Second Lumpectomy - BC Very Swollen

Lovelyface

Second Lumpectomy - BC Very Swollen

Lovelyface

I had my second Lumpectomy on August 18.  Today, 9 days later, my breast has balooned into a red ball like.  It is painful and icing is not helping much.  For the first lumpectomy, I would bleed when it got like that, hard and red.  But this time, it is not bleeding.  I am not sure how I am going to go through the weekend like this. I called the doctor's office, but this surgeon does not care.  She is never available and it is almost like she has no answers for anything. I am not sure what need to be done.  I am so weak today, not sure why.  I went into second surgery in fair health, so am not sure why I am feeling so sick right now.  Could it be this breast?  Or could it be the surgery having its toll on me after 9 days?  I was taking Vicodin, every 4 hours but it completely wiped out my appetite, so I stopped taking that for now.  I can't afford to lose my appetite right now, especially when I am supposed to start chemo on a couple weeks.

Ladies, did anyone suffer with a big red baloon breast after thier lumpectomy.  Should I use heat and cold?  How can I make some flood flow out?  I don't think there is an infection?  What should I do to relieve some of the pressure built in there?  Please help me.  Thank you.

thegoodfight

I surely do not know the answers to your questions, but after recently having a bout with Mastitis I am wondering if that is what you are dealing with.  If you are not nursing (and I finished that over 30 years ago) it can be caused by a staph infection which you might have picked up at the medical facility.  Of course you can pick up staph almost anywhere.  The point is if it is mastitis, you need to be put on an antibiotic, asap.  Maybe you should consider a trip to the ER if there is no doctor you can get in to see.

Just a thought...........................Caren

LRM216

Are you running a temperature?  Even a low one?  It sounds to me as if it may be cellulitis, which I had right after my first A/C treatment as my large scar from my lumpectomy was not healed in just one tiny little spot before the began the chemo.  I had to be hospitalized for 6 days on iv antibiotics.  If your surgeon is that cold that they are not responding in any way whatsoever, I would get myself to the emergency room as soon as possible.  Let the professionals be the ones to judge what it could possibly be.  I wish you the very best.

Linda

Lovelyface

Thanks Ladies.  Yes, I did rush myself to the emergency room once I realized how bad it looked.  It looked so angry, dark red, with buldges.  They did all sorts of blood tests, chest xry, urinalysis and other tests.  The ER doctor called the oncall surgen (thank God), who is a much better surgeon than the surgeon who has done this to me.  I am shocked at the care I have received at the hands of the first surgeon who just did the surgery, never expained the processes which are involved, never told me what to expect, what to do.  She is not good at all.  Anyway, they wanted to transport me via ambulance to this other hospital last night so that I could have surgery first thing this morning.  However, they allowed me to come home last night after giving me one two-hour round of antibiotic and then this morning I met with the Oncall Surgeon first thing. Yes, it was another surgery under general anethesia.  The doctor took all the infection out and cleaned it with antibiotic and has put me on oral antibiotic as well.  It is very painful right now, even on top of the pain medication they have given me.  I can't remember what she told me was the diagnosis.  I have a feeling I heard that it was a staph infection.  Imagine that?  I will call the hospital and find out all the details soon.  I have been sleeping since the surgery since this morning.

My next problem is that the port they have put in my hand is itching like crazy and the area is really very dark.  It is sooooooooo itchy that it is driving me out of my mind.  I have been using benydryl cream recommended by surgeon, however, it still burns and itches.

My surgeon today told me that I need to heal fast so that I can quickly get to the chemo.  She wants me to do chemo as soon as I can.  If only I can get past these surgeries.  She also wants me to go back to the first surgeon to finish the job and I am just freaking out.

I am wondering if there are any ladies who really actually heal from lumpectomies.  Having had two lumpectomies, I feel it is hard to heal, as blood collects in the space where the tissues was, and it needs to be drained.  There is a process and my surgeon is never available.  I will call the second surgeon tomorrow and ask her to finish my surgery.  Hope it will work.

LRM216

Thank God you went to the emergency room!  I am so glad you did and so very sorry you have to go through this.  Yes, I do think most people heal from their lumpectomies just fine.  I had a large lumpectomy from one side of my breast to and over the nipple and then down to other mid side of breast to sternum.  Ouch- it was big, and even though my nodule was 1.2 cms., it was 5 cms. below the nipple at 11:00.  Then, as fate would have it, two weeks later they had to reopen the whole thing again for two clean margins.  This was all done in April of 2009 and I still have considerable tenderness, and even pain sometimes in that breast.  I am just so sorry I didn't have the stupid thing taken off, but my breast surgeon said that was "overkill."  I go for my next 6 month mammo and US Sept. 28 and it's extremely tender again.  I pray they find nothing in it. 

I wish you nothing but the best - you certainly deserve some good to begin to happen!  Keep us posted, please.

Linda

BarbaraA

Lovely, I had two as well. My scar has a hematoma but it is shrinking. I still have a seroma in my armpit. Small but annoying. My first was 5/10 and the second was 5/20. I am feeling fine now but the armpit one is VERY annoying. I hosed down my patio and balcony today along with moving furniture around and my armpit aches.  I hate this crap.

