May 2016 Surgeries

MoreShoes

It really makes me wonder about the drains. I live in the Netherlands, just had an appointment with the surgeon. He said that I'll stay in the hospital for one or two nights and the drains will be removed right away. They want the body to be able to deal with the fluid. Of course, I'll be left behind to face the consequences.

Papillon1

moreshoes - I am in Switzerland - and they seemed to think 3 or 4 days of drains... Maybe it's the European way?!? Am pretty sure hospital stay will be 3 or 4 days - that's the quote they gave my insurance company..

Would having lymph node removed affect it? I won't be having that as its prophylactic.

Thanks wenchLori!

Xx

WenchLori

I know a thread for June surgeries hasn't been posted yet but I have the finalized (until they call and change it again) date and type of surgery to be performed. I can't figure out how to go in and change my procedure on my profile. There are edit buttons for most things but not for this. Any suggestions?

I'm scheduled on June 15th for a double modified radical mastectomy, is that DMRMX? It seems to be more scarier to me than the DBMX! Am I just over reacting to the change in procedure once again? I was told to figure in a little additional recovery time. Anyone else here had a double modified radical mastectomy that can lead me in the right direction? I've gone from a lumpectomy to a DBMX to a double modified radical mastectomy! What the hay?

WenchLori now shaking in her boots!

NattyB

Hi Wench Lori - Is your tumor sitting on or super close to muscle? My understanding is that the "radical" or "modified radical" means that they plan to biopsy the muscle or take some of it. It could also be that they did a pre-cert of your insurance "just in case" and may not need to involve he muscle at all. I've seen in other areas (outside of breast ca surgeries) that they will go ahead and get the approvals for more than is thought to be needed just in case to avoid fighting with insurance on the back end. But, even if you do have some muscle stuff going on, probably means you'll be more sore than just taking the breast tissue out. I'm glad you finally got your date - I know that was frustrating for you!

Valstim52

Wenchlori, I'm having a modified radical mastectomy and my BS explained that it includes all the breast, and 20 plus lymph nodes. The way he explained it, was they will take the chest muscle lining but no muscle, no biopsy of it. It's the amount of lymph nodes being taken out that make it radical. along with the chest lining. At least that is how he explained it.

Previously, 24 years ago, when they were just doing a a possible mastectomy it was explained, the same way. I wound up with a lumpectomy (totally different cancer and breast)

TennisPink

hi everyone--

I have not chimed in for a while. I had my surgery on May 4th (lumpectomy with breast reduction ).

I am recovering well. It ended up that I did not stay overnight-- I was home at bedtime (nauseous but fine!) I was off of pain meds by Sunday except occasionally 2 Tylenol and no need for Tylenol today. The plastic surgeon saw me for 5 minutes this morning and said I looked great. I have no feeling in the nipple on the tumor side right now, but total feeling on the other. I have total movement of my arms, too. No drains were needed for the reduction (phew!).

The hard part is sitting here waiting for my pathology report. I know nothing!! This is the final piece of the puzzle so it's agonizing to wait !! I hope you are all doing well

sensitivehrt

Papillon: I had BMX on Friday. Right side was prophylactic. Surgery was around 10 am and I was released following morning by 11 am. I didn't have any reconstruction. Don't know if that makes a difference. Most people I've talked to are discharged within a day or two

Papillon1

I think it must be a difference between USA and Europe? Doc definitely said 3 or 4 if all goes well.

Immediate recon.

I don't mind 3 days tbh. I have three kids, a dog and the inlaws staying...I will get much more rest in the clinic that at home!!

Hope you are recovering ok xx

GreyKat

hi everyone. It's been real rough for me. Six hours in surgery and five hours in recovery and probably staying a second night here at hospital. Have nerve damage in hand from positioning error hand weak and numb supposed to heal maybe in a month or so. Nerveblocks on both sides failed woke up in excruciating pain lots of crying couldn't breathe well nearly screaming from agony. Lasted overnight keep trying drug combos to control pain not working and hand not working right damage no idea if or when might heal. Agony has been the word for this

Angtee15

Oh man Greykat that sounds awful. I am sorry that this is going down like this! I hope they get the pain controlled soon.

NattyB

Oh Greykat - I am so so sorry. I hope you stay another night and get things under control. I'm sure it was/is crazy scary. Sending you a hug!

Valstim52

So sorry Greykat, hope they get the pain managed soon. How awful about the nerve pain. In your pocket giving hugs.

WenchLori

Thank you Valstim52 for the clarification, I feel much better!

