January 2018 Surgery group! Please see updated list in thread!
Comments
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hourmom,were your breasts beginning to swell from residual drainage once the drains came out? It’s normal they said but uncomfortable. PS will address it but just wondering if you were the same. I do feel really good that they are out. It wasn’t a week but my drains were not putting out much fluid at all
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philaflash yes Helen took out all 3 drains this morning,and path report. Right!! I start seeing Bonowitz on the 9th I’am not sure when. The appt. Times change but they are every Friday in Camden I believe. Mornings as well. Probably like 10:45,9:45,10:00. Are you Camden or Voorhees? Your drains out yet? I am still taking oxycodone Maybe 2 per day? It HURTS!!!!!!!!!!
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Marlena - I go in Thursday. I see Bonowitz in Camden. Always at 9. How were the fiils?
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Has anyone else had issues with short term disability? I had a BMX with reconstruction and my PS wants me out of work for 6 weeks, surgery was lady week and short term disability wants me back to work on Monday. I guess that is something to keep me busy, fighting with them. Did not get my drains out today but I knew that the was too much output so i was prepared. I am supposed to meet with my oncologist on Feb 13th to find out if I need chemo and radiation but learned that she had a family emergency and had to go to Italy and they see not sure if she will be back by then. I know I am not alone but waiting for answers is torture.
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I haven’t had a fill yet. I seem to have residual fluid that is floating around the breast cavity and it swelled some and feels awful. The drains I felt nothing when she pulled them. I have a little bruising now. Helen says if it gets bad to call. She will get me in to see one of Bonowitz other team docs. I don’t know. This hurts and honestly don’t know if I can wait until the 9th
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philaflash,who do you see Thursday? Not Bonowitz? He is away in Nepal!!!
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Hi Janary surgery group. Thought I was going to join your group.But now the plan is to do Chemo first then surgery. Has anybody in this group had chemo first? I will be praying for you all and checking out how every body is doing.
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I had my surgery today, and I'm doing good. The guidewire placement and SNB injections weren't pleasant, but tolerable. My actual surgery took about 90 minutes, and I got home around 2. I'm uncomfortable, but not horrendous pain, so feeling very blessed. My daughter was supposed to come stay with me, but she's got flu, so I'm alone. My biggest fear is stroke...i have AFIB, so I take blood thinner daily. I haven't had any in 4 days, so my fear in being alone is a stroke...
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Good to hear your surgery went well and that part is over with and you can relax and recover. I had mine 4 days ago, it's good to get that out of the way. Sorry to hear your there alone, though. Can you resume taking your blood thinners tonight? I hope you can get some rest, and will feel better in the morning.
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can anyone who had surgery before me with te's and drains pulled after a week tell me what is normal to expereince? My one breast went flatter yesterday and I got some swelling from residual fluid and now my breast look normal but really lots of pressure from the extra fluid but again look normal. A little bruisng inframammory. I don' wanna be a hypochondriac but I won' see my plastic surgeon until next Friday! My doc says if it becomes that bothersome call and a different plastic surgeon can alleviate some pressure? I guess drain it? Just wondering if this is the norm. No fever just PRESSURE!!!!!!
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How dud the surgery girls do this week. I have minimal pain. Tylenol only
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I’m done! It was a long day yesterday, but the pain isn’t too bad. I think I’m going to stay another night in hospital just to be on the safe side. They did find some cancer cells in a small lymph node. So they ended up taking all of them. Both surgeons were very positive. Been thinking of all you
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If my hemoglobin. Stays the same. I wii be discharged today. Looking forward to it. The BMX hasnt bothered me.
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LKinKC - if you look at my diagnosis and treatment plan, it's pretty much the same protocol as yours. By having a HER2 positive lesion, you can take advantage of the two monoclonal antibodies herceptin and perjeta (also called targeted therapies). These actually attack the HER2 cells and kill them. You will also have the two chemo agents taxotere and carboplatin. Those are the nasty ones. The idea is to shrink the lesions and possibly reduce the grade and maybe allow more conservative surgery. The targeted therapy is pretty incredible. I just got my path report which showed no residual cancer in that breast. (I also had a small non-HER2 positive lesion in the left. I opted for a BMX, given my age) You recover from chemo for a month or so, then have whatever surgery is need, maybe followed by radiation, if needed. You will continue to have herceptin and perjeta infusions every three weeks to complete a full year. Those are a piece of cake. Personally, I'm glad to have gotten the chemo over first. Didn't have to worry about washing my hair post op. Lol. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.
Marlena - Helen is covering for routine Bonowitz follow ups while he's gone. That's who I'll see tomorrow.
