September 2012 Surgery

Sneakychiquita

Okay 3 hour nap complete.  Is anyone else experiencing major fatigue since the surgery?  I thought maybe the first week I'd sleep a lot, but I'm now close to 3 weeks out and needing a big nap every day.  It's my whole body that needs to shut down... achy legs and all.  I'm on no other treatment right now so I wasn't expecting this.  I'm starting to wonder if there's some other underlying illness I need to check into.   

Momluke

I didn't used to take naps except under extreme circumstances. But since my surgery, I'm like you. I have found myself napping like crazy!

kltb04

I'm nearly 2 weeks out and I have been staying up til about midnight then waking up as DH and my mom got the girls ready for school and goIng back to bed for a few more hours! So I am sleeping a lot.

Momluke

I think the process of healing is exhausting which forces us to need to sleep more.

Dakota212

I took a nap everyday so far except today. First real day I felt like me again. Maybe cuz I got the ok to drive!!!! Good night all. Hope u all are pain free!!!

Sneakychiquita

Okay, at least I'm not alone on this.  Cancer sucks.  

kltb04

I had a follow up with PS today and totally forgot to ask him about driving. He has never told me what to do or not to do though. I guess he thinks I should just use my judgement??? Lol. My judgement isn't the best sometime so maybe he shouldn't. I tend to go from doing absolutely nothing to trying to do everything.



Anyway he said everything looks good and to come back Wednesday to get stitches out and possibly a fill.

Jennt28

Sorry it took me a while to reply - I was napping ;-)



Jenn

KellieDenise66

Yes Sneaky, I've been a total slumber jack! Sporting total bedhead all the live long day!

Dakota212

Kltb-

Hi my PS told anything that if I was taking pain meds no driving and if I had drains still no driving

Momluke

LOL@ Jenn!!

marianelizabeth

Friday was a big day for phones calls and planning. First call was from BCCA (Vancouver Cancer Agency) with an appt. Monday at 0745 for a PET scan. Big surprise as MO indicated it would not give us any more info on 7 mm lesion on lung which showed up on CT scan which was to be repeated in 3 months. Next, call from my MO. I ran into her Thurs. as I was heading into chemo teach and had just enough time (she knew I had called on Wed. with questions) to rip out the page in my notebook with the questions and hand it to her. So she called with the answers and was really good about all of them. PET scan ordered to reassure me (I figured as much) but she said also to give a baseline for the future. As SneakyChiquita said above, onctotype tests not done here and same for Ki67. Well she did not really say not done, but of no value in my case and I do understand that. With my pathology it is not relevent; I need everything!

Michelle, some of my questions relate to yours. My MO told me Thurs. in the brief meeting that I can access all copies of everything and all I had to do was fill out a form asking for for their release and in a few minutes had absoultely everything from the beginning and every time something new is done, I just go the office in the cancer agency and pick them up. You mentioned going to adjuvant yourself. That was on my list of questions and my MO read right from the computer what my recurrence will be based on my age (and she put in very healthy 63 y/o female) and pathology. I am high risk and the numbers are not so exciting but I am a person who likes/needs to know all and for me, it helps that I know what I am about to battle with chemo, more surgery, radiation and reconstruction.

So, PET scan in AM, 2:30 PM chemo starts and Tues. I go to "Look good feel better"  and also get my first Neupogen injection. We will celebrate our 29th anniversary in between. I figure that we will save fun celebrations for the 30th when hopefully I am done with everything.

KellieDenise, kudos to you for all that you and your mom are going through together!

Fatigue - I have to wonder if anxiety adds to the mix as even though I have not had more surgery or chemo yet I am tired by evening every day. The only thing I can think of is that by the end of the day I have experienced more emotions over diagnoisis, fear of the unknown, playing the waitiing game, and keeping it together somewhat for our kids (20 year old son who is our most sensitive, 23 year old son who lives in our basement suite with his girlfriend until he goes back to UVic to finish his degree in Jan.) I do have an amazing support team but I am also working through giving up control of day to day household stuff, cooking and other "control issues." Our daughter comes home from travels tomorrow and can't wait to see her. She will only live with us briefly until her sublet is done but I am so looking forward to her being here. She is a great cook and also female! She is going to help me set up a blog.

