August 2013 Surgeries

babs6287

Great to hear you're doing so well Laura!!!  And the SLNB was negative!!! Yeah!!!!

KBeee

Laura, Great news that your surgery went so well, and that you are feeling so good already. Rest up!

grammaB

Laura, glad to hear all went well and SNB was negative and that you are feeling so well already.  It gives me hope I will do the same on Tuesday.  Rest and relax and continue to heal!

laura11103

Thanks!  It just occurred to me that I have not peed any weird colors...

Rosamond

Congrats, Laura! You are on the road to recovery now!

laura11103

Thanks everyone!  Had the in home nurse stop by and she was dumb as dirt... knew nothing it seemed.  I asked her about taking ibuprofin or tylenol along with the Torolac and she was like "I think it's ok"... you think???  totally non helpful.. but she did pu in for a PT evaluation.  My range of motion is so good, I can reach so many things I thought I wouldn't have been able.

Funny thing to share... I made it clear to the doctors that I was very anxious about the SLND and that I wanted the result asap and just as they promised, the moment I became aware of anything in the recovery room all I heard was an angelic male voice whisper "Laura you did great... lymph nodes were negative" and he said it a few times...  it was the exact way I imagined it would be...  my doctors were/are so amazing, they updated my family several times while they waited... we love them so much!

honeybair

Laura, for those of us who face surgeries later, it is comforting to hear you are doing so well.  Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

DeliriumPie

Awesome Laura! Glad you are doing so well. Honeybair is right, it gives me hope. I have been so scared. Im scheduled for bmx Monday morning. It's going to be an excrutiating weekend. Good luck to all.

MAPBB

Thanks Laura for keeping us updated.  It's so great to hear you are doing well and that they listened to you.

I'm schedule for a week from today but still don't know what surgery I'm doing.  I thought I was getting a BMX with implants, then wait 7 weeks and get a lift.  But earlier this week, the "trainer" at my PS office said that it would be the TEs and I would choose the final size.  But I'm already big, so I don't know why I would need any type of expansion.  Fortunately, I'm meeting with the PS again two days before the surgery, so I'll get it figured out or else I will have to postpone it.

Good luck to Delirium and GrammaB early next week.

grammaB

Thanks MAPBB!  And DeliriumPie, you are so right! This weekend is going to be excruciating!  And I have Monday to get through too.  At least my DD is flying in Monday so that will be a good distraction.

Rosamond

Good news. My nodes were clear on all the preliminary tests and my surgeon says I am good to go for immediate implant reconstruction on Wednesday the 14th. Although feeling good, also found out my HER2 status today, and it is highly amplified. Several small tumors within a lot of DCIS. So grateful they were found by MRI and looking forward to removal. Then, chemo plus Herceptin.



My SNB went so well, from start to finish and almost immediately following, that I know next Wednesday will go very well. Staying positive!



Congrats, Laura!

Anonymous

Hi, everyone, had my uni mastectomy on Wednesday so two days ago. So I'm an August surgery girl which is why I'm here. I'm kind of in love with my right breast right now & hope I get to keep her. I had an allergic reaction (I think, not certain) to trace nickel in the biopsy clips (two in each breast). Was put onto antiobiotics so I could keep surgery date and then developed hives, I think to the antibiotics. So craziness all around. It will be a relief when I can concentrate on just healing from the BC itself!

Funny story: My 10 year old son kissed my left breast goodbye the night before the surgery. He is a bit of a ham and he played it up and said "I haf to kiss eet goodbye!" in some kind of Eastern European accent. It was so funny and silly and cheering that I thought to myself, Life can't be that bad if I have such a wonderful son who can make me laugh.

But this is tough stuff, isn't it, sisters? I have always loved my breasts even though they were a bit big and getting a tiny bit saggy. I just loved them. And now I have only one to love. I can't even bear to look at the skin near the mx scar let alone the scar itself. So bony and defeated and folded-over looking like a cloth napkin waiting to be ironed. Maybe I'll have reconstruction later...I've got a long road ahead first.

To those of you with surgeries still ahead, in many ways please take courage: it hasn't been that bad! Percoset is amazing stuff. To those of you who have had surgery, I'm sending you special healing thoughts as I type this. Good night!

Anonymous

DeliriumPie, I'm thinking of you this weekend. I found sitting meditation really helped me on those last days before the surgery (the countdown days). Let me know if you want me to elaborate on the method I used (there are many approaches). Sending you strength!

laura11103

Unplugged, that is so sweet and made me tear up about your little boy kissing lefty goodbye...  yes this is tough stuff but we are tough women who will be here for our babies :-)

Delirium...  oh gosh, I know its gonna be a tough weekend that will go to fast... but before you know it you will be recovering... and remember, that first day you wake up will be crummy but after that it will get better... this is tough, I won't lie, but you will be so glad the surgery part is over.  I sit here and think I can't believe I am post surgery and home... so much anticipation for it to finally be here...  anyway, my thoughts are with you and will be with you Monday.  You will be okay!!!

Rosamond... that's awesome... positive vibes all around :-)

laura11103

and just so you know, I have only been on an antibiotic which I'm done with now and a painkiller called Torolek, only 4 pills left...  no valium, percocet, vicodine (they make me sick)....  so managing all of this on not much meds...

Rosamond

Unplugged,



I have also been doing meditation and visualization techniques. I think they make the world of difference!



Healing journeys to all!

