2018 - February Surgery Support Group
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MountainMama, a big thank you to your friend's mother for pioneering sentinal node biopsy! It is very humbling to know we're doing our small part in research toward the future as well. I haven't heard anything from my TE, but I've definitely had some feelings like fluid settling/shifting. I'll be so happy for reconstruction to be finished and know for sure how this is going to feel in the long run.
Strengthandjoy, my range of motion is getting there. Almost 6 week out for me, and I went back to my normal yoga routine for the first time this morning. There were definitely arm stretching things I still can't do, but I think the exercise really helped. Afterwards I was able to stretch my arm out much more than before.
My visiting nurse has been advocating for physical therapy, but my PS doesn't want me to. It's frustrating not knowing what is good for me and what is bad since the professionals can't seem to agree, but I've been splitting the different doing some exercises on my own, and I seem to be improving.
Spring hasn't quite come to where I am yet. It's snowing today,which is lovely, but it has been really good to see the sun out later in the day. Sometimes I feel like I'm recovering at the same pace the world is coming back into bloom. There's actually something kind of poetic about that, no?
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Just got the genetic testing results. I'm negative for any mutations! I'm sure my sister and Mom will be excited and I'm happy my daughter won't have to worry about that part anyways.
How is everyone else feeling? I'm 5 weeks out and today I feel great. However yesterday I felt like I was hit by a bus since it was a day after my TE fill. Sleep is still a big problem but taking melatonin before bed seems to get me through at least half the night. Has anyone found any good sleep tips? Even though I didn't have any sentinel nodes checked, my boobs feel like they're right under my armpits and hard as rocks so I can't really lie on my side.
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Kaywrite- glad you don’t have cancer!
StrengthandJoy - I am a week behind you my left side feels better than my right the last couple weeks. In beginning it was the opposite. I can tell I am sensitive and sore all over and things are healing. I think PT comes around When the fills start. Week 6 should be an exciting week.
Bella - looks like we had same surgery date but yours is much more recovery time. I am glad you are having people take you to lunch and drive. I am struggling with guilt asking for so much help as a single parent. Yesterday someone helped wash my daughters sheets now I have to figure getting them on.
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Nurse, what a relief, yes? I'm so glad you have one less thing to worry about. Hope you are well. I'll post about radiation over in that thread. Just say, the arm position is worse than the laser beam of radiation being pointed at your chest on purpose.
Jt3, I think youre talking about the benign cyst? Yes, one less monster in the closet
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Nursepatient, congrats on BRCA negative. What a huge relief.
I'm 6 weeks out to the day and feeling mostly like myself again. TE is a little uncomfortable, and the drain and incision sites still sting a bit. Phantom nipple twitches are so weird. No good sleep tips unfortunately. Glad the melatonin is working. I used Atavan, which was ok.
I'm running the Komen 5K in Boston on April 28th, and have just started training. Got way out of shape during convalescence, and it's nice to be active again.
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My daughter had a swim party last night for her birthday. I put my suit on and it’s very weird wearing something to give you support without a real need for its function. I went to lift and adjust the cups and straps like I would have in the past realizing that it didn’t matter! Small victory
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32b, way to go with doing a 5k. I've always had such a hard time getting into an exercise routine. I went for a walk through other day and tried to jog but that lasted about 10 seconds. The bounce of the jog hurt so bad. I know I need to do something but I usually come up with plenty of excuses.
Mountainmama, it is a small perk isn't it. I guess if we have to have these rock hard tissue expanders we might as well have one little perk. I haven't worn a bra really at all which is nice. I even threw a couple away the other day that I knew I'd never be wearing again.
Also, don't know if anyone is still having the sandpaper nerve pain feeling but I found icy hot Lidocaine works great. The ingredients in it is just Lidocaine and menthol. Works great and cost like $12 at Target.
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So funny!! Nursepatient- it didn’t even dawn on me to throw old bras away!!! Your right! We won’t be wearing those old ones ever again. Wow! That is funny that i am in that drawer everyday and it never hit me.
