February 2017 Surgery

abg712

Great news, kkdavis

abg712

great news, kkdavis

abg712

hi. I had left MX and SLN Feb 6.

Castigame

Yes, i was told to wear the binder till drains can be removed. The pain in armpits are really bad. You are likely to feel noticeably less swelling about day 6 or so. Whenever you change dressing or shower, if someone else can help you lie down on your back, you can stretch it more.

I was lucky to find plain breast binders w velcro. Alternating the binders helped in terms of hygiene and washing. I think taking a bit of chance w swelling while washing the hospital binder was worth hygiene.

Please take good care of yourself. The first week is really tough in every way.

nayda985

I had my second follow up appointment with my surgeon...it went great....my 3 drains were pulled today...it hurt a little and burned when the nursed pulled them out...my nurse gave a prescription for post surgery bras and prosthesis...which is nice...I hope my insurance will cover them...I am so happy to be done with this phase..i was so afraid....I am still in recovery though..my left arm where the lymph nodes were removed is still sore and numb in areas..and I haven't had full range motion yet with my left arm..I have muscle pain off and on, but we are just on the beginning of week 2....so I feel I am doing good so far...I see my MO Friday, I get to see what hormone blocker he has planned to put me on...I feel like I am already in early menopause, I am hot all of the time, I haven't had a menstrual cycle since October b/c of chemo...I am only 35:(  ugh!

hope everyone is healing well!!!

Jackiebro

hi all...

I had my surgery 2/9th. I have a question.my upper rt arm from elbow to armpit seems to have mild lymphadema. I had bad hypersensitivity. But with daily multiple rubbing and vibrating ... the sensitivity is better.

The lymphadema is bothersome. The OT measured and said I measured fine. But I am worse at night. I need to get on an airplane in a week and I am worried. Airplane travel affects lymphadema, I read.

Any recommendations... could too much massage make it worse?

Jackie

Mquara

I had a lumpectony(Partial mastectomy as the surgeon called it) and 3 nodes removed on feb 22nd. My tumor was large 4.5 x 4 x 3.5 so I have a fairly large incision around my nipple. I have a larger incision in my armpit area for the lymph node surgery. The lymph node scar is hurting much more than the breast scar. Is it because of the location? I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I had surgery at ctca in Chicago and go back on the 28th for my final surical follow up. I also still have some fishing line type stitches sticking out of the end both incisions and was told they stay till my follow up. All steri strips are off and my two drains cane out rather quickly. It's just this armpit scar is driving me crazy? Anybody else?

I am right handed and this is my right side so maybe some of it is from not resting that arm as much as I should have?

Anonymous

Jackibro- I've read that its not something to mess with, so see if you can get into a lymphodema specialist- surgeon should be able to refer you- at least for "education". I asked for PT and the referral is to a place where certain therapists work in that area. I haven't been able to go yet as I have an infection by my lymph node incision so everything has been delayed.

Mquara- I had the sentinel node removed, and feel like you- more issues with that then the other area. I was surprised!

Castigame

Again, this website is truly inspiring. I see and hear different perspectives.

Slightly moody mainly due to yesterday. Had pelvic ultrasound (Dear Lord. Please show nothing. My ovaries will be removed in the near future regardless)

MUGA scan (to see how strong my heart is). First IV done by an experienced nurse was not yielding blood. So I had to tell the nuclear tech poke a second IV.

Port itself was painless but i woke up from pain slowly adjustiing to having it for the next four months. Swelling went down quite a bit already. At the hospital, I realized I have a serious diarrehea as form of bilateral cacer.

Came back from 3.5 mile walk w hubby and the faithful dog. Seeing my dog who appreciates life, food and fresh air, my attitude got adjusted for the better. And my hubby has been working 12hr per day on top of sick wife and household work.

I know one thing for sure, it is for me and I am the one who wants to be alive. We promised each other 50 yrs ten yrs ago. I am determined to keep my promise.

CarolynMarie

hi Mary jane....I was looking for posts with pacemakers...I am 54 and have one and like you NOT the MRI safe kind. I HAD LUMPECTOMY 3 WEEKS AGO...did you get the CAT or PET scan? How are you doing? Do you know if chemo or radiation effects a PM?

Thanks! CM

CarolynMarie

hi Mary jane....I was looking for posts with pacemakers...I am 54 and have one and like you NOT the MRI safe kind. I HAD LUMPECTOMY 3 WEEKS AGO...did you get the CAT or PET scan? How are you doing? Do you know if chemo or radiation effects a PM?

