AUGUST 2015 SURGERY SISTERS!!

39andhip

tessu - Don't blame yourself! These things happen.

Molly50

tessu, don't blame yourself. I had two good size seroma after my Lx with alnd.

Moderators

Dear tessu, We are so sorry you are dealing with this but very glad that you reached out here. Here is a link to some information on our boards about Seromas. Please don't blame your self. Keep us posted and stay connected here. The Mods

SummerAngel

I agree with the others, tessu, the seroma was not your fault!

Thanks for the well-wishes on my surgery yesterday! It went perfectly, my PS called it "textbook". I was in surgery at 9:30, home by 2:30. No drains, yay! I just want to confirm for everyone that the exchange from TEs to implants really is wonderful. The difference is amazing, even though I really didn't mind the TEs very much. I'm also loving the projection I can see from these implants - definitely not the flat "hamburger buns" I had with the TEs. So exciting! The main area of pain I have is on my inner thighs, which is where my PS took fat from. The pain meds and ice take care of it, though.

mjh1

kimmer - well, then I guess I'll be done (hopefully) by the time you're walking in.  Best wishes to you foor a smooth and uneventful recovery.  Gentle hugs!!

tessu - Don't blame yourself.  it could be you're just producing a lot of lymphatic fluid and the fluid is settling in your MX flap because internally it's not fully closed up.  This can be aspirated and/or a drain can be put back in if there is a lot.  You had nodes removed and therefore your lymphatic fluid just needs time to reroute itself.  My mom had her's aspirated 5 times, her MX flap was still not closing, had a drain reinserted so the flap could finally close up and her lymphatic fluid had to find another avenue to travel.  This did not affect her starting chemo.

summerangel - welcome to the squishy side!!  glad all went well.  Remember to rest and take it easy!!!

sknitter

I had a skin save nag BMX with TEs yesterday August 28. I am doing pretty good. Sat up most of the day in achair and got rid of the morphin drip. It s now 8:15 pm and I'm very tired and my behest hurts a ton. No more mess for another 3 hours. Hoping by lying still it will subside.

Ole da and walked a al

Anonymous

Hi everyone, my name is Sherrie. I was diagnosed on July 27 and had my BMX with no reconstruction on August 13. I spent one night in the hospital. I had 4 drains. My husband actually made a pouch with an elastic band to go around my waist to carry the drains in. In the shower I use a nail apron, that I washed extensively before using. Only one drain remains now as my surgeon wanted them to be at 7 or below for two consecutive days before removal. I have named this last one Chuck and he's hanging on for too long! I went to our youngests Follow-The-Schedule night at his school 3 days post-op. I was driving by one week post-op. I also helped move my daughter to college, well mostly pointed and gave suggestions, about 1.5 weeks post op.

I am feeling great though. Still some soreness but no real pain. Swelling still subsiding in places. I was a 38D before so it's a little funny to see my fluffy belly that my big boobs hid a little from my top view. I get these butterfly feelings around my chest from time to time, it's weird, but other than that just keeping it all real.

Range of motion is really good too. I can raise my arms with minimal tightness now. It seems to still be tight from my armpits down to just last my incisions but it's lessening so that's good. I've been putting shirts on over my head for almost a week now and it's nice to not be wearing one of my husband's fishing shirts! I have not gone to a bra of any kind yet but have found that the $2 No Boundaries tanks at Wal-Mart are the most comfortable.

I am currently waiting on my oncotype testing, most likely 2-3 weeks as the oncologist is just ordering it since my biopsy sample apparently didn't have enough left to use and he said it takes the hospital a while to release the specimens after surgery. As of right now that's the only thing we are waiting on to determine whether I have to have any chemo sessions, if so only 4 at 3 week intervals and then I will be able to do tamoxifen since I was er+. I also had only the left sentinel node removed and it was negative.

So, I am a 44 year old mother of 3 (18 year old daughter, 16 year old son and 13 year old son) married for 23 years to my high school sweet heart breast cancer survivor. I plan on no reconstruction, have a twisted sense of humor so it's been interesting (was told my hubby and I made the room too cheerful when they were making my left breast radioactive) but cried the entire wheel chair ride to the OR and couldn't help but laugh when we got there and the doors were locked!

I am sorry that we are meeting this way but I hope that we all can help each other in our times of need. God Bless us all ❤

39andhip

Hi Sherrie - It's nice to 'meet' you. I'm glad your recovery is going well, and that you didn't have too much pain. I hope your pathology and oncotype come back favorably.

queenmomcat

Hi, Sherrie, glad things are going so well for you! (physically and psychologically)

Molly50

Sherrie, Welcome!

BDawk

That was awesome...thanks for the bday shout out

BDawk

Best wishes to those having surgery tomorrow!

mjh1

sknitter & sgabbet - Welcome!!  Sorry you found yourselves here, but we're glad for the company.  Glad to hear all went well with the surgeries.  Hope you will continue to heal well.

