NOLA in September?
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Ginnie...I am worrying about you, too!! I think ER is a start..good idea, Pam!
I am hoping to be drain free on Monday..then I can be like Spring !! I am her shadow, you know! lol
It sounds like Stage 2 is harder than I thought...arggh. So many of us doing it so close to the holiday season. Does Stage 2 limit you to lifting more than 5 lbs too???
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Hi All It's me. I am back among the living again. I am now home in VA and boy am I glad to be home. I think the worst thing for me was being away from my home and my family. My sweet daughter, gosh I miss that 14 year old.....7 words I thought I would NEVER say! Ha!
We left the center on Wed at 5 and drove 450 miles to Chattanooga, grabbed a hotel and drove the remaining 450 on Thursday, I stayed in MY BED for nearly the whole day on Friday, mostly because it felt so LOVELY! I have never been so glad to be home. NOLA was great, the food, the people, docs, nurses, facility, etc. There is nothing that one could complain about, except I wanted my bed and my baby and my dog. But that passed and everything went very well.
I have only one drain hanging on (left abd) but it is getting close to coming out. Will really be glad for that to be gone. Pain management was fine thru out the process. I was taking only tylenol in less than a week post op, and even then not round the clock. Sure I have soreness, etc. but really its not been bad. The worst thing for me was the burning incision in the Ab. Did anyone else have this? OUCH! I can not even imagine what it would have felt like without the ONC BALL! THANK YOU!
I saw Jennifer Jane, she is so beautiful! It was nice to meet her. Talked to her last evening, she was walking the halls and thinking that she would be released on Saturday. I am sure she will be fine. Wonderful attitude. Also was able to speak to Ginnie, she is a very sweet lady.
Spring - I do not have the soreness under my breasts like you described. I hope it is getting better for you. What I do have is this intense heaviness in my breasts. It reminds me of the feeling that you get when your milk starts to come in when you start nursing. It took me a day or so to place that feeling. It made me sad. It does seem to have lessened each day though.
The most problem I have now is my BACK! Cannot wait to lay on my side. AND I have the sore knotty place in the center of my Abd, between my belly button and my breast bone. Also my breast bone ached a lot when I left the hospital. It has subsided now and only hurts occasionally. They said this was all normal. They gave me a binder to wear at my post op and that really helped with the sore spot on my ABD.
Warrior - you sound so good. I am glad you are doing so well.
I am adjusting to the new girls. Body image is a complicated thing. I spent the last 15 months trying to accept myself without breasts and did a pretty good job of it. There are some benefits of NOT having breasts and NOT WEARING A BRA IS ONE OF THEM! Itchy! Itchy! But each day is getting better and better. It just seems that the girls are SO BIG! I mean they aren't really. My DH says they are the same size as before, but my goodness, after being skin and bones for all that time, they seem HUGE! And the other thing that amazes me most is how WARM they are. I did not realize how cold my skinny little chest was. I just kept feeling them and asking my DH to be sure they werent red, or hot with infection. And then I realized this is what I am supposed to feel like, probably used to feel like this but never noticed it, until they were gone and now are back.
Well, I am off to drive a couple miles up the road to get my hair cut. CAN NOT WAIT for that. Sorry I have been so absent during the process, it just took me getting HOME to be able verbalize and write these feelings down. You girls are all wonderful and I can not describe how empowered you made me feel the days leading up to my surgery. God Bless you all. You are really SUPER WOMEN! Take care, I will post more later.....xxoo Mel
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I've read every post here, and I'm sorry I cannot recall all of your names to address you individually. I just "found" you guys a little over a week ago.
I want to THANK YOU for sharing. It makes me feel empowered going into surgery this Tueday. We are all sisters here. Our families can give us love and support, but no one knows what it's really like unless you have experienced it yourself. We all have different situations, different reasons for reconstruction, but what unites us is the commonality of walking the breast cancer road.
It's almost impossible for me to remember breasts...my first surgery was 11/2000 and second 6/2004--and no previous reconstruction. I'm ready to start another chapter in my life as I move forward.
Carolynn
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Mel! What a great recap! It does feel great to be home for sure. Glad you are doing well. I had that sore spot right above my belly button too. It gets better!!
Carolynn~you will LOVE the new you!! I promise.
