July 2016 Surgeries

Mom4four

I guess I am just amazed ant the amount of cc everyone gets. I had radical mastectomies due to the cancer, maybe that is why I Got way lower cc total before my DIEP? My right side got 260 and my left got 180. The left actually looks bigger than the right. Due to previous cancer and radiation.

Molly50

Mom4four, you are amazing. You have been through a lot. I had 120 on the table my first mx. I have no idea how much he put in this time. My first mx on my cancer side I needed to get through fills quickly to get to radiation so I had 120, 180, 120. I don't know how you ladies do the bigger fills.

Bigbluefish

i woke up with 250, never expected that much to begin with. feels like a truck backed up over my chest. i think the goal is 500. cant imagine how im going to get there, but he said it will be slow. more worried about getting range of motion and strength back. only been a week and still have drains, so im not allowed to do anything as of yet. (really dont think i could). he let me shower and i can reach my head, but thats as far as i goes. mom4four, i think 260 is alot... if my chest didnt look like a mess, i dont think i would want more, but i still have a bunch of wrinkled garbled looking skin, that needs to be filled out.

Molly50

bigbluefish, ask for PT to get your range of motion back. It worked wonders for me.

mom2allboys

Hi ladies,

I would like to introduce myself. I was dx with DCIS in June. Shortly thereafter, I learned I have the BRCA1 mutation, so surgeon advised bilateral mastectomy and BSO.

I had the surgeries on July 26, so I'm 10 days out. Everything is going well, recovery has been much easier than expected. The PS placed expanders, but has not expanded them at all yet. I got my last 2 drains removed this morning and feel like a new woman! I'm still waiting for the pathology report, they had to send it for further testing so I'm hoping there are no surprises there.

Now that I'm drain-free, I'm attempting to wear some regular clothing. I just ordered some front closure bras, but am hoping that I will soon be able to lift my arms overhead and put on a soft cotton bralet type of thing. Does anyone here have a sense of when that might happen?

I am going to check through the posts on this thread to catch up. Glad to "meet" you all!

PS: I'm sure I screwed up writing my signature. Guess I will need to figure that out!

Bigbluefish

molly50, definetly want PT. i am so glad to hear it works. thanks

Bigbluefish

mom2allboys, i had my surgery the day before you. sounds like you are doing great. cant wait to get these drains out. i cant lift my arms up yet, but i did put on a large tshirt that pulled over my head and it didnt hurt, so im hoping that i can fit into some of my pullover yoga bras once the drains are gone. good luck with tests, wishing you the best

Molly50

Welcome momtoallboys, glad you joined us. I hope your pathology report turns out to be good. If you have a soft, stretchy bralet or shelf cami you can step into them instead of going over your head. I did that after my first mx.

WenchLori

momtoallboys, I also used the bras that Molly mentioned and they work great.

Mom4four, I woke up with 400 ccs in each TE. My PS adds 60 ccs a week he won't do any more than 60 ccs. I'm at 580 ccs now. We may have to change my next appt next week as my chemo changed from every 3 weeks to every 2 weeks. We'll see...

Musosgirl

Trying to figure out true sponge bathing. I used to do that sitting in a low bath but because of my hysterectomy I am not cleared to sit in water. But with the reduction I am not cleared to shower. I tried kneeling in water but trying to balance was hard and DH had to help. I didn't even bother trying to wash my hair! And I have three appointments next week. Someone needs to clear me for some sort of normal bathing! And between all the procedures I am covered in tape goo. So gross!

WenchLori

Musogirl, I picked up some disposable bath clothes. I put my package in the microwave for a few seconds to warm up then washed away! My hair did have to wait for shower clearance. I did pick up a can of dry shampoo but using it was a huge mistake! It's just a powder that coversthe grease and dirt, not any help at all if you ask me :-/

Bigbluefish

drains came out today!! was so excited to wear my clothes again, except PS decided to do first fill 100ml, so now up to 350. came home put a dress on that use to be big in my chest, well..... now i look like a stripper and could barely zip it!! holy cow.

Molly50

Hooray for no drains BBF!!

mom2allboys

BigBlueFish - my last drains came out Friday and it was the BEST feeling! LOL about your stripper dress!!

After my drains were removed on Friday, I was able to wear some "regular" clothes (meaning - not the surgical bra and 3 button down shirts I had been wearing for 10 days). I started wearing thin cotton bralets and somewhat bigger t-shirts (so I could maneuver into them). Today my stitches were removed.

I still haven't had my first fill (and the PS didn't fill during surgery either). I had some blood flow issues and he wasn't sure if I would lose my nipple (I had a nipple-sparing mastectomy) so he didn't want to add extra pressure to it. He's still wanting to give that nipple time to heal, so I'm still flat. The only problem I have with that is that my unexpanded expanders have edges and corners that are beyond annoying! Hopefully, he will start filling next week.

WenchLori

Yaaaay for no more drains!!

Stripper dress? Pictures! Pictures! LOL Just kidding!!

Mom2allboys, I think any tissue expander is annoying where the edges are concerned. So, so not fun! I'm at 580cc and my expander edges are very ouchy! I can tell exactly where the shape of the expanders are. It's not fun at all! I'm thinking about skipping out on my next fill!

