October 2014 Surgery Sisters

Hopeful82014

Love your signs, Sandra - I'd love to see every patient do this!

SCMom

After spending WEEKS looking for the right type of bras and getting totally stressed out about it I went to Walmart today and...viola!  Front hook Fruit of the Loom and Front Zip Genie...now if only I can find something to improvise for the heart pillows, then I'll be set!

SCMom

Lilith, good luck tomorrow!  Prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery!

Swoobs...it's amazing how different doctors are about the same surgery...mine said that I'll be living in sports bras for 3 weeks, day and night.  How are you doing after 2 weeks?

Is hand sanitizer from Bath & Body works as effective as the drug store brands?  It's what I have and it smells good, but I'm more concerned with what works best!

mefromcc

I got my heart pillows from our local American Cancer Society office. I have used small, squishy soft stuffed animals in the past when I needed something soft, washable for propping up joints after surgery.

davida58

I'm having a lumpectomy, left sentinal node biopsy, left intramammary node needle LOC?? (how the procedure is written up - maybe needle biopsy? or maybe that is where he needs breast to have that metal thread go to), and possible left axillary lymph node dissection.

I am guessing he will go ahead with axillary node dissection. One axillary node was fine needle biopsied and came back reactive. But a few of them on imaging were slightly prominent

BTW, I was given a bunch of stuff at pre-op - including a pillow. What is that for? I know the pink broomstick is for exercises. Sidebar - while I appreciate the bag of stuff, I do wish they'd change colour. Nothing like walking out of hospital carrying pink to announce to everyone got BC.

Also, does anyone know aside from having arm raised up how they position the body during surgery? I have mega c-spine mess and sure don't need a pain flare there post op.

I mean will they add proper support aka pillows whatever in that circumstance? My surgery is on a Friday and I wouldn't be able to get appt at pain clinic for two weeks for trigger point and nerve block injections.

I simply can't be laid flat without neck support, knee support and lower back support. I forgot to ask them about that today, between whoever checked me in, then whoever verified meds and allergies, and pharmacist and anesthesia PA

Hopeful82014

SCMom - Glad you found your bras - what a relief, hm? I would expect that the primary ingredients are the same in all hand sanitzers. Some just have nicer fragrances added or nicer packaging. Read the label, of course, but I wouldn't sweat that issue.

SCMom

I already checked with my local Cancer Society office, they didn't have any pillows  But my 12 year old has a huge basket of them, I guess I should pick out a couple and put them in the wash...thanks mefromcc!

mefromcc

davida58. Just tell the OR nurses and anesthesia you need extra support in certain places. I do that all the time and only one time the doctor rushed them and we didn't get my shoulder supported properly.

SCMom

Thanks Hopeful!  I was hoping that I could also use it to strip my tubes (if that's what I think it is); after chemo I can't stand the smell of rubbing alcohol!

Hopeful82014

Hi, Davida - I think that is the localization, which is generally done prior to anesthesia. I'm crossing my fingers you won't need the full lymph node dissection. 

And I concur with you about the bag of pink stuff. I'd be seriously tempted to give it back or ask for a different color. And yes, I'm way past caring if it shocks or hurts their feelings.

knmtwins

SC we have a store called 5 below.  It sells neck pillows, in a strechy fabric, made with the Styrofoam balls.  I figure, sew the two ends together for the point of a heart, then sew the top down slightly, giving you the nook in the middle.  Nothing fancy, just a fast whip stitch.  

Swoobs

scmom I'm good still have fluid in lefy but the sports bras are working good...I'm wearing the ones before surgery even though my implants are quite small in comparison I'm soooooo swollen my DD sports bras are what I'm wearing post op 

I was told likely 6 weeks and after 3 weeks they hope I'll be down a size

I'm 2 weeks tomorrow and still extremely swollen everywhere 

sandra4611

Just make sure your pillows (or stuffed animals ) are VERY soft and quite small. In a pinch you can make pillows out of ziplock bags and cotton balls. ..stuffed loosely, no more than two cotton balls deep.

Davida, you will need to speak to the anesthesiologist AND your surgeons about your position on the table. It's best if you can do this prior to surgery so they can have the pillows or support you need ready. (sterile) Just like the patient, they don't like surprises at the last minute. You cannot bring your own pillows or cushions.

You are usually flat on the narrow OR table, without pillows but this time I woke up with a foam circle under my head. It looks like a doughnut with a double-sized hole in the middle. Your arms are out to the side I believe. Make sure the OR nurse knows what you will need placed where since they might not be able to be placed them at first. For instance, they will likely put a Foley catheter in your bladder during surgery so your legs will be moved around so they can get to your urethra. Once it's in, your legs can go back down. They also will likely intubate you so your head will be tilted back with your chin up.

