February 2010 Mastectomy

LTK

Hi, Lilles4Laurie,

I've been emotional the past couple days myself, growing more anxious as I'm closer to my Feb.10th mastectomy date.  Here's a thought that I return to for comfort and strength: The person I am is NOT contained in my breast.  I am what's in my heart and my brain.  And while the breast will be gone as I know it, my heart and brain remain intact, and so I will still be ME after this surgery.  This life is MINE, my ambitions are MINE, my loves belong to ME, and no work on my body will change that.  In fact, I suspect I will love my life even more when this is all done.  I hope this helps in some measure.  What you're going through sounds intense... From here in New York City, I'm sending you positive energy (what little I have to spare!), wherever you are.  You will emerge from this a stronger woman. 

Faith316

 Beautiful post, LTK!

badger

Hi all - I've been reading through the archives of the surgery forum and found a thread called, things that surprised me after mastectomy.  It was a good read so I bumped it up for y'all.  {{hugs}}

Faith316

Thanks!  I'll have to go read it.  groundhog, nieves and hbowser --- what time are your surgeries on Tuesday?  I can't believe how close this is getting?  Will all of you be staying overnight in the hospital?

hbowser

Good evening, Faith.  My surgery is scheduled for 11:30 am.  They have me down as extended outpatient surgery, which means I stay 23 hours.  I will be there overnight and will be discharged sometime in the morning.  Went shopping today to pick up some items I thought I will need:  additional pillows, wedge, neck pillow, sweat pants/shirts, slippers and button down pjs. 

Groundhog - I can't find the thread, under what forum is it located? 

Will keep you all in my prayers; here's to staying positive and a speedy recovery.

Holly 

Faith316

Holly -- It is in the surgery forum.  I just bumped it back up near the top of the list to help you find it.  Lots of good info in there. 

badger

I check in at 8 with surgery at 11 Tues...supposed to be same-day surgery but I can stay overnight if needed.  Tomorrow I flip the calendar page to a new month and OMG it's a day away...

My sisters I hope and pray for safe surgeries and speedy recoveries!  {{hugs}}

Faith316

So, both of you gals will be in surgery at just about the same time.  Lots of prayers for both of you.  Hoping you are feeling well quickly.  Will look forward to hearing from you about how you are doing when you are up to it!

charua

I have young ones also  - a 2 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. They don't understand anything. The 4 year old knows I will be gone for a bit but he seemed to tune out everything else (typical male

 I am getting super nervous that they will find cancer in my breasts. I try not to think about it but it comes to me late at night and keeps me up. I had aytpical lobular hyperplasia in September but haven't had any scans ever since. As I mentioned earlier, my risk is higher b/c of the atypia and the radiation I had for Hodgkin's disease 14 years ago.

LauraM

Ladies.. prayers and hugs to you all having surgery in the next few days!  Just remember you are all wonderful strong women!

Faith316

February sisters ---------------- Paintressa is joining our group.  I "found her" in another thread and invited her to join us.  She had previously posted her details in the Not Diagnosed But Worried forum in a thread called "bi-rads cat.5 could it be wrong."  Maybe you all can pop over there and find it and read about her situation so she won't have to retype it all.  She is also having surgery this week.  That makes 7 of this week.  She'll be along shortly to "meet" everybody!

LauraM

Good monring!  Quick question.. does anyone get shooting pains (like needle pricks) in their lumpectomy healing spot?  I was getting them fairly often after the surgery and I call them my "healing pain".   They have been getting less and less but today they are anoying so I thought I would ask if anyone else gets them too.

 Thanks!

cornellalum

LauraM - yup. Got them for weeks afterward.  Still get them once in a while almost 3 months out.  My understanding is that it's the nerves healing.  I called them "zaps".

LauraM

Cornellalum -  thanks for the reply, it is always good to know that what you are feeling is not abnormal!

LTK

To all of you going this week--

Despite the fact that I don't know you or even know what you look like, I feel this connection to you via this thread.  Misery loves company (ha!), and this online company has truly made me feel less alone in this tough chapter of my life.  I will be praying for all of you this week, and I'll be anxiously looking forward to hearing how all of you are doing once you're home and settled in and up to dropping a line.  Please, when you can, check in with the rest of us, okay?  

