Need some advice

Arikka

Hi. I'm new here. My 80 year old mother had a lumpectomy in July of 2006. They wanted to do a mastectomy but were unable to because she cannot be put under due to her heart condition. The surgeon said they got it all and recommended radiation but Mom refused.

After the surgery the breast swelling and bruising was horrible. The breast was beyond huge and rock hard. They said she had a blood clot inside the breast and the incision was constantly oozing old dark blood. Eventually a huge blood blister formed on the incision and the surgeon cut it open. For 3 months they put packing everyday into the hole. Just before Christmas the nurses quit coming to her house daily because the hole closed up.

It is still extremely tender for her. Last night she told me she was getting ready for bed and she felt something wet on the bottom of her breast. She looked and it was a yellowy substance that really stunk when she wiped it off. It certainly sounds like pus and a serious infection to me.
Mom put a bandage over it last night and she says today there was nothing on it. According to her whatever it was is gone.

I have been telling her over and over all day she needs to see a doctor asap but she says it isn't necessary.

Please help me. What do you think it is? Does she need to see a doctor and get some antibiotics?

Thank you for your time
Sharon

cowgirl

Sharon it is impossible for any of us to know what it is, the rule of thumb is any discharge needs to be checked. Maybe she can go and let them check her wound out.

Praying for you.

Arikka

Thank you cowgirl. Mom still hasn't gone to the drs. because according to her it healed. She is extremely stubborn and there isn't much I can do. If I lecture her it just makes her worse. As she says, it is her life so I guess I will just keep my nose out of it.

beth1225

Arikka, there were many times when my dad who had bc, would want to give up. My mom, me and my brother were always there whatever his decision. It is not easy being the family of a bc patient no matter waht stage they are in. It is so frustrating because no matter what you do it can't stem the tide. For 5 years we all battled together. No matter what be there for your mom, whatever her decision. You sound like a good and caring person and she needs you very much. Just pour your love out for her.

roseg

I think she needs to go to the doctor but I'm not a doctor. Maybe you could call and talk to the surgeons' office. They may have a feel for whether this is normal or not. Usually bad smelling discharge isn't a good thing.

Older people have different reactions to infection. Sometimes they don't exhibit classic symptoms. Sometimes you'll get behavioral changes, like refusing to go to the doctor!

If it's nothing then you can apologize for insisting. If it isn't nothing then she can apologize to you for trying to ignore it.

I have at least two friends right now who're involved in taking care of their mothers who've got stubborn infections that didn't get taken care of properly in the first place because it "wasn't anything".

If it does need care and you don't push her to get it then you'll feel bad if it turns into something worse, so try even though she rejects your help.