It's up to the anesthesiologist to keep you as comfortable as possible because pain triggers involuntary responses that can mess with your blood pressure and your heart rate. OR people are used to patients with back, hip, shoulder, etc. problems. My mother had a chronic back injury and could not be flat with her legs flat. She HAD to have a pillow under her knees and support of her shoulders. The hospitals were very good about helping her. She would show them before surgery where things had to go. After she was out, they could put the cushions in the right places.

Several months ago I was fresh out of surgery #4 and had to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy with general anesthesia. Lying flat on the OR table was not an option. The nurses came up with pieces of sterile foam that supported me perfectly. If one side wasn't quite right, they'd just tear off another piece of foam from an "egg crate" foam mattress pad so they must keep those pads in the OR all the time. After I was comfortable, the anesthesiologist started the propofol and I was out immediately.

The broomstick is not something I've heard of before, pink or otherwise. That's for stretching your pectoral, shoulder, and arm muscles but certainly not until you are pretty far into your healing. At first it's best to keep your arms next to your body from shoulder to elbow. You won't be reaching or even extending those arms for a few weeks and will use your "T-Rex Arms." The pillow is a necessity. I have small heart shaped soft pillows for under both arms and a bigger heart shaped pillow next to my head.

SCMom

thanks knmtwins...I think I'm going to stick with the stuffed animals as I'm just not wanting to try to whip anything together. I went to AC Moore today to try and find some things to put together a holder for my drains, and couldn't come up with anything. 

swoobs, I'm glad you're doing good. We're you that swollen from day one?  If I am and wasn't expecting it I would freak out think that the PS made me bigger instead of smaller!  

I think I'm going to take one of the Fruit of the Loom bras that I bought to the hospital, and then when I get home switch to my regular sports bras and step into them. The ones I bought today all ride up around the bottom. I think I'd be more comfortable having a bit of compression, and knowing that my new girls won't be going anywhere!

Sandra, I saw the beautiful picture you posted on the September thread...was that recent, as in are you feeling good enough to be going out already?  If so that's terrific!

Swoobs

scmom no it's surgical swelling 

Fluids and angry muscle n tissue

Completely normal and expected it can take 6-12 weeks for all swelling to be gone

My breast pillows were given to me at the hospital by a donation from BRAZ for CAUSE

They are still my breast friends👍

I plan on donating to the company, I would have been lost without them but I wanted to tell you my intention before I got them was to use 2 small travel  neck cozies with beanies in them that you use to ride on plane with...maybe try those!

davida58

I have a question about pre-op. What pre-op tests, if any, are generally run for lumpectomy unrelated to breast? I mean like CBC w/diff and that sort of thing.

Nothing was ordered by surgeon, yet I am told by a former employee of that medical affiliation there has to be a pre-op physical to be cleared for surgery which includes BW. She advises it is up to PCP to take care of that part. I called surgeon's nurse, and she said no it is up to anesthesia and if nothing was ordered, then they felt no need for any. Anesthesia yesterday said it was up to surgeon to order whatever was needed for surgical clearance.

I'm asking as I have a very complicated medical situation.

Hopeful82014

Davida, usually the surgeon's office and/or the hospital will provide info on the required pre-op appointment. If your surgeon did not do this, try calling the hospital. Ask the operator for the pre-op clinic or similar. The clinic can obtain all the necessary orders and you can talk with them about your specific needs during the pre-op appt.

hummingbirdlover

Well, HOLY CRAP!!  The surgeon told me he'd try to move my surgery up if they could and I just got the call this morning that they have an opening tomorrow if I want it.  Truly, I DON'T WANT any of it but tomorrow is better than waiting and thinking about it until the 27th, right?  So, I guess I'll be taking the plunge tomorrow instead of next Monday.  It will be a relief to get it over with and know more about treatment etc.  I'm praying that the SNB is negative and surgery will be easier than I'm hoping and I'll recover and move on to reconstruction and this nightmare will be behind me.  I'll try to check in and let you all know what my experience was.  Best wishes to everyone!!  I have to frantically go back a bag and do everything I thought I'd have five more days to do!  

SummerSun

good luck tomorrow Hummingbirdlover!  It will be better after you have the surgery behind you. I hope you have a smooth surgery and easy recovery! 