Wow GreyKat! I'm so sorry to hear you are in such excruciating pain! Was the nerve blocks in place of anesthesia or to help control pain afterward? I must have missed your post. I hope your hand will make a full recovery!

raven4mi

Oh my gosh, GreyKat, I'm so sorry you're going through all that! Praying they get the pain under control as soon as possible and that the damage to your hand heals!

MoreShoes

GreyKat, BREATHE! Breathe slowly, in and out. The painkillers will work, the nerve damage will be repaired. That would be your new mantra.

tsoebbin

So sorry i have been away. I had a preplanned visit from my mother, sister, and brother this past week. Bad timing, but I did make me less focused on cancer and more on dishes and laundry!

Surgery is tomorrow. I'm as ready as I can be. I'm actually getting a massage tonight! Hoping it will put me in a relaxed state.

Sending many hugs and we'll wishes to each of you.

WenchLori

Thank you NattyB, I didn't think of my BS thinking ahead of my insurance company but with all the hassels they've given us it woulnd't surprise me for her to do that. If my breast were their younger perkier selves my tumor would be more to the upper region of my left breast. As they are a tad bit on the droppy side, (ok more like past the droppy side!) the tumor is in the middle outside of my left breast so It could be near the muscle. I'm sure she will do everything she needs to do that will be in my best interests.

I called my insurance this morning as they don't have my PS as being approved on their website. They told me they were waiting for more info from my PS so I called the PS office and they assured me all was in order and ready to go. I really don't trust my insurance to be on the up and up for good reasons. They've messed around for almost 2 months now but hopefully all is well and no more road blocks ahead

MoreShoes

I have to ask, the ladies who have a BMX, how is it done? An ellipse is being cut off, and how big is the incision? I'm sorry, I'm scared, I'm checking online since this afternoon and haven't slept decently in a week.

TennisPink

GreyKat: wishing you improved recovery very fast. Please keep us all posted on any progress as we are all thinking of you here in the May surgery thread. Somewhere down the road this will all be a distant memory. It's horrible that it has to be so painful to protect your future heath, but you can do this and it will get better very soon!!!

NattyB

Hi More Shoes - I think the surgical approach will vary on whether or not you are doing nipple sparing, fat and skin sparing etc. But I can tell you my plan which is fat and skin sparing but not the nipple. The PS will come in first (after they inject the dye for the node mapping) and mark me (in the holding room when I'm awake and sitting up etc) - he will mark where the incisions will go since he comes in after the BS is finished. It will look kind of like an eye with the nipple being the iris & pupil. It allows the skin to kind of tent up to accommodate the implants which for me will be silicone (skipping the expander phase because I have implants and am already stretched enough). Then the BS will use his lines as a guide and perform the mastectomy. Shes is also placing my port at the same time (sentinal nodes and axillary nodes too if needed). PS comes back in when she's done and figures out which size implants to place and closes up the incisions. I'll have 4 drains to collect any extra fluid and presto chango phase 1 of my cancer odyssey is done. I'm not as freaked out by the procedure as much as I am the whole recovery process which will I am preparing to be about 4 weeks. After that I start chemo.

It's no picnic but try not to spend too much time in random google mode - this site is a wealth of information and really the only place I go for all things BC. Good luck to you - love your name:)

GreyKat

hey ladies thanks for the good wishes. I've passed my puffy blower thing lung levels so that's not a concern. The nerve blocks were supposed to be instead of opioids, so after anesthesia I would have awesome pain control. Instead they failed and I woke up with no pain killers at all. Hence the crying and teeth gritted white knuckled yelping while I tried not to scream in agony. As soon as the Drs realized that they started in on iv drugs and pills both to try and cut the excruciating pain but it took hours and hours to get a combination that worked. Still trying out combos and still agony this morning but a few hours ago they hit on a combo that seems to be working better than anything else. My hand has only a weak grip today and Is still partially numb. Nerves regrow, they just take a long long time so I'll just have to adapt to onehandedness for a few weeks or so.

My bilateral mastectomy has the incisions on the outer sides, so lots of bruising of skin and muscle. Not as bad as I thought in looks. Rock hard tissue expanders give me baby lumps, the drain coils make hard ridges under the skin, and the skin is loose and baggy and empty inside. Will fill back out with future expansions.

This kind of nerve damage to hands/limbs is not common so you all shouldn't freak out. It was purely because they failed to pad the nerve point pressure point enough and six hours of pressure left it damaged or half dead. It's cruddy to not be able to do much with that hand for now but I'm pretty confident it'll regrow in a month or two. If not I have to come back for that.

Good luck to all you gals on the next round of surgery.

grandma3X

GreyKat - I am so sorry you are in such pain! I hope they find the right combo for you soon! When I had the paravertebral block in January, they told me that it will fail sometimes, but I thought they would know that before wheeling me back to surgery! I will have to ask the anesthesiologist about this when I have my surgery next Wed.

