June 2017 Surgery Group
Comments
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Salasila and yazMar74 I will be right there with you next week. Mine is on the 14th. We can support and educate each other throughout. I think I am beginning to feel scared as well. Up to now I have been so busy but things are coming together and now I have more time to think. I have had major surgery in the last and it was really easy compared to my expectations so I am hoping for that again.
PUlstk. When is your surgery? I can't believe that you will be in Relay for Life with all you have been through. Thank you for that.
Prayers for all you lovely ladies.
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Well this is a group I never thought I'd need to join. My surgery is scheduled for June 14th and I've opted for the left side mastectomy. It's interesting to read the unique treatments for all of us. My mammogram was normal in January but I found the lump on May 1. I have one mass at 1cm and two small ones behind it with the total measurement (for now) of 2.1cm. ER/PR +, HER 2- The ultrasound and MRI show normal nodes but I also know this may change after final pathology. I've read that Chemo will be recommended afterwards but also hoping for extremely low oncotype test scores. We don't want to be over achievers on this one! It's very comforting to know what I'm feeling is "normal" and we will get through this. Fear of the unknown scares me the most. I'm a planner and like to have all of the information up front and make decisions based on facts and as we all know, this is not possible. I pray for healing for each of you.
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I know how you feel JMBG! Cancer was the furthest thing from my mind when I got diagnosed. I'm having a left side mastectomy too - but mine got pushed from June 15 to July 6 so that I'll be covered by short term disability. Right side biopsy was normal - whew. I'm almost more scared of recovery from surgery than anything else. Not scared of actual surgery as I'll sleep through it. Just the recovery! Wish I could sleep through that, too. It's tough because there's medical treatment which is great - but the treatment makes you feel crappy. So it's like bittersweet. (Yay - there is treatment! Oh wait, I'll feel bad...).
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Just wanted to tell all you June surgery girls that you are in my thoughts and prayers!
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how's everyone doing? I think there were a few of you having surgery this week (like me!). I'm now three days post-op and managing pretty well. Showered yesterday (amen!), ate dinner at the kitchen table (kicked my butt) and if I can poop today, I'll call it a win
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Hi everyone, I guess I'm in the June group although I was in the March and April group as well for lumpectomies. I'm one week post-op from my June 2nd bmx and feeling pretty good. I have a follow up appointment on Monday and hope to have my 4 drain tubes removed as they are a pain in my ass.
Happy Friday!!!
Kim
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hi runningmama, whop hoo for showering! Now go get you some miralax. What causes the constipation? Pain meds? I don't do well with pain meds so planning to go with Advil/toradol (no reconstruction). So I had a question - did you get sent home with antibiotics? And what do muscle relaxers feel like? Do they impair thinking?
Welcome Kim E I hope those drains come out fast!
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Miralax is up next... finishing last cup of coffee and then, bottoms up! I think it's the narcotics and my natural tendency. I'm not uncomfortable, so not too worried. I got both a pain pill (norco) and muscle relaxer (flexeril). I feel a little loopy today, so I may try spacing the meds out a bit more -- norco every 6 hours instead of 4. I don't think it impacts my thinking though... just not as attentive as usual?
I went home with Keflex every eight hours. Going to try to space stuff out to be taken at normal hours... I'm able to sleep through the night soon, I hope.
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hi all
I had my unilateral left mastectomy on wednesday. had many mixed emotions regarding loss of breast, had tears, second guessed myself etc etc in the couple of weeks leading up to this. Then made a conscious decision that i had to be calm and strong for surgery.
On tuesday, i lined up conversations with friends i knew who would be enocuraging and i absorbed their words, i surrouncded myself with support both in real life and here online --SBKH had me on her prayer list.
I wrote in my journal ---lots of positive calm statements.
Overall, i am glad i made this decision in this treatment journey.
I just want to reinforce to everyone here that mixed feelings, tears, wanting to run away from it all are all completely normal before surgery. Sit with yourself and make sure YOU feel that YOU are making the decision for mastectomy --not just following the doctors or your family or friends. And if you can feel that way about yoru decision, you will feel relief after surgery and make it through. Think of all the support you have for the times you are alone with yoru doctor, your nurse, in the or before they put you to sleep
Now is the pain management, constipaiton with narcotics, drains etc , very hoarse voice with the intubation, was sent home mainly with tylenol, and NSAIDs, and told toonly to use narcotics for breakthrough pain --just like chemo side effects, there is an intervention for each of these, so now i just follow doctors instructions.
