January 2019 Surgery Support Group
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Hi ladies, had my surgery, lumpectomy and reduction on Friday. Stayed one night, and am home now. They took out a much larger section with all the calcifications. I was told I would lose about a quarter of my breast. It now looks like 3/4 are gone. DDD down to maybe a b cup. Did not get sent home with a bra, and have a wound machine hooked to my good nipple, which had issues after the reduction. I am kicking myself for not waiting to see what shape the breast would have be in after the lumpectomy, then could have made my decision after. I have two drains, and go back to the Plastic on Thursday. I was on morphine, and oxy in the hospital, and sent home with percocet. They also sent me home with muscle relaxers, antibiotics, nausea meds and stool softeners. Of course, I can't go to the bathroom and feel so bloated. I am hoping the margins come back clean, there's not much more to take. I did not get cut under the arm, they were able to get at the nodes. Said everything looked good, we shall see. I am estrogen and progesterone negative, and since the mass was so large, will probably have to get chemo. Waiting on that also. I'm not in much pain, and the zingers are already starting. I also lost my voice, due to the breathing tube. Trying to stay positive!!
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DebraC, I’m thinking of you and all everyone going into surgery this week or recently. We’ll get through this. MACTAZ, thanks so much for your encouragement and starting this group.
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First I want to say welcome to DebraC, as always I’m so sorry you have to be associated with our site but I truly feel it is a great place to come when you are facing all the issues coming at you when DX with breast cancer. I have added you to the above schedule and we will be thinking of you this week. My best wishes for you are coming your way.
Beingpositive and yogamom2, glad to hear things are going well for you. It is so helpful when those of you who have had you surgeries post your updates, it helps those of us still facing our dates.
One question, you all talk about nerve blocker, what is that? Do you have a name for it, is it a pill?
I have my blood test, finally after getting my OC to order it since my BS doesn’t do any pre-surgery tests, this Thursday. I want to thank SpecialK for helping me with this issue and giving me guidance.
I also have my next H&P infusion on Thursday, then my nuclear medicine short on Sunday, and off the the hospital on Monday for my early morning surgery. I so appreciate everyone here that are so supportive.GOOD LUCK TO US ALL, STAY STRONG. Hugs to all.
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Good Morning!
Quick question, has anyone gone for wire placement(?) before their surgery? I am scheduled to have mine placed this Wednesday. My surgery is next Wednesday. I am wondering what to expect. I am getting nervous/anxious as the surgery date gets closer.
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kimbakb, I have added your info to the group, sorry to hear you are having a tough go of it. I hope you feel better soon. Try and get on top of constipation as soon as possible, if you need some thoughts let us know. I had a terrible time dur8ng chemo but did find some things that helped out.
Stay strong and keep fighting, all of this can be overwhelming and that is why this support group and website is so good, we all support each other
Hugs and
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Notgivingup,I had a wire placement for a suspicious area in my other breast. They gave me lidocaine and so the pain was minimal - really short, not bad. They inserted the wire. It was pretty fast.
After - what I wasn't expecting - was that they checked the wire placement with a mammogram, so the usual discomfort with that. Horizontal squeeze, vertical squeeze. Done. I got to sit when they did it, which helped.
I've heard some other centers use other diagnostics to check the placement.
They tell you to look away from your breast while they're doing it, which I recommend. I did peek at the end, but it's just better not seeing it poking out, kind of unnecessary. I didn't find it scary or anything, and I didn't feel it, so it's easy to ignore and pretend it's not there. I was just kind of like, Really!? Weird...
And then off to anesthesia! At that point I was feeling nervous, but my nurse comforted me by saying that the surgery was the easy part because you get great drugs.
She was right. So my experience was it's a bit awkward and a bit uncomfortable, but not overwhelming or way worse than other procedures for BC, and it's over relativelyquickly.
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Hi all, Just back from follow up. Stitches are out. Good news---clear margins! If they weren't clear, radiation would have been a sure thing.
BS says next step is to send path to have recurrence risk evaluated- Oncotype DCIS-DX. Will need consult w/ RO but If risk comes back low enough- may be no RT needed!
After that comes eval w/ medical onco to see if risk is low enough to be safe avoiding long term oral meds like tamoxifen. Hoping to avoid it all!
Keeping positive and focusing hard on that best case scenario. Eyes on the prize. Wishing you all some good news this week.
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nerve block , the full name is Paravertebral block with catheters (on Q pump). My BS says she has been using this for 5 years and it works great for pain control.It is like the epidural you have during labor. I got a black box with the medicine in , 2 wires to my back (one on left one on right of the spine), and it is injected into my body every 3 hours .