As for me, I'm doing all my last minute prepping before surgery and making sure everything is in order for when I get home.  Thank you to all for the good wishes.  Have to be at hospital at 6:00 a.m. so I'm sure I will be pretty conked out tomorrow but will check in when I'm able.  Rest and heal well all my August sisters!!!!

quiltlibrarian

Kimmer and Mjh best wishes for tomorrow.

Anonymous

Good luck on your surgery Tuesday. Prayers and positive thoughts for you and your family.

quiltowl5

Hi, Ringelle-yes we did have surgery the same day! I got 3 drains out on the 25th and it feels so much better. PS told me I could shower and just be careful with the last drain. I have the abdominal binder and it feels like everything is going to fall out when I take it loose even for a few minutes. I left it on when I showered and tucked my drain in the side. Then I took it off and laid down while my Husband washed and dried it. I was sooo glad to get it back on. The pain seems worse with it off. I am healing well and my numbness in my left arm is still there....it is not quite as bad. I can grasp to open my pill bottle now. I can't sew yet but I am trying to use my arm as much as possible to try to make it better. I see the PS again this Tues and I am sure he will take the last drain out-I only have 10cc or so every day. I am glad you did not have an infection, what a relief! Great path report, too! I need to make an appt with a MO, my BS told me to make one for the second week of Sept because hopefully the Oncotype dx results will be back by then. It seems like we live from appt to appt now. :-)

Pat307

Last day of August,. Hope all my August 2015 surgery sisters are doing good. I went for my 1st follow up with the breast surgeon on Thursday. She said the good news is that the cancer is gone, the lymph nodes are clear and she got good margins. There was no cancer in the left breast but I would have had to have the calcifications removed and then bi-yearly mammos for the rest of my live so I'm still fine with my decision to go bi-lat. The bad news was that there were actually 3 cancers sites on my right breast and one is a much more aggressive form of cancer so I may have to have Chemo. have to discuss it with the Onc once they get my oncotype test results. Problem is I haven't been able to find much on this type of cancer. it's micropapillary.
Does anyone have any knowledge about this type of breast cancer? thanks!

Artista928

I still have 2 of the 4 drains placed in. Will be a month out from sx on Thurs. I'm still too scared to take a shower with these in even though ps said ok, just don't rub chest area, just let water flow over it. I've been using baby wipes as my bathing.

I just confirmed the chemo class has enough people in it for next Tues so I'm glad to be able to get the info I need well before I see my onc on 9/23. The class is about an hour and then after that I meet with one of the nurses 1:1 to tailor down more to my situation. Very cool. The only thing is that when I last saw the onc as a NP, my tumor was said to be 4 cm and no lymph node involvement. She's been away on vacation and I don't see her again until 9/23. So I'm going to the class/teach with this in my chart when in fact it was 7 cm and micromets found in sentinel node 1. I'm thinking that my treatment will be more aggressive than what she had said, and perhaps the chemicals will be different. She had me listed on AC-Taxol every 2-3 weeks, I forget which. So I'll just glean what I get from next Tues and take it with me to my appt with her 9/23.

I also plan on getting the port put in before I see her so I'm ready to go. While I cherish not feeling like shit due to chemo and the hot flushes and such, I also am concerned that it's a bit too far out for chemo to start. I mean I anticipate the drains being out within 1-2 weeks max from now. But now that I think about it, I guess after I see her + a week or so before my first infusion should be ok. I don't know. I don't know if "damage" can be done further with this amount of time lapsing since sx in terms of spreading more.

Aug is over and I hope everyone here is doing well! xo to you all!

Molly50

Pat307, congratulations on good pathology report! Arista, since you still have the drain sites to heal it is probably good timing to be a little late on the chemo. I can't believe you have had those drains this long! My BS let me shower starting on day 2 after my Lx with the drain in place. I had my back to the shower and was careful around the drain. I actually showered with a tank top on to attach the drain to.

Kimmer33

hi Sisters!

Update - had surgery (UMX) yesterday and was home at noon today. I feel great other than some chest congestion. I have only needed tylenol extra strength so very happy about that. Swollen but moving forward. I meet with my surgeon next tuesday for final path report which i am nervous about, i dont know why - i also had ALND due to sentinal node involvement at biopsy so am hopeful i get clear nodes and clean margins next week.

All the best 39andhip and Molly50 this week!

Kim

georgie61

Well, I made it home yesterday from my Friday surgery. I had the BiMX with placement of TE's. She removed 4 lymph nodes and the quickie pathology looked good - she doesn't think there's evidence of cancer in them, but we will know in a couple days when I get a call about the final pathology of those and the breast tissue. I'm pretty sore - which of course, is to be expected. Since we were travelling from out of town for surgery, I spent one night in the hospital and 2 more in a hotel just in case.