Hopeful82014

Good luck tomorrow, Hummingbird - I'll be thinking of you. Best wishes for all aspects of your surgery, pathology and recovery.

SCMom

thanks Swoobs...I'm glad I'm able to get reassurance from someone who had the same surgery!

Hummingbirdlover, good luck tomorrow!  It must have been a shock getting that last minute call but I think I'd be happy to put my brain on auto-pilot while doing last minute rushing around!  

You'll be in good company tomorrow with howdidigetthere and lynnetteb!

I hope Lilith's surgery went well today!

Galsal

Good luck Hummingbird!  

Tomorrow I see the Dermatologist to discuss how they want to treat the Basal Cell cancer.  On Thursday, I will join the Squishies Club!!!

Su-CQ51

good luck tomorrow howdidigethere , lynnetteb.  Congrats on getting the call and getting in earlier hummingbirdlover.   Speedy recoveries!

sandra4611

Hummingbird, we're with you girl. I'm sure your head is spinning right now but it's better to go early than be postponed at the last minute. We'll be by with the PINK BUS tomorrow to pick you up and par-tay all the way to the hospital. I think we need music tomorrow. I'll bring  Pharrell Williams so he sing Happy for us. 

sandra4611

Scmom, that photo was taken two days ago. My "besties" group meets every month and this time it was for brunch. My friend Donna used to be obsessed 2 yrs ago with how my old XXXL squishy boobs would bounce around in Zumba class in spite of two bras. Now she's obsessed with my new little teeny foobs. Silly girl. (You can see how small Allergan 410 Style FF 740 gummy bears look on me. My belly has more projection! The implants project less than 2.5 inches.)

Yes, I'm "all better." It's only taken two weeks this time...my fastest recovery out of 5 although it was the most extensive surgery since the BMX. Pecs are fine, no pain, incisions looking good from what I can see in the mirror, and I quit taking Tylenol last week. Doc told me I had to wait one more week to begin walking for exercise so I hope at my 3 week check up on Friday, I'll get the ok. The weather is nice and I want to get out and enjoy our fall temperatures. (80's in the day here in San Antonio now.) My PS wants all my energy focused on recovery during the first few weeks but usually gives permission to walk farther than my mailbox around 3 weeks post op. Today I felt good so I pushed the envelope by mopping the floors, doing lots of laundry, re-potting some plants, and then sitting down with a nice cold Diet Pepsi for a few hours to rest & watch an old movie on TCM. I didn't feel at all tired but decided that while I'd already disobeyed orders, I didn't want to really push it by vacuuming. All that back and forth pushing and pulling...makes me sore just thinking about it.

SCMom

Sandra, you certainly look great!  I'm happy that everything went so well for you this time and that your recovery was so quick!  It's just terrible that you had to go through four other surgeries first to get where you wanted to be.  I hope your PS gives you the ok to get out and enjoy your beautiful weather.

sandra4611

Thanks. My surgeon has been so good this whole time. The infection messed me up pretty bad, so he's had a challenge trying to put me back together so I can function without pain AND have somewhat normal looking foobs and a shoulder that works right. I lost parts of three muscles so I don't have painless range of motion like I used to. Every time he thinks he's got it, my body fights back. Hopefully he's got the implants in there so good, with lots of Alloderm too this time, that nothing migrates anywhere and we can proceed on to the final surgery. I'll get fat grafting to fix my chest divots and to do some contouring on my side where the soft tissue used to be. I'll finally get rid of my last mudflap, aka my mini-boob, which is too big for lipo. Fingers crossed, I'll be ready for surgery #6 around Christmas. It's been a long 14 months already. My PS is overly cautious and takes no chances by doing too much in one surgery. My skin is super thin all over my left side. We both fear another infection so I appreciate his slow and steady approach...but admit to some wishful thinking now and then. This photo was prior to surgery #5. I've added some more scars to my collection since then.

 

SCMom

I'm just sorry you had to go through so much. I was going to ask if you had had more than one PS but it sounds like just one, so just a roll of really bad luck? I hope that everything continues well at this point so that you can have your FINAL surgery before the end of the year and start enjoying your fabulous new perky breasts!

Fourminor

Oh where oh where is Ocean Sky?  Oh where oh where can she be?

hummingbirdlover

Good luck to Galsal, Barefootmom and SCMom for your surgeries tomorrow.  

Thank you all so much for your well wishes, thoughts and prayers.  I'm super nervous but as ready as I'm going to be so let's get this bus moving!  I'll try to check in soon.

sandra4611, thank for sending the bus and for the music!!

Take care!