Nipple Sparing Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction
Comments
-
DoubleD - I had a terrible cough for about 3 weeks after surgery - I thought it was from a cold, but asked the doctor and he said it was from having the tube down my throat during surgery. It will get better!! You are lucky you can shower - I couldn't shower until the drains were out - 1 week, but still it was awful. I would shower though and then have to rest for awhile before even getting dressed - it's been 9 weeks now - and I feel great. I think you will feel a little better every day!! Hang in there.
Hugs, Valerie
0 -
GAGirl01- I cannot believe you ran 7 1/2 miles! I used to be a runner...now I am happy to waddle to the fridge! You are running with expanders? Wow! you really set that bar way high for my whining about stitches pulling.
0 -
DD- I know we have all been where you are right now and it is not a fun place to be. This will be the toughest part of everything you go through but it does get better every day. As Valerie said the coughing/sore throat is from the breathing tube. I found if I sucked on hard candies and hydrated a lot it did help. It takes a long time for all the anesthesia to leave your system and this can make you feel in a funk as well.
I do know the more active you can be, even if it's just walking around your house, the faster your drains will drain and the faster you can get them out. Everyone feels 90% better when those stupid things are out.
I know you read about my experience in recovery but don't let that scare you. I have never heard of anyone having that happen. The actual surgery itself was very easy. I was off the pain meds within 2 days so your MX will be the hardest it gets. Hang in there, sweetie. I think you were very brave in choosing MX for you and your son. Come on here anytime, or PM any of us, and cry, vent, mourn, whatever you need. Sending you very gentle (((hugs))).
P.S. I have decided that GAgirl01 is superwoman disguised as a mere mortal! LOL! I was a "waddler", too, during recuperation!
0 -
I was diagnosed with ALH in the left breast in March. Since then I have been to an oncologist, 2 plastic surgeons and a surgeon. The surgeon wants me to have an MRI and is hedging on writing the letter of medical necessity to the insurance company. I was mentally prepared to go forward with the PBM and then had the appt. with the surgeon. Now I am sitting around waiting to see if the insurance company will pay for the MRI. I am getting depressed as I wanted to have this done and be up and around before my kids went back to school. I started second guessing myself and feel very alone in my decision. It has been very helpful to read of others who opted for the PBM with ALH. I'd appreciate any advice about insurance, etc.
0 -
mountainmom1- Can you call your insurance company directly and ask which tests are covered? I had to have several MRI's on both breasts and there was no question of it being covered but all insurance companies are different I suppose.
0 -
mountainmom1 - I also had ALH - diagnosed in January. The oncologist wanted me to take Tamoxifen for 5 years and the surgeon said I would have to have an MRI every year. But when I asked the surgeon (a lady) what she would do in my shoes (I was leaning towards PBM) she said she is a worrier and that she would have PBM. Before she even checked with insurance she said the surgery would be covered - because of the ALH and the high cost of MRIs every year. So I skipped the MRI and had surgery May 6, 2010. I have been very happy with the decision. I would think your insurance would cover the MRI. If you have any other questions about surgery etc. everyone here is great to help (if that's what you decide to do). There are a few of us that had PBM because of ALH or ADH - you can PM me if you want. We are here to help you in any way - good luck with everything.
Hugs, Valerie
0 -
I too have been off-line for awhile due to the long weekend and work obligations. Kate, I am so sorry you did not have a good experience. I hope you are doing better and recovering well.
0 -
bcincolorado- Thanks! Am sooooo much better! Drains out today! My BS took them out because my PS was out of town. When I told her what happened in recovery after exchange surgery she was upset and said she would be looking into what happened for me! Love her! In 2 weeks all the stitches come out (Allorderm) and then I AM DONE!!!!!
WOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
0 -
Kate! That is great news. DONE is a nice feeling eh? (=
Speaking of done..I just finished posting some picts! Figured it was time to post since exchange is just around the corner!
0 -
hurleygirly- I could put my post exchange photos on the picture forum but I look a little scary with all these crazy blue stitches all around my boob- kind of like Bride of Frankenstein gets a boob job or something!
0 -
Kate, if you feel comfortable with posting, I would love to see of course! I had those stitches with my lumpectomy...they get more blue as time goes on too which is funny. I had a hard time posting pictures to that site...I had to keep them REALLY small. I wanted to show a closeup but maybe the administrators altered the code where there is a max size now. Oh well...0
-
Kate~I'm definetly no superwoman! I think today it finally hit me like a ton of bricks and I took a day off work to rest ;0) It's all good, no worries though. I came home from work lastnight & went straight to bed (no running for me) lol! I thought it best to take a night off! This chemo thing sucks big time. I'm day 17, just trying to make it to day 21 (they say that's the safe zone for my hair) I'll feel much better when I get past this. Everything else I think I can handle! Fatigue, any nausea etc. so far has been so mild it doesn't even seem to faze me. I wish SO badly I didn't have that measly 8mm...i would be hanging right even with ya'll. Talking about exchange dates! Hurleygirl~ I can't believe it's almost time!!! That's SO amazing! I'm getting so excited for you! It encourages me.... For the rest of you newer ladies...don't be afraid to vent...Lord knows I've vented enough here. It's a wonderful place to express our feelings and emotions with others who understand exactly where we are coming from & can help us walk this journey! Vent away!
