami was supplied to me by
the hospital ( insurance covered it ) along with a physical therapist to talk to to me about exercising my arm after I got home. The cami was great...it has two inserts for either side to help you look even while waiting for reconstruction. It also had little pockets for the drains. A bra was out of the question although now that it's summer and the soreness is much better, a cami is a little too warm, so I velcroed one of the inserts in a sports bra and velcroed the other in a regular bra. I am having recon but it won't be until after these 34 rad treatments I am having now.
6 down and 28 to go!
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All I can say is this site has been a God send! I have bilateral surgery on Monday July 20. Becasue of you all I know what to expect and want I need to do.
Only fear I still have is being able to sleep on my back, I too am as stomach sleeper. I've got a few tips for the BS nurse - pack pillows around you, sleep on the couch so you don't roll over and take your pain pills before sleep. No recliner and not any room if I could get one. Kaidog how did you deal with sleeping on back?
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Fabulous suggestions ladies. I will have a double mastectomy with D-Flap reconstruction this fall. My cancer is well managed so I can wait for the surgery to be performed to my plastic surgeon's schedule. I have plenty of time to get prepared. I bought a couple of men's summer button down shirts to use as I knew they would be loose for the swelling and also short sleeved. I hope everyone's surgey has gone well and the recovery smoothly. I will head to walmart to see if there are any tube tops or front clasping bras that might work for me. 0
