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August 2011 Surgery Group

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Comments

  • bobeena
    bobeena Member Posts: 46
    edited September 2011

    Came home this morning from the hospital. Feeling surprisingly ok, just tired. Can't wait to see my kids, they should be home from school shortly. Feeling the need for some snuggle time.

    I had a quick peek at my chest this morning when the doc came and took the binder off. Very surreal. I was small chested, and the surgeon was concerned with how thin my skin flaps are. So far so good, but seeing the drain tube snaking under my skin is very strange. Sending healing vibes to all, and thanks for continuing to share your recovery and feelings.







  • susanwmcg
    susanwmcg Member Posts: 36
    edited September 2011

    Hi Everyone!

    I have been reading your posts but have not been posting. But I have been sending positive thoughts and prayers to you all. Today I am 10 days post BMX w/TE's. I have two drains and they are outputting 80-90 every 24 hours. My PS says they come out when 25 or less so way to go yet. I am down to a half of a pain pill at night and two Tylenol in the day. I can't do exercises per my PS. No shower until drains are out either. That may be the worst part! I have seen both PS and BS this week. Got my final path today and really good news. I see the MO on Tuesday. I am getting the Oncotype test then so will have a ten day wait for that. The BS said I am going to be offered Tami and then 3 mo. of chemo as an option. I am 50 but have not gone thru menopause.



    Hope you all continue to heal and get stronger,

    Susan

  • tlaquepaque
    tlaquepaque Member Posts: 16
    edited September 2011

    Yes, I had tissue expanders for immediate reconstruction. Will get fills and then schedule surgery in December for the exchange.

    I see a lot of you are not able to take a shower with drains. This must be a surgeon preference because I was able to take a shower right away. I hung the drains around my neck with a lanyard. It was difficult because of pain and tightness but I was still able to clean off. 

    I'm still taking a lot of pain pills, I think. I didn't think I was a wimp. I thought I was prepared from having a previous c-section and natural childbirth but, no. I guess not.

  • jjjsjames
    jjjsjames Member Posts: 24
    edited September 2011

    I had my lumpectomy last Wednesday, Aug 24th.  I can't believe I sent a note to the nurses the next day saying it was a pleasant experience!  It actually was and I was so over the moon to have it over with.  I found the lump last Thanksgiving and it was diagnosed in Jan.  Been taking Femara to shrink it (to try to save the nipple, which she did), so it was a long wait.  I had been told in the beginning that I wouldn't need chemo, just radiation.  The pathology report changed my world and I can't seem to accept it and I can't bring myself to talk about it without crying.  Other than the major crap... this seroma under my arm is so uncomfortable.  The surgeon drained it on Tuesday, but it filled right back up and the office is no help, just kind of like, "your guess is as good as ours."  Now, I feel like I've slipped down the rabbit hole that I've been trying to avoid.  Good luck to you all.  I know my situation is very lucky compared to so many others.

  • dawmson
    dawmson Member Posts: 17
    edited September 2011

    Hi all, I had my lumpectomy and SNB on Tuesday. It went well, the doc says - but we won't know the pathology til next Wednesday, however, In addition to the tumor they took 3 nodes and he said they were all "soft" - I hope that is a good sign.

    Recovery has been pretty good so far although the rest of my life hasn't been helping much. My daughter came home from the first day of school yesterday with a fever and clogged ears and still has the fever. I'm trying to keep my distance. And then yesterday, we found out the same daughter somehow got lice! We spent the morning getting her treated at a lice "salon" where I live- luckily she's the only one in the family to have it, the rest of us are clean. By the time we got home I was tired and really swollen under my arm and my breast. So I got into bed with an icepack for the afternoon. I'm blessed that my mom has been here and she took over everything so I could rest.

    I also have some numbness behind my arm, which is worrying me. It wasn't there yesterday but started this afternoon. The doc's office said that's probably from the SNB. Have any of you had it? It's not painful but it feels really strange.

    Well, my husband is telling me to get off the computer and rest my arm, so I better listen. :)  

  • tigerw0man
    tigerw0man Member Posts: 59
    edited September 2011

    I might have to look on another board, but I wondered if anyone else had nipple sparing mx? I had mine on 8/15 and the PS said that all looked good and I shouldn't lose my nipples. However, my left nipple keeps scabbing over, it just doesn't seem to be healing. I have been putting a loose bandaid over it with Neosporin as he said I should not have any compression or I could restrict the blood flow. Does anyone know how long until the bleeding/scabbing stops?



    My prayers go out to all that are healing!



    Thanks!