I’m really impressed 32b- I can’t get myself to run yet. Just lightly jogging it so uncomfortable and I just quit. That is probably this issue, i give up when things get hard or uncomfortable.
Do any of you sleep flat on your back yet? I’m stacked with lots of pillows behind me.
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Don't worry. I come up with plenty of excuses not to run as well. I may end up walking most of the 5K if I don't manage to get myself in shape soon. If anyone would like to donate and guilt me into training harder, I'll be happy to send you the link in a private message. All proceeds go to breast cancer education, screenings, and research.
Congrats on throwing your old bras away, ladies! That's pretty cool to not need the support. I'm in a weird place where I'll still need support for my natural boob. I can already notice it's droopier than the new one. Mountainmamma, how was swimming? Did it feel weird? Was the bathing suit comfortable? I still feel irritated around my incision line if I wear anything tight around there. Also congrats on revealing that much to the public! It must have felt like a great milestone. I'm still hiding under the baggiest clothes I can find, at least until one more fill.
Strengthandjoy, I am sleeping more or less normally. except not on my stomach of course. Anybody whether that will ever be back to normal? What hurts for you about lying flat? Is it just about being able to get back up comfortably?
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February Surgery Sistahs: just a note to say I hope you're all doing well - I see lots of healing up, moving on from drains to sleep to bras to running (really, 32B?
). My own frowny lumpectomy scar is healing nicely, which is good I suppose, considering it's getting laser-beamed every day for the next 19 days. I'm off to 3/21 rads, and happy to be moving alon. Everyone have a great week.0 -
32B good on you for planning out your next race!! I ran a 5K yesterday. I hadn't run a step in the 6 weeks since surgery (lumpectomy, not a mastectomy like you), but was trying to keep up my cardio with lower impact workouts, It was slower going but it felt good to be back at it and NORMAL again! Our Komen race is in June, so I'll sign up for that too!
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It’s great that you are able to run! I find that even walking I can feel these TEs rubbing and moving .. I keep finding myself walking on my tip toes to be gentler when I step! On a good note, range of motion is doing great! Although I have been doing stage 2 exercises for a month now started shortly after my drains were removed. I can still feel the stretch more where my lymph nodes were removed but it’s definitely getting better .. I can sleep on my side but I wake up sometimes with my arm asleep (pins and needles). And it scares the heck out of me so I roll back to my back.
Love reading all of you updates- you all are an amazing group of women!
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Hi, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2017 and had a double M on Jan.11 2018. My mother passed away in 2008 due to breast cancer that spread to her lungs and then to her brain.
I feel that I have been blessed because it looks like my cancer was found very early. According to my doctors, I am not even at a State 1. I decided to have both breasts removed even though there was cancer only in my left breast because it made no sense to me to put myself in the position of having to have surgery more than once. I am 69 years old and there will be no implants.
I am only having to take an oral medication (Anastrozole) and I have only been taking it one month. Does anyone know how long it takes for side effects to start showing up. I am already having night sweats. I am starting to notice that I can be feeling great and all of a sudden I will start feeling nausea coming on and the next thing I know, I am throwing up. (this can happen anywhere) I was at Busch Gardens in Tampa on Sunday and started feeling sick and before I knew it, there I was on the train throwing up. It was getting hot outside so I don't know if the heat had anything to do with my getting sick. We immediately (well as fast as I could make it to the car) went home and I slept the whole afternoon with a very upset stomach. Does this sound like a side effect of my medication?
Thanks for listening.
Mary
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Hi February surgery lovely ladies! Wanted to drop in and say hello and I can’t believe im already 6, almost 7 weeks post surgery. I certainly wouldn’t have made it through without your support. I love reading how everyone has been progressing:) and so impressed and motivated that people are up and literally running already-go 32B!
Strengthandjoy-I still sleep on my back mostly as sleeping on my sides Is very uncomfortable. Otherwise, ive been doing pretty well. Trying to be as active as possible during the day but I still get very tired . I still hate getting my TEs expanded (it hurts me very much) but today was my last one as I start radiation In mid april. I did have to get my right side deflated so after radiation I’ll have to get that one filled back up. Prosthetic here I come!I guess I do need to get rid of my bras as they’re all underwire anyway - but haven’t been able to bring myself to do it yet. In time I suppose.
