February 2019 Surgery Discussion, Support Posts
Comments
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fritz thanks for responding. Me too I only feel it if I touch it or when I'm doing my stretches. Once i started doing the stretches my range of motion improved. I get my first scan for radiation next week so definitely working on the range of movement.
I tried shaving my armpit and i freaked out because I couldnt feel what I was doing. Omg felt so wierd.
I also have minor cording but haven't reached out to my doctor since stretching it has improved and I am able to fully extend my arm now. But now you're making me wonder if I should so I can see a therapist? Hmmm.
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I only had sentinel node removed and I feel normal, not numb in any way but the scar is pretty visible. My surgery for sentinel biopsy was Jan 23.
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Hi February group. I'm glad to hear most are doing fairly well post-op. The gal that has necrosis, I hope it is clearing up quickly. One of the terms I need to look up is chording. I hadn't bumped into that terminolgy before. Tomorrow is 3 weeks and I'm healing fine. My MS has settled down, too. The grandbaby is visiting from out of state with her Mommy. I'm thrilled to see her, but boy am I tired. Being in your 60's and having major surgery isn't as easy as being in my 30's when I had a hysterectomy. Within 3 weeks I was ready to get back to work, though the doctors back then wouldn't release you for 6 weeks. Today, the work requirement for me is keeping house, taking care of a number of rescue dogs (and one dear old cat) and fixing meals. That does help alot but not when it comes to the medical bills. Waiting for the biggies to start coming in. I hope everyone continues a quick path to recovery and put this bc in the rearview mirror...
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Hi @sunocean and @fritzmylove
Ha, I was going to ask the exact same question as stupidly forgot to ask surgeon yesterday when I had my follow up, derr!
I am. 3.5 weeks post op.. Single MMX and Snlb
Yes I have exact same numbness under arm and across whole 10 inch scar area. Was hoping it was normal, I think I have read on here plenty of times that it is, but wanted to check.
Not sure how long it will remain numb, a long time i should imagine.
I have a very large area of seroma across whole 10 inch scar area and bulge below arm at node area and I only had one removed. Like a hot water bottle, you touch one end and it ripples across whole chest ewww. Surgeon says leave for another 3 weeks if not down he will drain , if he does it now it risks infection he says.
The seroma is a very strange sensation and not very comfortable, I dont normally wear a bra but have had to buy an elastic crop top to keep some support acrooss the area so it doesn't slosh too much. Lovely!!!
The good news was that the results showed clear node, and the decision to do the mastectomy was the right one as they did find another 2cm area of high grade Dcis. My MMX was done because when they did lumpectomy back in December to remove Pagets they found DCIS in removed tissue that wasn't in the mammogram, so in case there was anymore unseen I elected to have MMX - they had given the option to just monitor, sooooo glad I didn't just do that!
Hope rest of your recoveries go well.
Xx
Eliza
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I'm about 8 weeks post-op. There is mild numbness, but I can feel pressure in the area better than I could a few weeks out of surgery. And it mostly feels fine, not as 'weird' as I would expect numbness to feel.
In my experience, in weeks 3-5 there's still a lot of healing going on. Week 3, my scar/surgery area was pretty sensitive, irritated by tight garments or anything rubbing on it. Week 4 or so, I had an occasional prickly sensation (almost like tension on a stitch), then my scar became very itchy for several days. Week 5-6 things started to calm down.
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I am 4 weeks out today. I had axillary nodes taken out and am still numb but it is getting better. I feel like my plastic surgeon said it could be months until it is no longer numb. My range of motion is getting better. I can wear things other than a button up shirt! My plastic surgeon is VERY conservative and did not want me doing any exercises/stretches but I have. Getting full range of motion is very important to me. I dont see him for a few weeks but may ask for PT referral if still having issues.
Next up - chemo on April 2nd 😳
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Did any of your doctors advise what to use for softening the mastectomy scars? My dr. said just use body lotion but i am sure there are some more effective creams for healing scarring tissue. I am concerned for the time when the replacement surgery comes, the plastic surgeon is saying the scars are not soften and the position of the implants could be affected
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I’ve been using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E.
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my surgeon advised not to put anything on my scars (other than regular lotion) for 2 months.
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I’m so sick of sleeping on my back. My PS doesn’t want me to sleep on my side yet (4.5 weeks post-op) so that my TEs won’t migrate... or something like that. No idea really. Anyone allowed to sleep on their sides after mastectomy w/ TEs? I feel like I comfortablycould, but I don’t want to risk screwing up any of my surgeons’ work.