Moreshoes - I know how you feel - I looked on YouTube for videos of the surgery before my MX and it helped calm my nerves to see how it's done (but not for people who are squeamish!).

I hope you all have a peaceful evening!

SpecialK

grandma - If the P blocks fail they can usually tell by heightened vital signs during surgery, but they should also be able to pinch or poke you to see if it is working if it is administered while you are awake.

Robins_Mess

I've been stalking the boards for the last year and this is my first time posting. I had bilateral mastectomy March 30, 2015 and then radiation. I met with a plastic surgeon before my mastectomy and was only given the option of a pedicled DIEP flap for both sides, even though I'm a very small person (5'5, 125 pounds). Fast forward to this year, I met with a different plastic surgeon (thank goodness - the orginal guy apparently sucked) in April who suggested implant on the non-radiated side and then lat flap or DIEP flap for the radiated. I followed up with questions about fat grafting the radiated area to help heal it so I could do implants in both and no flap. I don't want to do the lat flap - I'm a climber, obstacle course runner and kayaker so I can't lose that strength. I don't want the DIEP because honestly I think my belly is one of my better features and don't want it messed up too. He replied that its not studied enough, too new, and cuases fear because of calcifications that read as cancer. By the way, this is all through Kaiser in Denver.

I wasn't satisfied with this so I found Dr. Hunsicker and met with her this morning. I almost cried when I left because I was so happy. She confirmed that my radiation damage was minimal (lots of aggressive massage and coconut oil since I finished radiation) and that I was a perfect candidate for fat grafting and then direct to implant.

Now for my problem and question. She isn't a Kaiser doctor. Has anyone had any success with getting Kaiser to refer outside when they don't offer the reconstruction you want? Is there a process I should follow? Or has anyone had a Kaiser doctor do fat grafting and implant after radiation someplace else that I could travel too? I'm wondering about potentially changing to my own insurance for the next year , but that would suck since my employer pays 100% of mine right now. Plus I'd love to get this started this summer, and would have to wait until January if I change insurance.

SpecialK

robins - you might PM exbrnxgrl - I believe she used Kaiser in the Bay area - California, and did direct to implant, but I don't think she had rads. I also think JulieCC did FG with Kaiser - for aesthetics (same process - I have had both), in So Cal. See if they can give you some info, and tell them I sent you.

Robins_Mess

Thank you! I will do that!

GreyKat

Hi again from the hospital. They've been trying all day to get my blood pressure out of the 40s with no luck. Just gave me a bag of blood products an hour ago. Am definitely staying a second night bc of the bp problems and bruises.

Also am having severe bruising on one side and nipple turning black so I might be losing one despite all the heat and nitro gel. I am so sad after all this to lose one bc that means the other goes too for symmetry.

Also already been called "mutilated" by an immediate family member. Which made me cry. With family like that who needs enemies

Midwest

Hi GreyKat,

So relieved to see you are not in big pain anymore and so sorry about what happened with your hand.It will get better or they will find a way to help you.I have big bruises too, one week later and swelling, I think( the expander side is now as big as the other one)

Please, just try to focus on your healing, you did what you had to do to avoid fighting this terrible thing. Your pain will get more manageable every day. I think it is a good thing to keep you under observation for longer tiime( maybe it is just the European thinking).

A big hug to you, keep posting, you will get better soon. Can you eat anything?

WenchLori

Hi GyreyKat, I'm happy that you are finally getting some relief from your pain. What kind of immediate family member would say such a thing?! Not one that would live to tell about it or at least to ever be spoken to again! That's just mind boggling! I'm sending air hugs and very big healing vibes your way! Hang in there, I know that's easier said than done.

GreyKat

hey ladies again from the hospital. Very glad I'm staying tonight. Pain is managed finally (whew) and moving my arms and getting out of bed is easier than even just this morning. Managed to unhook my pressure booties and iv myself to use the bathroom and hook it all up again. That's huge improvement over this morning. They still can't get my BP up so I still need an escort to walk, and they say there's nothing to be done about the blackening nip, nor about my hand injury, but oh well. At least right now I feel I did the right thing even though I am going to miss normal looking nipples.

May you all have adequate pain control upon waking so to spare you the excruciating hours I've been through. And thanks for the kind thoughts everyone. I think they're giving up on my blood pressure and I ought to be heading home tomorrow. Unless more problems happen.

Am exhausted. Hugs to the next surgery gals.

Oh and so far I've had no headache from the nitrogel which is a pleasant surprise