Wishing everyone a great week!
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Strengthandjoy— I’ve been able to sleep on my side pretty comfortably the last week or 2. I have a pretty firm pillow behind me for support since the angle isn’t truly how I’d consider sleeping on my side, but helps bedtime feel more normal to be off my back. I also hug a squishy pillow that supports the new boobs since shape/weight of them doesn’t shift like the real ones did.
32b — I didn’t have to do any real swimming, I just sat in the shallow kid pool with my younger kid. My swimsuit was comfortable, probably even more than before. About half the moms at the party know my situation but no one said anything. I feel like the implant top ledge is getting more noticeable, at least to me. I thought I’d be getting the fat grafting in May to fill in there but Sept is the soonest opening on the surgery schedule
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Hello ladies! Good to hear from you all and see how we're all moving along nicely in our recovery.
Paco, glad you're signing up for a 5K too. Tip: I had very good luck with linking my fundraiser to Facebook. I'm still not back up to normal running. TEs feel weird, and I'm still not back up to my pre-surgery cardio strength, but every day is a little better.
Teaberry, I feel similarly about range of motion. It's almost completely back, but still feels uncomfortable and stretchy. Also sometimes when I exert my arm I get a twinge around my incision site so I pull back, no wanting to mess that up.
Mary, I haven't started hormone therapy yet, so I'm not sure about side effects, but hopefully yours will even out. I'm glad to hear your diagnosis was so early stage.
HopefulAC, I'm not totally comfortable on my side yet either,and I can't quite pinpoint why. I don't think it's still the drain sites. At this point I think it's more the TEs. Like you said, they don't shift and settle into place the way your natural boobs do (which I guess is nice cosmetically, but weird logistically.)
MountainMamma, still so proud of you for strutting your stuff in a bathing suit! You're my inspiration! I'm hoping that after my next TE fill tomorrow I'll be close enough to matches sizes that I'll stop worrying so much about what I wear. What's an implant top ledge? Sounds annoying. I'm sure I'll find out for myself soon enough...
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I am almost 6 weeks out from this monster of a life changing surgery. You all are getting through a journey and healing and taking care of yourselves! Has anyone had a celebratory glass of wine or anything yet? I feel like I should celebrate with something..maybe a pedicure since clipping is still tough and I can't take care of my feet well.
Ladies that had BMX - did you have fluid hang out on one side more than the other after drains were out?
MountainMama - wow swimsuit. I am afraid of those. I am still on a wedge but sometimes roll left.
32B - way to go on the 5k! How is the Tamoxifen working out? I need to do some strengthtraining and get my walking going first I think before I try running again or cycling possibly starting back.
HopefulAC- its good to hear from you!
kaywrite - let us know how you are doing with the radiation and glad you are healing.
mschaeffer - I am sorry about your mom and glad you are an early catch. Is the vomiting consistent?
Paco - way to go on your 5k!
Strengthandjoy - yes the bras are gonna have to go...
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I feel like everyone here has been such an inspiration. Swimsuits, running, getting through treatment, etc. You are all amazing to me. Today was my first official day back at work. I was so worried it was going to be awful since I had a painful TE fill yesterday. But...it was fine. I found the more I move and stretch, the less it hurts. Bedtime and morning are the worst. It felt different taking care of patients right before they went under anesthesia. I remember that too well so I think I was a little more compassionate than before all this.
