February 2010 Mastectomy

cornellalum

Hey all!  I'm still doing pretty well.  Sore and stiff, but no real pain.  The drains are putting out a lot, but I figure that it's only the second day, so it's ok. I slept really well last night (in my own bed, surrounded by a nest of pillows) - thank god for percocet.  This morning, I got by on 800 mg of advil.  It was enough to make me comfortable without the head buzz.  

Now I'm looking for something to do so I don't go nuts.  This sitting around is going to be the worst!  For you ladies getting ready for your surgery - you can definitely do this.  It really is not horrible.  It's worst when I sit for awhile without moving because I get stiff.

I'm sending my dh back to work tomorrow - it's silly for him to be sitting here looking at me sitting here, and I am really perfectly capable of  dealing with things myself.  Tomorrow, I'll pull off this bandage and get a shower.  Hooray for that.

badger

Shower will feel great, like Tony the Tiger frosted flakes GRRRREAT.

I used some thin white gift-wrap ribbon and tied drains around my neck, so was hands free for shower, just threaded the ribbon thru the loop on the handle of the hand-grenade/JP drain.  :-) 

lovemygarden

Congratulations cornellalum, and toni67 too!    So glad you are feeling pretty good with no pain. I agree, the stiffness is worse when we've been in one position (either sitting or sleeping) for a long time, but it does work itself out pretty quickly. Tomorrow is the last day of the four "phase 2" exercises at 15 reps of 10 each, four times a day. The shoulder and underarm are definitely looser by the time I'm done with them -- but the exercises themselves are booooring! I found that background music interferes with correctly counting the motions and reps. Starting on Friday I move to "phase 3" which includes the wall climbing with fingertips and cane/stick exercises.

I'm bored too with all this snow. It figures.. the day after I'm told I can drive again, I get snowed in! So I'm cooking today, making stuff to freeze against the time when I feel too lousy from chemo to want to bother cooking. I made a low-fat carrot cake earlier, and am going to make corn muffins later. Both are serious comfort foods for me. The batter-stirring motion is probably good for the shoulder too!

LauraM

cornellalum and toni67 - glad to see that you both are feeling better with not too much pain.  My doc yesterday said you could also use a shoe string in the shower to clip the drain tubes to.  

We already have a about a foot of snow and are expecting another 5 - 8 inches.  It is very pretty, but way too much to shovel.  The kids are having a blast outside with all their friend.   

I am hoping that LTK and dangergirl both did well with their surgery today and are resting peacefully now. 

banana4me and  MiachelJ2009, I hope you both are holding strong and know that we are all here rooting for you!  We will be saying lots of prayers for you both in the coming days!

I am feeling better today, so thanks for all the good thoughts back to me.  It is really great to have a place that I can go to and everyone knows how I feel and I don't have to keep up the smile and be strong all the time.  So thank you all for being there for me!

badger

{{Pam}} and {{Mia}} we are all sending positive thoughts & prayers for you and your docs tomorrow!!

banana4me

Thanks Laura and groundhog.  I'm soooo anxious to have this obstacle behind me and be recovering at home.  I have my hospital bag packed, contact lists made for my DH, and have calendars printed out with my kids' schedules for the next few days (where they need to be and what time).  My father is flying in from Michigan tomorrow, and my sister from Oregon on Friday (the day of the surgery).  I am doing a no-more-snow dance!!

badger

oops...I see I'm a day early, today's only Weds, I've been off work too long and the days are running together, oh well good wishes are never wasted...LOL!!

charua

I am a week out and having a me harder time than I expected. My left breast is very swollen so the implant is pushed up really high and looks odd. The nipple is dead so that is another procedure. My pain on my left side is still there but the right side isn't that bad.

I still have 2 drains in (took out 2 today). The skin on my left breast is also having trouble with bloodflow so she might have to take out the implant and put in TE but I really hope not.

Right now I look really odd because one breast looks pretty normal and the other one is really high, swollen, and discolored.

The good news is that the path is clear of cancer so I am trying to focus on that. You all seem to be doing really well. My arm doesn't have any numbness so far.

Kayne

Hi Ladies,  Please add me to the list. My surgery is on the 12th, bilax with immediate TE.  Not packed yet, I guess I'm thinking I have alot of time.  Definitely getting that pit of your stomach, panic feeling. 

banana4me

Me too Kayne.  I'm supposed to work all day tomorrow, and I'm not sure how I'm going to get anything productive done.  Did everyone else work right up until the day before surgery?

chalex

Hi Ladies,

I just had a righted sided mastectomy and all my lymph nodes removed on Feb 8th. I was totally scared and frightened b/c I had never had surgery before. I want to reassure the ladies that have upcoming surgeries that I was able to get through it and I have faith you will all do well too. I will send positive vibes to you all. I live in London, Canada. I was allowed to have touch therapy b/f and after the surgery and I found that very relaxing..... I would recommend that as well if your hospital provides it to their patients.

Also, I believe someone was asking about numbness in their arm. I also have that going on too. It comes and goes....Not sore just like pins and needles.

