April & May 2015 Surgery Sisters

bbbbun

What wonderful news Audrey!!! You are an inspiration to all the Sisters!!!

little-k

Downdog, Wow! Thank you so much for the information. I think I will try the Mederma PM or the vitamin E oil

mazy123

Mjhl, Thanks for the advice. I am clearing my schedule and checking things off my list so I can just focus on recovering. I have three daughters ages 10, 13, and 16, but they are good helpers and I think will be supportive along with my husband.

Downdog, Thanks for the recovery info. I am so sorry that you aren't sleeping! That must be terrible and I hope it improves soon.

Audrey, Thanks for sharing your recovery experience. How exciting that you are drain free!

Mysunshine48(Lynn) Thanks for your encouragement. I really appreciate it. I love your granddaughter's attitude!

Debutante, Glad your pain wasn't worse. I also have a terrible reaction to percocet. My plastic surgeon gave me a tramadol prescription today which I hope won't affect me in the same way.

Thinking of all you April/May sisters and hoping for the best for everyone. So thankful to have found this group of amazing women.

Thanks,

Mazy

april25

I just went to my post-op appt. and got my path report... still looking through it and understanding very little! But my BS was happy that my incisions are healing well-- no bleeding or discharge. I don't even see any bruising or swelling.

He said margins were clear and SNB took two nodes, both clear. Whew!

And I'm set up to see a Radiologist tomorrow. Glad to get on to the next step!

PMR53 -- Thanks for the prayers! They worked!

I was lucky and had very little pain... I only felt like I'd been kicked in the breast when I woke up from surgery--and they gave me painkillers and I felt fine. I took a single Hydrocodone 3x a day--morning, mid-day and before sleeping because I felt a bit achy... but it really was bearable--I just had the pills and thought I might as well indulge for the 3 days after surgery. Mobility--I could walk just fine right away. I didn't really want to move my arm around much, but not really because it hurt. I could feel a bit of an ache under my arm the first day after, but it went away.

Today was 5th day after. I took off surgical bra (some info said to take it off after 2 days... but they told me it was fine to wear it for longer if I wanted to, and felt I needed the extra support). I hadn't touched anything, so I still had thick pads of gauze over the surgical tape over the incisions. There was only a bit of dried blood--no signs of bleeding or discharge. Incision by my arm wasn't quite in my under-arm as I thought, but next to it, nearer the breast... only an inch long. Incision near the top of my nipple was only around 2".My breast looked very slightly deflated. Might show a divot if any swelling goes down, but really, I'm just relieved I won't need more surgery at this time!

I might put my surgical bra back on because me regular bra doesn't feel like there's enough support... there's no pain, but a few little twinges now and then. And wearing the passenger-side seat-belt sort of hit the area... but wasn't awful or anything.

Now that I know what's under the bandages, and that it looks OK, I feel a LOT better!!! I feel like I can drive and walk around and feel almost normal. Yay!

Addie29

I had my bilateral mastectomy on April 1st. April fools day. But the joke was on the cancer. That's what I tell everyone. That cancer thought it had it but it didn't. I also had tissue expanders placed that day

mysunshine48

Addie - Love that! Best of luck with chemo......see you on May chemo page. I start CT tomorrow!

threecharacter

hello,

this is my first post ... hope it lands in the right place.

I am scheduled for surgery Friday May 15 for a right side MX and check on the lymph node.

However -- I have a slight cold (sinus headache!) so may be rescheduled.

Feels good to read others' experience and feel the support....thank you.

PatRN10

threecharacter, I also have Lx tomorrow 5/15. I hope you feel better so you can get your surgery done.

pat

PMR53

April25- So happy to hear clear margins and negative nodes!! Those are wonderful words. Makes all the chemo worth the horrible SE. What are you going to use to apply on incision site? Does it have sutures or dissolvable stitches? I get my LX a week from tomorrow. Keep up the smooth healing and recovery!

PatRN10- prayers for your surgery and quick recovery tomorrow !! Let us know.

Three character - hope you can get this done Friday and it doesn't have to be rescheduled. The sooner the better for healing and recovery! Welcome to this site!

Happy Thursday!

PMR53

DayLily15

Sending Best Wishes for patrn10, jsg43, and threecharacter tomorrow

mjh1

I'm flying out for a graduation but just want to wish all the upcoming surgery sisters best of luck.  Hope you all have a smooth recovery.

