surgery on monday--any advice

momtomygirls

I am scheduled for a mastectomy and sentinel noe biopsy on monday.  I was diagnosed with DCIS on June 2nd. My MRI also showed a small "spot" of concern.  Does anyone have any advice for me....any tips on making recovery easier.  I have already spent many hours reading many posts (thank you to all the brave women who have shared their experiences) but I am still very nervous and scared.  I have 2 daughters age 6 and 17 months.  It's going to be very difficult.

Cheryl

dlb823

Hi, Cheryl ~ There should be a thread pinned to the top of the surgery forum that has helpful suggestions and a "To Do" list.  Go to Forum Index above, and scroll down until you find the Surgery Forum.

Also within that forum, there will be a thread for July 2010 surgeries.  I'd suggest that you immediately post there for some wonderful support and bonding with other women who are also facing surgery this month.

Hopefully, you've got care arranged for your girls.  Lifting (or not lifting) will be a major issue for you with a 17-month old. 

I'm going to go and bump that planning for surgery thread so that you can also find it on the front page of Active Topics. 

Good luck on Monday.  I will pray that things go well for you ~   Deanna

Mantra

Are you having immediate reconstruction? I think the recovery may be different depending on whether you are having tissue expanders. I'll give you my experiences. I had a left SNB and lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy (margins weren't clear). I found the SNB was a longer recovery than the mastectomy. I did have pain after the mastectomy but it was because my TE was placed incorrectly. Fast forward . . . had a right breast mastectomy with TE in April. I was given Percocet but didn't need them. I did ask for a nerve block medication which was extremely helpful in dealing with those annoying phantom nerve pains. You may want to ask for this as well. I took it for a couple of weeks.

Hopefully someone with young children will jump in here. I know I wasn't allowed to lift anything but obviously that is impossible when you have children. I don't have young children so this wasn't an issue for me. 

Good luck with your surgery on Monday and wishing you a speedy recovery.