0 -
GAgirl01- Well, you're superwoman in my book. Wouldn't it be nice if we all lived in the same town? We could set you up in a nice comfy recliner and you could be our personal trainer and kick our butts back in shape! (No screaming like Jillian, though!) Am having such a hard time getting motivated to work out when it is so hot here in Phoenix and I still am not cleared for swimming. (PS worried about infection with incisions and all.) Ugh, looks like it's treadmill and t.v. while I watch Jillian scream at someone else! LOL!
Good look with the next few days. Will you be completely done with chemo after that?
hurleygirly- OK, I will try to get some new pics up soon. Maybe I can photo shop the stitches, and those new love handles, away before I post! LOL! I'm hoping I'm still dropping, fluffing and all that because it just doesn't seem like the nips are in quite the right place. Seem a little low. Anyone else have a problem with that? Does it get any better with fluffing? My BS said if they are smack dab in the center it looks too fake but hanging a little low doesn't look too hot, either. (Kind of reminds me of that old song, but I've changed the lyrics- "Do your nips hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow? Can you throw them over your shoulder like a Continental soldier? Do your nips hang low?") LOL!!!
0 -
Hurleygirly- I told my DH I was going to photo shop my new boobs on your body! LOL!!! It'll give me something to work towards and you can see what 375 cc's implants will look like on you! :-D
0 -
Kate, You are too funny! You know I work in Photoshop everyday! LOL
GAgirl01, You are doing great...running several miles like that. I went to the track last week and ran a lousy 3 laps and then had to walk the rest! Ugh. My exchange is coming up quickly because I guess my boobs are as big as I should go or so everyone including my ps tells me!
0 -
Kate33 -
So your implants are 375? What were you filled to before exchange? Of course we would love to see pictures - I'm still trying to decide what to do - filled to 360ccs - doctor says he will put in 400cc at exchange. Glad to hear you are doing better. But I don't think I want drains at exchange - my PS said he doesn't use them - that would hurt coming out!!
0 -
I hated the drains with a fiery passion, but I will say that they did not hurt coming out- I barely felt it and both times said, did you do it already?
0 -
I am 49 and am ER+/PR+ HER2+ Stage i. I had a lumpectomy and 10 nodes taken (all Neg) in April. I have had 2 Chemo tx, next one this thursday, 6 total every three weeks. Does anyone know of a good PS in Maryland who perform this procedure? I would like to see pics on this site, but do not know how to go to them?
0 -
Kate: I am so glad you are feeling better!
Robinlea: Try the link at the top. There might be someone there who is not too far from you that can recommend someone. Good Luck!
0 -
vmudrow- I was expanded to 365 and my implants were 375. My PS had 350's and 375's and said the 350's would have been too small. Deborah recommended 400-425 but I thought it might be too big since I was used to being pretty small all my life, but I think now I wished maybe I had gone with the 400's. (My DH says no way, though!) I'll have to see how I feel after I "drop and fluff" and drop the extra 15 pounds I put on post MX! My DH has been out of town but I'll try to get him to take some photos when he gets back. If I don't get them posted I'll try to send them to you. When is your exchange? I've still got these crazy blue stitches everywhere from the Allorderm, just to warn you!
The past 3-4 days I've been having these really sharp pains in my armpits that come and go. Has anyone had that happen after MX or exchange? I don't know if it's nerves regenerating but seems a little soon for that. It really hurts!
0 -
Yeah, I got my exchange surgery date...Sept 15th. I can't wait to have my own gummies!!!
0 -
Hello everyone. I was told I had breast cancer on May 27 and had nipple/skin sparing bmx with tissue expanders, on July 1. I have been reading all of your threads and am so encouraged by your recovery stories. I am only 38 years old so making the decision about bmx was kind of easy. After having lost my mother to pancreatic cancer in January, I realized that cancer is not a predator I want hanging over my life and my family's life. I watched my mother suffer for so long and do not want to put my son through the same thing. Statistically speaking, recurrence is not any more likely with lumpectomy as masectomy, but I feel very confident about my decsion.
