April 2016 Surgery

LRGO2016

Heathet, you are in my thoughts! I hope everything goes well!

I'm one day behind you! Holding my nerves together with string and duct tape! Really wish there was a pill we could pop that would cure cancer!

Heathet

LRGO2016 - I really wish there was a pill to take to stop cancer in its tracks! I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday!

LRGO2016

hey, does anyone know whether running a fever of 100 degrees Will require I reschedule surgery? I've been fighting a virus/head cold for days. Checked my temp tonight and I've got a fever... dang it!

Surgery in two days. Timing of this is really bad

Jacklin

Hi everyone,

I've been away from the computer for a few days due to uncontrolled pain. My MO is unsure as to what is causing it but suspects the tumour is growing again. She's called the BS and asked for the surgery to be moved up, so I'm waiting for that call. For now, she's doubled my pain killers and that's leaving me very groggy and confused. Just thought I'd check in before the next round of meds kicks in.

Heathet, you know we serve an awesome God. He has you safely in the palm of His hand, watching over you. He knows the plans. We can't see what His plans are nor do we understand them, but we continue to trust Him. Know I will be praying of you tomorrow, you're 1 week ahead of me.

LRGO - a fever of 100 is unlikely to deal your surgery, but if it rises, it might. Can you check with your family doctor or call the surgeon's office to see what their protocol is? Lots of fluids and rest, rest, rest. I hope you're able to get rid of the head cold.

Seedsally, how are you doing? I agree with you, reading what others have experienced has helped relieve my anxiety about the upcoming surgery as well. Thank you to all for posting your experiences.

Nightowlhoot, so thankful that your Mom was 'ok' when she arrived. Praying that you are able to enjoy your time with her. I so wish I could tell my Mom, she's in the latter stages of Alzheimer's now so I can go and visit, but there's no conversation any more. It's so hard because she's only here physically, I really lost my Mom a long time ago. And, as Seedsally said, what I wouldn't do to have a conversation with her now. Guess that's all a part of life, right?

Apologies if I've forgotten to respond to anyone's postings here, it's not intentional so please forgive me. I hope you are all well and those who have had their surgery are healing well and without any complications. Be well!

Yoxter123

Hi everyone Jaklin has added me to the surgery list ... Have been reading the boards for some time ...see my signature info ! Had TE 's and serrator flaps today .... Delayed recon for multiple family issues ... First stage done .... Pain meds excellent .... Not feeling too bad at all .... Wanted to let you all know this is doable .... Any questions about any of the treatments I have had ask away ... Love the fact that this board is global ... I'm in Australia ! the support offered by everyone on these boards is inspirational ! Hope I feel this comfortable tomorrow !!!

I have no idea why this is in different fonts ... Pain meds !

Judi

Seedsally

Morning everyone welcome to Yoxter. Well I am sitting here in the hotel in Memphis. I had a fitful nights sleep, tossed and turned. I do that a lot because of a painful knee. I am a little nervous but not too bad yet. My hospital is about 15 minutes away. I have to be there at 8:30 with surgery at 10:30. So I was told to take a shower with antibacterial soap, no cologne deodorant, or lotions, etc. so dressing should be quick. I'll post again as soon as I can. Good look everyone.

LRGO hope that fever disappears

Jacklin sorry about your pain

Well Heathet here we go.

Good luck and prayers for us all

Yoxter123

seedsally and heather ..... Thoughts and prayers with you both

Jacklin

Welcome to Yoxter.

LRGO, how are you feeling today? Been thinking about you all night, wondering if the fever's broken at all. Did you hear back from the surgeon's office yet?

Seedsally and Heathet, know you and your medical teams are being prayed for today. May you be free of all pain when you wake up.

Wow, I just looked at the list of all of us having surgery this month and I realize just how many are battling BC!! It's overwhelming, and this is the list of people who have found this forum and given their information, how many more are facing this diagnosis and haven't posted here? As I look at all the names, I realize how many of you have gone before me, walking down the hall to OR knowing what was going to happen and you did it. Yes, you probably had a lot of tears at one point like I am having now but you did it. Thank you for your courage and strength. Hoping everyone has a pain-free day today.

ClarkBlue

I prayed for you all this morning. Please keep us posted. Love you all.

-Keel

LRGO2016

prayers and hugs for all the Warriors this week!

My fever is hovering around 99.4 now. My BC says low fever is no problem. But PS may say no until I'm over this cold. Resting today and waiting to find out if we are go for launch tomorrow. My slot tomorrow, if it happens is early am. I'll be there at 6 am for prep. Nerves, nerves, nerves... to quote a famous NASA astronaut, let's light this candle!