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This is Jo. Im still in the hospital. I came into the hospitai with 12.3 hematocrit. Now it has decreased to 6. The dt. Said the bleeding was from my hematoma in left armpit. I had the armpit surgery yestetday. Now they are talking about blood transfusions and another night in the hosputal. Do any of you know what's going on?
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Hi Jo, so sorry about the extended hospital stay and surgery for the hematoma. I looked up a bunch of info on hematocrit and hematoma, plus there are quite a few posts on other threads on this website. I went into the search option and put in Hematoma Blood Transfusion. This has happened to others...not that that is probably much comfort to you at the moment. Your red blood cell count is low because of the bleeding so you have anaemia, thus the transfusion. If there is anything I can do or find out for you online, please let me know. I am on the west coast so too far to do anything but sent positive thoughts. Will your friends be able to deal with things at home for you?
Thinking of you and sending healing thoughts.....Jude x0 -
Jo, did you get any more info yeton the extra nodes?
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lg10...I’m sorry about the positive lymph node, but glad that your doctors are positive. Best wishes for your recovery from surgery so you cancontinue wedding planning!
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Thanks for your posts for January and hope everyone continues healing well. I am off to look for a February surgery group.
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Jude-my friends are happy to take care if the digs. 1/2 nodes poistive. The other 10 nodes gavent been tested. Thanks for all the information on the hematocrit. That's good to know. Continue to heal.
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Jo, you too
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Marlena one of my breasts is like a normal breast already, apart from being too full on the side. The other one, which caused problems during surgery, is still bruised although that is getting better now that I’m taking arnica for it. I think I have a seroma on the upper front area, which has been painful. This breast was bigger right out of surgery, I think he had so much trouble with it that he just kind of gave up in the end (I can’t blame him after 11.5 hours!). It was also draining dark red blood long after the other drains were out. I think I’ll probably be having another surgery on this one before my stage 2 revision tbh.
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Hourmom,yep,I am pretty sure I have a seroma. I’am seeing the doctor tomorrow at 11. I am SUPER uncomfortable!! How long before your drains were pulled? So mine came out yesterday. Today was my surgery a week ago. I guess what I am asking is even if the drains came out too soon should that fluid reabsorb into the body AND what’s the worst that could happen between today and tomorrow? How swollen can it get?? No fever,no angry red breasts and no open Steri strips. This is awful! Still can’t believe you were under 11.5 hours!!!!! How is your arm range of motion
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I’m in for surgery bright and early tomorrow!! Anxious but looking forward to the next step.
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ToughCookie: Good luck to you. Speedy recovery. I had my BMX and SNB on the 29th. Im taking Tylenol only for pain. But I did fill the prescription for Percocet just in case
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Marlena, I had three of them pulled after one week and the last one was 2 weeks. The seroma had formed before they pulled the drains though, and I don’t have any in the areas from the first 3 drains. I also developed a seroma under my arm after SNB, but they drained it during the BMX surgery. My arm motion range is just fine, but that’s probably because I had the SNB done 3 weeks prior
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hourmom,I understand about the underarm seromas. Boy,I got 1 badly after a,snb a few tears back. I had to have it drained every other day for a week!!!!! I am in tremendous discomfort. I'l see the plastic surgeon this morning at 11. I hope this doesn't keep happening!! I can' t deal with it. My sterile strips feel like they will burst open with any movement!!! SO MUCH FLUID!!!!!!!!
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huomom sounds like we had the same surgery. How straight are you walking? My tummy is so tight! Don’t know why anyone would choose to do a tummy tuck. My boobs feel so much better after this surgery than than the TE surgery. My boob drains aren’t producing much so I know they will come out Monday. Praying the abdomen comes out then as well so I have more mobility. My husband has been a saint through all of this. Today is 7 days since surgery. I’m feeling so much better today
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Redjo I’m standing almost completely straight, today is 3 weeks since I came home. I’ve been driving for a week. I can manage a quick trip around the grocery store if I only have a few things to get. I took my first standing shower this week. I find that my stomach muscles are the most relaxed after I have slept in my bed, as flat as I can bear. The abdominal binder the surgeon gave me has fallen apart, I’m wearing ‘waist shaping’ spanx instead!
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houmom that’s awesome. You are a rockstar. I can’t even get my recliner lever up and down. I still haven’t tried laying flat. My doctor doesn’t give a tummy girdle or spanx. I can’t imagine driving right now, my right drain is sitting on a nerve. I feel the best this morning, having company this weekend to give my hubby some relief. Thanks for the update.
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