My surgery was July 1, and I stayed in the hospital for one night. I started walking the same night that I came home and have been almost every night, and doing very light housework, but am still on pain meds. I am taking 4 mg of Dilaudid every 6 hours. I would really like to get off of the pain killers. I did go 8 hours yesterday, so I could drive myself to the dentist and did ok. Going today to hopefully have drains removed! My biggest problem is a comfortable position to sleep in. I bought one of those chair looking pillows for my bed and it seems to help, but it makes my back hurt to sleep in a sitting position. I tried to sleep on my flat on my back last night, and could hardly get up this morning. I did take my pain med this morning, just because I could hardly move at all after last night. Any suggestions for a comfortable way to sleep and will ibuprofen help some with the pain??
0 -
Naoko2013- First I just want to say welcome! So glad you found us! As far as the questions of sleeping, that can be a challenge for a lot of us. I think the secret is to find a happy medium. Don't prop yourself up too much but don't go completely flat. What worked for me was to use three pillows behind me to make a gentle "slope" and then I had some smaller squishier pillows under each arm. At first you are going to wake up in pain because it's usually been 8 hours since you've had pain meds.
As far as what you are taking. Dilaudid is a pretty strong drug, stronger than Morphiine from what I've heard. I'm surprised they would give you something that strong for post op. If you're not ready to go off pain meds completely, you may want to ask your BS for something a little milder. I was sent home with Percocet and took Valium at night for the first 4 weeks. When you think you want to wean yourself off pain meds you can do it gradually by going longer and longer between doses. Ibuprofen did not help much for me but when I started doing my tissue expansions my PS prescribed a muscle relaxant and that helped a lot.
0 -
Kate33- I saw you pics and you look great!! Glad your doing better and so sorry about the hospital nightmare.
Naoko2013-Kate gave you some great tips and I agree about the meds. My sleeping salvation was two things, a memory foam pillow that I positioned in my upper back, slopping as Kate suggested and Adavan which helped me sleep. I had to sleep on my back and couldn't move positions at all, but with the sleep aid I was able to sleep through the night so I could get the rest I needed. Give yourself plenty of time to recover. Your body has been through a lot and you need a lot of rest to heal. It took me several weeks and then several more and now I am 12 weeks out and back to walking an hour a day so it does get better day by day. We are here for you with any questions. How are your nipples looking? I was quite black and blue and one of my nipples had a black scab over it. Just my opinion, but I agree that you made a good choice!
0 -
Thanks Sweetie! Will be SO glad to get these stitches out, though! How are you?
0 -
Thanks Sweetie and Kate33 for the info. I had my drain tubes removed today and already feel better. My PS gave me a muscle relaxer today. I am going to try taking that tonight instead of the Dilaudid and see how I feel in the morning. Thanks so much for the sleeping tips. If only I could get my dog to sleep all night, I would be in heaven.
0 -
Naoko,
I actually began sleeping on my sides the day that my drains were removed without any problems. I have two hard balls as boobs right now (expanded to 315) and I even sleep on my stomach when I want to, as rediculous as that sounds!
I had a similar diagnosis as you and am 35 years old myself and can relate to your decision. As far as I knew, survival was the same btw lumpectomy+rads and mastectomy but recurrence was actually different btw the two procedures/options, that being that recurrence is lower with the bmx for dcis.
I believe I took percocet every 4 hours for the first 4 days and then started increasing the amount of time in between doses. I was off any meds by day 8 or 9.
0 -
Kate33- when do the drains come out? I heard some Dr's use them and some don't. I'm doing good. I have a fill tomorrow. I'm so behind. I lost 5 weeks due to wound issue. Oh well I heard it should hurt less the more time you have to heal. I have been reading all the breast sizing threads trying to understand what I should do. I think your results are very very good and the size you chose seems perfect for your frame. Did you have to relay your wishes to your Dr. or did he suggest the size and type of implant?
Hurleygirl-I think you get the official reward for the least amount of problems after surgery! You are the classic case of everything going right! If only I was that fortunate, but am happy for you
0 -
Naoko2013 - I bought a "Belly N Back Pillow" to sleep on - it is actually made for pregnant ladies that can't sleep well. I loved it!! I just borrowed it to a relative that had a masectomy and she loves it. Take a look at it online - it is big - but comfy. I could sleep on my back or lean my back against the side and rest my arms on it. Good luck.
0 -
I had my exchange surgery on the 1st of June and am still having issues with sleeping on my side unless I squoosh a pillow between the new breast to keep them separated and sleeping on my back has always been uncomfortable for me. I'm just not a back sleeper. Oh how I miss the days of sleeping on my stomach but the Belly N Back Pillow Valerie is suggesting looks fabulous. I'll have to check into getting one of those.
0
