March 2016 Surgery

iammags

Great, Stella!

grandma3X

Stellamaris - So happy to hear that you are doing well, after all you have been through!

Mckaylaleigh

How is everyone doing?  I am doing pretty good, my whole left breast is a seroma, looks like I almost have a little breast again. My doctor said my body will absorb it and didn't discuss draining. Okbecca, did you get your drained? I am still not happy with my results either, I wish I could find a good place for pictures of BMX no recon at different healing stages so I can compare to mine. I just have extra skin and my BS says it will somewhat flatten out but I am not very optimistic. 

I hope everyone is hanging in there and healing nicely

grandma3X

Mckaylaleigh- I had a tissue expander so it's not exactly the same, but there was an extra pouch of skin above the sentinel node excision after my surgery in January. It has flattened out considerably since then (about 10 weeks). Hope yours will do the same.

stellamaris

Hi Ladies - keep on hanging in! 3rd and last drain removed today (day 12 post op). Had a bit of a crash today - very fatigued. Taking the hint and dozing it off. Hugs to everyone!

agharta

Hi ladies,

I have a little bump under my arm near the incision. It prevents me to lift my arm fully and it my arm muscles aches since it pulls my arm. Im gonna see my BS Friday but I just want to know if you had it and your opinion. Is this seroma? Do I have to drain it? Anyone has it?

okbecca

Mckaylaleigh, it turned out that I didn't have a seroma. When the doc saw it in person (I had emailed her photos of what I thought might be a seroma) she said it was swelling of the pectoral muscle. So, instead of draining it, she had me go home, put ice on it, and promise not to lift my granddaughter until the physical therapist says I can.

FWIW, her nurse didn't think draining it would be painful, and she's been a reliable predictor of that sort of thing in the past.

Agharta, I took photos of what I thought was a seroma and emailed them to my doc. You might try that. But if you have any doubt, don't self-diagnose. Taking care of you is your doc's job. You aren't "bothering" them to check these things.

Numb

I had small lumps and bumps after my lumpectomy and my lymph node incision, nothing very big though, but they all got smaller after a few weeks.   I can still feel a few aches and a bit of soreness at these sites too after 6.5 weeks.  So I would imagine all of that is normal.  I also got arm exercises to do since my op and was told I would have to do these for the rest of my life to avoid lymphodema.   These exercises tend to keep the fluid moving from under your arm because it is the fluid that causes the bump. 

Luvspuppies

Hi all, I hope you are all recovering and feeling better as time goes by.

I am healing from lumpectomy and sentinel node dissection. I will begin whole breast radiation in a few weeks.

I just don't feel good. I don't have pain, just a bit tender under the arm. But

I feel flu-ish, achy. I have no flu or cold symptoms. Did anyone else feel this way? All I can think of is stress, the same day I found out I had cancer, my husband was laid off. I had just given up my job to care for my 86 year old mom. Wondering if this achy feeling is normal, (whatever normal is...ha

iammags

luvspuppies I feel the same way! I'm on the couch now no energy at all. And my ribs hurt. I'm sure that's normal but ouch. I think that it's just been a lot to take in. Cancer sucks and it's hard work! I start rads soon and then, after AI, hopefully I'll be done. Maybe it's all caught up with me. I hope that you feel better soon😃

Cherylista

My BMX was done 03/17/16. I have TEs & 2 drains safety pinned to the surgical bra, & they were emptied every 12 hrs. I spent an over night in the hospital & was allowed to go home before lunch.

My son came to help me a few days before surgery, & stayed a few days after. We've 'chatted ' online frequently since & also with my brother & friends. I'd posted about my 'event' on Facebook, so eventually, everyone knows.

Last week I went to see the chemo Dr, & plummeted to the pits of depression which worsend when I went on line to research on the side effects of chemotherapy. It was the last straw. No mention of chemotherapy had been made by anyone.

Even though I had been apprehensive about the surgery, I'd accepted that it was the best choice. The idea of losing my hair was devastating, & that I would not have the exchange of the TEs for the implants until after the 3 months of chemo ended.

Summer plans to see my brother in VA & a friend in VT would have to be trashed.

Presently, I'm waiting to here the results of the echo cardiogram I had last week. This determines when my chemo starts. Still finding the idea frightening.

Jacklin

Hi Cherylista, chemo has different side effects for each person. Reading them all online can certainly be overwhelming and depressing. The doctors have to tell you all the possible SE's but that doesn't mean you'll have all of them. For me, A/C was much easier than taxol, but I had DD ACT so that may have had something to do with it. Just listen to your body, it will tell you what you need. Don't be afraid to rest and be sure to drink lots and lots of water to flush your body as much as possible. Don't know if you have a port or PICC line, and if you don't, be sure to drink lots before going to chemo so that your veins are easier to find for the IV.

While the thought of losing your hair is hard, and I really struggled with it myself, please remember that your hair will grow back. I had elbow-length long hair and my niece cut it into a pixie cut so that I could get used to having short hair. Actually, I quite enjoyed the short hair and have decided that when it grows back that I'll keep it short. Having it short made it much easier when it fell out. Now, I'm very used to having a bald head and it doesn't bother me one bit. I have some great hats and scarves that I use when I want to, and most of the time I just go bald, it's easiest for me.

I'm so glad for you that you have a good support system for yourself, it's very important.

