Recovery time??

speech529

I am scheduled for right skin sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants on June 28.  I will have left breast implanted also to match.

Of course each person's experience is different, but I am wondering what the recovery time is for this surgery.  What I mean is, off pain meds at least during the day and able to be up and around during the day.

I am recovering from a total vaginal hysterectomy with removal of ovaries/tubes and a lumpectomy.  I have fatigue but no pain after 7 days.  I know that mastectomy is a completely different scenario.

When did you go back to work after mx/recon?  Appreciate your thoughts.

KAR

Hi Speech,

I had bilateral with TE's but I remember not being able to do much for myself the first week, then getting a bit better every day & after 2 wks was getting around slowly and carefully.  I don't do well on pain killers(make me sick and freaky) so I only took them a couple of days after surgery.  Muscle relaxants were my drug of choice   Expect to take 2 wks and then if you need to take less or a bit longer its aok!  Best of luck to you.

laurakay

I also had bilateral with TE's, and I was folding laundry on Day 3, and I am no superwoman.  The big deal was getting the tubes out (12 days) because I think it was a vicious circle, not being able to drive, etc., so that I was lying around, feeling like an invalid.  The day I got the tubes out, I went to the gym and rode the ex bike for 30 minutes, and more every day after that.  I did NOT EVER take anything but tylenol, BUT my doc gave me this pain ball.  Can you ask your doc about that?  It was so, so helpful.  I swear, I felt nothing that required any pain meds, and I was sleeping and eating and walking around and lifting things I shouldn't have within a few days.  If you can't find out about the pain ball, I could ask my ps when I see him what it's called.  I guess some people don't want that--I balked at first--but I'm really glad now, because I know that being zonked out on vicodin might have changed the situation for me.  Really, all I can tell you, is that the time btw surgery and surgery seeming a long time past was about 2 weeks for me, and, again, you would not look at me and say I was particularly fit or amazing or anything!

speech529

KAR and laurakay

Thank you so much for your detailed responses.  I feel so encouraged.  I have about 3 weeks to get to feeling stronger.  I will ask my PS about the pain ball.  All my treatment and surgeries are at Mayo and thay have been great so far in pain management.  I don't like narcotics either and stopped my as soon as I could.  I am on occasional Tylenol and having no problems.

Thanks again!  I know that I will get through this but not looking forward to it!

speech529

Hi Laurakay

I looked up the pain ball on the internet and discovered what it is.  It is actually a pain pump for local anesthesia.  I guess it is left in for a few days.  When I had my lumpectomy, they injected me with lots of local anesthesia which helped keep pain from even starting.  My breast never hurt.

Thanks for telling me about this; I will definitely ask the PS about it.