    Shannon

  • tigerw0man
    tigerw0man Member Posts: 59
    edited September 2011

    Oops, mean no compression! :)

  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 478
    edited September 2011

    dawsmon-the back of both my arms-the triceps area are numb also. I had my BMX Aug 8. I am getting the nerves back over the biggest part of my chest but not on the triceps. I had no nodes taken but my incisons run all the way thru the pit out onto the back. No sensation at all when trying to put on deoderant. I have no armpit hair yet due to chemo-glad because trying to shave would be really strange.

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,981
    edited September 2011

    Hi all,

    My lumpectomy on Tuesday, 8/30, went well.  The worst part was having to leave home to dodge the hurricane but I managed to bring all I needed to the hotel.  Actually, the worst part was really the waiting from my 7:30 AM arrival to my 2:30 PM surgery.  I was so dehydrated and the Xanax wore off....I had to wait in a small consultation room with two arm chairs for hours because they were so busy.  I felt great when I awoke, and had a 3 hour ride home in rush hour traffic.  I didn't care - my daughter hired a car and driver and got us sandwiches and soft drinks. 
    My pain is minimal and am taking 1/2 pain pills.  But my SNB incision is swelling and bruised.  Today I had itching.  I will take off the bandages tomorrow and shower.  I don't want to look; but so far, things look and feel OK.
    I did have some numbness in areas under my arm today.  It comes and goes. 
    I will try to enjoy this week of feeling less anxiety and feeling pretty good.  Next week, results could once again turn my world upside down but I refuse to borrow on that trouble right now.
    I am hoping for the best. 
    Well, it is September and all of us August ladies have taken our first steps to being cancer-free.  I hope that we will continue to share our journies as we move through our treatment plans.  I still cannot believe that it is 'me' when I see my signature....7 weeks ago, I had no idea what any of these acronyms meant.  
    My prayers are for all the August ladies to have a complete recovery.

    Joan

  • rockym
    rockym Member Posts: 386
    edited September 2011

    dawmson, Glad to hear you're doing well.  Sorry about the lice situation.  What a pain!  I had that happen last year with both my kids.  It was the biggest hassle.  Glad I didn't get it.  Picking stuff out of their hair was one thing, but I can't imagine if it was me.

    A bit of advise... make sure the swelling is just that.  I had some complications the day after surgery and it started as a swelling and turned out to be something more.  Of course I ended up bleeding too and so I had to call the BS and get into the OR.

    My lumpectomy and SNB was 8/10 and I still have some nerve pain.  I also have an area under my armpit that is numb.  I've read this is normal.  I also have some weird pain around my ribs and back.  If I try to grab something really quick there is a tendon that pulls and I have to be careful.  I figure since we've all had invasive surgery, it will take a while to get back to "normal."

  • lorenar
    lorenar Member Posts: 41
    edited September 2011
    Made it through my surgery on Wed. fine and got to come home yesterday. While there Wed. night ended up with hayfever on top of it all. Am still fighting this sh't. Was so dopped up on allergy meds when I got home yesterday about 4 went to bed. Yes in apin but tolerable. They have me set up for a second opinion with a plastic surgeon on the 8th in ohio to see if they tell me the same thing about waiting so long for reconstruction. My DH is home until sep12 so he will be driving me since its 3 1/2 hours away. I will be starting the herceptin back on sep21 in Ohio. Okay ladies still real weak. Hope all my buddies are doing fine if not I say prayers for us all. Oh also she got 2 of my lymph node results back NEGATIVE YEA. SHE ONLY TOOK 4 GOTTA WAIT ON RESULTS OF OTHER 2. TAKE CARE GIRLS.
  • dogeyed
    dogeyed Member Posts: 84
    edited September 2011

    I am glad so many have just finished their surgery, doesn't take too long to get past it, especially when they pull the drains.

    BLONDE, you asked about our incisions.  Mine did not involve pulling the tummy skin up like you.  But I think mine looks kind of sloppy and lumpy, as if a third grader made the bed and pulled the sheets as a bunch and tucked in diagonally.  I also have a couple fatty type places on either side of my scar.  The scar itself is pretty thin, if I hadn't fallen in the hospital, I think most of it would be a straight line.  I definitely have a shark bite apperance on my left chest.  The incision runs from my sternum, kind of wobbles in the middle, and then divides near the armpit, one going down and one going up.