Nysa

Hi all,

I am having my 2nd lumpectomy to widen margins on 4/21 and insertion of the port for chemotherapy. New here and wanted to check in.

ClarkBlue

Welcome Nysa and Yoxter... Glad you're here.

jacklin - will be praying that the pain has nothing to do with the tumor, but that they can get you in early so they can address it. You are a brave woman.

LRGO feel better!

Heathet and Seedsally... Can't wait to hear from you. You are both in good hands.

Been dealing with pain w/o narcotics after trying to find something that will keep my blood pressure up. So it's just Extra Strength Tylenol for me... It's been tough, but doable.

Thinking of you all...

-keely

Jacklin

Welcome Nysa, glad you have found us. If you have any questions, ask away, we've a wonderful group of people here and usually someone can help answer your question(s).

Thanks Keely, it's been a better day because I've had less pain due to the meds but much more emotional also because of the meds. My thinking in muddled and I get overwhelmed/frustrated because I can't process properly, hence the tears. Met with our pastors today for prayer, what a great support network and wonderful experience. You're 5 days post-BMX and I'm so glad to see you posting, I will pray that you will be pain-free tonight and get a good night of sleep.

LRGO sorry to read that your surgery is delayed due to the cold. Please get better soon.

How's everyone else doing?

LRGO2016

I'm resting better now Jacklin. I'm disappointed to not be getting on with the process but relieved to be doing the right thing. Heading into a major surgery while also fighting a cold is not wise. My doctors have made the right call. I trust their judgement. I hate the anticipation but am glad for their decision.

Good luck to all who are having their surgeries as planned. My thoughts are with you!

LRGO

Betsy918

Hi All..Just checking in. My bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders was a week ago today. I spent 3 nights in the hospital as I was running a low fever and couldn't get pain under control. It still isn't very well controlled, but that always seems to happen to me after major surgery (I've had several large abdominal surgeries in the last 4 years.) One spot of major pain is at the drain site, every once in awhile it feels like I am being stabbed with a knife. I think I may call the visiting nurse and have her come look at it tomorrow. Good news is that my nodes were negative, and each of my tumors were completely separate, which means they are staged at whatever the biggest one was, which was only 1.5cm. If they had been connected at all I'd have had to do chemo. That looks highly unlikely now, unless i get a high onco score, which I'm not expecting. It has been more jarring looking at my chest than I thought. I have major "side boobs". PS called them dog ears and said they'll be removed when I do my exchange, but right now I can't even put my arms down at my sides with out them resting on them...feel like I need to find a bra with cups on the side! Anyway..best wishes to all of you still waiting.

nightowlhoot

Hi,

Welcome Nysa and Yoxter! I’ve found being on this forum therapeutic for me and informative!

Betsy918, we’re practically neighbors if you’re in Santa Cruz. I hope you get your pain under control, but I understand. It is just there even though they say they want you at 0, they have no idea . . . the drains bothered me so much but it is short lived.

Sorry for your delay LRGO2016, but for the best, I’m sure of it. You want to be well. I have seasonal allergies which I control with meds. I can’t imagine coughing post-surgery. I still need to sneeze every now and then and brace myself with my good arm. So get well!

I did get my drains out on Monday (it was nearly 2 weeks post-op, I did make the less than 20 cc over the weekend but no appointments so they stayed in longer by a day). I was SO ready for them to come out. I had some leakage over the weekend and I must have moved oddly in my sleep because one of the drains started to hurt more than usual. Anyway, my friend, another mom from school who is also a nurse drove me to the doctor since hubby is out this week with my girl. It was good to have her, she felt comfortable going in with me and held my hand. I won’t lie, I took a hydrocodone and an extra strength tylenol and valium an hour before. I had been pretty much off narcotics and only taking tylenol (all for drain pain), but I did it to prep for the removal. I’m glad I did. The nurse doing it gave me to option of doing one at a time or both together. I chose both. It burned pretty badly, I won’t lie, but was done very fast. I felt the burn for a couple of minutes after and then was fine. I took off the gauze at home and one of the drain sites didn’t close up very well, I think the tube and sutures rubbed my skin and left an open wound under the drain site. I am just taking care of it with hydrogen peroxide and going rogue re: antibiotics. The nurse said I could stop, but I have a few more days worth in the bottle and I’m going to finish it off for fear of infection from the open skin at the drain location. It did feel great to shower after the drain removal.

