March 2017 Surgery

Yvonne_M

Hi Momma, sorry to meet you in this situation. It is crazy, huh? Prayers for your oncotype, waiting for mine as well. Every time the phone rings...

bareclaws

mommaB24, you are certainly not alone. Negative nodes and bone scansare good! Try to focus on that good news.

2FUN

Welcome mama,. No, you are not alone, there are way too many of us. Yes, it is a bizarre and wild ride. Hang on,we are here for you!

lovepugs77

Welcome, mommaB24.

Bluebirdgirl

Yes, welcome, MommaB.

wallan

Welcome MommaB... we understand your angst.

wallan

Scottiemom11

Welcome MommaB24. . .BC can be a angst ridden ride but these boards and ladies are so supportive. Hang in there and keep us posted. Hugs.

Went back to chiropractic for very gentle adjustment yesterday -activator only. Shoulders, ribs and neck out of wack from surgery. Apparently my body did not appreciate being nudged back into place. Pecs tightened up horribly over night. I'm sure our crazy 80 to 40 degree weather isn't helping. TG for muscle relaxers.

Scottie

Molly50

Welcome mammaB. Sorry you need to be here among this fine group of women.

raven4mi

MommaB, welcome. Sorry you're here, but you're in the right place for information and support.

Mari, hope your margins are clear now after your revision.

Xtina, congrats on all the great news. Very happy for you.

Bluebirdgirl, so sorry to hear about your infection. But, sadly I can relate, because…..

I am, evidently, going to have to fight off another infection. Started getting pain on the right side of my incision on Wednesday night. By Thursday afternoon it was getting worse and had extended toward my armpit. Called to get in at PS's office and both he and his intern insisted everything looked fine and not to worry. I had to remind them that this was how my infection started last year – pain, no fever, and no redness or swelling until more than a full day after the pain started. Why, on earth, they don't believe me when I tell them something is wrong is beyond me because, of course, when I woke up this morning the entire breast area was (still is) red. Spoke by phone with the PS today and he is insisting, because I don't have a fever, that it's still not an infection and is something called "red breast syndrome" from the alloderm. Well, I was eating Tylenol like Easter candies but then the pain became so excruciating this afternoon that I finally broke down and took a Norco. Once I stopped the Tylenol, my temp went up to 101. (Despite insisting nothing was wrong, the PS did prescribe the same abx I was on for the infection last year, so at least there's that.)

I am so beyond discouraged right now. Infection from a rare gram-negataive bacteria last year was what delayed my reconstruction to nearly a year after BMX and now here I am again in what appears to be the exact same boat. And now, to make matters even worse, I am "leaking" around my drain incision and have what appear to be mosquito-bite-like bumps on my torso under the breast. I haven't cried over this yet but I can feel a breakdown coming on. This has been such a sucky, long road. It's just all such an effing nightmare.

My body went into defense mode against the pain yesterday and so I've slept 20 hours of the last 32 so now here I am, at nearly 1:00 a.m., wide awake and just contemplating what else could possibly go wrong.

I am going to be so devastated if they can't clear this up and they have to remove the TE again. If I don't end up in the ER at some point over the week-end then I'm going to insist that the PS send me back to the infectious disease specialist when I seem him again on Monday. Why is this happening to me again??

LisbethS

Oh Raven4mi that sucks! It is so unfair and really stinks. I am hoping that it's not what you think it is, but it's so frustrating when you've been through so much and they don't take it as seriously as they should.

I can tell you one thing, my MO, an ER doctor, and an infectious disease doctor all read me the riot act for taking fever lowering meds: Tylenol, NSAIDs... I guess part of their diagnosis tools consists of wanting to see how high my fever goes on it's own without fever reducing meds. Of course they wouldn't let it go so high I'd go into seizures... but they explained they want to know is it 100.5 or 102...to determine what's happening and what tests to run.. they said the Tylenol is just to lower the fever for my comfort only, except if the fever goes dangerously high of course, and i think Norco also has Tylenol/acetomenophine in it so you were still lowering your fever. I now always ask for pain meds without Tylenol, and the doctors usually nod their approval. I specifically ask for oxycodone which is like Percocet without the Tylenol. I tell them if I need Tylenol I'll take it separately. You probably know all this with what you've been through.