AudreyB

Crash and burn. I'm a crying mess today. I woke up too early and couldn't go back to sleep. My chest is so sore today. Very heavy weighted throbbing feeling. Right underarm (snb) feels like a golf ball is under it. I just took a tamadrol. Have only been taking Tylenol but I guess it's not enough. I look like a mess, I can't do my hair. My back is sore from the recliner. I guess I'm having a pity part

PatRN10

Thanks for the good wishes! Will check in soon.

pat

 

 

april25

Best wishes for those going into surgery soon (or hoping to go!).

PMR53 -- Hope you have a good, easy surgery and results! I've got dissolvable stitches. I can wear the surgical tape over them until they fall off (or peel it off after a few days), and that's what I'll probably do--leave it on, since I always worry about messing with things before they are healed enough! (I had surgical glue in my port incision for ages, because it started bleeding in recovery and the surgeon just gobbed a lot on... it was driving the infusion nurses a bit nuts--they were always getting out the gauze and alcohol and rubbing at it--but it finally came off on its own and I was fine with that!)

My incisions seem pretty small-- only an inch for the SNB and maybe 2 inches for the LX... It's very reassuring just seeing a couple of pieces of tape over them-- and everything else looking pretty darn normal! Normal is such a nice thing, with all the stuff that goes on with us all! I'm grateful for it--for feeling half-way normal (even while being hairless and wearing a wig! and still having my GI tract acting up a bit... and muscle weakness from neuropathy *sigh* ).

merridee

Audrey...sorry you are having a bad morning, none of this is fun! Keep taking your pain meds...stopping the pain cycle helps you heal.

justmaximom15

Oh Audrey, I'm a strong believer in pity parties and just having a big old good cry! I was told by everyone to take my pain meds that were prescribed even if I felt like I didn't need them and that's what I did. I think that's what helped me.

My surgery (of course it was not the same as yours) was on May 4th and I feel like in the last 24 hrs I've had some sort of cross over into the gateway of feeling normal again. Hope the same comes to you soon.

Jackbirdie

Audrey I am so sorry. I wish I could say I didn't understand but I do. Take the pain meds. Take thembefore you start hurting real bad. You will have many ups and downs. It's normal and maxi is right. A pity party is in order for what you are going through.

Wishing all my gals having surgery this week the best possible outcomes.

Wishing those recovering smooth sailing. Try to not do too much.

I'm sorry I've been AWOL. Have a horrible case of bronchitis (brought on by chemo which my immune couldn't defend) and I've been in bed for the better part of 4 days. Never stop thinking about you all though.

Flounder

Jackbirdie, sorry you're having to deal with so much crap. Hope you get over the bronchitis soon.

Best wishes to PatRN10, jsg43 and three character for tomorrow. That will be two weeks for me, feeling pretty good, though just weaning myself off painkillers now. I'm finding AlevesPM are helping at night.

Still waiting for pathology report, apparently the lab is backed up.

AudreyB

You are all so wonderful. I'm feeling much better. I was taking Percocet after surgery and this past Monday I was very nauseous all day and it dawned on me it might be the Percocet so I stopped taking them and switched to Tylenol. When I went to see PS on Tuesday I took a tramadol I had left over from lumpectomies. Yesterday I only took tylenols and woke up this morning in such pain I was miserable. I was freezing, couldn't warm up, I was in pain, I was shaking. I saw my reflection in the mirror and I looked horrible. And then I started crying. Didn't Betty Davis tell us this was going to be a bumpy ride?

So my lovelies, thank you for the love and support. My big girl panties, and makeup, are on.

SoutherMother

AudreyB, thank you for your honesty about the ups and downs.  I have had a day or two where you wake up in pain, physical and then emotional.  I had this crazy idea that once I had a good day, that meant I was on the road to healing and all days would be progressively better.  Not so.  Most days have been progressively better and a couple feel like a stall or step back.  Hope your pain diminishes, your golf ball size problem goes away, and tomorrow you wake up feeling stronger.  Did you say you called the doctor about the golf ball size lump?

I have a lot of catching up on the boards to do as I have been sleeping a lot lately (healing and feeling stronger).   I appreciate the support and hope to do the same soon.

Prayers to those having surgery tomorrow. 

labhusky

how long does it take the numbness to go away. I'm healing fine from everything and I think in going for the nodes that was the deepest cut. It's still not healed or closed completely but theirs a lot of numbness and that's my biggest complaint. Luckily I don't think I got lymph edema no swelling. Sometimes with the numbness I have to press it and make sure it's not swollen. Still don't want to chance laying on my side, anyone try it

downdog

PatRN10, jsg43 and threecharacter, sending good wishes for your surgeries tomorrow and healing energy for your recoveries. threecharacter, hope they give you the green light for surgery tomorrow.

