March 2014 Surgery

sandra4611

"Pretending to be strong is just as exhausting as actually being strong." Everforward, you hit the nail on the head. Thank you.  

vlnmama

Sandra, Brugge is my native city!!!!! We try to go back every 2 years.

Thanks for your kind words. My surgeon has seen that spot, and is concerned also; that's why she said that she's around this weekend, if somehow that drain would puncture through my skin. It's actually not swelling at all, that's the drain! When I touch it, I feel the contour of the end of the drain very clearly!

sandra4611

Fayth, I can't imagine the stress of having a child with a brain tumor, then not being able to be with him because of your own surgery. I can just see the two of you, recovering together. What a blessing that he is ok.

Sailon, love your idea about the mini-pads. I have a lot of sutures from the front of my shoulder down to my side. The surgical bra rubs on them so I've been trying to keep gauze pads covering the sutures, but they keep slipping. Now I know what to do! Thanks.

Jenw4kids, it's so good to hear from somebody a month ahead. Please stay and comment when you can. What an intriguing idea about retraining the nerves by using different textured things. Never thought of that.

Welcome KellyGreen. Truth be told, I thought getting the radioisotope injections were quite painful too. My surgeon had said it wouldn't hurt. (He got mixed up and thought I was going to have the dye injection, which doesn't hurt, instead of the radioisotopes, which does.) So I wasn't prepared at all and panicked when I felt the Texas-sized bee sting because I thought something had gone terribly wrong. Tears sprang out of my eyes and my heart pounded with fear. Fortunately the sting was over in 5 seconds, but it took me 5 minutes to calm down. I was really mad at my surgeon and told him so at the post-op appointment. He promised to never get it wrong again. On the other hand, I WAS prepared for post-op pain. Surprisingly, even though I can't take pain drugs, it was much easier than I thought. Just goes to show how important it is to educate yourself and be prepared. I think it's the fear that hurts.

Some doctors prescribe ace bandages and some say you don't have to wear a bra. Some say to avoid compression at all costs, others have just the opposite view. Some have patients showering right away. Others say no shower until drains are out. Mine says no underwires, ever. Others say underwires always. Apparently there is no way to know what is right or wrong, which I find one of the most frustrating parts of this whole experience. It's hard enough to get through this without such polar opposite treatment plans for absolutely every step of the way. It causes us to question our doctors at a time when we are most vulnerable. 

Kazzy115, I'm glad you are here. That arm/elbow pain you mentioned is something I've read about a lot recently. The common thread seems to be women who had an incision in their underarm to remove lymph nodes. Those lumps you mentioned are common too. Swelling due to the ALND? I had four lymph nodes removed on both sides in the sentinel node biopsy but do not have any repercussions and don't have any incisions under my arms from it. Mine was done through the BMX incision. Of course if your doctor does the SNB ahead of time or you have a lumpectomy, you can't very well avoid the underarm incision. I wonder why some women have your symptoms and some don't?

For those having muscle twitching, ask your doctor for a muscle relaxant. I found Valium made all the difference in the world when I had muscle spasms.

I use Bio-Oil after hearing that many find it so helpful both during the TE expansion experience and in scar softening. What is everyone else using to keep that skin supple?

sandra4611

Brugge, Belgium

vlnmama

Yep, isn't it beautiful! I used to live 2 minutes (walking) from that spot!

sandra4611

(((((Jealous)))) I want to walk the streets in the early morning just one more time.

fayth

I want to go to Brugge,..... right now.

stfne

I have never been to Belgium but my Grandfather was a VERY proud Belgin. Family name was Claeys.  What a beautiful picture. Hope I can get there some day.

Kitty62

I'm alive! Buahaha! Post op day 6. This week has been quite the roller coaster and frankly I wish i could tell the carney to stop the ride. It hurt, but I hardly remember being in severe pain because they had me hooked  up to the PCA pump. My hubby was able to spend the night in my room and reminded me to push the button during the middle of the night.  Once I was able to titrate to oral (Percocet) I started feeling better and not so loopy. Still had lots of anesthesia in my system so was fairly perky for family and friends visiting. Surgery was Mon and I was released Friday. Hubby has been a very very good nurse...except he is too anal about giving me pain meds just every 6 hrs. Nurse Ratchett is a narc natzi! So I make sure not to do any activity until I've been medicated.  PS put in TEN drains...no joke! Left the hospital with 8. Looks like we may be able to pull 4 more tomorrow for a follow up visit.  I was filled with 250cc. in each TE and I am really pleased on how they look already. Not seeing anyone posting their pics. Can we post our FOOBS on here? I was flashing them to everyone. I was so worried they would look all lumpy bumpy and all.  I am very thankful for this site as it has helped me enormously pre and post surg. Thanks ladies! 

VintageGal1111

Warroir, SouthernBling & EverForward, I wish all the best to you & hope that your procedures go well!

