What to expect after a masectomy

blstirling

Hello- My sister has breast cancer and will either be getting a single or double masectomy depending on her next MRI results. I will by flying up to help with recovery in July. I'm trying to research what to expect, and how best to help, and thought I'd reach out and ask this community. What were the must have's for recovering? What was recovery like for you? All and any advice are welcome. Thank you!

exbrnxgrl

It is wonderful that you will be helping your sister and I’m sure she will appreciate it. Your first source of info should be your sister’s doctor. She/he will be able to give your sister specifics related to the type of surgery she is having ( is she having any reconstruction?) . Wishing your sister all the best.

I can’t copy/paste links but if you use the search feature, you will find a whole forum dedicated to surgery and aftercare. I can copy/paste text , so here is the forum title:

Surgery - Before, During, and After

Surgical options and helpful tips for recovery and

moderators

Hi @blstirling and welcome to Breastcancer.org!

You're so thoughtful to reach out to see how to best help your sister. Here are the links @exbrnxgrl is referencing, for a start:
https://community.breastcancer.org/en/categories/surgery-before-during-and-after

https://community.breastcancer.org/en/discussion/699896/shopping-packing-to-do-list-for-surgery-recovery

In addition, you might find these pages helpful:
https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/mastectomy/what-to-expect

https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/what-to-expect/recovery-for-caregivers

We hope this helps!

—The Mods