August 2019 surgery support group
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TMH
My periods were spotty prior to chemo, but I was told that chemo would put me in menopause. You might want to check with your MO.
Hope all of our surgery warriors are doing well
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hi ladies
Surgery went well Tuesday according to doctors, however I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck 😬
Still in the hospital 2 days in ICU now just in general surgery recovery. Pain control has been difficult. They ended up removing part of a rib to access more blood flow for left flap, they also took an artery from my left arm to use for addition blood flow. Started with 5 drains already had one removed hoping for another to go tomorrow.
If I’m honest I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. This was a tuff surgery and my body is. very mad at me.
Had 12 nodes removed, thought I just had DCIS going into surgery but was warned that could change. 4 nodes came back positive so that means IBC. Full pathology hasn’t come back yet but looks like radiation and chemo are in my near future.
I hope everyone is recovering well!!! I’m sure we’ll all see the light that is the end of pain, draining tubes, vital checks every 2 hours, and treatments very soon. Love and prayers to all of you
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AK_btrfly
Sorry your surgery was more complex than expected. I know being in the hospital is not ideal, but stay there as long as needed to ensure proper main management.
I’m also sorry to hear about the surprises in your pathology. There are a few of us starting chemo next month. If you end up starting in September come to the September chemo thread and join us. We’ll get through this together.
I can’t speak to chemo, as this is my first experience with it. However, I did have radiation with my first DX and it wasn’t bad at all. I just got tired towards then end, and had a semi-permanent tan on my breast for a while. Radiation has come a long way since I had it, it’s far more targeted now which reduces risk and side effects.
Tracy
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Hi! I can't find an August or September chemo thread. Can you direct me?
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Here are links
August
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/872639
September
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/873000
Tracy
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Can you go to work after a lumpectomy? Do you have drains after a lumpectomy and when are they removed? How many days after you can go back to your normal activities?
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Eigna
I had a mastectomy this time, but I had a lumpectomy with axillary node dissection for my first diagnosis in 1999. I took 2 weeks of work off and I had 1 drain for about a week.
I know a couple of the ladies here on this thread had lumpectomies, I’m sure they’ll chime in with their experience.
Tracy
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Thank you!
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Hi Ladies,
Hope you all are doing well. I'm feeling good, and actually left the house today which was nice. Apologies if I didn't respond to any prior posts. I have been weening myself off this site, as I am making an effort not to be on the computer too much.
Hope everyone is recovering quickly!
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I'm back home. Actually came home Saturday. Got lots of positive feedback from the DRs and nurses. Preliminary SNB negative so that's all good. First time getting out of bed was very painful but got better each time after. I was feeling good about everything until I looked in the mirror. Have had a few cries since. Trying to stay optimistic but I feel like I look totally deformed and I'm really sad and missing my old body.
It's so bad, I'm not sure PS can fix. I had BMX with dIEP and I have a crease from my nipple all the way out to the edge of my breast and then it extends under my arm. I can't see how he's going to get rid of that divot and make round breasts. They're smaller, saggier and point out towards my arms with a big crease and then it looks like a shark bite in my arm pit.
I know there are revision surgeries but I also hear of women coming out of surgery thinking their breasts look great, but I'm so far from that. I'm just so sad thinking about how many more surgeries I'll need to start feeling whole again. I've been doing sponge baths and my husband has been washing my hair in the sink because the thought of being naked makes me break down in tears.
I was so optimistic before surgery and I'm just so devastated now. My husband is pointing out the fact that the cancer is gone and he's right. I hate to focus on the cosmetic stuff because I'm normally not that concerned with that, but I feel disfigured.
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HopeWins
My chest looks like a war zone. My right side looks like a small boob with a horizontal line across it. It's not smooth around the edges because of the tissue expanders, and I still have bruising. My left side has additional incision sites and donor tissue from my back, so it looks like the right but with more incisions and swelling/bruising. I also have a bulge under my left arm where they did the flap relocation from my back.