JT3, I always made more fluid in one drain (my dominant hand side) and when they took the drain out, it leaked out the hole that night but then that was it. I don't think it ever really built up after drains though. And....about the celebratory glass of wine, YES! I have had a few. I've read some about how alcohol increases your risk of breast cancer so sometimes, I am a little Leary but one a week doesn't hurt right. Heck I celebrated my first day back at work with a margarita just a little bit ago
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good job going back to work Nursepatient!! You saying you are more compassionate now reminds me of teaching AFTER I had my own kids. Our personal lives really to play into our professional lives and I always pray it is for the better😊
I am officially 6 weeks post op tomorrow and my PS said I am HEALED!! What a new sense of confidence that gave me today! When I felt something strange, I didn’t worry that I was messing something up, I just pushed through it and told myself- things will feel weird! Oh well!! I had another fill yesterday and this has been the easiest one so far. I agree NP- the more we move and stretch, the better it all feels!! I totally think that is why this fill has been the easiest one for me.
I’m now trying to figure out logistically when I will do the second surgery. I think I’m close to being done with the fills. I could have my surgery in May. But... I was talking to PS about restrictions etc after the surgery and I don’t know if I want to do that in the summer. I have kids and we vacation and go to the lake and we swim... some of this is a no no according to my PS. I also will have a surgical bra for a while. That won’t be cute under a bathing suit or little summer tank. BUT... I really want to get it done ✅. When are some of you planning to do your second surgery
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Jt3 - thanks for asking - 6/21 rads today. It's been mostly uneventful - no burning or such yet, session is only 10 minutes once I get in the room. The lump scar is getting harder, but then the whole breast is inflaming a bit and will have some residual radiation scarring I'm told. It's weird my lumpectomy: in my case, I saw no difference just after the two surgeries, due to the swelling. Then it became apparent the left boob, which was formerly always a half cup larger than the right boob) had lost some size. Now it;'s bigger again with the rads. Will see how it all shakes out after rads. So far so good though.
Everyone - it's lovely to see you through your various transitions after surgery. Inspiring for those in process or about to be, I know.
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kaywrite- just stay watchful and tell your doc everything you need too. I hope it continues to be uneventful
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Good morning,
Jt3, I actually haven't started Tamoxifen yet. I'm thinking about trying to get pregnant first. I'm getting married in September, which makes the timing less than ideal. Still have some thinking/researching to do about what makes the most sense for my situation. Has anyone had any luck with getting counseling/advice from a medical professional? My doctors are always so strapped for time when I talk to them. It's a little disconcerting.
Nursepatient, congrats on going back to work. It's not the most fun milestone, but it's a big one.
Strengthandjoy, I need one more fill also. My surgeon says the surgery slots are booked out until June or July, so I think I'll just try and do mine as soon as possible.
For those of you who have your permanent gummy implants, what do they feel like? My TE is hard as rock to the touch now that it's more full. Do the gummies feel any more natural? Also, how is lying on your stomach?
Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
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32b — I guess it’s just the top part of the implant that I feel and can tell where that edge is
I’m 6.5 weeks out afte going right to above muscle implants. I’m not sure if they are considered gummy? They are teardrop shaped/silicone and alloderm was used. This past week I’ve felt like things are nearly what the end result is. No more swelling, they’ve settled enough that I don’t feel like they are in my armpit, no more fluid pockets coming and going on the bottom inner portion. The rock hard feeling is gone, although they are still very firm. I’ve been comfortable laying on my side but it’s better with a little support between them. I have slept on my stomach! which I kind of supported myself a different way than pre bmx... but ended up on my back at some point — there is hope though!!
My fat grafting isn’t able to happen until Sept (rather than May. I do like how things look now but adding some stuff to give a little cleavage will be nice), so I went ahead to find a cute bra. I wore a pre bmx sports bra to do some stretching in (went back to first OULA one class ... was able to do about 90% of moves at 75% range of motion) but it was irritating. I tried on sports bras today and about had to have the associate come pull it back off me 🤣 front closure will continue to be key! Tried a few other styles on, but as they all were trying to lift they didn’t feel right. Ended up with one bralette style that was comfortable and can provide some side coverage with summer tanks tops
Spending Easter with my husbands family, none who have seen me since Thanksgiving. I may be taking advantage of them thinking I’m not as capable of helping with cooking and clean up
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Hi Everyone!