Lovelyface

I am healing from the infection surgey and it is going really well.  Now I can totally see that this surgeon knows what she is doing.  This time around, I have a deep dimple in my breast, which is the way I think it should have been after surgery the first two times, I think. I honestly think that my first surgeon does not know what she is doing.  It makes sense that if there is a dimple, then blood and fluid won't collect there and the breast can heal.  I just cannot believe what I went through this weekend.  But now things are back to normal and I am healing pretty quickly.  I called my second surgeon and requested that she take me as her patient, hope she will.  I will get the drains out in a week or so, and then get approval for chemo, and on my way to recovery.

BarbaraA - did you get many nodes taken from under your armpit?  Many women tell me their arm really hurts after they take the nodes out.  My surgeon only took out one node which was clean, however, now I wonder, whether she should have taken out a few more.  My new surgeon rolled her eyes about the first surgeon, I guess since she is the head doctor, she must know how poor of a job the other one does.

LRM216 - You know they told me the same thing that it would be an "overkill" and they would like to save the breast.  I have been told that I still have that option - to have a double mastectomy after chemo, if I want.  Seeing the way these breasts are healing and the lumps from the surgeries still there, I am thinking how will I distinguish between a cancerous lump versus a surgery lump?  An MRI every year is too long of a wait.  Have you considered a mastectomy now?  I still think your insurance will pay for it if you wanted to get it done.  I have it at the back of my mind.  After chemo if I feel I am not confident feeling safe of having them, I will consider mastectomy (double).

BarbaraA

Lovely, my surgeon took 4 nodes. The armpit incision is almost 2 inches long and there are apparently a lot of nerves in the armpit. I really overdid it yesterday but I need to just get on with life. I'm tired of pussy-footing around. I am just going to live me life much like before.

Best of luck on your decision. I opted for lump and rads and am satisified with my decision. I should be back to normal physically in another month or so. FYI, I had emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer and it took me almost a year to get back to normal physically.

DesignerMom

Lovely-  I am so sorry that you had to go through this.  To answer your question if any of us heal quickly after lumpectomies.  ABSOLUTELY!  I had a LUMP and SNB and was almost completely healed in 10 days, just a bit of bruising left.  Then I had to have more nodes removed and again I healed very quickly.  My surgeon is SO good and was always available with any little question.  She doesn't even use drains anymore.  When I commented recently that I had read about so many surgical complications on here, infections, infected drains, she said that she ends up fixing a lot of those surgeries too.  I think it is very smart and correct that you change surgeons.  Also, I think it is wise to make sure you are totally healed before beginning chemo.  It looks like you were diagnosed very recently, a few extra weeks shouldn't matter.  As chemo will impact your white and red blood cells (needed for healing infection) you need to make sure you are healed completely before chemo begins.  Wishing you speedy healing and only fabulous doctors from here on!

sflow

Lovely face--and the name fits you--I hope you are feeling better--I am appalled at how you were treated.  I had cellulitis a few years ago--quite a few yrs after my bc diagnosis and surgery.  My PCP thought it was a reaction to a med--my onc was disgusted and upset about this misdiagnosis.  He wanted to hospitalize me, but strong antibiotics worked.

  My son is getting married next year too.  I will pray for you and I know you will be well for the wedding.  

Lovelyface

Ladies

I am now healing from my infection surgery and am just shocked at the disfigurement of my left breast.  It is so disfigured that I will try to describe to you and maybe you can give me some hope that things will get better.  During the first surgery, she cut quite a big chunk out, however, the margins were not clear.  Before the first surgery could heal, she had to go in again to clear the margins, so cut another bit chunk.  The Path report says "Step sections through the specimen reveal an eccentrically-oriented lumpectomy site filled with old blood".  Well, due to surgeon negligence, this old blood got infected within 3 days of surgery. I feel that she should have cleaned the old blood, which she did not do.  She had asked me to write down how much blood was draining and to describe the blood, which I had done, adding my comment that there was a smell coming from the blood.  She never looked at my notes, and sent me home, only to be available after many days.  During these many days when she could have given me an antibiotic intravenously, she did not.  I even called her office that day, explaining the painful situation.  And now this infection has disfigured me, as another surgeon cleaned out the infection on a Sunday in ER after which this deep dimple in several creases developed.  The area behind this is very very hard, and I doubt this can ever heal into soft fibrous tissue, it seems impossible.  It has been 23 days since the surgery, but there is no difference in the area, it is not softening up. Ican't lift my hand all the way up, as the skin in this area is now shorter and does not stretch. The second surgeon to whom I went for consultation, and for taking the drain out, told me that she could hook me up with a plastic surgeon to reconstruct after chemo, in 4 months time.  My situation is totally a doctor mistake, so I am very angry and disappointed, as if it was from the cancer, then maybe I could have been able to accept it, you know. I could have had a mastectomy but she had promised to save my breasts, which she did not do.  They just want to do surgeries, cut you here and cut you there, be careful, ladies.  This surgeon liked to cut.  Anyway, imagine, the creases are so deep, that during chemo, I could develop yeast infections in these creases.  Imagine, I have to clean this area with a q-tip throughout my life, that is if I don't get this reconstructed.  I am trying to massage it, put cold, and heat during shower, hoping the fibre behind the hardened area will soften and flatten out, so the skin is not so creased.  This is like a burn, when you burn, your skin shrinks up, same thing has happened to me in this area.  Should I have any hope that this could possibly heal at least to some extent the way it was.  The breast, by the way, is much much smaller than the right now, which is okay with me.  I am so frightened of surgery now that reconstruction would be a big huge considation for me.