After the drain pull I kind of was off my game and forgot to ask about exercises and for a PT referral. I have another visit in a couple of weeks and just looked online for exercises to do post drain removal.

So my full path report said, “extensive ductal carcinoma in situ in the upper outer and upper inner breast. It has an associated robust host lymphocytic response and areas of desmoplasia making it challenging to exclude invasion in some areas. However, no areas of definite invasion are identified after extensive sampling.” This is frustrating. Sounds like they want to cover their butts. I need to speak to the pathologists to ask some questions. But overall good news. The four lymph nodes were negative and I knew that already, but I thought it was only 2, the report says 4.

So with the drains out for a day, I started to really feel and get used to my new body and let me tell ya, I focused so much on the drains prior that I didn’t focus on the numbness in my left chest and armpit. It feels really strange. Anyone else? I have the good side to compare so it is freaky. I touch my right and no tenderness or pain on the collar bone, ribs or chest, I touch my left and it feels ultra sensitive and numb at the same time. It is a strange sensation. I have been online and it appears common. I have minor swelling in my armpit the nurse said to watch in case it turns into something more and I need needle aspiration. I opted for no recon for now, but asked the BS to keep my options open so he did do a skin sparring mastectomy so I see the extra skin and ripples. . . I’m not sure what I am going to do. I don’t want to deal with any more surgery. Right now just want to get healed enough to get a prosthetic and regain full range of motion and see how life goes. . .

Anyway sorry for the rambling. . . I should get to bed. I fell asleep with my son and then it makes me not sleepy when I wake up around 10. . .it’s a bad habit to get back into. I wasn’t lying down with me pre surgery to get him used to it and tonight he was missing his dad and sister so he begged me to stay with him. . . I couldn’t help it. I caved.

I’ll be thinking of you ladies going in this week.

Night Owl

LatiekakeB

Hello Ladies,

I'm back home from the hospital after having my sentinel node biopsy, bilateral mastectomy (prophylactic on left), as well as tissue expander placement on Monday 4/18. They said my lymph nodes looked clear on the initial check while I was under, but should get the official word on pathology in a few days.

The first day wasn't so bad since the nerve block was still helping with pain management, but yesterday and this morning have been rough, I just have to learn to stay ahead of the pain and dose up in advance of the stuff wearing off.

I've been doing better than I expected and have been able to use my arms more than I anticipated. Need to get clearer instruction from the PS though on whether I can shower or not, the hospital gave me conflicting info when I was discharged. Hope everyone else is doing okay.

Katie

ClarkBlue

Had PS follow up today. Surgery was 6 days ago. Everything looks good. Appt to remove drains on Monday 😳. Not looking forward to that...

Pain is getting better. Not as many flare ups. I'm going to try and pull up my underwear by myself all day today lol... Just a reminder to newbies here, I'm only on Tylenol due to issues with my blood pressure and narcotics. Most everyone can pull up their own panties when well drugged lol... Don't wanna freak anyone out.

Hoping to hear from Heathet and Seedsally today...❤️

Hey Betsy, glad to hear from you. Pain management is the worst. I'm sorry you are dealing with it as well. I'm glad to hear the good news about lymph nodes!

Nightowlhoot, keep us posted on the pathology once you talk with doc. We will all get one soon so it would be good to know what some of that stuff means. I DO have quite a bit of numbness in my armpit area on both sides. Right now I'm okay with it since I would probably have more pain if I could feel it lol... Strangely I'm not bothered by it. I AMbothered by the contestant "hard nipple" feeling though... Is that the drains or the sutures? It feels like I'm wearing a VERY tight sports bra all the time with these expanders. Not uncomfortable, just funny to keep reminding myself that there is nothing there lol... Although I find it strangely comforting because it feels like I'm wearing a bra which is something I've worn most of my life so nothing is "missing"... Weird, huh?

Thinking of you all,

love,

-Keely

ClarkBlue

Katie, YAY!!!!! So glad you checked in...keep up on the pain meds and drink lots of fluids.

Relax, take it easy and keep us posted!!

-Keely

ClarkBlue

Just got a call from breast surgeon. Pathology report says lymph node was in fact, positive. Changes some things. Not sure what. Guess I will find out next week when I meet with Onco team and surgeon.