Ginnie~Call your local hosptials and see if they do ultrasound guided draining. I had to have my seromas drained and the Center just faxed in an order to hospital here. You need to get some relief!! Do you have a regular local doc? I didn't have a surgeon follow up with me at home, just my internist. Maybe that would work.
Spring~yes, they did an ultrasound first. It was a HUGE relief when they drained it. You will know if it's a seroma and not edema though. When you push on the swollen area you will be able feel the fluid in there moving like a waterbed.
Warrior~Stage 2 is only tougher right after the surgery. You heal up REALLY quickly!!! Night and day compared to Stage 1.
Jondy~So glad you are loving your results too! It really is worth the couple of days of pain and discomfort.
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Welcome HOME Mel!! You had a tough journey with all that driving..you are a trooper. And yes, I have a 14 year old and missed mine dearly, too (and my 11 and 8 yr old too). I m so glad you are well and on your way to recovery!!
I felt the same way that my breasts looked huge..lol It could be that my belly was flater too! lol
This is a journey we are all in together,Iamc, and we are glad you are able to be here..
Trishia..when it gets closer, I may end up callin you to really pick the brain on Stage 2..do you have kids too? Thats my biggest worry...leaving them AGAIN..feels just like yesterday, or three weeks ago..same thing lol
Spring- I don't like hearing you are uncomfortable!! You are my surgery sister..GET BETTER!
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Wow everybody!!! It is so awesome to see posts from everyone and get your updates!
Warrior - glad you are doing well. I hear you about leaving your kids - so HARD! But so good to be home afterward!
Spring - I hope you get some relief soon!
Ginnie - I second what Tricia said. You need to have the fluid addressed.
Mel - It had been about a year and a half since they had removed my expanders- so had been without for that long. I feel much like you do - especially about the part where they feel heavy and like you need to nurse. I mostly only feel that way when I first sit up in the morning now, so it is gradually getting better. I do find that the R side, which was radiated does tend to collect some fluid overnight while my arm is elevated and wrapped... but goes down during the day. I also feel the same about body image. When I had the expanders removed, I fully intended to live without breasts... and I tried. But I had such a difficult time with it. I am now loving my new shape and not having to worry about prosthetics!
Iamc - this is such a great place to be with upcoming surgery. And you are absolutely right, unless you have walked this road, it is hard to understand exactly what someone is going through. We are all here to lend support! You're up next!!!
Patty- I highly recommend the Smooth Move tea. It doesn't taste bad and it definitely softens things up. I also recommend glycerin suppositories (as much as I hate to admit it!) - they work like a charm for me when nothing else does... and heaven knows the number that narcotics can do to a digestive system!
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IAMC - You can SO DO THIS! Good luck, xxoo and prayers coming your way.
Nordy and Warrior and Trishia - thanks for the positive feedback. You guys rock!
Spring --- FEEL BETTER SOON!!!! Take the meds if you need them, there is no reason to hurt.
Ginny - get it checked! Feel better SOON!
xxoo Mel
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Thanks ladies! I'm on my way tomorrow to Charlotte NC to see my brother, then Monday morning I'll catch a flight to be in NOLA for my preop!
Carolynn
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Carolynn - I just PM'd you!
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Nordy, I see, WHAT A FRIGGIN' Dilema woman!!! Let us know what you decide re the hysto in NOLA or not, etc.
I guess I have edema and not sernoma (can you believe we know all this language! ugh). It is not moving around like a water bed, Trisha, but is like swollen and puffy! Thank you SNB, I am sure this is the cause of this... Linda I agree with you on this one!
Gin, don't give up on getting that drained. I know you will feel so much better.
Jondy, I do NOT LIKE HEARING stage 2 is so hard!! ahhhhhck!!!! So my stage 2 is Dec 4. three weeks later will be christmas day, am I going to be "human" again, JORDY AND TRISH? And are you stage 2'ers really really puffy and swollen like Liz told Trish for 1-2 months? Inquiring minds want to know!
Patty, for constipation, I brought MiriLAX, stool softener (like colace, but they will also give to you in the hospital if your doctor allows) I also brought probiotic pills and Fleet suppositories!!! Armed and loaded!!! am the queen of constipation issues though... But I tell you, with all these things, this time I HANDLED IT!!!