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I know that nerve blocker is for pain control but do not know exact name. Doctor informed before surgery that it will be used. I think it has definitely helped.
I second the use of colace. After surgery I got constipated and after using colace, today finally I was relieved. Going to continue using it for few days as without walking or anything, it is going to be tough for few days.
Because of same reasons, the other problem I am facing now is that my feet are terribly swollen. Did anyone face it and what can be done to reduce the swelling?
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I would call your Dr or nurse about the swollen feet, just to make sure it's not a symptom of anything concerning. It can be a side effect of meds, too, so try not to worry, but I would call tomorrow morning to check.
I did some exercises in bed (ankle circles, toes up-toes down) to try to keep blood flow going after surgery, but I don't know if that's recommended for your situation.
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beingpositive I agree with alto, call your dr and tell them, they might want to check you out with ultrasound. I had one swollen ankle, did ultrasound and everything was okay. I wore a compression sock for a couple days and that helped.
I'm starting my mirolax today, and will add senna when I get home to keep things flowing, that is what worked best for me to keep things moving. I'm hoping that it will work.
Yogamom great news, hope everything comes back positive
All take care
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thanks Hongh for info. I will ask when I get my presurgery call.
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The antibiotics are standard. You will take them until drains are removed.
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I am almost 3 weeks post nipple sparing DMX with TE. I am still in pain. Is this normal? I had my first expansion last week. My PS said I couldn’t be doing better. He said the nerve pain on the underside of my upper arms is normal. He removed the top sutures from the incisions. I have some bleeding on the right incision. I think I over-reached but he said I could lift my arms. I am down to taking just ibuprofen though I occasionally take a muscle relaxer if it gets too painful. Although my skin is numb on my breasts, the muscle hurts and the nerve pain is even worse. Chemo starts Feb 1. My PS said I’ll be fully expanded by then. Has anyone else had a similar pain experience?
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I am one week after my BMX with TE. No pain and I stopped taking Tylenol two days ago. It only feels tight around the chest.
I am going to see NP (of my PS) this afternoon.
My PS put the TE on top of muscle, so this is less intrusive
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Thanks Alto and Mactaz, I talked to PS about it. He asked if there is any pain in feet along with swelling which thankfully I don't have. He asked to elevate the feet. I am trying that now. Yeah, I am also doing those exercises while lying down. My feet stay out of the recliner and I think that dangling has caused this. So now am using extra support under feet. Will see if it helps. Good news is that tomorrow my breast drains are coming out. Happy that instead of 4 will be carrying around only 2 drains then. I'm taking only Tylenol at home as thankfully that is enough to manage the pain. They gave me antibiotics in IV until I was in hospital.
PennyK, sorry I can't offer any help there, but hope pain reduces soon.
Hongh, it sounds wonderful that your healing and recovery is progressing well.
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re: nerve block for MX surgery - my anesthesiologist called it Pec 1 and Pec 2. It was given at time of my surgery and really helped with post surgical pain.
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PennyK-I had a nipple sparing BMX also, but with implants not TE’s-but I am only a few days ahead of you and I still had pain at three weeks. Tomorrow will be four weeks for me, and only the past two days have I NOT taken any ibuprofen or Tylenol. I started more stretching and that seems to have helped as well. Hang in there and hopefully your pain subsides soon!
JaBoo! How’d your surgery go?
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Bellemire, Bird92203, Jaboo, Lilanj-Hope the four of you are doing well after your surgery. Take care and let us know how you are doing.
Beepositive, Cascadian, Jacy, DebraC, thinking of you guys and sending good vibes your way - hope all goes well today.
Hugs to all. Stay strong.0 -
Such a huge week for surgeries! Thinking of you all and sending good thoughts for quick healing.
MACTAZ Hang in there. We'll be sending good vibes next week for you. Thanks for being there for us all.
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Hi All,
Surgery went well yesterday. Nurse gave me Percocet yesterday so haven’t felt pain yet. I did have really bad nausea and vomited last night while trying to eat. Still some nausea today so trying to take it slowly with food. I have been able to get up and walk around. Waiting to be discharged. I hope I will feel more comfortable at home
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Hi Everyone,
Went today for placement of locator (I forgot what it's called). I call it a microchip/homing device. They placed that in my tumor area instead of wire since my surgery is a week away. It didn't hurt, but my anxiety was really revved up. I'm a little sore now that the lidocaine has worn off.
Sending positive thoughts to everyone who is recovering from surgery and to those having surgery.