Seedsally

Well ladies I am 24 hours out from waking up in post op. I had a peri vertebral block and was In surgery about 4 1/2 hours. Woke up with a lot of pressure on my chest (tissue expanders with 600 cc's saline fill). Clarkblue it does feel like a really tight bra but only in the front. Really I expected a lot more pain than I had. The block didn't hurt at all since my anesthesiologist gave me a lot of meds and something in a mask. About the worst so far was transferring into regular bed. Please ladies keep ahead of the pain. I fell asleep last night and woke up at about 2 in the morning with a lot of pressure in the front if my chest. Didn't realize I just needed to push the pain button. When I did it got a lot better. My PS came in this afternoon and is keeping me here 1 more night since I have a small hematoma on the top of my left breast. She showed me how to message it and milk the drain tube and told me I could use a towel covered ice pack on it when I go home tomorrow. But she said be careful and don't go to sleep with it there. I can't keep my eyes open am so sleepy I'll check back later.

So sorry about the lymph node Clarkblue

And welcome NYSA

Sorry about you're delay LRGO but it probably is best to get well first

Heathet hope you are doing well

Jacklin

Hi Keely, sorry to hear your got 'that' phone call. Best thing is to wait until you meet with the oncologist next week for sure, don't let your mind go racing ahead. I had a lymph node biopsy back in November so I know my nodes are affected. Just take things one step at a time, ok?

Katie, glad to hear your are doing so well and thank for the reminder about pain meds.

Night Owl - hmm, glad you got your report so quickly, takes 2 - 3 weeks here in Canada. Good for your getting your rest.

Betsy, glad your surgery is now behind you.

LRGO, hope you are feeling much better every day.

Healing thoughts and prayers for everyone!

Fleecelady

Lumpectomy tomorrow 7 am long wait is almost over

Fleecelady

be strong Prayers all around

brandford37

Hello guys I'm here checking up on all who having surgery this week I pray God be with you, I hope you guys have clear margin and no lymph node involve. Yesterday I saw my Sergeon my margins negative and one lymph node came back positive the tumor 3cm my sergonomic said im goING to get Chemo and Radiation. My appointment with my oncologist may 3th, in so worried about Chemo and what it gonna do to my body and the side effects.

Paulinek

Hi everyone. I'm new here but it's been great reading all of your posts. I had a nipple sparing BMX (right prophylactic) on 4/5 with TE placement. I had a lumpectomy in November followed by 4 rounds of TC chemo. My pathology came back this time with no evidence of disease left. I go for my first fill of the expanders tomorrow and I'm quite nervous. I have been having some sharp shooting pains in different areas on both sides. I've heard sometime this can be relieved as the TEs are filled, so just hoping it's nothing more serious.

Lizzy1981

I'm about 16 days post surgery now and I would say I feel about 90% recovered. I still have two drains in which are annoying. Hope to get them out next week. When I had the first two drains removed it didn't hurt at all. I had my first tissue expander fill yesterday. No pain just tightness.

I'm back at work full time. I worked from home last week but I was totally ready to go in this week. I went back to the gym 9 days post surgery. I was able to do an hour on the stair machine (like before surgery) but I could only do 80 steps per minute. Now I'm back up to my pre surgery 92 steps per minute. I can't do weight lifting that involves my chest but I've been doing everything else. Doc says at 4 to 6 weeks he will lift the chest restriction.

My experience was that week one was hell. I turned a corner at the start of week two. Hit the gym mid week and didn't look back.

Paulinek

Lizzy1981 that's great that you're feeling so much better! I can't wait to workout again, but my PS said not for 4 weeks post op . I am one day behind you and i was supposed to go into work today. I am still too uncomfortable and keep having the feeling that the expanders are falling, so waiting to talk to the dr today and hopefully back at work tomorrow

Silverlilly3

Hi,

Im new to this forum. I had my mastectomy 1/22/2016. I have never stopped draining. I had 2 more drains put in and removed, but the hole is not closed and still leaks. This has caused me not to start my radiation. I had 4 holes only one stubborn one left. Still have swelling under my arm, feels like a catchers mitt under my arm. They removed 6 lymph nodes. 2 had encapsulated cells, 4 were free of cancer. Ive had free movement of the arm from begining. It is painfull some. Im still tender in lymph node area. I feel 3 months is a long time to drain. Im allergic to adhesives so this has been an ordeal. Has anyone had leaking for this long?

Moderators

Hi SilverLilly and welcome to Breastcancer.org!

We're sure someone will be by soon who can weigh in with their thoughts, but we wanted to let you know we're thinking of you! We hope the draining gets better soon and you can resume your treatments!

Looking forward to hearing more from you soon.

--The Mods