    But the WORST thing about my scar is I had a smudge mark from I thought the IBC part of my cancer, it appeared on my skin maybe a month after noticing my boob was diff.  Well, right at the incision where the rumpled sheets thing is, I could have sworn that part of that mark was still there!  I told the surgeon and he said he thought it was a surgery injury.  So, I told the radiologist, and she agreed with the doc, and that it was kind of peeling like an injury healing.  So, I said the mark was peeling, too.  Anyway, the rad doc knows about it, and the surgeon did say the incision margins were clear.  Worries me, tho.  I don't want IBC recurrence right in that place, my biggest concern of all this. 

    One thing I did look at online was some amazing tattoos that go over practically the whole breast, leaves with flowers usually, and these vine parts go over the scar, with a big flower at the middle, and unfurling up here and there, it makes it look like a boob is there sort of, and kind of takes away from the strange flat look.  I'm not having reconstruction, and probably no tattoo, but gets me to thinking.  Maybe in the spring when I have some hair and my scar/rad situation is healed up, I'll go to a salon and get my hair fixed and then to a tattoo shop to get some morning glories put where my boob was.  I wonder how expensive that will be.

    Love always to my chemo sisters, Gail   

  • mags20487
    mags20487 Member Posts: 1,092
    edited September 2011

    to dawmson...my numbness did not settle in for a few day after my bmx so maybe it is normal.  Only my left arm is bad where they took out the 18 nodes and right side is probably at 70% now.  Going back today to get the other 2 drains out and staples out to so SHOWER TIME.  Been using the press and sel cling wrap aroung the incision and drains as the surgeon does not want me to shower yet but a girls gotta get clean if ya know what I mean.  My hair especially need some help...oh well not gonna have it much longer anyway.  Time to start shopping for that wig!

    Maggie

  • abatellik
    abatellik Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2011

    Dogeyed- if you do decide to get the tatoo, you might as well take advantage of the numbness, right? :-)

  • treegirl
    treegirl Member Posts: 13
    edited September 2011

    To dawmson; I have had quite a bit of numbness on the cancer side with SNB removed. I am 10 days post-op. This week most numbness has been replaced by shooting pains that I was afraid were lung problems. I spent a good part of yesterday searching these boards for simliar symptoms and have concluded it is as my doctor said, normal recovery symptoms as nerves regenerate and tissue heals. I had a lumpectomy with a fist-size amount of tissue removed.

    Two other things I learned this week from doc and confirmed on these boards by others' docs:

    1) Taking at least tylenol is important as it is also an antiinflammatory as we heal. I am not a pill taker so this has been an adjustment for me. I still find I need 1 percoset in the late afternoon, but I am down to that plus 500 mg of tylenol every 4 hours when I remember.

    2) I have been told to NOT allow my heart rate to increase or blood pressure to rise for at least another week as it can cause internal bleeding. Doc said walking on a level surface is ok, but no hills, no exercise bike etc.  

  • jjjsjames
    jjjsjames Member Posts: 24
    edited September 2011

    Treegirl,  The day after my surgery I didn't need to take pain meds, so I asked a pharmacist friend which would be better, tylenol or advil. Here is his reply:  "Tylenol is an analgesic (pain killer) but not anti-inflammatory.  Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen is both).  I would take the Advil/Motrin as it's effects last 6-8 hours versus Tylenol which lasts about 4 hours. Maximum dose for Advil is 2400 mg/day which is 12 tablets (up to 4 tablets every 8 hours) That's probably more than you will need. Take it with food to avoid stomach upset."

    I wish the Doctors would tell us these things!

  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 305
    edited September 2011

    Hmmm...I'd ask your doc b/c I thought you were ONLY supposed to take Tylenol--NO NSAIDs like Advil or Motrin b/c they thin the blood and can make you bleed.  

  • jjjsjames
    jjjsjames Member Posts: 24
    edited September 2011

    Yes, that's what I was worried about, so I asked the surgeon's office and they said, no problem since I was sown up and past the surgery.  They don't want you taking it before surgery.

  • rockym
    rockym Member Posts: 386
    edited September 2011
    No one told me not to take Advil after surgery and I did since I don't like the prescriptions they gave me.  Way too strong.  Anyway, when I had a complication the next day, they said that the bleeding I had could have been made worse from the Advil.  They should tell people... no Advil before OR AFTER.  Who knew??
  • jjjsjames
    jjjsjames Member Posts: 24
    edited September 2011

    Sorry, I guess nobody expects complications, but if you did have one, you would not want Advil in your system.  You just can't win for losing sometimes!  I think I felt like I wanted an anti-inflamatory because of the swelling, but it was probably the fluid build up under my arm and not swelling, so the Advil wouldn't have helped with that either.