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Sending positive thoughts to those in surgery this week. Today is a big surgery day! Wishing you all great healing in the days ahead.
I got my drain out. Ahhh - big sigh of relief. Having the drain wasn’t too bad, but it’s nice to be able to move and sit without jabs. Plus that lump near my sternum? Turns out it wasn’t - it was just drain tube. :P
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Lilanj, sorry you had nausea after your surgery, hoping you are feeling better. I find being at home even if you aren’t feeling the best is better, thinking of you.
Notgivingup, I’m glad this is over and wasn’t painful. I hadn’t heard of this before, we learn so much on this site. Will be thinking of you next week, I have surgery 2 days before you.
Alto, YEAH and Congrats, I can’t imagine yet what it is like to have drains but will learn soon.
All, stay strong and let us know how you are doing.
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BIg surgery day today!
Thinking of all the sisters today who underwent their surgeries and of all the sisters who are already on the recovery side.
This site gives me much consolation and comfort. Thank you all for being online.
xo
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Misha, I'm so glad to hear you are without pain!
Mactaz, thank you for running this thread so nicely!
Well, my boobs are gone and I am just glad. Weird, maybe I will feel sorry later.... but they were trying to kill me, so I don't feel any regrets (at least for now).
My op went without problems. I have expanders in with just 60ml fill. I had peripheral nerve block in my wounds for 48 hours and it really helped a lot. It's local anestesia pumped automatically into the wound. I had very similar bag Hongh posted, what a nice accesory to carry around with all those catheters! 😁
The worst so far? My back from lying in one position. Hurts quite bad
Can't sleep now... It's 2 am and I can't sleep. The pain is not bad at all now, I could sleep so nicely now, so I really don't know what to do with myself. At least I'm posting an uptade for you all here!
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Hello, friends,
I had my tissue expanders removed and fat grafting done on both breasts on Jan 20.
My PS is excellent and could deal with the radiated skin on my right breast. I had a DMX in April and this is, as far as I'm concerned, my final surgery. Perhaps I've forgotten too much about my DMX with axillary node dissection (14 nodes taken) or this fat grafting business is just more painful that i expected. He took two grafts from my lower side abdomen - right and left. If you put your hands where your legs join your hips, the wrists are at my graft harvesting sites. I have deep dark red bruises over almost all of my back, below the bra line. I've always bruised easily, and yes, I have taken arnica. It makes lying on my back - the only place I can lie down - a bit uncomfortable.
I am wearing Spanx-type garments to hold the pressure on the fat grafting sites. My breasts hardly hurt at all, possibly due to lack of nerves there. I had a golf-ball-sized hole under my right arm where those 14 nodes had been, and while he only reduced it by half, I do feel some of my cording has been released. I look forward to being cleared for strengthening exercises - too much cording for too long!
I hate opioids, partially because they are so constipating for me. But maybe I need to take them for another day or so; I quit yesterday morning, one day post-surgery. I have muscle relaxants - have they helped anyone post exchange surgery?
Thank you. I know I'm in good company with all these surgeries this month.
Paula
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All, thank you for your kind words but I wanted this thread for selfish reasons, this site is my lifeline to sanity since my DX. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found breastcancer.org and my sisters that are going through the same thing. We are all strong and supporting of each other.
Jaboo, I’m hoping you get some sleep and relief. Thanks to you and others writing about the nerve block. I hadn’t heard about this and am definitely going to ask about it. All these updates are so helpful for those of us yet facing our surgery.
PaulaAtlantaGA, Welcome to our thread and I hope you get some relief very soon. I have added you to our schedule above, hope you don’t mind. The info everyone posts is always helpful to someone.
Hugs to all.
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Hi I'm home, checked in for my lumpectomyat 7am and got homeabout 12:30. I feel pretty good. Been napping off and on all afternoon. The Norco pain meds make me drowsy, but no pain. I was super nervous about the surgery since I've never had surgery. All the docs and nurses were amazing. My husband had about 10 friends and family in the waiting room supporting him. They brought him his favorite Starbucks latte, Asiago bagel and black licorice. Another friend brought dinner and snacks and desserts to our home tonight. So all in all, felt very loved and supported.
They took an egg size chunk out of me and 2 lymph nodes. Tumor about 3 cm.
Won't know if there is more cancer til next week.
Go to doctor follow up on next Thursday.
Hope all others who had surgery day are doing ok.
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DebraC--Glad your surgery went well. Heads up from my experience---take Colace along with Norco, just 2 pills were enough to cause problems for me. Wishing you and all "surgery sisters" clean margins and good path results.
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