Best wishes to you all.

Diagnosed: Aug 6/09, IDC, 5 cm, Stage 3, Grade 3, ER+/PR+  HER+

Faith316

Welcome Chalex and Kayne.  I'll add both of you to our group list above. 

Charua -- Glad to hear from you.  Sorry you are having a hard time.  Hope you feel better soon.  Congrats on the clear pathology report.  That is wonderful news!!!  I still have a drain in, too.  Hope we both get them out really soon!

LauraM

Hi Chalex and Kayne - Welcome to this wonderful group!  We are all here for each other, so I hope you will find comfort here like I have.

Charua - It stinks that you are having a rough time, but very glad that your path reports are good.  Keep the good thoughts of that and I am sure the rest will all get better soon.

My dh and I sat down and told the kids tonight...It was as tough as I thought it would be but I am glad that we got through that part.  They handled it as good as can be expected.  I do feel relief that I am not hiding from them anymore.  I don't have to worry if someone leave me a book or a card with the words cancer on it, so that is better. 

I am thinking of all the ladies that had surgery today and over the past 10 days!

Stonebrook108

Hi Ladies,

Just stopping in to wish you all good luck with your upcoming surgeries. I had a PBM last Jan 09 and the waiting to have the surgery is the worst part.

I want to remind you all to pick up a stool softner you'll need it after having anesthesia and being on pain meds.

If your having any questions I can help you with please send me a PM.

Be well.

Ann

2Hands4me

Hope you don't mind if I jump in here. I had a simple mastec. in November and my arm felt sunburned clear to the elbow on the back side. It was tender to touch and move, in spite of NO SNB or ax. node removal. I hadn't had this at all with my February surgery that included a SNB. It is much better now - only occasional twinges of sensation. I think the nerves get cut or stretched during surgery, and it takes awhile for them to re-learn what they are supposed to do!

chalex

I was just wondering if anyone had radiation before their mastectomy? I am in a research study and I had docetaxel and radiation together. 9 weeks of docetaxel and 6 weeks of rads. I was wondering how you made out. My surgeon said due to skin breakdown it may take longer for me to heal and a higher chance of infection. I was the first patient she has done a mastectomy on with having done rads first.....

Thanks,

Chalex

Diagnosis: Aug. 6,2009, IDC, Stage 3,  5 cm, Grade 3/3, ER+/PR+, HER+ 

hbowser

Good evening ladies,

Just popping in to wish banana4me, Miachel2009, and Kayne good luck tomorrow with their surgeries. I know the feelings you are experiencing but know that it will be fine. Banana4me, I didn't go into the office the day before my surgery, but I worked from home. It helped me to keep my mind off the surgery; you know how dangerous it is when you are left alone with your thoughts.

I am now 9 days out and doing pretty good. I was a little concerned about not getting my full range of motion on my right side (where I had my mastectomy). I wasn't fully able to life my arms all the way, but realized that may be due to the steri-strips on my port site.

I hope all who've had surgery this month is doing well and recovering.  Please stop by and let us know how you are doing.  

Faith316

Chalex,

I had radiation from Dec. 2008- Feb. 2009.  Then, I had mastectomy last Thursday.  (Look in my signature line below for my cancer history.) 

I have done pretty well, although I am going to call my surgeon tomorrow.  For the past day and a half or so, the output of my drains has increased.  It had been around 40 cc per 24 hours for most of the last week and now it is up to about 80 - 90 in the past 24 hours.  I wouldn't think it should be going up at this point.  (I only have one drain left.  My other drain started working its way out by itself 3 days after surgery so my surgeon told me to go ahead and slide it out.)  I am also having fluid building up in my chest around my incision, a little mid-sternum between my incision and my remaining breast and in the stupid "dog ear" under my arm.  This swelling makes me feel more sore and more stiff than I have been.  Have any of you had the output of your drains increase after being pretty consistent and quite a bit lower before?  Seems to me that I am going backwards!

Good luck to our Friday friends.  We'll be thinking about you tomorrow and praying for success.  Hope to hear from you as soon as you feel up to it.

Hello to everybody else!

chalex

Thanks Faith316 for telling about your experience with rads then surgery.

I just has the mastectomy on Mon. so my levels have varied day to day. Today was at 90 cc's and yesterday 75 cc's. Have you been up and about more? That maybe one of the reasons the drain levels are increasing if you are more active.....How long did you say in hospital after surgery? I was in and out as a "same day surgery"

Did you have any skin breakdown with your rads? I did and can really feel my skin feeling tight acoss my chest......Keep me posted on what you find out tomorrow. I am there for you too.

Fri ladies, I want to wish you well tomorrow. I will be thinking of you all and I will send all my positive vibes your way.

Chalex

Faith316

Chalex -- I don't think I have been any more active in the past couple of days than in previous days.  I stayed one night in the hospital after my mx.  Re: rads --- I am very fair-skinned and I did burn and blister towards the end of my radiation treatments.  I had a total of 30 treatments with a bolus patch over my lumpectomy scar area to really give that area an extra strong dose. 

chalex

Faith316,

Let me know what your surgeon says tomorrow. I will let you know what my drainage amount is tomorrow too. I have a nurse that comes in everyday to do dressing changes and to see how much drainage I have. I will inquire to her about when you should start to see the levels taper off.....I will get back to you tomorrow.