Mumtobe so glad to hear your news and I too will be excited for the 22nd and your precious baby to arrive.

Marian 

KellieDenise66

Dear Marian,

All your diligent planning last week, and preparations for next week sound more than exhausting. I just wanted to wish you a lovely weekend with your beautiful family. I'm so happy to hear your daughter will be joining the mix. I've really enjoyed having my mom close. I was a rotten teenager, and still trying to make up for it. We still clash at times, but it's just a small part of what happens with closeness. Looks like you've raised some pretty great kids who love you dearly.

Big Hugs,

Kellie

Leah_S

As everyone is discovering, surgery is exhausting! It takes a lot of energy to heal, and our bodies have gone through significant trauma. So cut yourselves some slack!

Goodnight!

Leah

Dakota212

How true is that !!

kittykoma05

Hello ladies,



I hope you are all healing and feeling better each day. I have a question for those of you who had surgery around the same time I did (Sep 14). Have all your wounds healed? I had a BMX with TEs, and I have a hole on my right breast that does not want to close. Is this normal? I didn't have rads or chemo. I was very large breasted before so my incision looks like an inverted T. The hole is where the two lines meet. Should I be worried?

Jennt28

Are you holding it together with steristrips or something?



Jenn

Momluke

Kittykoma,

I had my surgery one week before yours and all of my incisions are closed on the outside. However, in the corner of my eyeshaped patch on my reconstruction seemed to not to be healed all the way. I went to my PS and he said it was not infected (although it was weepy) and that it was a reaction to the stitch. He dug in it and clipped the stitch that was still left. Its closed up nicely now.



My PS told me before my surgery to load up on protein before and during recovery. He had a patient whose incisions wouldn't heal all the way due to a lack of protein in her vegetarian diet.

marianelizabeth

Sneakychiquita, I hope you get your pathology back tomorrow!

Sneakychiquita

Me too, Marian!  Tomorrow is a big day for you.  Best of luck with the scan and the chemo.

Sneakychiquita

Kittykoma - My surgery was later than yours (Sep24) so not exactly comparable, but I haven't taken the steristrips off yet so I wouldn't even know if things are staying together or not.  I figured if the strips didn't peel off on their own, then I might as well leave it be.  Frankly, I think I'm a bit scared of seeing the scar face to face.

kittykoma05

I had tape all along the scars. My PS was in surgery when I went to see him last week, so his asisstant (not a nurse) examined me. She took off the tapes and told me to come back next week. I hope my tape wasn't taken off too soon.



Thanks for the replies. ((Hugs)) to all.

Leah_S

My surgery was Sept 4, so almost 6 weeks ago. I have 2 places on one side that are still raw. They were infected a few weeks ago and last night I saw they were infected AGAIN, so PCP gave me anitib's again today. I have an appt with the PS on Sunday so I'll see what she says.

PCP also said I should wash the wounds & put on Bactroban 3X a day (was doing it only once so will do it more).

Leah

Leah_S

Hmmm, actually a better description than "raw" would be that those 2 places have relatively large, unhealed scabs.

So lovely.

Leah

FightingLikeAGirl

I can't believe that I signed on here and never showed back up. I had my surgery 3 weeks ago and have needed you girls so badly. I'm going to read through all of these messages and write back after. Hope everyone's surgeries have gone well.