Anonymous

Good for everyone to know what Laura wrote and also that Percoset turned against me on day three and made me horribly nauseated. Anyone else have this? So have switched to humble ol' Advil which isn't quite as wonderfu but I think is lessening the nausea.

Though traumatic for us I think removing a breast or breasts isn't that big a deal from a surgical pointof view because we once didn't have them and they grew on top of what was already there....so we can heal.

Hugs to all.

myers421

Hi there Unplugged! I def had nausea from percoset I sucked on ALOT of mints LOL... Also my ps switched me to valum (sp) and that seemed to not be better on my tummy.  Awesome you can get by with Advil = ), when was your surgery? Mine was the day you were dx, I had a bmx and returning to work tomorrow

DeliriumPie

Thanks unplugged and Laura for the warm thoughts. I am packed and ready. I cleaned like a mad woman yesterday then had company so I didn't have a lot if time to dwell. Today has been strange. Sad all morning then kind if surreal now. Almost maybe acceptance and ready to get this part over with now, but then sad again for a bit and back and forth. I am going to stay with my grandparents for a week or two since my roomie will be at work and I'd be home alone with only a 120 lb dog to help me. It is almost twisted how excited they are that I'm coming. We've already had a big drama because roomie told me he would like to take me to the hospital at 5am instead of them picking me up. It's a 20 minute drive from home to hospital and we're all ending up at the same location. And it would be out of their way on their 45 minute drive. So geeeeez already! Maybe some meditation will help me tonight. Best of luck to everyone with surgeries early this week in case I don't make it back on too soon. Hugs!

KBeee

Delerium pie, I hope your surgery went well today and that your recovery is a smooth one.

Anonymous

I too thought about you today and sent you healing wishes. I am glad you have a dog around--I have actually been looking for a therapy dog to come visit me. (Can't seem to locate the right one!) Of course has to be the right kind of dog--one of the more spritually evolved ones!

Let us know how you're feeling when you get the chance.

Anonymous

Wow, Myers, back to work so soon? No chemo for you?

My surgery was 5 days ago--August 7.

Hugs from MD to Illinois--

Anonymous

This is a bit late but my SIL had an amazing experience at Beth Israel. Apparently even the parking attendants get customer care training specifically for cancer patients...hope your experience is good as well.

DeliriumPie

Hi guys! I have learned that anesthesia really makes me wired from my two experiences with it. Lol. Grandma is snoozing on the couch, but even the morphine I got earlier didn't make me the least bit drowsy. So I still have not seen my surgeon and I guess I should have prepped the entourage with questions for when they saw her.. I knew I was having axillary dissection but no one will tell me how many nodes they took. I had modified radical on the left and simple on the right. When I am laying still I have zero pain on the left but the right hurts like heck all the time. I'm starting to wonder if she took the nodes on the wrong side. Neither the morphine or tylenol3 is touching the right. Oh, she also decided to reposition my port while I was under since I have had so much trouble with it, that is probably causing some of the issues on the right. I hope that is not a sign that she thinks I will need more chemo. My blood oxygen is low and I have not been able to get it up all day with either breathing exercises or oxygen. Other than that I'm ok for now. Besides being used as a pin cushion while they tried to get an IV this morning. It was So terrible. I cried like a baby. I have never experienced pain like that through this whole ordeal. I seriously think the first nurse should look into retiring, soon. And from then on I was so tense and sensitive that it was no use. They ended up using her messed up (third try) one to put me under, after sticking me four more times. I then woke up with another stick in my neck, an IV placement in my ankle, and receiving meds in my port. Ok, done whining. I have not had the nerve to take a peek under my big bandage ( looks like a tube top) yet. So for now not too emotional. Sorry for rambling guys, wired and loopy is not a good combination! Goodnight!!

Anonymous

Delirium Pie, No apologies needed. Sounds like you went through a lot today (I hate that IV story!) and I know how frustrating it is not to get the details and the facts you need (and deserve!). I am sendng healing loving thoughts your way from D.C. to you. Hope tomorrow is better!

laura11103

Delirium so glad your surgery is over but sorry you had that IV ordeal and having pain... but hey, this part is over at least... yay!  Looking forward to more updates as I know it will get better and better.

I am day 6 post op and feeling so much better, although its constant tightness from the TE's which I'm just getting used to, surviving on tylenol and advil and taken a good amount of walks and drives, nice to get out.  Saw the PS assistant yesterday and drains will be in another week so no shower which sucks but they aren't more than annoying, hubby does all drain managing so I have a live-in nurse :-)

Sleeping on my back is also annoying but I sleep fine and can lay flat, that was my biggest worry, I cannot sleep in a recliner and glad I didn't have to try.

Hope everyone is doing okay out there on this rainy (NY) day... I need to try and clean a little, very light cleaning I promise!

Rosamond

Getting ready for tomorrow's breast transformation and getting my tumor(s) out. Feeling positive and at peace. All my best to my surgery sisters, and I'll be back after I cross this bridge.

honeybair

Wishing you all the best tomorrow, Rosamund.  May you have peace and blessings.  I am behind you and will have my surgery on Monday, August 19.

MAPBB

Hi All,

I chickened out and cancelled my surgery for Friday.  I realized that I didn't even know exactly what I was getting (TEs or direct to implant) and that the doctor told me something different than his team did when I went in for training.  I simply am not ready and do not yet have enough information to make an informed decision.  Thanks heavens I found this group.  GrammaB, let us hear from you when you are able.  I think your day is today and I'm thinking about you.

KBeee

Good luck tomorrow Rosamund. Wishing you a speedy recovery.