June 2020 Surgery Group
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Following to get product ideas for my upcoming mastectomy
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HI Karen!
When is your surgery?
I'll add to the list a seat back support. Helps with the comfortableness to be sitting up straight as an arrow. At least for me!
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I hope everyone is doing ok. I'm on day 2 post surgery. Yesterday was the worse as the nerve block wore off after 24h..I got emotional and couldn't deal with it so took my morphine. It's mainly the site where they removed 10 lymph nodes which hurts the most.
My only problem now is that I developed a serious itchy rash on my back and it's spreading towards the front, towards my breast. I'm now on Benadryl and was advised by a nurse to stop my antibiotic (can also cause a rash) until I call the surgeon 's office tomorrow. I'm guessing it's a reaction from the surgical prepping soap or the nerve block medication because it started at the injection site. It's more annoying than the pain. Do you know of this happening to others? Thanks!
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I originally took 2 weeks off but, I think I'm cutting that in half and will go back next week. Granted going back is me working from home on a laptop.
When did you have your surgery? Trying to figure out how quickly the fills start
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I had surgery on the 10th. Two weeks ago today.
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Thanks! So I have 2 more weeks before my filling starts
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The plastic surgeon injected 100cc during surgery. He'll do 50cc next week. Then he (thinks) he's putting 100cc after that. I told him 100cc is too ambitious. We'll see how I tolerate the 50cc and then I will let him know how much to put in next. If I can tolerate 100cc great! However, I doubt I can. Especially my left side since I'm still feeling a bit of pain on that side.
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i asked my PS at the initial consult how much he fills. He said he doesn't have a set amount, he goes by look/feel.
I guess I'll find out in a couple of weeks.
If anyone else was curious I found this on YouTube.
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I really wanted the Drains out today. I've been at/under 30cc for 2 days now. They should have been taken out but, when I went for my appointment he's like "oh I like it to be at 30 for a few days, it's just a week now, let's leave them in over the weekend and, take them out on Monday". 😡😠
Yes, I know it's only 3 extra days but, still annoying.
I have an appointment Wednesday 7/8 for my first fill. He couldn't/wouldn't tell me how much, says he has no standard it all depends on how the skin looks.
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Good morning friends, I am home after having surgery (UMX - left breast) on Wednesday and feeling pretty good. Surgery day was a bit rough. To start, we lost electricity at our house the night before, so I wasn't able to finish getting things together for the hospital stay and had to scramble to do so in the morning before we left. We also got a glass stuck in the garbage disposal and had to deal with that.
I made it to the hospital for 8:00 am and was taken back to the prep room around 8:45. I was worried about getting the IV going because of problems I've had in the past, but the nurse got it on the first try. That made me feel better. After that, we waited and waited, and waited. Finally, we were told that the orders for the sentinel node biopsy had not made it to the nuclear medicine department. So the doctor had just called it in, and the department had to order the medicine from a compounding pharmacy. I was supposed to have the biopsy procedure at 9:00 am but I was not taken to the department until after 11:00 am. Then I was told that the medicine was on the way and would be there any minute. The doctors kept calling to check whether it had been done. By this time, after all the waiting, my anxiety had skyrocketed. So, I was teary during that procedure and on my return to the preop waiting room. The biopsy was not bad - just a few seconds of stinging sensation with each injection. I did not use lidocaine because they said that would involve additional injections.
Once I was back in the preop room, they put what I call the "good medicine" in my IV, and I was out in seconds. I don't even remember being wheeled off to surgery. Surgery lasted about 3 hours. When I was finally awakened from the anesthesia, I was admitted to a room. The plastic surgeon asked whether I wanted to go home then, but I said no. I was so groggy and out of it, I don't see how I would have been able to go home. My husband was able to stay with me in the hospital, for which I was very grateful. I had some soreness but the pain meds - morphine - helped. I had a little nausea and got sick from smelling the bowl of soup they brought in for dinner. The only thing I could stomach was the iced tea.
I spent all day yesterday in the hospital until finally discharged around 5:00 pm. Apparently, the doctors had a full day of surgery and could not get to me until late. But I was happy to stay in bed and rest for the day. When we finally made it home, friends brought some dinner for us. Then I got into bed and watched a movie before more sleep.
And I did get good news in that the cancer removed was very small. Both the margins and two lymph nodes removed were negative for cancer! This was much better news than last time. My husband and I were both so relieved! However, I won't find out until I see the oncologist the first week of August about whether I'll need additional treatment. So, that is my surgery story.
Love and good luck to you all,
Rebecca
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Morrigan - Your surgeon can give you an idea of the amount of cc's. On average he knows if he normally injects 50 cc's or a 100. I think it's important for you to know a roundabout number. Otherwise, you give him all of the control. In the end he may think 100 cc's is the right "feel" and that could be very painful for you (or not. Just using an example).
When I told my plastic surgeon that a 100cc's was too ambitious (based on stories I read here) he told me that the main priority is my comfort. He will only go as fast as I request.
Anyway, just food for thought.
Rebecca - I am so happy you are home and comfortable. Sounds as though you went through a lot before the surgery. That is unfortunate because you didn't need the extra stress. Glad to hear you're home now.
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@LaVue - oh, I know he can, it's why I asked him. I'm not sure I'm liking his answers so far. He's kind of Laissez faire. I will ask again before we do they fill and, if I don't like the answer I'll be sure to tell him.