Did your surgeon mention anything to you about the healing process being longer since you had rads b/f mx?

Chalex

LauraM

Good evening Ladies!  Just stopping in to say good luck to Dangergirl, LTK and Bodhi on their surgeries tomorrow.  I will be putting in LOTS of prayers for you!

Faith316 and Chalex - I hope you both are feeling better tomorrow and that you can get those drains out soon.

I hope all the other women who have had surgery this month continue to get stronger everyday.   My thoughts and prayers are with you all!

cornellalum

Oh, my! Showers are definitely a wondrous thing! 

So I took the bandage off the incision today.  The incision goes from one underarm to the other.  Oozing a little bit, not too bad.  No dog ears or "doo-flappies" - so hooray for that.  The four drains are held in with a stitch on each.  I put some gauze and paper tape on them after the shower.  I surprised myself by not being too startled at the incision.  It ain't pretty, but it ain't the ugliest thing I've ever seen either.

I used a ribbon to hold the drain bulbs for the shower. It wasn't too bad at all.  The drainage was between 40 - 60 ml per drain today, so it's less than yesterday.  There was some burning feeling at the incision today, but I found that 800 mg of advil worked better than the vicodin, so I'm going to stick with that.  Took a few naps during the day - it was surprising how tired I actually am.

So today was a little better than yesterday, which was a little better than the day before.  For Friday's ladies - I'm thinking about you and sending prayers and good vibes your way.  For the rest of February's ladies, rest and peace.  For those recovering, take it easy, we will find our way.

After all, as I have discovered, even just a simple shower can be a wondrous thing!

funsizejen

Big hugs for banana4me , MiachelJ2009, Kayne!!!!!!!!

LauraM

Ok.. I am a day off!  I seem to be doing that more than not lately, I guess that is what happens when you have so much on your mind!

I really meant to wish good luck and send prayers to banana4me , MiachelJ2009, Kayne for their surgeries tomorrow!  My prayers are coming to you all in triple strength! 

 I hope that Dangergirl, LTK and Bodhi all did well today and that we hear from them soon!

badger

Laura, I was a day off too...great minds, eh?  I go back to work next week, thank goodness!

Prayers for our Fri sisters {{Mia, Pam, and Kayne}} and their docs - best wishes for surgery and recovery!

Also thinking of our Weds sisters {{bodhi, larissa, and dangergirl}} - hope you are resting & recovering!

{{hugs}} to all my sisters! 

Lillies4Laurie

Hi there everyone,

My bilateral mastectomy is scheduled for Tuesday and I'm getting nervous.  All the talk of drains slipping out scares me.  I am only staying at my sisters for a couple of days after surgery so how did you all do with driving with the drains?

badger

Lillies4Laurie - I didn't drive with drains, my DH drove me home from hosp 2/4 then to follow-up appt w/surgeon 2/8 when drains were removed.  It isn't the drains that keep you from driving, it's the pain meds (narcotics).  But I didn't want to go anywhere those first few days anyway!

Took my first short - like a mile - drive to the grocery store 2/10 and that was OK, I have pretty good range of motion and just went slowly.  Going over bumpy winter roads was not fun.  Please factor all this in when you make your decision about driving home from your sisters.

One last note is my drains were stitched in, even though I lost suction in one it was not about to slip out, they were not going anywhere based on my experience of having them removed. 

chalex

Faith316

Today I also went up in drainage fluid volume. I was at 230cc's today. My nurse called my surgeon b/c my orders said if I had over 200 cc's to let her know. They said to keep "an eye on it". I am also doing the same as you with drainage numbers going up and down. My drain is not supposed to come out until under 30 cc's in 24 hrs. Are you the same? How did you make out today? Anyone else having "drain volume issues"?

Friday surgery girls, I hope you are all doing well. It's a tough day but I have faith in you all.

Diagnosis: Aug 4th,2009, IDC, Stage 3, Grade 3, ER+/PR+ HER+

cornellalum

Lillies4Laurie - my drains are stitched in so they can't "slip out." I had my surgery on Monday, and the bs says the drains can come out when they are less than 30cc for a couple of days.  One is already there, and the other three were all below 50cc yesterday.  I don't go back to my out-of-town bs until Thursday, however, so I'm stuck with them until at least then.  One problem with driving is because of pain meds, but I haven't taken anything but Advil since Wednesday, so no issue with that.  I haven't actually tried to drive, but I imagine that soreness might also be an issue. Looking behind me to back up would definitely be out of the question right now.  Short drives with no backing up are probably do-able. Everyone seems to be a little different, so I wouldn't make any assumptions about how you will feel based on the rest of us.

Chalex - 230 cc's sounds like an awful lot. The most I had was 90 in one drain the day after surgery. They have been going down since then.  Please do keep an eye out for infection.