Thanks to Suzy for sending me the wonderful black cami that holds all 4 of my drains. That is very helpful, not to mention soft. I have an appointment a week from 10 days ( 10 days post surgery) and will probably get 2 of the drains out then.

I haven't heard of anyone else talking about the shot I had to get - right into my nipple with radioactive solution - just before surgery. OUCH!!!!!!!! That was pretty intense. The BS said she would love to be able to give it to her patients when they are "out" in the OR...but the facility requires that it is given in this special radioactive room.

This group has been very helpful getting me prepared for the surgery and its aftermath. I'm not sure yet when I will start radiation - not until I'm fully expanded and healed. But I'm already reading tips on the Rads.

Right now - I'm extremely thankful for painkillers! xoxo

rovnic13

Hi Sisters,

update: I'm 2 weeks post op. of bilateral MX with TE. I still have one drain. It will be coming out tomorrow. I had my first fill last Friday, it went well. BS took sentinel nodes out on both sides and they were clear. I do not have to have any treatment. She said I am cancer free.

Georgie61 I had the radioactive shot too in both breasts before surgery. I really was a big "OUCH".

Good luck to all the ladies this week!!!

Grace

Artista928

I had the shot too in my left breast. Someone I believe in the July sisters sx thread recommended the Emla cream to slather on a couple or more hours before it and boy did it help. Just felt a small prick. I had slathered it on and put saran wrap over it to not get it on my shirt.

I plan on using the cream before the port is placed in and whenever something sounds like a big ouch. Can't be too proactive when it comes to pain!

Molly50

When I had the radioactive isotope shot it actually didn't hurt because the radiologist used lidocaine.

Kimmer, so happy to hear you are doing well. That gives me hope that I won't have too much pain. Georgie, grace1366 so happy to hear you are doing well too. Grace1366 cancer free must be music to your ears!!!

39andhip

Hi all - thanks for all the well-wishes. I know it's September now, but I want to stick with my original August posse. I had a UMX with tissue expander placement today, in preparation for DIEP reconstruction in a week. My surgery was at 1:30, though it started a little late, and was finished by 3:30. I was awake by 4:00 and home by 6:30. I honestly feel great, considering. I am in so much less pain than I thought I would be, and actually VERY thankful to be at home, where, as the nurse said, 'There's better food and better TV.' I've even answered a few work e-mails this evening. I hope everyone else is recovering well and in good spirits.

Kris_L

I am brand new to all this. I underwent BMX with immediate silicone implant reconstruction on August 10th. I would much appreciate being added to "August Surgery Sisters" list if possible. I work for two Plastic &Reconstructive surgeons, and have assisted with pre-op, intra-op, and post-op needs. It is so different being on this side of things. To follow others going thru some of the same experiences would give me some peace of mind that I am not alone.

Molly50

Welcome Kris! This is a wonderful group of ladies. It will be interesting to hear your perspective on your reconstruction and recovery.

39andhip, you give me hope for a easier recovery than I anticipate except I will have a TE to deal with for a lot longer than you.

Suzy1067

Yay Marcy!  I've been looking for your update - so, glad everything went well and you're recovering nicely.  Also, so happy the cami brought you comfort .  I guess I had the radioactive shot, as I was sent to radiology for the node marking, etc.  But, they tried a fairly new procedure on me - ParaVertebral block, similar to an epidural, but, higher to numb the chest area.  And before they did that, they gave me something really good in my IV - so, I'm guessing I did not feel it, or at least I don't remember it, if I did at the time. 

Today is fill #3 - looking forward to it.  I have one that is bigger, the doctor said my chest plate is higher on that side and I'm already 60cc fuller on the opposite side (but, it looks smaller).  They are going to start evening them out today.  I think that means only my right side will be filled.  We'll see .

Welcome Kris!  This is a great group

XOXO,

Suzy

 

Carrie37

I just wanted to check in after surgery. I had surgery on 8-20. BMX with TE placement. I just got my drains out yesterday and I feel very lucky to have them out early. I think the key may have been not moving. I was in the hospital for four nights. I just could not get the pain under control. I always thought I had a high pain tolerance but maybe not. After I came home I hardly did anything except go to the bathroom and eat the food brought to me. My husband had me walk a few days. The doctors told me that a lot was done to the muscle in my cancer breast so they want to wait awhile to start fills. Like six weeks. Anyone have thoughts on starting fills and then rads?

Artista928

My ps says he'll start fills 2 weeks after my last drain is out to give time for the hole to close. So my fills are going to start before chemo and end before rads. The only thing he won't do is the TE until after rads. You don't want to subject your new selves to rads and plus he wants me feeling well and not icky before undergoing another procedure. He says about 3 weeks after rads is the soonest I can do the TE.