Sending strength and courage and healing thoughts your way, wherever you may be...

Larissa

P.S. I can't believe a couple of you are staying in the hospital only one day, and maybe not even that??!!  This is major surgery!  What the heck?  Is it b/c of insurance limitations? 

LauraM

I read this today and it may me think of us!

"A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear [that results] from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl."

Stephan Hoeller

Faith316

Laura -- That is beautiful.  Thank you so much for sharing it.

Hi Sisters,

I spent the better part of today running errands.  Trying to get things done before Thursday.  I did some pre-op stuff --- chest x-ray, bloodwork.  I also have to have an EKG but they say that they will do that when I get to the hospital on Thursday morning.  I also went by my oncologist's office and got my port flushed.  I haven't used it lately since I am now just on oral chemo instead of infusions and thus I have to get it flushed once every 30 days.  I went to the bank, to the jeweler to pick up a couple of bracelets that I was getting engraved and to a school where one of my friends works to give her some brochures about IBC that I had ordered to hand out to people to spread the word about this unknown type of breast cancer.   Also today in the mail, my other post-surgical camisole arrived, so now I have two of them.

I am thinking about groundhog, nieves and Holly who go tomorrow!  I know you are probably feeling a lot of butterflies in the tummy today.  You know we are all right here behind you as you girls go first.  Will be thinking about you tomorrow and will lift up another prayer for each of you for a successful surgery.  And, as Larissa said, please let us hear from you in a few days when you are up to it so we know that you are doing ok.  She is also right about feeling a connection to all of you because of this shared journey that we are about to embark on.  We are all gonna be OK.  Love to all.

Faith

funsizejen

Here's our list for the week:

Tues-Hbowser, Groundhog and Nieves

Wed-me and Charua

Thurs-Faith

Friday-Paintressa

I'm sending good luck and prayers to all of us!!  We can do this!!!

cakeisgreat

Hi, All!  Boy I had like two pages to catch up on, whew!  It stinks that we're all here for BC but its nice to get to know you all.

LauraM--I have 4 kids ages 7, 9, 12 and 13.  When I was dx'd back in June, my hubby told them on the way home from school I think because it was easier to talk while looking at the road rather than their worried faces.  We had to tell them because I worked at their school and many things changed immediately, so we wanted them to know the real facts.  He was gentle and said, "mom has breast cancer, but it is early, it is treatable, and we are going to do everything to make sure it goes away. And God loves us and will help us through this and everything else we go through in this life."  He softened it more than it sounds on this post, but my kids came home, hugged me, wrote me sweet letters, and prayed a lot for me!  They also saw that God truly can get us through hardships, and that one does not always die from cancer.  They also saw so many of my friends and their friends helping me and praying for me, etc. They feel like they were helping me through it somehow just by knowing about it...even my 7 yo.

But, I think everyone knows their own children and what they can handle...sometimes telling them stuff like that sends them over the edge rather than doing the opposite.  I think you are doing a great job with your family!

Lillies and my other anxious friends--I'm with you on anxiety.  I'm afraid they'll find more cancer in these puppies and the next thing I know Ill be on chemo.  I really like what LTK said...it was very comforting!

LTK--where are you having your surgery?  I'm going to Luke Roosevelt.

OH--ps--my surgery might be changing (again!) to Mar 1! sheesh!

LauraM

Cake - Thanks for sharing you story.  My hubby and I have been really going back and forth on when to tell them this next part of the journey.  I will probably be soon, since we don't want them to hear it from anyone else.  It just really stinks to have to mess with their innocence.  I know they are stronger then I give them credit for.

My mind really can't focus today, I have been thinking and praying for all my new "friends" having surgery today and the rest of this week!  May they feel all the hugs coming their way!

Faith316

I've been thinking about our 3 girls who are having surgery today, too.  Here's praying that all goes well for each of them.  I'll be anxious to hear from them after it is all said and done.

Jen and Charua --- you gals are up next!  How are you feeling today?

