August 2021 Surgeries
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Aram--I can't think of anything I didn't ask the surgeon but I had a couple of pages of things I wanted to know about. I suppose your questions will be specific to the type of surgery you're having. I had a single MX with aesthetic flat closure, no reconstruction. I also had a lymphovenous bypass, so I had a lot of questions about those procedures.
EminGA--glad your surgery went well and they got all the cancer. I don't have my pathology results yet so I'm still waiting to hear. I agree, the drains are a real pain to deal with; I can't wait to get rid of them. Take care.
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Hi LW422, Congrats that you are done with surgery!
Hi Aram, hope your consult went well!
Nicole has double mastectomy scheduled on Sept 1st and will have lymphatic bypass done at the same time on her right side. We are told the bypass procedure is minimal risk. No reconstruction, apparently reconstruction has a 30-35% chance of reoccurrenceHopefully Nicole will be home the same day (~4 hour surgery, 2 teams of surgeons), but there is a chance she may have to stay overnight.
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Pchyen, yes it was very informative. It is great to hear Nicole has a date. I hope it goes well.
I have a question. What do you mean by this: "No reconstruction, apparently reconstruction has a 30-35% chance of reoccurrence"? I asked my MO and he mentioned that is not a concern because the breast tissue is gone.
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Hi Peter, and thanks. My best to you and Nicole; I'll be watching for updates after her surgery. Take care.
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Hi Aram, I think surgeon mentioned 30-35% recurrence rate is due to IBC and immediate reconstruction. The oncologist said it is not IBC, but the surgeon says it is IBC, very confusing!
Anyway, no plans for reconstruction, just want all of the cancer out!
Hi LW422, thank you. I will post an update in the September surgery section.
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My SO just called and I got the BEST possible news today... pCR!!!! No trace of cancer left in my breast tissue or the 32 lymph nodes she removed!! OMG, I am so psyched and relieved.
Hope everyone is doing well with recovery. Since today's the last of August I guess we are all "done" and healing. Take care!
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LW422, Wonderful news, so very happy for you!! Hope you and everyone is healing well.
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Thanks, Marvie! I'm just walking on air this afternoon. I'll be thinking about you on Sept. 2!!! My best wishes for an excellent outcome for you.
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LW422-Congrats to you on PCR, I know you are celebrating!
Hope everyone is healing and doing well!
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Arg!
My mastectomy seems to be healing well, I'm getting my drain out today.
Meanwhile, when I had my lumpectomy at the beginning of the month, I did bilateral reduction so I would be symmetric. The incision on my right breast isn't healing normally at all, and it's become extremely painful the past day or so, like, much worse than the newer surgery. Let's see what the surgeon says...
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Sorry about the incision on your right breast, Jane. What did the doctor say? I know you're glad to get the drain out!
Speaking of drains, both of mine have "popped" the stitch where they go into my side. GAH. My husband put some tape on them to help keep them in place, and my surgical bra helps a bit. I hope they will stay in until I see the surgeon on Friday.
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LW — awesome news!!! So happy for you.
I am just over 4 weeks out from BMX. Today has been the best day I have had. Tightness remains, but it has eased up. BTW, I exercise faithfully. I slather on Vitamin E, Aquafor, or Lanolin three times a day. I massage each scar 3 times a day. But my chest tightness and underarm tightness up until today has been very uncomfortable.
Just wanted to let future BMX patients know it has taken me over 4 weeks to be fairly comfortable with the tightness. I was getting discouraged with how uncomfortable I was, but I believe the tide is turning - ever so gently, but hopefully turning. So, hang in there and best wishes to all for continued improvement!
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Thanks, Bookpusher. I'm glad you are feeling better and I can't wait until I get the go-ahead to do some stretching exercises. Appreciate the encouragement.
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Congrats LW422 on the pCR! Nothing better than that path report. So does that mean you are through, no more Rads, Chems, blockers, whatever--I think so, and wish that for everyone on August 2021 Surgeries. Life is so much better once we get to resume our normal exercise, as I went to my first post surgery yoga class this afternoon.
This blog has been a great relief and instructor. Good luck to all!
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Thanks, Pam. Unfortunately my IBC diagnosis means that I have to have radiation (I did 16 chemo treatments before surgery). So one more hellish process to endure.
