Post Surgery Recovery
I'm writing for help concerning my Thai 30+ year old friend who just had a radical double mastectomy, her second cancer surgery in 6 years. She is not getting any help from her surgeon on what she can or cannot, and what she should or should not do. This is especially important since she has children 1, 6, 10.
First question—what can she lift or not lift?
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coffeegin,
I am sorry that your friend is going through this struggle. In the US, radical mastectomies have not been routinely used for at least 20 years , possibly more. I also hate to give out anything resembling medical advice since none of us are doctors. Has your friend read through the post surgical care instructions to see if this is addressed? Perhaps the information is included with her drain care instructions? If she has not received any post surgical care information, please have her call her surgeon ASAP as this information is critical to proper healing! It is total negligence if she was not given that.
Again, I have not read of anyone on this forum having a radical mastectomy but two things women who have simple mastectomies, the most common type, are usually advised is to not raise there hands above their shoulders and to not lift anything over 10 lbs. Please remember that this may be completely wrong for a radical bmx, which is a much more invasive procedure with the removal of muscle and as much tissue as possible. So you can see that simple mx post op instructions may be quite different from radical mx instructions. She really needs to insist on her doctor giving her that info. Take care
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@coffeegin - Welcome to Breastcancer.org! It’s wonderful that you’re seeking information to support your friend during her recovery.
As exbrnxgrl has said, please encourage your friend to speak with her surgeon and insist on getting clear guidance on what she can and cannot do during her recovery. And if the surgeon doesn't give her enough information, she might get a second opinion or consult a therapist who specializes in post-mastectomy care.
We're here to help you and your friend through this, so don't be afraid to reach out if you have more questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
The Mods
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