I also remember the nurses after my surgery kept telling me to put gauze under my drain incisions for the first few days because they tend to leak and they said to do this to keep from staining my shirts, but mine never did leak, but thought I'd throw that out there if that helps at all.

I agree you should insist on an infectious disease doctor. What is it with these PS docs not caring about fevers! They drive me nuts, you would think with what you've been through they would be on top of it rather than so relaxed! Throw a stink and make them take care of you!

Sending love and prayers your way and praying it is not an infection.

Bluebirdgirl

Raven, I'm so so sorry you are going through this nightmare again!! It truly does suck and you feel like the universe is against you, at least that's how I feel at this moment. My infection is still hanging on despite resting all week, drinking plenty of fluids, eating protein, taking my antibiotic. My face feels warm but thermometer says no fever. Thought yesterday I was turning a corner, only to wake up this morning with my breast red again and a lot more pus. Makes me so &$@.? mad!!!! I see PS Monday. Not sure what he will do. I too could not sleep last night. Please know you are not alone. Misery loves company, right? I am sending hugs and positive thoughts to you. Keep us updated.

2FUN

ok all you nasty microbes, STAY AWAY and quit tormenting us!

I was going to complain about this horrible flu/cold than has laid me out for the last 2days, but that pales in comparison to what you two have been dealing with.

My DD is seeing an integrated medicine doctor for her chronic health issues. She recommended that I may want to see one to help with supported healing and getting your immune system to re-balance. Obvs. It will not be the place to go for acute infection. But it may help down the road.

Hugs to both of you! And anyone else dealing with pesky microbes!

lovepugs77

I'm so sorry to hear about the infection issues some of you are dealing with. Hugs to all of you!

lrwells50

I'm also waiting for results of a CT and my Oncotype score. See the MO Monday afternoon. I'm really hoping no chemo. The PS removed my last two drains even though they were still producing a lot of fluid, because he didn't want to court infection. When I went for my first fill last Tuesday, they aspirated as much fluid as they put saline in the expanders! They didn't seem alarmed, but I can tell they'll have to aspirate more when I go again Tuesday. On the plus side, no pain from the fill

Yvonne_M

Oh Raven, I'm so sorry! That completely sucks.

Molly50

Raven and Bluebirdgirl, sending healing and gentle Hugs to you both. Take at least 2k mg of vitamin C each day to help with healing.

Yvonne_M

Wow, 2000 mg of Vitamin C? Good tip.

raven4mi

Bluebirdgirl, I'm so sorry about your infection too. And, yes, it just does seem like the universe is against us. I mean, honestly..........why doesn't the universe want me to have a right breast??? Yes, that's silly, but at this point that's how I feel about it.

Molly, thanks, yes, have been taking 2K of vitamin C since surgery and just started liposomal Vitamin C today. And I'm going to call my holistic healing center on Monday to see if I can get in for another Vitamin C IV infusion that afternoon (I see the PS in the morning.)

Trying to look at the bright side of things in the light of day and while they're few and far between I will note that 1) the pain from the maybe-infection has taken my mind COMPLETELY off Elphaba and 2) I'm allowing myself to take a shower today. I was allowed to take them from the beginning but didn't want to risk any kind of infection but, hell............WTF at this point. Looking forward to that first glorious shower in over three weeks!

Thanks to all of you for your kind words of encouragement!

2FUN

raven, I would ask your wholistic healing center about adrenal support.it may be help full

Scottiemom11

Wow, I sleep in and then run a couple of errands and missed all the posts.

Raven, please go to the ER and insist on an infectious disease specialist. IV ABx may do the trick. I had IV gentamycin and something else during surgery and then 15 days of a high end oral ABx. Same protocol I think for all surgeries. I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I pray that you get the right meds to knock out the infection. HUGS.

Bluebird. . .so sorry you are still fighting the infection prayers and hugs.