Good for you for getting to return to exercise and Yoga! Hope you continue to do well.
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LW422: Well, I may be looking at radiation and hormone inhibitors. I haven't met with the oncologist yet, but expect to sometime this month. I am NOT looking forward to any more treatment, but what can one say... At least the surgeries are over, the wounds healing, and the swollen soreness diminishing. And, of course, the cancer is gone! Thank goodness for that!
Take care everyone.
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Thanks, LW422. The verdict on the right-side incision is that it's going to heal from the inside. It's going to take a few more weeks, but it's going to be OK.
Basically, a breast reduction involves an inverted t-shaped incision, one at the bottom and one going up to the nipple. The vertical part popped open. It's not practical to re-close it, but the wound is clean and starting to heal, so the plan is to apply ointment and clean dressing every day until it closes. This takes quite a bit longer than a wound with successful stitching, but it does work.
Also finally managed to get a real bra on, with a bit of cloth stuffed in the left side in place of the prosthesis I don't have yet. Proper support will probably help it heal.
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Janewhite, kudos for getting a bra on! Glad you can get back to exercise, too.
LW, good luck with upcoming rads. I hope it will be well tolerated.
PamEP, I hope no more treatment for you will be necessary.
I took a step backwards today - severe tightness and pain has returned. Ugh.
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Hi Bookpusher, sorry to hear you're sore again. Do you have a physio? I was referred to one and had my first appointment yesterday. She was a great, a lymphedema and breast cancer recovery specialist, and I have a new array of stretches to be getting on with to work on the tightness and pain. She also recommended very very gentle massage all over from my collar bone to my belly (even over the incision) to keep the tissue supple and stop the scar tethering to the skin underneath.
Janewhite - a bra! Nice work! I'm struggling to even have clothing touching my skin, still got the weird tingly burning feeling.
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Janewhite-- It took me about 2-3 weeks before I could have something touching my arm, shoulder and underarm. It felt like there was no skin there. But, then it went to pins and needles and now, 4.5 weeks from surgery, it's gone. Still a lot of completely numb areas, which the BS said won't go away due to the amount of nerve taken during the dissection.
Bookpusher-- My son's fiance was here yesterday and she is a yogi with specialty in nutrition and breathwork. I've never believed in that stuff before but she did tremendous things with the exercises given to me by the PT. Might be worth a google to find someone in your area and ask for a private in-home session to see how breathing and posture helps with the exercises. In only one session, she did wonders for me!
I'm on day 3 post first chemo and feel fine, just a bit tired. I've been reading that after the 3rd day is when the side effects kick in, so anticipating. Happy to have more mobility to do things and that the port is almost healed, since that was almost as hard for me as the surgery. I have a Senoma (sic?) on the surgery side which is making my cancer boob way bigger and somewhat tight feeling but they won't do anything about it for a while unless it becomes inhibitive. Lopsided again, so wearing a bra is difficult. Just doing bandeaus and pretending they aren't two sizes, LOL.
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Hummingbird,
So glad you were able to get some relief through whatever your son's fiancée was able to do. If and when I ever get straightened up I'd like to try yoga.
I hope your chemo won't be too terribly exhausting! Good news on the port site healing up, too. Bless your heart I hope the seroma heals soon, too.
I have been doing a couple more exercises that seem to be be stretching me out a little better. (Thanks to Sarah)
I was told to give it a couple more weeks from my neighbor (a registered nurse) She feels an 8 week time frame for the tightness to let up is more realistic for me. I am on week 5 now.
Hope all the other August surgery gals are coming along well in their recovery.
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Hi everyone. Hope you all are doing well. I went for a surgical followup today and had my last drain taken out; everything looks good but I'm still feeling rotten. I'm depressed over the numbness, sore and swollen armpit, hyper sensitive skin, tightness, etc.
To top it off I have a cord in my armpit. Just peachy.I went to see a PT today and frankly was unimpressed with her. She didn't have much personality and mostly just pointed out exercises on a printed sheet. I could get more useful information from Youtube. She said I'd be scheduled for "twice a week" sessions, but on my way home I decided that is not going to happen. I actually started crying during the session with her; suddenly I just felt like this whole stinkin' breast cancer ordeal is NEVER going to end and the tears of pure despair started to fall.