Welcome to the latest sisters to join our group: Addie29 and threecharacter.

OMG, Jackbirdie, I am so, so sorry that you are living Murphy's Law. Please take care of yourself and go to the hospital if you have shortness of breath and watch out that it doesn't turn into pneumonia. All of your sisters are sending hugs and love. I hope Jack is snuggling with you now. He probably knows something is wrong. Please get better. xo

labhusky, my instructions are not to lay on my side until 4 weeks after sx. I did have recon as well and preventing popping of the pocket stitches is a bit factor. A quarter turn propped up by a pillow from behind is OK. You are more than 1 month post op, so you should be fine to lie on your side, but you might want to call your surgeon's office to confirm what makes sense for your situation. The numbness could be severed nerves from your MX. Phantom nerve pain is also possible. There is also a small risk of nerve injury from the ALND, but this is usually numbness on the upper arm, particularly the back of the arm. Where exactly is your numbness?

SoutherMother and Audrey, I agree, post about the good, the bad and the ugly. It lets others know what the spectrum of recovery is like and provides reassurance that what they are experiencing is normal.

mazy123, I meant to include in my post the other day re planning for recovery. I believe that you can anticipate to a fair degree what side of average your recovery will fall on. The biggies are your overall health and level of fitness going into surgery. A younger age will usually recover more quickly than an older age, but health and fitness will absolutely trump age. Whether or not your body has been weakened by other major surgeries or treatments, such as neoadjuvant chemo, and just how strong your mental and emotional health are, will all be contributing factors. This is a matrix and estimating where you fall will give you a good idea of whether your recovery will be typical, better than average, or more challenging. Please take comfort in the fact that there a good number of women who feel in retrospect after they have fully recovered that it wasn't as bad as their fears.

labhusky

Down dog I'm numb underarm, and left chest where everything was whacked off Only. Upper arm is just fine

Jackbirdie

had my chemo bloodwork and they had me spit breathe and X-ray. Things not so good. Bronchitis, infiltration, blah blah.

Home now with beloved Jack, waiting over an hour for them to drop pre-packaged (zpac) in a bag....grrrr..I couldn't have made it sitting in their waiting room.

I'll go back a little later as I must start antibiotics post haste! They tried to give me Levaquin. I refused

SoutherMother

Hi LabHusky!  I have tried to sleep slightly on my side and it didn't work.  Even though I had made a nest of pillows big enough for a pterodactyl, it wasn't happening.   After my first SNB, I stayed numb under my arm.  Also, my mild lymphedema didn't start for a couple months after the SNB, so you may not see signs of it for months.

 

 

downdog

labhusky, I think this is severed nerves. They usually regenerate at about 1mm per day, so can take months to regrow and some level of numbness may be permanent. At least they are sensory nerves and not motor nerves, which would mean loss of control. Post mastectomy pain syndrome is fairly common, but you have numbness, not pain and you don't have paresthesia, which is tingling/pins and needles. An encapsulated haematoma in the axilla can cause numbness, but there will be pain as well and some swelling, which you don't have. I have implants and there's a fair degree of numbness where all the intercostal nerve branches were cut. My expectation is for no change, so if I regain some sensation, it will be a bonus.

AudreyB

Jackbirdie, wishing you a quick and speedy recovery. I knew something was wrong as you had been quiet. I'm glad to see your fighting spirit is intact.

mysunshine48

Audrey - It will get better!! Hang in there! Sending good vibes your way!

Lynn

mysunshine48

Katy - Praying for recovery from all you are feeling. Rest, take the meds, watch the Hallmark channel. I have never been a T-V watcher, but have discovered many shows. Am actually enjoyed watching old reruns.

Feel better FAST

debiann

While my surgery has been scheduled for awhile, I've been putting off joining your group because I'm trying not to think about it.  In the past year I've had lx, chemo, and bmx with diep recon. May 27th will be stage 2 of the recon and port removal (yay!).

Just when it feels like you're getting back to normal, there's something else to knock you down. Part of me really wanted to skip stage 2, because its mostly cosmetic, except he's also taking my port out. I'm so happy I'll be asleep for that, cause overwise it's removed in the office.

Good luck to everyone preparing for surgery and happy healing to those who just finished.