I really want to thank everyone here, especially SBKH , for the support
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Hi all-
My BMX was May 31 so I figure I'm close enough to officially post on the June surgery page.
It's been a week and 2 days and although the bulk of the physical pain is definitely tolerable, the emotional toll of the last few months is starting to weigh heavily. I have NO second thoughts about my decision to have surgery (I lost my dad to cancer and would do anything, ANYTHING, to keep my daughters from experiencing the same thing) but when I think that I had cancer (still waiting on final pathology so it's not officially past tense, but my surgeon feels pretty confident) and now look in the mirror to see drain holes and bruises and stitches and bizarre looking TE's, its almost too much. I don't even feel modest about someone seeing my chest. Is that because so many doctors, nurses, techs, etc have seen and touched me in the last few months? Or because my breasts are officially gone and replaced by these fakes?
I have a great support system in my friends and family, but this is hard. I am strong when I'm with people, but alone I crack. I want to feel like myself again and just wonder if anyone is feeling this way and can share any insight as to when normalcy or a new normalcy will set in?
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I am so touched by all of you. Your honesty about your feelings and emotions and your courage are very inspiring. I don't think anyone who has not had this walk can really understand. I continue to pray for each of you and hope that recovery is a straight line up.
I'm in a very positive place but still tear up when I am alone. I guess these next four days will be a roller coaster of feelings.
Hugs to all of you.
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I am scheduled for a unilateral right breast mastectomy with DIEP flap on June 22nd. Having trouble focusing on anything but my cancer recurrence and upcoming surgery. It is always in the back of my mind. Just want to get through surgery and tostart getting my life back.
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Hi all,
I'm having a left breast mastectomy on June 19 or 21st, then waiting for pathology before next step - diep flap. I'm mostly doing okay, but have the occasional cry about the loss of my breast. I am 45, and have a 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter.
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My bilateral mastectomy surgery is June 22. I'm having immediate reconstruction with pre pectoral implants. I will have radiation afterwards on one side. Anyone else doing radiation after pre pectoral implants??
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I don't know what pre-pectoral implants are, but I had TEs put in during my surgery Tuesday, and will need radiation too. (Didn't know that until the sentinel node biopsy.)
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Runningmama. I am going direct to implant. No expander and my implant will be above the muscle. Both my BS and PS think this is a great option for me as I am pretty small. Recovery is supposed to be quicker as no muscle involvement and no distortion upon movement later on. We will see.
I actually will be slightly larger than I currently am as my doctors said (very professionally) that they don't make implants in my size. Really?? Where are the women engineers??
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noodlesmom--its ok to crack, its ok to cry, its part of being human . Sounds to me that you have been so strong for everyone else and for yoruself, and have focused on what you have to do that you have done the physical healing, but now its time for the emotional healing. So its ok to let it out , you know you will recover ---keep letting the emotions out, then let them go, allow yourself to feel , then focus on something good and bit by bit day by day a new normal will set in . In terms of modesty ---losing modesty in the medical setting becomes par for the course i think once we have gone through so much. And your new breasts are not fake really are they --they are made of your sweat , toil, tears, your dedication to your life and health, covered by your skin and tissue and your heart beats beneath them. , each one of us has her own emotional journey and we have to allow ourselves to have our emotional moments, and thus go to our new normal . The only way out is through. Thats what i tell myself.
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Thinking of you all. You are all so brave. Sending hugs.
K
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Hi. I finally joined this community after spending the last 5 mos reading various posts which I found educational and supportive. I was dx with DCIS in left breast in Jan. It was terrible timing (is it ever good?) and I felt like it stopped me in my tracks. All the positive things I had put in motion abruptly stopped as I initially resisted and eventually accepted the dx. I was told repeatedly that DCIS is the "best of breast cancers" and some even questioned whether it was truly cancer, which created a tornado in my head. Drs recommended lumpectomy with radiation. I opted for a bmx with diep flap for various reasons. I'm 3 weeks post surgery. I definitely experienced some anxiety in the days and hours leading up to surgery. I'm glad I went with a mx as path report indicated DCIS had been much larger than picked up on imaging. Unfortunately I was informed last week a small amt of DCIS remains. UGH. I'm trying to get back to living as my life has been consumed by cancer for the last 5 mos. I'm grateful to be a part of this community as it's been invaluable to me during this journey.