Hmmmmm, do I have a stripper dress in the back of my closet somewhere? Oh, bother, my butts to big to get into any of my dresses so it wouldn't do me any good to look. 😜

Molly50

I am down to one drain!! Saw the PS who did my emergency surgery today. I see my regular PS next week. What is it about PS being so good looking?

Musosgirl

Hahaha!! My PS is good looking as well

VLH

RATS! My blasted seroma is infected. I started an antibiotic this evening. The Alien creature is now about the size of the top 20% of a softball or grapefruit. I'm trying to think absorbive (I think I just created a new word) thoughts. ;-)

Molly50

Oh no, VLH! I will be praying for you.

WenchLori

Oh no, VLH! I wish infections would mind their own business and leave you alone! Prayers sent!

My PS is pretty handsome also. Do you think they work on each other?

Molly50

My son said "would anyone take an ugly PS seriously?"

Bigbluefish

sorry VLH that you have to deal with an infected seroma. I hope with the help of the antibiotics you are feeling better soon. On a lighter note, you ladies make me laugh!! seriously, my plastic surgeon, while not my type - (never did like a man whose butt is smaller than mine) is definetly good looking too. must be a club that they have! today is two weeks post op and i am trying to return to some semblance of normalcy. i went out for a walk in my neighborhood today, which was a start....and might have even looked somewhat normal except for the fact that i was walking around my block holding my foobs...my chest hurts so much when im up and moving..its that over stretched feeling. oh to be a fly on my neilghbors wall seeing me walk down the street. hah

Molly50

Haha, BBF that must have been quite a sight! I took my first walk very slowly this morning. At least with only one drain I don't have a giant bulge under my shirt.

Musosgirl

Did I tell you ladies I ended up with a rash? It happened after my LX in Dec too so I haven't bothered calling my PS--I see him Friday anyway. But the itching!! At least the pain is going down. I noticed tonight it doesn't hurt opening pill bottles--that had caused shooting pain in my breast/side the first several days.

I walked around for months holding my Frankenboob after my LX. You do eventually stop. Of course now I walk around holding lefty... Ah this too shall pass.

Novmoon

Felt the best this morning than I have in weeks. Went to the PS for a fill and decided this will be my last, stopping at 450 for a 350 implant to be done in 4 weeks.He gave me the okay to start back to work as tolerated next Monday until surgery. Still waiting oncotype score to determine chemo.

Thinking of you all.

WenchLori

Fiddle farts, I'm still not cleared for swimming! My PS scrapped some of the glue off of the incisions to make sure nothing serious was brewing underneath it and it's all clear but he nicked a small spot so now I need to put bacitracin and a dressing on it to see if that helps it to heal. There's no sign of infection and the skin is still ALIVE. The few things PS said I could do last week, I can't do this week. He said back to sitting, reading and watching tv. I'm just glad it was something caused by him and not by me.

If radiation wasn't in the picture I'd have one more fill to do and then I'd have the implant exchange about mid Oct. BUT PS wants to do 3 or 4 more fills as my chest muscles will shrink due to the radiation. I'll have to have some saline removed before radiation and then start the expansion process all over again. Soooo, I've gone from "being done in mid October" to not being done for at least "a year from now". Yes, I'm bummed! But better late than never :-)

Molly50

Novmoon, congratulations on finishing fills. Musogirl, what are you allergic to? Took my first real shower today. I feel so good. Now to get my strength back.

Musosgirl

I am allergic to Bacitracin. That's what caused the rash in Dec. This time I tried two days of Neosporin--bad idea! So for now it is Cortizone on the rash and just Vasoline on the incisions. I don't care what the PS says tomorrow as long as he clears me to take a shower

Last Herceptin infusion today!! 371 days of treatment and I am done! Well, except for the little pill for 10 years--and we are switching from Tamoxifen to an AI. Hope this transition goes smoothly!

VLH

Thanks, Ladies! Yes, some days, you absolutely need to see a tiny mouse nestled in a flower. :-D

Now that my breast incision has healed up a bit, I'm no longer wearing a sports bra every minute I'm not in a shower, but hated wearing a "real bra," albeit it a large, stretched out one, when I needed to go out in public Tuesday. I've resorted to sleeping in the nude the last two nights because, despite them being loose and a size too big, it seems like the underarm seams of every one of my nightgowns irritate the seroma.

My neighbor spotted a "peeper" outside my bedroom window 10-15 years ago so I usually change to my nightgown in the bathroom. All the peeper saw then was a 65-70 pound dog snoozing on the bed so I doubt he would have ever attempted to break into the house. At this point, I lock the bedroom door & have a big dog sleep loose in the bedroom, but my comfort is more important than worrying about a pervert peering through a tiny seam in the mini-blinds. I have old scars from 37 staples in my hip, fresh scars from the breast surgery, my poor bosoms hang down to my waist and my tummy is hangin' low after losing 100 pounds so not a very pretty picture. :-D

Molly50

VLH, my seroma in my lumpectomy breast and axillary area were extremely uncomfortable. It was a harder recovery than the subsequent mx. I hope you feel better soon. Btw, I am sure you are beautiful no matter your scars.