My scars are looking amazing, and already fading to white lines. My PS assures me that the breasts aren't meant to look "normal/beautiful" yet, and they look great for where we are in the process (oncologist also said this).
My husband has seen me topless exactly once, and that's because he was in the hospital room when they changed the bandages the first time. I've had all of my drains out, and have been taking showers for 1 1/2 weeks now, and it's really not bothering me. I will say that I've had a long time to get used to the idea though. I was first DX in 1999, and have had biopsy after biopsy since then. I was over it, and had already made up my mind that I was having a Mastectomy the next time...
I think it's normal for us to mourn the changes in our bodies.
(hugs)
Tracy
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Had my first look at myself today when the surgical bra came off. It’s just so different.The left side is definitely lumpier. I can’t bring myself to look at it in the mirror yet
I’ve been moving around OK and it’s kind of easy to pretend that it’s not a big deal. The anesthetic is still in place so I’m still not feeling anything directly yet.
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"I think it's normal for us to mourn the changes in our bodies."
Words of wisdom! Thanks, Tracy.
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HopeWins
I have felt the same and my BS and PS keep telling me how good it looks. I guess we just want to look like us and we don’t . I have not shown my husband (who would be supportive, but I just don’t want him to see). Getting rid of the cancer is everything, but I too mourn the old me
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hopewins- I just got home today from BMX with Deip on the right and tram on the left (my veins weren't good enough so they needed to take a little muscle on the left). My “breasts do not look like breasts. And I also don’t see how this is going to look good even after another surgery or two. The drs and nurses keep saying how good everything looks.... I finally point blank asked a nurse “really!? Do you really think so? They look like patch work quilts that are flat and saggy? She’s swore they looked good comparatively at this stage and she had seen some patients come in after the second surgery and they really did look like good boobs after revision. I’m holding on to that for now
Tmh0921- thank you I’ll check out the September chemo board. Not sure on start date yet they say I’ll need some time to recover from surgery
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yeah, the shape of my reconstructed breasts, primarily paid for by health insurance, is a real first world problem so I need to keep perspective and try to be patient.
That being said, can I ask a practical question - how long should I go without pooping before I try a suppository? I feel really bloated but it could just be abdominal swelling from the incision. I've been off the narcotic painkillers for 24h now. Took 4 dulcolax yesterday. I had been taking colace 2x daily since day after surgery. There's no action! Starting day 6 - no boom boom. I've been doing all the diet stuff too. Tons of water, eating kale salads, avocado, dried apricots, oatmeal, beans and other veggies. Any other advice?
Also - the dreaded drains. Still putting out about 90ml daily from each at 5d out. My follow up is Friday, which will be day 9. Is there any hope? I know you know how hateful these things are. I'm trying to be dilligent about my exercises but I can feel the drains move inside me and the stitches pinch when I do them.... and obviously I hate them the most right now.
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AK_btrfly - patchwork is exactly how I feel. Like bride of Frankenstein. I need to keep faith. I know in my head I have an excellent, experienced PS and this is a long process. I know that most women who have had DIEP are satisfied/happy in the long run. I'm hoping I'm one of them by early Spring next year. Most importantly I'm hoping my pathology comes back with no surprises and clean margins.
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Hi Gals just had my surg on 8/19. Bilateral Mastectomy with TRAM flap recon. The one thing i wish I would have packed was some type of lozenger like a Worthers something a little oily. Had the hardest time coughing after being intubated for so long and water did not help. They did one hr checks all through the night and I had a pain pump, and cath. The next morning after surg they gave me some warm chicken broth and the phlegm immediately started to come up. I could feel it before stuck in the back of my throat and it would not come up till I had something oily to help it. They removed the pain pump and cath. 30 min later that morning so was up to the rest room within another 30 min and walking up the halls on day 2 post OP, got to shower on day 3 and went home just past noon on day 4. Dr's were amazed how good I did and how strong I was. Am one week out now and on my way to recovery.
Now just have to wait for the mammoprint to come back to see the next step. Tumor in L breast completely removed with large clean borders and sentinel nodes were clean.