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Dear Allabtbirds,
Welcome to the BCO community. We are so glad that you reached out to our members and shared your story. We are happy that you have found the boards to be helpful and we hope that you will stay connected here for support and information. We are wishing you a speedy recovery from your surgery. Keep us posted. The Mods
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noodlemom & runningmama, kime, tara17,
Thank you so much for postingl Surgery is early Tuesday morning and I have this sick feeling in my gut. Wish it was over with.
Glad both of you are doing so well! Makes me feel better knowing that a few hours post op, it's possible to be up blogging.
Salasila, yazMar74, JMBG, SusanGA - our week is here! Lots of emotions, but in a few hours, surgery will be over, hopefully cancer will be gone & we will be on the way to recovery! Keeping all of you in my thoughts & prayers!
Karen
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hi everyone. I have not posted in a couple of weeks. I had surgery Friday. I had a left prophylactic mastectomy with TE on both breast and a lat flap on the right side. Recovering well thank goodness but hate the drains. I have 5. I was terrified going in. My pain is minimal. Ladies you will get through this.
Hugs
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good morning!
Hopfull2, so glad you are recovering well!
Thank you ladies who have already had surgery and posted how it's going. That's so comforting and reassuring! I was up all night worrying and feeling silly for worrying. It just hits me in phases.
I had a question, did you have someone stay in the hospital with you? Was it a spouse or a parent? I'm trying to decide what to do.
For those that are joining us- welcome!
Legomaster225, totally sympathize with you on size...
Ouray7, praying for you this morning.
I'm keeping all of you in my prayers, too- blessings for your medical teams to take good care of you, peace and support from your family/friends, incredible healing.
Hugs
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ouray 17 I will be praying for you and all of us that are jumping in this week. I feel scared but strong at the same time. I have teary moments but mostly laughter.
I would love to know the answer about someone staying with you at night. I was just thinking the same thing.
God bless all of you.
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Not surgery related but today I read a Facebook post about someone having trouble with their AC and my mind automatically interpreted that as chemo instead of air conditioning. My life has changed so much in the last 6 months.
Trying to keep my sense of humor as it helps me cope with this mess.0 -
SBKH and SusanGA- I originally told my husband that it would be fine for him to spend the night at home. But as my surgery didn't even begin until 4pm (I actually asked the PS if he needed a shot of espresso before he started), my husband wanted to be there when I woke up and was settled in my room. A friend who had a BMX last year told me that her mom spent that first night with her. It got me thinking and at the last minute, I thought how nice it would be to look over and have him there, so I asked him to stay. He was very happy for me to finally admit that I needed some help. As it turned out, anesthesia and I are not friends and I relied on him to hold my hair back multiple times during the night. If you have someone who can be there with you, it's just a good feeling to know you're not alone.
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This is the week for several of ladies and while I'm extremely anxious, I'm so ready to get this party started (and over with). We got this! And all of you are strong women, we need to continue to think positive and pray for healing! I too have teary moments and my family never know where the emotional roller coaster will stop next.
I think my husband will stay with me Wednesday night, mostly for my emotional support.
Praying for you guys!
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SBKH and SusanGA, my boyfriend spent the first night with me in the hospital on a little sofa that pulled out into a bed. He just looked so uncomfortable throughout the entire night so I asked him to sleep at home for the second night to get some rest.
I get mydrains out today 🎉🎉🎉 so hopefully this annoying pain will get better.
Kim
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Tara17
Thank you. Each day brings new emotions, but you are so right about letting them out. So far, today is a good day and for that, I'm thankful.
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I had surgery last Tuesday and sent my husband home.., glad I did, as it was nice to rely on the nursing team for getting up and to the bathroom. By the time he came back in the morning, i do it by myself and he felt much more comfortable with me going home early that afternoon.
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