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I asked my PS and he said regardless how i sleep the TEs are well fixed in place and wont move, I can sleep on the side and wont harm anything.
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Applejuice, are your TEs under your pectoral muscles? Mine are prepectoral, so I wonder if that makes a difference? It seemed like he just wanted me to heal for a few more weeks before he gave me the go-ahead to sleep on my side. I also have to sleep in a bra in case I do end up on my side through the night, it'll help to hold things in place.
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Mine are under pectoral muscles. Maybe that makes a difference, i am not sure!
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I don't have an expander and don't know for sure if my implant is under or over the muscle. But I can feel some rippling so I'm guessing it's over the muscle. I wasn't told to not sleep on my side but I still can't do it comfortably. The most comfortable that I can get is a (barely) one quarter turn. So I'm mostly on my back and still using my mastectomy pillow like a security blanket. And I'm still taking one pain pill at night so that I can sleep.
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how is everyone doing ?
I have gained almost all my range of motion. But I have some cording. Been doing exercises I have found online. Hopefully it helps. I will also ask for physical therapy but if can do that here would rather save me the trip hopefully it gets better. Its comed and goes.
Went to ger my fitting today and got my amoena prosthesis. really like them and happy about feeling more comfortable in my flat chested body and not needing any more surgeries! Rads is next. Big sigh.
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Got this bill in the mail today for my BMX. I am so grateful for our health insurance. I know not everyone is so fortunate in the US.
In other news, I graduated PT yesterday with full range of motion. The cording I had is almost completely resolved. The therapist actually was able to snap it during massage over2 sessions. It was a weird feeling. I’m almost completely filled on my right side, and once radiation is through, my PS will start filling my left. Hope everyone is doing well!
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Hi all
Glad all going well and most of you on track with range of motion. I had a hiccup - my seroma got infected so went on antibiotics for 2 weeks, they drained it last week - took 200mls, luckily infection contained to one area. Seroma didn't return thank goodness, and infection gone, but the area feels so tight now, seems I have worse motion than before, and when I try and do the exercises I can see the skin going tight and feel it right across the whole breast area. I thought the exercises were to stop shoulder stiffness, not to help stretch skin? What do you think? As I can't do full exercises as it just pulls on skin, my shoulder muscles are fine. So I feel like I should stop the exercises unless they are meant to stretch skin - any info gratefully received, going to see surgeon next week for final sign off and will discuss with him, but thoughts in the interim welcome.
Thanks
Eliza
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how is everyone doing ?
The board is quiet so I'm assuming everyone is healing up
Eliza any updates?
I'm good. I have full range of motion but still have cording. I have Kaiser so they suck with physical therapy appts.
Sensitivity on scars is still there but that is expected. Every day that sensitivity gets better. I'm doing radiation now.
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I'm doing great. Cording seems to have resolved and I have full range of motion. My right TE is fully expanded, and I had little to no discomfort throughout that whole process. Once rads are complete I can start getting my left side filled. Hoping I get through rads without complications to my TE.
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I have full rom but it pulls, especially my forearm which seems strange. I have a big dent where the drain was, also strange. Doing well, almost half through 33 radiation treatments. She took out two pretty good sized lumps but I guess because they were on the side near my arm pit it isn’t at all obvious.
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@fritz glad your cording seems to be resolved. Good luck with rads! Almost there !!
I still have cording. I can still see it but it doesnt affect my ROM. Go figure. My arm looks gross though. It freaks me out being able to see it!!
Will you be getting implants or are you doing DIEP?
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Hi
Anyone from February still got a seroma?
Thanks, I had surgery 8 weeks ago and drained once 3 weeks ago size of a hot water bottle, and now have one large handful size very tight and uncomfortable, seeing surgeon next week about it.
Interested to see if others do.
Thanks
Eliza
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Hi. Hope all is well. I'm going to have a double mastectomy as well. Very nervous. I. Getting the diep procedure. Do you have any recommendations for after surgery?
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Hi. Hope all is well. I'm going to have a double mastectomy as well. Very nervous. I. Getting the diep procedure. Do you have any recommendations for after surgery?
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Love83, good luck with your surgery. It’s really not as scary as you may think. I didn’t have diep, but did have BMX with tissue expanders placed. Make sure to get a wedge pillow to help you sleep on your back. I don’t know how I would have slept without one. Other than that, just follow your surgeon’s instructions to a T, and go easy on yourself. You’ll be on the other side of this before you know it!
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