Warrior - you CRACK ME UP with this "bodacious" boob talk, LOL LOL LOL... Also you will LOVE being drain free. It is "da bomb". LOL.
Mel, I agree! I missed not only my bed and kid(s), but my DOG!!! I think they should have a pet in the St. Charles Surgical hospital! :-) Seriously! Would have helped me heal, i can tell you that!! Nothing like a purring cat and a snoring dog, is like heaven!!
Carolynn, we are all thinking of you!!! Yes, it is good to know you are not alone in all this! Do check in with us when you can, no pressure, but we'll be sitting here thinking of you!!!
My boobs are still killing me, but I have decided to try something else - so I am gently massaging/stroking the skin to hopefully desensitize" it. I am also taking tylenol and motrin. Today I just put a bra on and got going on the day. Felt good to walk a mile, shopped with DH, and I cooked friggin' dinner !!!! I am done being a slave to painful boobs!! Just going to power through it until I cave and can't take it any more!!!! LOL. I am telling you though, i can't wait to whip this bra off!!! ahhhhck!!
Spring.
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Spring......you are hilarious! You covered everything to everybody and I DITTO you on all. Now take care and I hope that edema goes away. Hey how 'bout a Midol? Did we use to take those to get rid of pain and water retention!!! LOL! Linda
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Warrior- you sound greata nd I hope you keep feeling well.
Spring- hang in there but try not to over do it. How is the pain under neath your breast? I hope getting better. What do the docs suggest about the edema/seroma?
Patty- Your are up !!! It will be great! Thinking of you this week and you too Carolynn
Nordy- I hope you are doing well. It stinks to think about not having more kids- especially because of THIS! I feel for you. My DH told me that we are finished and I should be happy for two healthy daughters.
Interesting- I woke up on Friday- 4 weeks post op to the day and actually am starting to feel somewhat "normal" I have more energy. Granted- I walk very slow-due to leg incisions but it feels nice to know it is getting better!
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Spring~you will be FINE!!! The first 2 days are rough...no doubt. But the recovery period is SO much easier. And remember, I came home and got super sick which slowed my progress down. Yesterday was the first day I felt normal and not sick and I ran around all day long, went for a nice long walk, did a party and didn't go to bed until 1 am.
One thing I would suggest, and I don't think I put it in my original post, is to stay long enough in NOLA to go to a post op appointment. They don't require one for stage 2 like they do for stage 1. I could have flown home on Monday, but I really felt like I needed a post op before I left. That extra day and seeing him really helped.
I did not swell up like a balloon at all! I was expecting to, but I never did. I think it is because I was walking like a fool from the get go. And I drank a TON of water. Between the two, it must have helped flush the fluid. Once I got home and got so sick, it really made walking impossible, I was so exhausted, but I continued to down the fluids. And I had a good 4 or 5 days of walking in before I got so sick. My bruising was also gone by 2 weeks. I have talked to other ladies who bruised way worse, but I didn't. Not sure why...as I bruise really easy, but I am telling you...I healed up SO quickly and easily this time.
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Spring, do you have an LE therapist who can look at your breast and do some gentle lymph drainage for you? If the swelling IS from the SNB, you need to get it down.
Anne
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For those of you interested, I posted my Stage 2 pics on Timtam's site.
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Trishia, your transformation is just fantastic. You look AMAZING!! Congrats on such wonderful results. I agree with you that Dr. S is an artist!
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Trisha - How do I get to TimTam's site to see the pix?
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Yea, that's what I want to know too. Please share!
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Thank you!! I feel amazing!
Search for Timtam in the member's list. Then send her a PM asking for access to the site. She is just a member, like the rest of us...so give her a couple of days. She also sees how long you have been a member and looks at your posts before approving you. She wants to make sure everyone's pics are secure. I'd paste 'em all over here...I'm such an open book...LOL!
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Spring - I second what Anne said - if it is lymphedema and you have not had to deal with that as of yet, you need to go to a certified lymphedema therapist to get that down. I have some lymphedema in my R breast every morning from sleeping w/my arm wrapped and elevated. So, every morning I have to do some gentle lymphatic massage and node clearing to get the fluid up and moving. And I am still sleeping in a very light bra - which I am sure has helped to keep the fluid in my breast to a minimum. I would not suggest doing your own massage without first being trained in it as it is possible to do more harm than good. Good luck and with a little treatment and education, you will probably feel a ton better!
