mastectomy recovery

ers

recently diagnosed with IDC. Scheduled for a mastectomy on 2/6 with setinal node biopsy. Does anybody have any knowledge/ experience on the surgery recovery they can share. I am 61 reasonable active bike 20 -30 miles per week yoga 1-2 time per week. Could lose 15 lbs or so though.

dawn31337

I don't know about men, but I was small busted, so maybe it is comparable.  Don't sweat it.  The surgery wasn't hard.  I had the On-Q ball and had very little pain.  They cut all the nerves, so after the initial surgery it isn't bad at all.  I had my mastectomies Friday and worked Monday, however I have a desk job and work from home.  I built a "nest" in bed, raising my chest/neck/head and rested my arms on pillows for the first week or so.  I had silky PJs so I could slip in and out of bed, which helped.  It isn't as bad as you think it is.  Best of luck to you!!

ers

thanks for the encouragement dawn

beacon800

my experience was very similar to Dawn's - very manageable surgery.  Try not to overdo anything the first 2 weeks for sure and even for 6-8 weeks as the internal healing is still happening even though you will feel normal.  Your doc should give recommendations on that part.

I got a wedge shaped thing for my bed, so slept elevated like that for a week or so.  Had no pain at all.  None.  The drains are a nuisance so expect them to be inconvenient but it only lasts a week before they take them out.  Lots of good energy to you!

Padiddle

ers:  I'm not sure the size of a breast would matter at all as far as mastectomy goes and recovery.  I would think the incision is the same whether you are male or female.  With no complications, it is not a hard procedure to recover from.  I've not had sentinel node biopsy, so I can't contribute on that.  The drain(s) are a bit of a drag, so you'll be real glad when that's out.  There is mild discomfort for awhile though.  I've had two mastectomies.  Second mx was on 11/30 (no complications), with only one lymphnode removed, and I still have mild discomfort mostly toward the armpit.  I did not need narcotic pain relief after, and was fairly comfortable with only ibuprofen.  The drugs used during surgery can bring on constipation, so planning on high fiber food can be of benefit.  Hoping things go well for you.  Jean

shera

I just had umx last week. I have needed pain killers...mainly duriing the 48 hours after surgery but it was very manageable. Its day 5 post-surgery and I'm almost completely off pain meds... I think most of my discomfort (though minimal) is from the tissue expander implant behind the pectoral muscle... that is where the pain seems to be coming from. I assume this would be a lot less painful without the tissue expander! I have one drain and will be calling tomorrow to have it removed since ive went 2 days at low drainage. Preparing for surgery was much more stressful than healing afterwards. If you have ways to keep stress at minimal, that would be great for youpre-surgery. I had an hour body massage 3 days prior to surgery...and it was the BEST thing i could have done. It was my 1st professional massage..but it wont be my last!!! The peaceful afterglow stayed with me until surgery day. Wish you all the best.

barbe1958

ers, because there is no bone, muscle or organs involved, the surgery is fairly painless. My surgeon said it's like a deep tissue wound, and it truly is. Without recon, your healing should be amazing. A week to 10 days post-op, the nerves will begin regenerating and that is totally annoying!!! An itch you just can't scratch. You don't want to be resting all your weight on your cycle arms so that might have to wait a bit. Bring everything you need daily to waist level to make daily function as painless as possible. Bending up or down can stretch muscles and skin that has been moved or stitched. Use your ab mucles to get in and out of bed. That can be your daily workout!!

If you have never had surgery before, you may find it more painful than those of us who have had more invasive surgeries to compare it to. Don't be afraid to take a pain killer, but don't assume you'll need one, either. I left the hospital without pain meds and I have a very low tolerance to pain due to Fibromyalgia. I impressed myself!!

Good luck, sweetie! Ask more questions as they pop up.

ssydor

Sorry for the bad news.  It isn't news anyone wants to hear, but you'll be fine.

I am a 40 year old male in relatively good shape (I could probably also handle losing 15 pounds too:) !).

I had a mastectomy about 13 months ago, they also removed 19 lymph nodes.  It really wasn't that bad.  The worst part was the drain tube... and that more of an incovenience then anything, had it in for about a week or so.  I didn't even need to take the Tylenol III's they gave me.  The only thing that really hurt was my arm (specifically tricept area).  It was pretty sore for a while... and it is still numb now.  But that is from some nerve damage during the lymph node removal... and that is pretty common as well.

I was up and about the day after my surgery.  They only kept me in the hospital overnight... The only thing that slowed me down was that damn drain tube!

Good luck with everything and keep us posted.

Charles_Pelkey

I have to agree with ssydor.

I am a 53-year-old male and had a double mastectomy in August. I was an avid cyclist and bicycle racer for many years, but I had been relatively sedenatry as I was in law school and holding down a full-time job in my late 40s and early 50s. I was still reasonably fit, but heavier than I had been in the day.

Surgery was fairly easy. I had a lumpectomy and then had to follow-up with a double mastectomy and insertion of a chemo port. The damn drain tubes were the worst (I had three), but recovery was quick. I have two large scars across my chest. The muscle damage was minimal and I am able to exercise with no problems. Chemo was awful, but the surgical issues were minimal. I do get fluid build-up and tightness in my chest, but that seems to be declining with time and exercise.

 Good luck.