Hugs to all of you.

charua

I am feeling kinda nervous about the SNB injections! I have to go to the hospital for them at 3:30 and I have heard they aren't pleasant! I am going to stay at my mom's house tonight so I don't wake everyone up at 4:30am tomorrow when I get up.

I can't believe that it's finally here. After all the months of planning, appointments, insurance calls, etc. I am hoping for quick, happy recovery!

 Good luck to all of you who have surgeries this week also!

Faith316

Charua,

You'll do fine.  The SNB injections are quick.  When I had SNB with my first go round with BC, I had 4 injections.  The first three were not painful at all.  The last one did hurt some but was over quick.  Even though I am having another axillary node dissection with my mastectomy on Thursday, I don't have to have another SNB.  Hopefully you'll check back in with us this evening and let us know how that part went for you this afternoon.  Will be praying for you and Jen tomorrow!

Lillies4Laurie

Thank you LTK.  Your words helped me.  My surgery is two weeks from today and I'm still nervous and emotional though.  I'm trying to stay positive because it's my life that matters so cancer has to go away.

I'm wondering about the drains when they take them out do they stitch the opening shut or do they just bandage it?  I also heard that when they take them out that it's a bit painful.  What have you heard about the drains?

Faith316

Lillies --- This is my second bout with BC.  In May of 2008, I had a lumpectomy and had drains then.  They took them out about one week later and it did not hurt a bit.  I was SO READY to get rid of those drains!  They were very aggravating.  They only bandaged them, they did NOT stitch the opening shut.  It is actually only a very small opening.  Actually, it might even have been a Band-Aid that they put on it after it was removed.  When I talked to my surgeon the other day about how long I would have drains this time with the mx, she said again it should be about a week.  Hope this helps some.

Stonebrook108

Lillies,

I had 4 drains when I had my PBM. They were stiched in to hold them in place after surgery. But, after their removed just a bandaid to cover the hole which is very small. Also I didn't have any pain when the drains were removed. Just glad to have them out.

If I can help by answering any questions any of you might have please feel free to send me a private message. We're all here to help each other.

janjan37

Hi LTK-  Just wanted to send you a reassuring note from someone who just had a left unilateral mastectomy on Jan 2 with imm. reconstruction (implant) and an augmentation implant on the right breast.  I'm almost 5 weeks post-op now and feeling fine.  I am loving my augmented breast, and my left mastectomy is almost filled to match my right.  Only one more 'filling up' to do.  I am so glad to have had the imm. recon.  It's great!  I would say the first two weeks were the most sore; I had two drains in for the first week, and one for the 2nd week.  They limit your mobility some.  I didn't have any pain, just stiffness and soreness.  I'm feeling great now.  I breastfed 3 kids, and so my B cups were a little empty at the top.  With the right augmentation to a C cup, my breasts are gonna look better than pre-cancer!  Good luck to you!!  If you want to message me for more info, please do!!  Jan

janjan37

Hi Lillies!  I had a mastectomy on Jan 2nd.  I'm almost 5 weeks post-op and doing great now, never had any pain, just soreness and stiffness.  The drains were a nuisance, yes.  When my plastic surgeon took out the first one, after one week, holy crap, it HURT!  I could not believe how much it hurt. So, before the next week's appt, when he was going to take out the second one, I took two Motrin...didn't feel a thing.  I'm not sure if the Motrin helped, but I felt nothing.  I hadn't expected it to hurt at all, so perhaps I was just surprised.  If you want to private message me for more info, feel free!  Good luck!! Hugs! 

LauraM

Hugs and prayers to Funsizejen and Charua on their surgery tomorrow!  We will be thinking of you, please get back in touch with us to let us know how you are doing as soon as you can!

Question - I keep reading people are having shots prior to a SNB, I am having a SNB on my left side with my bmx on Feb 22, but have not heard about going for a shot.  What is it for? Thanks!

funsizejen

Well, girls....it's about that time!  I'm taking a sleeping pill and going to bed and will be heading to the hospital in the morning.  I am very nervous right now, but am hoping that by this time tomorrow, I will be cancer-free!

Thanks for all the love, prayers, and good thoughts....I'll post when I can.