To top off a perfect day, I wore a regular front-closure bra with my knitted knocker on the mastectomy side. It looked quite pitiful since the mastectomy side kept riding up a few inches higher than my real breast. I don't know how to dress myself with one boob.
So. Just a dud of a day for me.
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Good news, I am getting stronger. I walked 4.3 miles today with some pretty gnarly hills in there. At this rate, I think I'll be back to my previous level of fitness in another month. Well, except arm strength, that'll take longer of course.
Bad news, I'm still in quite a bit of pain on both sides. My mastectomy side doesn't want pressure, I probably have a bit of a seroma going there, but my reopened reduction incision is better with firm support, which means I switch back and forth between firm bra and soft bra through the day depending on which side of my chest hurts more.
It's a lot to deal with, it's taking longer than I expected, but I'll get there.
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Hey LW422--sorry to hear this BUT I feel as if you have a couple more weeks to discover that those things will go away. Patience is the hardest thing. Aside from a pretty gnarly scar and the feeling that my upper arm is still about 8" in diameter, the numbness is still there but all other weird feelings are gone in my underarm. I'm almost 3 weeks ahead of you so there's hope!!
Keep your mindset that improvement is slow but there....you'll get range of motion and relief from the tingling soon. Full feeling? Maybe not, but I'm here to tell you it's overcomeable (if that's not a word, it should be!) and you can live with it. Praying for you and hoping you get some relief. Try the yogi thing......
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Hang in there, JaneWhite! I'm sorry you are still in pain; hugs to you.
Hummingbird--thanks for the encouragement. I'm trying really hard to do the stretching exercises and stay active. I hope a lot of this discomfort will be short-lived.
To everyone--did y'all get "assigned" to physical therapy sessions after your surgery? I went to one but it didn't seem to be worth driving into town for, so I'm using the printout from my surgeon and some youtube videos to do my own stretching. I'm just wondering if you guys are doing some types of stretching for range-of-movement.
Hope everyone is recovering and feeling better each day.
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Hey LW,
I requested a physio when I saw my surgeon for follow up, and was lucky enough that he had the details of one in my town who is a breast cancer and lymphedema specialist - I'm not sure how common they are. Worth looking into if there is someone who has experience in your area?
I wouldn't be impressed if I just left with a print out either. Mine talked me through caring for the scar tissue, the hematoma I currently have, and various stretches she could see would benefit me. I hope you can see this, I'm attaching a screenshot of the exercises she has me doing 3x a day - any questions on any of them let me know, they're similar to what you can find yourself online through the breast cancer sites and YouTube. Of course it's reassuring to have a physio choose them for you and talk you through them, so I understand your frustrations.
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Hey Sarah. Thanks so much; I'm doing most of those, plus a few more. Hopefully this will get the job done and I'll have ROM restored soon. Hope you're feeling well and recovering.
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LW,
I was assigned pre and post surgery PT. I was kind of against it in the beginning, wondering what on earth I needed it for. Well, 5 days after surgery started getting a lot of tingling/numbness/tightness/pain in my arm. Post op appt confirmed that I had AWScording. I am now seeing my PT 2 times per week to try and alleviate the symptoms. In addition to the exercises she has me doing at home she spends a good amount of time massaging and stretching the cords to try and get them to let go. She also gave me instructions today on desensitization to help with the hypersensitivity on my arm. Feels like the worst sunburn I’ve ever had! If you can find a good PT, I think it’s so worth it!
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so I am one month out from my double mastectomy to flat. I got the drains out pretty quick and things seem to be healing well. But just been experiencing some pain on my left side under where the drain came out and then wrapping a bit of my ribs there. It feels like a bruise. I messaged macabre team earlier too. I know I slept on it. Maybe thats why. Anyone else have anything like this?
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Hi all...I am 2.5 weeks from lumpectomy + sentinel node biopsy. The swelling at the armpit incision is still pretty significant. Its like there is a golf ball in there to the point that I can't put my arm against my side. Also, I noticed tonight that the underside of my breast is extremely bruised. I'm not sure if all of this is “normal". From what I was lead to believe I should be pretty much back to normal by now and I certainly don't feel like it!
Also dealing with cording and hypersensitivity in my arm so going to PT twice/week for that. Was also not prepared for that. Was on the lookout for lymphedema but didn't know about the other complications.
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