Much strength for each day

Luvspuppies

iammags, I am quite the couch potato too. It seems I have a good day and get a few things done, then the next day I feel horrible. I am in Minnesota and so looking forward to some warmer weather, it's in the 40's and cloudy and windy. How are your ribs? Mine hurt for the first few days. Have you started radiation yet? What creams did they recommend? I was told Aquafor is good

sas-schatzi

Well shoot me I'm late, but the info can be used for future surgeries.

Hope you find this information helpful. In 2014 and 2015, there were several threads that looked at 1. specific drugs i.e. ketorolac, opiods, propofol, and other NSAIDS, and 2. surgical anesthesia interventions i.e. paravertebral blocks that may affect breast cancer recurrence either local or metastatic. All the information is Evidence Based Research with links. The intent of this post is to provide you with a link to information that you can study and in turn take to your surgeon and anesthesiologist for discussion pre-op, if you feel it has value in your breast cancer care.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topics/843381?page=1#post_4691613

A great starting point is this presentation by Dr. Vikas Sukhatme who is academic dean at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard. Published on Jan 21, 2016. Presented by Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme on December 8, 2015 at MIT in Cambridge, MA.

"A Simple, One-Time, Inexpensive and Non-Toxic Intervention to Improve Cancer Survival"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8zVrYEW8vE&feature=youtu.be

iammags

Luvspuppies- my ribs are ok now. And I have a bit more energy. I have to get up and not give in to the couch too much. Of course, here I am on the couch and online! Oh well. As far as creams go, Aquaphor and Calendula (available at health food, or Trader Joe like places) are the ones that were recommended to me.. I love Aquaphor but it's really heavy and a bit greasy. I use it for everything at night, from my feet up to my face. Love it! I start rads on the 25th. I hate to rub it in but I'm in California and it's beautiful here right now! I hope that you can have a little bit of our sunshine soon..

Luvspuppies

iammags- glad you are feeling better! I have to force myself to get up and do something. I think my fatigue after surgery morphed into laziness Tomorrow April 21 I go for my rad simulation, have you done that yet? How many treatments will you get?

I have heard a lot of good things about aquaphore, so I bought a big jar. I haven't used it yet. I sometimes wonder if plain old Vaseline would work as well.

It did warm up a bit Monday, then Tue cold, today rain. Things are finally beginning to grow around here. I love when things turn green again and the birds come back from the south, and sing in the mornings.

Take care, God bless

iammags

Luvspuppies I did have my 1st rad sim. It was fine. I didn't enjoy the tattoos, but, oh well! I love Aquaphor. I might have mentioned that I use it as an all over general lotion, heels, hands, scars, cuts. I do think that it's like Vaseline. But better somehow.

Good luck with the rads!

Luvspuppies

Fourth radiation done, 15 to go! No side effects yet! Pretty easy, all in all.

iammags

Good to hear, luvspuppies! I'm one week down on the rads but my RO added another week. Bummer. I'm red and my breast is so tight and tender. Ick. But it's all the driving to the cancer center that's getting to me. Only 4 more weeks...

Luvspuppies

iammags - They added another week? ugh, I'm sorry to hear that! I'm not red yet, but my girl feels like it used to right before my period would start, tender, sore, annoying. I drive 1 1/2 hour one way each day, and getting tired, but found a good audio book that helps. Maybe you could get a room once or twice a week to take a break from driving.

iammags

Luvspuppies- You drive 1 1/2 each way per day? Wow. You are a strong woman. I only drive about 45 each way and I think that's bad. I am not going to complain anymore (well, ok, maybe just a little)

Luvspuppies

Iammags, how's it going for you? I have one week to go. I hope you are doing well

iammags

I have one week, too Just 5 boosts and I'm all done. I'm red and sore but I can deal with it. Thanks for asking Luvspuppies. Here's to our last week!

Llroseworld

I had a partial mycetomy March 10th. A month later i developed an infection in the surgery site and now I have cellulitis. Anyone else felt with cellulitis of the breast? I began on oral antibiotics, then hospitalized for IV antibiotics and then released and given an infusion.

Alex276

For any of you that had tissue expanders, did the lung/rib pressure get any better after you started fills? I had my mastectomy with expanders on April 28th and I am having serious anxiety from the pressure on my lungs and ribs. The surgeon put 150ccs in at surgery time. My primary dr has started me on Prozac and I'm taking Xanax amount once a day to help with panic attacks and sleeping.

Luvspuppies

lirosworld, how are you doing? Is your infection better?

Luvspuppies

alex276, I'm sorry I can't help, I did not have this issue, as I had lumpectomy, but I do pray the pressure in rib/ lung is better!

CatholicMomma

I had a bi-Lat mastectomy 3/31/16. DCIS stage 0

CatholicMomma

Honestly, for me, nothing began to feel "right" until the 7 or 8-ish week post-op mark. I have made peace with the random pains and pressures and try to not dwell on them unless they don't subside or change for the better within a few days. That said, I monitor them pretty close so I don't drive myself nuts, which would be a short trip, lol!

Seedsally

CatholicMomma. I am so glad to read your post. I have been wondering if my situation is symptoms of a problem. I am 6 weeks and 3 days out from surgery and on my right side (cancer side) where the sentinel node was taken I keep having wasp sting sensations in the back of my armpit or in my armpit. Thelast 2 days they are not as severe. I was worried that my T E was on a nerve because just touching the edge of it or pressing that area would set it off. Sometimes the whole breast mounds feel tighter and hard like they are swollen then when I gently message the tops they soften a little. I have been worried the pain could be scar tissue building from the sentinel node incision as I don't have that problem on the left side. But after reading your post and the pain being less it gives me hope that in a week or 2 it will get better so thanks!

Sharon