Jennt28

20 Aug 2012

Sandlake - hysterectomy



4 Sept 2012

Trinity0723 - MX (left)



5 Sept 2012

Leah_S - MX on remaining side plus bilateral TE placement



6 Sept 2012

leahlee - excisional biopsy

katylynn - BMX with TEs



7 Sept 2012

KnBsAngel - MX with TE

marianelizabeth - lumpectomy, SNB

the5owens - lumpectomy

Momluke - MX (left) with reconstruction and symmetric surgery



10 Sept 2012

Sandlake - BMX with TEs

ohiobecky - MX (left)

java11 - MX with DIEP (left), reduction (right)



11 Sept 2012

SweetCaroline2 - MX, Lat Dorsi with TE

Tzvia - MX with TE

mrskimber47 - BMX with implants

SAR843 - BMX, DIEP/TRAM



13 Sept 2012

cthynsh - lumpectomy, SNB

cjw75 - BMX



14 Sept 2012

kittykoma05 - BMX with TEs



17 Sept 2012

positivenergy - BMX with DIEP



18 Sept 2012

gajor4 - MX with bilateral DIEP

4caseygirl - BMX

SooZQ - BMX with TEs

Sharon1942 - UMX with DIEP



19 Sept 2012

michellej1980 - BMX, DIEP

cathyann - MX



20 Sept 2012

LockeKopp - BMX with LD and TE

RainMaze - BMX



24 Sept 2012

Sneakychiquita - skin-sparing UMX with TE reconstruction

Mumtobe - MX

annievan - TE to implant exchange

KellieDenise66 - BMX with TEs



25 Sept 2012

Teri060811 - BMX

FightingLikeAGirl - BMX with TEs



26 Sept 2012

sandrav - bilateral DIEP

triplem67 - BMX



27 Sept 2012

kmfrost - UMX/BMX (deciding)

scared2death2 - BMX



28 Sept 2012

Jennt28 - BMX, muscle sparing free TRAM

Dakota212 - BMX with TEs

robertson8272 - MX with a SNB and LAT Flap With TE



1 Oct 2012

kltb04 - BMX with TEs



15 Oct 2012

rozem - BMX with TE's and lat dorsi flap (on the radiated side)



unknown date

Bargala - BMX with TEs

LyndaMarie - BMX with TEs

Jennt28

Leah - hope those raw bits heal well now. I have a couple of places on both my breast incisions and my abdo one that seem to be not healing as quickly as all the rest too :-/



FightingLikeAGirl - glad to see you back. Hope your healing has been going ok.



Hoping to hear from rozem in the next couple of days after her surgery.



Jenn

Sneakychiquita

Welcome back, FightingLikeAGirl.  Hope you're healing well, but if something's bugging you then let us know. The majority of us are likely going through something similar and can share our insights.

Day 23 since surgery, and still no results for me.  On Monday the BS office asked that I not call back until Wednesday afternoon.  Haha, I guess my frequent morning phone calls are a bit much. 

KellieDenise66

Fightinglikeagirl, been thinking about you! So glad you're on the other side of this surgery. Hope you are healing well, and getting stronger everyday.



Rozem-thoughts are with ya. That first day post op was pretty rough for me. I hope you are as pain and nausea free as possible. Look forward to hearing from ya.



Everyone- As I read back over this surgery schedule I got pretty emotional. Our list is complete, and sadly I noticed the next October surgery thread is already full. I hate this fricken disease! My tears started out of anger but are ending with gratitude for the friendship, and sisterhood I've witnessed with each of you. I mentioned it before, and I'd like to say it again. Never once did I feel alone on this terrifying journey. A gift of kindness I received from you women, that I will spend the rest of my life attempting to repay. It seems impossible to love someone you've never met, but I can honestly say I have no other way to describe this feeling within my heart. I love you women! You have carried me, and one another. You are remarkable human beings who even in the midst of your own personal nightmares were able to reach deep within yourselves and give to others. Whether it was a shoulder to cry on, words of encouragement, or yes even laughter! You are a witty group of gals.

I am forever changed, and you are all forever in my heart!

Love,

Kellie

Leah_S

Sneakychiquita, I have a picture in my head of your BS's secretary cringing when she hears your voice. Again. heeheeheeheehee. Believe me, if it were up to her you'd have your results! Unfortunately, you can't always rush the pathology guys (though I bet that secretary is already trying to do that).

I haven't called for my results; next Thurs I have an appt with the onc and will get them then. I'm guessing that nothing was seen (this time the mx was prophylactic) otherwise the onc would probably call.

Leah