Tricia - I have heard from others that it is best to have a post op at stage 2. I will be requesting and planning for that as well. I also want to see your results - can you post how to do that again?!
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Hi Girls - Last drain came out last evening. WOO HOO! I still really sore, and feel really rusty when I get up in the morning. Anyone else this way? I guess that it just takes time to subside. Going to go for a walk today with my Mom and Dad. Can not wait. The weather is a work of art today! Going to call PlainJane this evening, she has her post op today and hopes to return home on Wednesday, still praying for everyone of you gals, every single day.
Trishia - did I read your post correctly? Do you have drains after stage 2??? I asked Dr D about stage 2, all he said was that it was nothing that would keep me down for very long. I am a little concerned, since mine is scheduled for 12/17!!!! YIKES! I will have to be super organized to pull all that off!!!!! enjoy the day ladies. Spring hope you are better today! xxoo
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Good to hear from you again Melanie.
That is great that all your drains are out!
Did you or your dh pull the drains at home?
Have a Nice walk!
Pam
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I just spoke to Stephanie and she is doing well. She said she is not really having any pain, and that she has not seen her new body yet but is hoping to get a peek soon. I'm sure she'll be posting herself soon but I am relieved to hear from her this morning since I was unable to reach her by cell phone since last Thursday.
Sandy
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Good to hear Sandy!
Good Luck Tomorrow Carolynn!
Pam
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Home care after surgery?
I will come home on a Friday Night. dh will be home Sat & Sun...And then go back to work Monday.
1 of My dds will be here Monday for 1/2 the day. So that will be 11 days post op.
Will I need help after that?
Thanks,
Pam
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Hey DEJABOO - DH pulled them, and it was about 18 inches long....thought it would never come completely out. Did not hurt, just was kinda gross. It is amazing how much better you feel when you lose a drain. I wonder if it is real or just psychological....anyway it does feel better. Hope you are well. Thanks for the well wished....btw LOVE THE PIC OF THE DOGGIE! Makes me smile everytime I see it. xxoo Mel
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LOL- Deja likes to be in your face...Like she was for that 'Mug Shot'
Look at My Profile & you can see her Sporting a Spider web.
Glad she makes you smile. Shes a sweetie.
Sounds likeyou are doing good!
When my Expander/MX drains were pulled. it really hurt!
I was worried it would hurt. The nurse said-it wont- but If it hurts we wont pull the 2nd one. It hurt- I almost passed out- LOL.
I said- Ill keep the 2nd Drain in...She thought I was joking. I wasnt- LOL
So, Im not sure about having dh pull them...But then maybe this time they wont hurt.
Pam
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DEJABOO - You should be fine to stay alone by then, I am 12 days post op today and showering by myself, going for a walk and this evening I will drive to the bus stop (about 1 mile) to pick my baby up. So if all goes well, you should be just fine. Yesterday I went to church and then to my Mom's for lunch. Then rested and watched TV for the whole afternoon. I try to stay up 1/2 days this week and recline in the afternoons. Slowly getting back into the groove. BUT Everyone is different. But for me, what you have described is totally doable. Just dont over do it. Baby steps.
xxoo Mel0 -
Ok- Thanks Mel!
I figured I would be ok. Just wanted to check.
I usually bounce back pretty good after surgery.
Pam
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DEJABOO - Let me tell you, I know what you mean about the MX drains. They are totally different than the drains used for this surgery, the ones I had after MX were hard plastic, these were only the small flexible tubing that you are stripping. When they removed mine, 2 nurses did it at the same time and asked my DH to hold my feet down........I knew then it was not going to be pleasant. I too almost passed out. But these do not hurt AT ALL! They removed 2 when I left the hospital and one at post op, the other DH removed. He did not want to do it either after the MX experience, but once he saw the docs do it and that it did not hurt, he was totally fine with it. YOU ARE SO GOING TO DO GREAT! And a Nov surgery means lots of new pretty things to wear for Christmas with your NEW BODY AND NEW GIRLS! It is so worth it. Take care.
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