I have noticed things have slowed down on the site... that must be a good sign. 😊 I went and had (I believe to be) my last fill today. I’m currently at 360cc and 2 days shy of 7 weeks post op. This is the first time I have had rib pain after a fill... it is about 2 inches under my right breast and when I push on it, I feel my rib bone. I hope this is just one of the aches that goes away in about 24 hours and isn’t because there is too much weight...
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I love that we can ask each other all these questions.
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Hi Ladies,
MountainMama, thanks for the info. I'm definitely feeling like my TE is a little too far into my side/armpit area and it feels weird. Good to know that isn't forever. I hope you had a nice Easter and your in-laws pampered you! Nothing wrong with that! Congrats sleeping on your stomach. That's pretty great.
Strengthandjoy, it makes me happy and sad both that the posts here are slowing down. It's certainly good that we're all healing and moving on. I haven't had rib pain with my fills, just a discomfort that feels like I'm wearing a bra that's too tight that I can never take off. Also sometimes I pinching twinge around the incision sites. When are you getting your surgery to swap out the TE for the implant? I have my last fill tomorrow and will probably be scheduling that surgery for July.
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Hi strengthandjoy
I have had rib pain right where you are saying but not after a fill. I chalked it up to my sports bra rubbing. I changed out bras and it got better in a couple of days.
I had my last fill today and am at 400cc in each .. amazingly enough no new pain. I think I’m getting used to this tight band feeling across my chest .which really surprises me! I also got to schedile my DEIP flap reconstruction! Alleluia!
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32b- I understand!
I am writing quickly as my six yo won’t go to sleep- strengthandjoy I have had rib pain for 6 weeks and got 300 cc at surgery and reconstruction sametime. I have been in compression bras since and Warned not to let anything pushoutwards. Zipfronts for about 4 weeks. I had alot pf pressure and swelling. Now I can do a break.Teaberry- good to hear from you. Tell us about your DIEP... I avoided because I didn’t know what insurance would cover... I was hoping for a tummy tuck but it doesn’t go with “symmetry “ or does it?
Many prayers for all of us.
Yesterday I went back to work. I cried at Oncologist visit last week. Apparently this person is supposed to be my new best friend. Is that right? Well I should think of a good gift.
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Everyone I just wanted to say I am 5"6' and on the short end of things. I am overweight also.. 160lbs medium build. I considered the gummy boobs but had saggy DD post pregnancy which should have been a red flag. So I thought I have been there and done that. I have about a B cup and like it fine. My back hurts less. I will try one fill for the sake of trying since I am overweight as it is. I don't have time to workout. Also I am happy to chat with you all but the website keeps showing my diagnosis etc incorrectly from my Dr. Why is that
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Strengthandjoy, I had that rib pain but it was when my TE's weren't quite as full. It fell like the edge rolled down on top of a rib. Honestly, I think I get some new type of pain/discomfort with each fill. I go back on Tuesday for my last fill and hope to schedule my exchange surgery. Now, being back to work it's tough to try and figure out a time to do that. My PS told me I'd only need to take a week off with that surgery. I have no idea what kind of implants I want other than silicone. I'm going to just leave it up to him on whatever he thinks will work best.
Jt3, I'm sorry your new friend has to be an oncologist. I hope he/she is at least really nice. I may have missed it from the past posts, but what is your new diagnosis? I'm assuming they found something invasive? I pray things go smoothly for you.
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Teaberry, congrats on your new milestones. Good luck with the DIEP flap. When is that scheduled for?
I think I'm getting used to the feeling too, except at the end of the day when I change out of my work clothes and get comfortable. I take off my bra and my right boob, the fake one, still feels tight and cooped up while the left one feels free. Of course the catch is the left one also droops and the right one stays high and perky, haha.
Jt3, I hope your oncologist is the good kind of best friend who takes time to listen to you. That's a rare quality in a doctor, but it's so important.
Nursepatient, I thought there was only one kind of implant? Are there more decisions we have to make? Yikes. It just doesn't stop, huh? How is being back at work for you? I still feel a pinch if I do too much heavy lifting or arm stretching. Do you feel like you're pretty much back to 100%?
Thoughts and prayers to all of you!
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