Just be careful of the pain meds. They will stop you up.
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Hopewins, I was constipated for 8 days after surgery. I took miralax every morning and started a tablespoon on mineral oil 3 nights before I finally went. My BS had suggested the mineral oil.
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I will definitely try the mineral oil. Sounds gross but better than putting anything in the out-door. Did you mix it with anything or just the spoon full of medicine? Or suggestions on a chaser, lol?
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I have my Miralax and Colace ready to go. Have prunes and plan to eat some high fibers items.
Surgery on Thursday...getting there and trying not to be too anxious about it.
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Hopewins, I just took a tablespoon straight. Doesn't have a taste just oily which is gross but it worked. I chased with cold water😊
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Updating our list, please let me know if I missed anyone. Welcome RadQueen!
August 1 - LMS458412 - bilateral mastectomy w/o reconstruction
August 2 - sagelady - L mastectomy with sentinel node bx
August 5 - tmh0921 - bilateral mastectomy, latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction on my left breast, and tissue expander placement bilaterally
August 5 - Peggy814 - Bilateral Mastectomy
August 5 - trackercs - Re-Excision
August 5 - FTM - Left MX and SLNB
August 6 - okjoan - lumpectomy and axillary node biopsy
August 8 - laurencl - Right mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August 8 - dawns1962 - nipple sparring (hopefully) mastectomy of my right breast and expanders, left breast lifted
August 8 - ik0106 - lumpectomy
August 12 - eveldon - Right MX
August 13 - arizonaboundgal - bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction
August 14 - Bklynstoops - BMX, Left ALND, Tissue Expanders
August 16 - prehistoricmom - left lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy
August 19 - ucfknights' mom - bilateral mastectomy
August 19- notdefined - unilateral mastectomy with diep reconstruction
August 19 - Margun - bilateral Goldilocks
August 19 - Askmissa - BMX, Implants
August 19 - RadQueen - BMX and TRAM Flap
August 20 - AK_btrfly - Bilateral mastectomy and free tram flap
August 22 - HopeWins - BMX, SNB, Bilateral DIEP
August 22 - Seewee7 - Right Mastectomy
August 23 - ACchaos - BMX
August 28- CherokeeLady - IORT (being rescheduled - good luck CherokeeLady)
August 29 - Belinda977 - Bilateral mastectomy and Implants
August ? - purple-flower - lumpectomy or mastectomy (reviewing options)
August ? - Nadia_D - right breast mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August ? - Kkmay - mom is having Left Mastectomy
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Welcome RadQueen, I'm glad to hear your surgery went well and your recovery is going well.
HopeWins, I was constipated for 4 days after surgery. I took stool softeners every day, and the night before it resolved I took a dose of Miralax. If that hadn't worked, I was going with Senacot as my next step, though I also have suppositories on hand as well. I had stocked up in preparation for constipation from pain killers and eventually chemo. Constipation is no fun
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CherokeeLady-Will be thinking of you tomorrow! Prayers for a smooth surgery!
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I saw my oncologist today. He said my 7mm mass was part of the original. BS couldn't remove because it's too close to the skin. It's DCIS which is good and I'm technically NED which is great!
I will have radiation and I'll be on Kadcyla till June.
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Dawn
Yay for good pathology results! So glad to hear this.
Tracy
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That's good news, Dawn!
Good luck tomorrow, Belinda977. I hope everything goes smoothly.
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Dawn- congratulations fir good path report. Wondering why Kadcyla instead of herceptin? Are they similar??
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I ended up stopping the pain meds because of the constipation. It was unreal. Luckily between the long lasting anestheic and the couple of days I was on the oxy, it was enough. Swapped to ibuprofen at the end of day two at home and haven't looked back.
Mostly I'm struggling to be still. I think I'm overdoing it slightly, but can't tell. Trying really hard not to do much, but it's surprisingly hard to be still. Which doesn't bode well for the reconstruction recovery in a few months.
Hugs to all the Aug women on this board. The month is almost up. And we all survived to tell the tale.
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