Irwells50. . .Prayers for no chemo.

Scottie

MariH

So sorry for those of you who have infx. As if you haven't been through enough! If only the docs would listen.

My issue seems small by comparison. I feel a smallish swelling in my armpit. I only had 1 node removed, and that was March 14. Is it possible that this could be lymphedema? I find myself sitting around with my hand in my armpit a lot, just to keep it from being irritating. Is this just a normal part of healing, or something I should pay attention to?

Thanks, and good healing to all of you

Scottiemom11

Mari. . .it could just be your body healing from the node removal.

I developed both cording and then truncal LE but that was months after BMx with SNB. If you are concerned about LE, have someone help you take measurements of your node arm starting near the shoulder and about each inch down your arm to wrist. That with give you a baseline and you can repeat the measurements every week or few days to see if you have swelling, i.e. LE.

Cording feels like a rope with knots under the arm and that can be massaged away with PT etc. You can ask your PS for a PT referral. Hugs

Scottie

EastcoastTS

Raven and Bluebirdgirl:

SO sorry about infections and the battle. I'm thinking about both of you.

I've had this, too. Infection. And am still in a bit of a "wait and see" mode as my breast is slightly red in the area still (like 3% from the original, though, however, I'll never feel safe until...well, not sure when!). I did not see an infectious disease doctor but my PS prescribed three antibiotics about 5 days post-surgery. I was horrified at the amount because I eat a lot of probiotic food and take daily probiotic but it did the trick. I hope. Next step for me if comes back, etc., is IV, so perhaps that isn't a bad idea to push for. I also do a lot of Vit C.

And for Pugs who asked about my spray paint cat: Yes, there is a homeless gentleman who has a fixation with spraying all his belongings gold. So -- he found a kitten by a dumpster and you get the story. Someone called the police, and the kitten was taken to local shelter I volunteer for. He lost hair, one eye and has some slight issues (neuro?) with legs that no one but me would notice (but I saw him recovering). Chances of survival slim when I brought him into my home. He's now a madman. The one-eyed little bastard!!!!!!!! I do worry about his future. We may be the "cancer kids" due to how many toxins he ingested. But he's loving life at the moment. Like we have to, right???

EastcoastTS

I also should say that I didn't really have any fever or pain aside from what I consider normal mast and TE pain (but did have some swelling). Major red streak across the breast, not entire breast. You could not miss it. I think it was a surgical infection vs alloderm. My nipple was also a mess but that is looking great. I'm not sure it'll ever completely match the other nipple, which suffered no damage. If they make it through this process, great, if not...I'll figure that out when I have to.

lrwells50

So sorry for all of you with infections. One of my incisions is kind of rosy, but am hoping it's the sports bra I'm wearing while at the office.

I had my sentinel node biopsy on 2/24, and my armpit is still mostly numb, with a ridge of (I guess) scar tissue. I was just at the PS Tuesday, and they saw everything and said it was coming along well, so I'm trying not to borrow trouble.

2FUN

irwells, I had SNB in nov. And all is still numb. Surgeon told me it may be that way permanently or get better slowly.

Tappermom383

My armpit isn't numb but the bottom of my arm (just above the armpit) is very sore. No signs of bruising there, just soreness. I guess that's normal?

MJ

2FUN

tappermom, I am not understanding what part is numb. Sorry I am so dense.

Molly50

Mari, it sounds like a seroma filling the space your snb left. I had a huge seroma after my lx.

MommaB24

oh ladies ❤️ Sending hugs and prayers for all fighting infections. After my dmx my incisions weren't healing and I had to do debridement. I'm over a month out and haven't had a fill. Get my external stitches out next Friday and my first fill.

Saw the RO on Friday. Said he wants to radiate my right chest wall and lymph nodes. Catch 22, I haven't had fills yet😕 So now I'm hoping I need chemo or I won't be able to use these silly TE's.

Two steps forward, three steps back. Getting my CT scan on Monday.

It's a blessing to share this journey with you all. This sometimes feels like a lonely road