  • Tssheps
    Tssheps Member Posts: 7
    edited September 2011

    Hi there. I made it home yesterday and things went relatively well. Sentinel node test worked and BS removed the three nodes that had dye - one of which had cancer cells so he took out some more...didn't ask for exact number figuring the final path will give details. PS said phase 1 of reconstruction could hot have gone better. He only had to use a very small amount of seri scaffold (alternative to alloderm) to attach to my pectoralis for TE's. I'm hoping for the best.



    I am not in too much pain and have kept to a schedule. I am trying to eat well and drink lots of water. Using Tylenol instead of percocet hoping for a bm soon. I am spending my time upstairs in my room as I don't want to go up and down stairs. Walking laps around each bedroom and down the hall. My sister in law (rn) has been so kind to help with my drains...I was expecting little granades and these are huge reservoir round vacuum things. I see PS on Wed. And hope they will come out then. I see BS on Thursday but he'll call when path comes back...nervous about that!



    I am so appreciative to all of you and your insights..it has made things a lot less scary! You are a special group of ladies... Your honesty and candor is greatly appreciated! Enjoy your holiday weekend! Thank you again.

  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 305
    edited September 2011

    Glad you're sounding so terrific!  

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,981
    edited September 2011

    I am 3 days past lumpectomy and SNB.  That side seemed to retain fluid today (not hard swelling).
    I was lying down and discovered I have the sloshing water boob syndrome.  I am glad I had read about it here or I would have flipped out....it is strange. 
    My bruise is large from SNB (4" wide or so) but doesn't really hurt unless I wear something that rubs on it. 
    Wishing all a good week end and continued recovery.  I pray for good reports for all who wait.

  • FLwarrior
    FLwarrior Member Posts: 614
    edited September 2011

    All of our August surgeries have happened and it sounds like everyone is on the road to recovery!  We have jumped this BIG hurdle!  Wishing you continued healing!

    HAVE A HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

  • blondelawyer
    blondelawyer Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2011

    Hey Ladies!  I saw the exercise doctor on Thursday and he was very reassuring about how my incisions looked and also about my range of motion.  He said that I am doing very well, so that helped with my anxiety some.  Then yesterday I got one of my drains out!  Yeah!  The other is still in and because of the long weekend and scheduling, the earliest I will be able to get it out is on Wednesday (which will be the 22 day I think).  

    I also had a bone scan yesterday to check on this weird spot that we found on one of my ribs.  Unfortunately I didn't get the results back so I'll have to wait until Tuesday for that.

    I am feeling a bit better emotionally, but still a bit of a mess. Yesterday was the 10 month mark of my husband's death, so that is probably part of the reason that I am having such a rough time.  Also, my birthday is coming up and I want him to be here for that.  I am going to see my therapist today, so maybe that will help.  

    I hope that everyone has a good weekend!  Rest and recover! 

  • joyceva
    joyceva Member Posts: 20
    edited September 2011

    Happy Labor Day Weekend! 

    May we all continue to heal and gain back our strength as we go forward!

  • bobeena
    bobeena Member Posts: 46
    edited September 2011

    Hope everyone has a great long weekend!

    I was wondering how many used compression (garments or tensors) after BMX, and if so for how long? I also have some air bubbles at times in my right drain tube but suction is still working. Did anyone else have this? I am on day 3 postop and do not want to develop a seroma - there can only be forward momentum after 8 months of waiting. No set backs! We are all on our way to getting off this crazy ride! Ps I am counting down the days to getting these blasted drains out! It is reassuring to know that it gets easier once they are gone.

  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 305
    edited September 2011

    I didn't use a compression garment at all.  You're still putting out fluid, right?  Do you have a visiting home nurse service?  If so, you could call them and I think they always have someone on call.  

    Let's hope none of us have any major issues over the holiday weekend!

    Blondelawyer--hang in there, love.  After all you've been through, it seems only normal to be a bit of a mess.  (I hope you hear that with the love I'm sending it with--I mean, that your life in this past year has been anything but normal--so don't beat yourself up that you're not feeling totally normal.)  I'm not one for celebrating dates, they always raise your expectations for other people's behavior which is totally out of your control--and that's not when you're missing the love of your life.  I say we should start planning a busy birthday for you filled with things that will keep you busy and happy.  You deserve it.  

  • blondelawyer
    blondelawyer Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2011

    I did not wear any compression garmets after BMX either.  

    Profbee:  thanks for the encouragement.  this has been such a rough ride and I'm just tired I think. 

  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 305
    edited September 2011

    You got this, Blondelawyer.  Sweet dreams tonight!

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