@Rebecca - Congratulations on getting through surgery. Sorry you were stuck in the hospital all day waiting for discharge. I hate hospitals so I'd be jumping at the bit to leave. Good luck with your recovery now that you're home
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Hi everyone- I had my BMX with immediate DIEP/SIEA flap recon on June 23 and thankfully healing well with skin/nipples intact. I have a good deal of pain but now controlling with only acetaminophen as of today. Scooting Dow hospital hallways on walker and eating about half my food here. I read that Canada and UK protocol is 5 to 6 day hospital stay for this so am doing that even though US is only 2 to 3 days - great women I met in hospital social work and accounting teams told me insurance company could not charge me for taking those additional days for this. I Am very sore and look very bruised but it is easy to imagine I will be happy with naked appearance within 6 months...provided nipple cell biopsy results are all clear and Of course the biggest concern I have is biopsy results of sentinel lymph nodes - will know Tuesday. My prayers that all who will undergo surgery have at least as easy a time of it as I have had so far with great medical care and that we all get clean node reports afterwards!
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Abigail, it's exciting to see you post. I wondered how you were doing. It seems like the lot of us have had a good experience post-surgery. Hoping that trend continues.
Hugs.
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yes, reading the words of our fellow ‘soldiers’ has given me more courage and hope and I will continue to share my news also. Blessings to you all
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Drains came out this morning! Yay! 😁
I have to wait 24 hours to shower but, I can live with that.
My first fill is scheduled for 7/8. I took a look at them this weekend, they're kind of funny looking, not sure what I was expecting.
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I haven't looked at mine yet. I don't think I will for a while.
Due to covid-19, my bilateral was delayed for months. I am afraid the same thing will happen with the exchange (all indications are that the virus will come back with a vengeance in the fall) and I will be stuck with the expanders until the spring of 2021.
I want to get my fills pretty quickly but I'm still quite uncomfortable. I want to be able to tolerate at least 50 cc's every week. I have a hundred in now and I'm only going up to around 350. Perhaps to 400 because I read plastic surgeons like to overexpand because the implant will ultimately be smaller then the te.
Is anyone else concerned about covid-19 and the possible delay from te two implant?
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It's certainly a possibility. I think it depends on where you live and, how seriously they're taking the virus.
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I am in New York. The governor takes the virus seriously, which is appreciated.
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I'm in NJ, I think we'll be OK come the fall. Cuomo and Murphy have been on top of things after we got slapped so hard at the start.
Murphy just revoked indoor dining after seeing what went on in TX. Plus we have mandatory mask wearing and social distancing which people seem to respect (so far)
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I agree - I think NY and N.J. govs will keep it safe enough for our respective follow on work. Came home from Weil Cornell last night and I got my pathology report via phone today and cried with joy that all was negative, sentinel nodes and nipple area cells too. Maybe LaVue is right about our ‘class’, hope so! First follow on plastic work to remove the extra flap skin scheduled for July 8. Hoping test and restoration results go well for you all!
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Great great news Abigail! I am so happy for you.
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How was your shower, Morrigan? 😀
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How was your shower, Morrigan? 😀
Sooooo nice. 💞.
Kicker to this whole thing. Yesterday when the nurse took my drains out:
Nurse: oh he used monkey drains. He never used those before
Me: what's that?
Nurse: they have plastic sealing over them, you could have showered this whole time. 😑
LOL
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Hey Morrigan, I'm very happy you got to shower finally, and even though you found out you could have before, I think it would have been pretty awkward having to be very careful, more like carfully squeezing a washcloth with soapy then clean water around the drain piping and drain bulbs. Anyhow I am glad you accomplished another healing milestone. I am so looking forward to being clean again too. With the recon choice I made, I have 4 drains which they tell me I can shower with but I cannot stand up straight, back killing me since I have to be a little hunched over when standing. I have only been walking with a walker, something I was hoping not to need for at least another 20 years...anyway, I have a plastic chair I can put in one of the showers and it has a handheld hose so will try that with husband's help in another day or 2, just need to be careful and only squeeze soapy water over my torso and underarms (pretty achy where they took out those sentinel lymph nodes too) rather than regular washing like elsewhere.
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I'm so happy you got a good report, Abigail! LaVue - I have not yet given much thought to the TE /implant surgery or possible Covid-related delays. Despite the present uptick, I am hopeful the situation will continue to improve.
One drain out and one to go. I'm hoping to be free of it Thursday, otherwise it will have to stay until early next week.
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Thank you for all who have posted here. It's been very informational for me. I had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on June 25th after finishing 6 rounds of TCHP. During my pre-op appointment, my iron level was low so I had an iron infusion the next day. Once I was in recovery, my blood pressure dropped very low and I was taken to ICU to get a blood transfusion. I was supposed to only spend one night in the hospital, but ended up spending two nights there.
I'm now home and trying to get off the Tramadol and so far it's going well. My pain tends to be manageable on Tylenol. I also looked at my breasts post surgery and I'm not sure what I expected, but I'm getting used to them now. I have noticed that there's a little concave area around my port. I took pictures and sent them to my PS and they said everything looked good and it my be due to the drain placement. Has anyone else experienced this?
I had the sentinel node (right side) removed plus 6 additional nodes and all came back cancer free! I am now waiting on the final pathology report. I will see my PS in two days so I'm hoping to get at least 2 of my 4 drains removed. It would be great to have all 4 removed, but I don't think I'm quite there yet.
Thank you all again for sharing your journeys. It is extremely helpful to me.
Best of luck to all of you!
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Hello everyone. First post 🙂. 6 days post-surgery. Pain levels are good, but my drain is hurting and I'm extremely fatigued. I was wondering if anyone has any managing techniques?
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Hi mheibel - so happy to hear sentinel lymph node pathology was clean and fingers crossed margin pathology comes back clean too.
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Mheibel thanks for the update. It's great to hear Tylenol is doing the trick and the results so far have been positive
DCISat43, my drains also hurt. I can't offer a solution on ways to minimize the discomfort. I simply muscled through. The drains will be out before you know it. I know that's not much of a comfort. But it's what I kept telling myself.
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