No pain, no nausea

Lunderwood

Grandma3X, I am so glad you are doing well and it's incredible that you are recovering even faster this time. I love your positive posts!!!! You just don't know how your posts and experiences have helped me through my anxiety and fear! I am right handed as well and will be having the surgery on the right breast so I have been trying to use my left a little more for simple things in anticipation of limited use. (it's not working well but I suspect I will use the left when it's the only option). Take care!!

grandma3X

Lunderwood - I'm glad that my posts have helped ease some of your anxiety! That was my hope when I started this thread. For me, the fear and anxiety was worse than the surgery itself. Best wishes for a similar outcome with your surgery this month! Please let me know how you do.

tsoebbin

I'm trying to decide if I want the free flap or TE method or no reconstruction. Your post here is super helpful and just what I needed to read this morning. THANK YOU! I've been so scared of a long surgery that I've been considering no reconstruction. Now I'm considering having them done one at a time. Sounds like recovery would be more manageable and less time on the operating table if I don't do the flap surgery.

grandma3X

Tsoebbin - this is a hard decision to make! There is alsoa thread for women who have had over the pec implants as well. It's fairly new but seems to be catching on.

grandma3X

Today I am 1 month post- surgery and wanted to give an update. I returned to work part time at 3.weeks and then full time at 4 weeks. The underarm sensitivity that seems to hit everyone at about 2 weeks is now gone. I was able to finally use deodorant this week I had weaned my pain meds down to just twice a day (Tylenol or ibuprofen) but have not had any pain for the past few days, so I'm just taking a Tylenol at night before bed. I think it's more prophylactic and probably don't need it. I still use a rollerball mouse at work- My shoulder starts to ache if I use a regular mouse. As far as range of motion, I think I'm about 95% - the only trouble I'm having is lifting my arm straight out from my side. I can get to about a 90 degree angle. I have been doing the exercises I learned at PT after my first MX and I think they make a world of difference. The exercise I've been doing for this problem is to lay on the floor on my back and pretend I'm making a snow angel i bring my arm up as far as I can (without causing pain) while keeping it on the floor with my elbow straight and hold for 30 seconds. Hopefully this will resolve any issues.

sas-schatzi

Grandma you are a mentor par excellance. If anyone reading grandma's report's and find you are outside what she describes hang in. I had pain for near 7 years and not sure I will declare it gone.. The point being , recovery is not consistent. Our docs' s skills weren't the same. Our bodies weren't the same.

Grandma Bless you

grandma3X

Thank you, Sas-Schatzi! I think that recovery time can vary widely and is often out of the patient's (or doctor's) hands. I hope that I did not convey the message that someone has failed in some way if they do not recover quickly, or that the significant, ongoing pain that many have is a result of something they did or not do. My intentions when I started this thread, and also when I post on my own month's surgery thread, is to let everyone know that recover is not always going to be a never-ending, hugely painful ordeal. I hope to offer some relief from anxiety to those who are facing surgery after us - I had wait over 2 months between dx and surgery and during that time I read through several of the previous month's threads to try to understand what I was facing. It was so encouraging to see the level of support on these threads, but at the same time, really horrifying to read about the high level of pain that many of the women reported. I know now that this is not always the case. There are probably just as many women who breeze through surgery and recovery with little pain, but don't post as often because they might not need the support or may feel (as I have) that it somehow diminishes the problems that others are facing.

Anyway, if all goes well, I have one more surgery to replace the TEs with permanent implants. This will happen sometime in the fall. I hope to have the same anesthesia regimen as I did for the first 2 surgeries. I do think it made a difference in how I felt immediately after surgery (wonderful!) and for at least the first few days after surgery when pain levels should have been the highest. I will report back after my next surgery and let everyone know how it went.

sas-schatzi

Grandma. I think you should rename your thread "Surgery newbies, Grandma's in and invites you to talk" Serious. "Pain and nausea" doesn't do justice to what you are trying to do. All it takes is a PM to the mods. Newbies are at times confused where to post a question initially. You're very positive, uplifting, and giving attitude would be a wonderful solace for newbies. Likely other mentors would lurk and join in. Think on it and maybe even a better name than what I suggested. Your energy will stay high for mentoring for 4-5 years maybe longer L&H&P's sassy

Lunderwood

sas-schatzi and grandma3X the information you both have provided has truly been informative and definitely gave me the guidance I needed in so many areas both pre- and now post- surgery. Grandma3x, I agree a name change for your thread would help the newbies find it. Bless you both for your wonderful advice, suggestions, and sharing your experiences.

sas-schatzi

Lunder

grandma3X

Thank you, says-schatzi and Lunderwood for your kind words
I agree that there should be a thread for newbies where we can post about our 'good" surgical experiences, kind of like the "TEs: A Beginners primer" thread vs the "TE Troubles" thread, lol. I'm not sure if this is the right thread, though, since I was posting about a specific anesthesia regimen. I did come across a thread with a lot of posts from women who had little pain and regained full ROM quickly after surgery, but can't remember where it was. I'll see if I can find it and post a link here.