I have my Lymphedema PT evaluation tomorrow morning. And it looks like we'll have a messy mix of sleet/snow etc for me to drive in.

sandra4611

Kitty,

Please DO post any and all pictures. We're among friends here and the pictures won't show up in Playboy, I can assure you.  Glad you are past the first tough days and are making good use of your meds. How nice that your husband stayed at night. Mine did that for one night after the exchange surgery and it made me feel so secure and safe since my pain level was challenging and I couldn't reach for much. My daughter stayed one night after my BMX and made getting to the bathroom so much better. I always go to a monitored intermediate ICU-type floor so I have tubes and machines attached to me everywhere. They give you a lot of fluid after an operation and when you have to go, it's a pain to try to unplug everything and extricate yourself from all the monitors in time to get to the bathroom in time since you are moving slow. Pushing the IV pole over the threashold of the bathroom was difficult the first night, so I appreciated her help so much. I was exhausted when I got back in bed, so she could plug everything back in where it belonged.

sandra4611

iwannaseeyoubebrave

Jumping on the pink bus for Warrior50, Everforward, and Southernbling tomorrow.  I wish you all the best and some peaceful rest tonight. Take care ladies. All will be well.  :-)

Lakegirl1

Sandra4611...that pretty much summed up my day!!!  $&@) hives are driving me CRAZY!!!  Thinking one it may be hibiclens....

mnmbeck

Thinking about  Warrior50, Everforward, and Southernbling tonight.  Calm, peaceful sleep, Happy thoughts, and we'll be there in your pockets!!! 

Lakegirl1

Hugs and prayers  to those going surgery tomorrow!!!  

Same to those of us on the healing side!!!

Blueberry4

Save a seat for me! I'm jumping on the pink bus for you too, Warrior50, Everforward, and Southernbling. I'm sending you warm thoughts and prayers for peace, comfort, and a speedy recovery. You can do this. It will be okay..

jbdayton

I am jumping on the bus also.  See everyone tomorrow.  

vlnmama

Lots of positive thoughts for an easy surgery surgery and speedy recovery for Warrior50, Everforward, and Southernbling! 

Kitty62

I'll be on the bus too!  Best of luck to you Warrior, Everforward and Southern bling.

vlnmama

Here's a picture of my beautiful kiddos (yeah, I'm just a little bit biased   ) in Brugge last summer.

One last one, my little cellist playing his cello on the market square, in front of the Belfry in Brugge; he attracted quite a crowd at times.

sandra4611

How cool!

stfne

I'm jumping on the bus too. Whishing warrior50, everforward and Southernbling a comfortable and uneventful hospital visit. Will be thinking of you.

vlnmama

I had a great time visiting with my friend from Belgium today. First we went to lunch at the local sushi place, then we had coffee (I had tea) at Starbucks, and then we went to Target and looked at shoes (but were both able to resist buying any, LOL). It was good to be out of the house again; this is the first time I left the house since my surgery. My husband has been doing the absolutely necessary shopping for me (mostly, anyway, it's been a good thing I've got some meals left in the freezer a couple of times), but when I asked him if he could take me shopping once his response was that he didn't have time, especially since I "move too slowly" these days. Men huh... My friend recently had a minor knee surgery (a correction from a more major one this summer), so neither one of us was in a hurry! It was really good to relax and forget about it all for a few hours!

fayth

warrior50, everforward and Southernbling,..... we are with you on the Bus!!! It will all be OK.

KLJ

Warrior50,Everforward, and Southernbling safe travels tomorrow! All will be well. We are all here for you!

Kitty62

Question; do any of you get nauseous while getting your dressings changed. The last 2 nights midway into my husband doing the dressing change I start getting hot and very very nauseated. I do fine with the tube stripping, but once he starts changing the dressings I have to have him stop to gather myself. 

vlnmama

Kitty62, my BS didn't have us change the dressing. It stayed on for 8 days, and when I went to my first post-op appointment at that time, she took the dressing off, only covering where the drain comes out of the skin, with a small piece of gauze and waterproof tape (and an antibiotic ointment of course). Again, this is to stay on, without being changed at home. I have to go back again next week Tuesday (will be 16 days post-op), and hopefully the drain and staples will come out then. I'm sure the wound where the drain now comes out will be covered, not sure if she'll ask me to change that dressing or not.

Initially my stomach actually did kinda churn even with the drain emptying, and after leaving the hospital I couldn't stomach doing it, so my husband did it. Now I do it myself and it doesn't bother me anymore. What made me really nauseous is the general anesthesia; that took forever to get over. I deal with nausea as it is (from my Crohn's), so I'm also on daily anti nausea meds anyway, so that might be helping too.

I also had migraine type headaches every single night since the surgery. Last night was the first night without it; let's hope it's gone now! They somehow disappeared a half hour to an hour after waking up, but came back around midnight every night, whether I was asleep or not. I woke up every night around that time from the pain. I think that might also have been from the general anesthesia, although it's hard to say for sure.

Hope your stomach will get used to having the dressing changed too. There's a lot we have to deal with, for sure! (((hugs)))

linda505

On the bus for Warrior50, Everforward, and Southernbling.   wishing you gentle surgeries and quick recoveries!!  

linda505

Kitty62 - I did get dizzy and nauseous when the visiting nurse changed my bandages the first time - It was strange as I hadn't felt like that for anything else.  It only happened the first time and I think maybe it was the anticipation of seeing how bad it was gonna look.  It also might have been standing there for a bit while she got everything together.