Thanks! CM

CarolynMarie

hi...you and I had surgery the same day! Sisters! Are you waiting for test results also...mammoprint?....my single scar (for both lump and nodes) is still bruised 3 weeks later...and I have had to be drained 2x for fluid build up which felt hard and uncomfortable...did you have that issue? I also had the fish line sticking out but the surgeon snipped it off a week later. How are you doing? Are you numb still? I am..

Hope all is well with you!, CM

Bravenurse13

Hello!

I had my surgery Febuary 24th, my birthday was 3 days later; was not feeling festive, but glad my BMX went well.  I am going on my 4th week now drains out so far no complications.  My right breast was the one with the cancer, and my BS decided I did not need to remove the left breast, but my mindset was to never have to worry of mammograms again, d/t the inconclusive results each time.

I had reconstruction with TE, and yesterday was the 1st day my PS inflated by 125 ml each.  It was uncomfortable last night; however, after doing exercises with PT the gentle stretching really assisted me, and I am not doing too bad for going on 4 weeks after surgery.  I do have muscle relaxers, but find that if I break a 5 mg Flexeril pill in half, it is enough to assist me to stretch without too much discomfort.

I have been lucky so far.  A week after my surgery, my path report was clean, with no residual cancer to be found!  It is almost hard to believe.  I was diagnosed with IBC at the end of September, within a week a port, chemo was started, within that time I received a gift of a pneumothorax by inserting the port so had to spend one night in hospital with chest tube under observation. 

My oncologist hit me hard with Adriamycin and Cytotoxin every three weeks x4 ( I worked during that time).

Taxol and Herceptin was then started afterward every three weeks x4.  Now it is only Herceptin every 3 weeks x 1 year with Arimedix x 10 years.

I am getting some energy and have to start thinking of going back to work soon!  I can't imagine, but I know I can do it.

Radiation will also start soon.  My PS wants to inflate me before my 1st radiation treatment, that will be 33-35 treatments 5 days a week.

I will not look forward to the exchange surgery for the implants, and PS wants to fix the extra skin that was resulted from BS taking out all the lymph nodes under my arm. 

This is such a long journey I tell ya, and is not for the faint of heart.

When it comes to a cancer diagnosis, one does not have real control anymore, one just gets scooped up and hopes for the best, with a "can do" attitude.  I still can't believe it's happening, but it is!

I only wish the best for everyone else.      Best of luck to those that had surgery in Febuary.

Bravenurse13

Feeling much better, 4 weeks post op.

Doing rehab exercises at home, and getting more range of motion, less and less pain.

Good luck to all!

nayda985

that's great news bravenurse!

Sandzat

Hi! I had left unilateral mastectomy (left) and sentinel node biopsy on Feb 6th 2017. If you update your list, please add my name to it too. God bless! Thanks!

Sandzat

My histopathology report came out node negative. I opted not to do any recon right away and to heal first. I'm going with a prosthesis now. My oncoplastic surgeon recommended chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen. However, my medical oncologist looking at my Ki-67 and hormone receptor status suggested that I take tamoxifen religiously but chemo for me offered minimal benefits. So I chose to forego it. Time will only tell if I made a good decision... Meanwhile, I'm recovering from the surgery. My range of motion is back by about 90%. Though I always feel like something is in there/moving under the arm when I lift it up. Also the surgical site is still numb and causes discomfort I can't stand to touch it. How are you all recovering? It gives me great comfort to know how everyone here comes out to tell their story, and offer guidance and support wherever needed. Good luck and best wishes to all.

EastcoastTS

I'm four weeks past surgery today (2/27) and doing pretty well. I believe most of my pain or discomfort at this point is due to tissue expanders. Gotta love them. It's not unbearable but just uncomfortable with twinges of pain or spasms. I'm working on range of motion (which is good and was never terrible but I've been careful) -- and feel great. Except for first two weeks maybe, I'm not that tired. No idea why but glad! Still sleeping on back. I'm a side sleeper but have actually gotten used to this, in the interim anyway. Walking each day and getting out about normally with family. Did restorative yoga today which is mostly just lying on the floor and listening to guided meditation! LOL I have asked for PT because I'm horrible about doing exercises at home. I need guidance and someone to bug me. And I want to heal properly.

Glad to read everyone's updates!!!! Go Team Feb!

Pamela_2016

I am over 6 weeks since surgery and PT has changed my experience so much! Ican actually forget that the tissue expander is there because the area around it, especially under my arm, has been so loosened by a mixture of exercises and bodywork. I don't want to overstate the case: I still feel like I'm carrying a turtle around! But it is nowhere near as distracting as it was. My PT also gave me the confidence to return to my yoga practice, just being mindful of what is challenging versus what hurts. I expected to have lost strength, but have not.

If you are in Philadelphia, I highly recommend Ed Haughey at Jefferson Rehab Medicine. I had my surgery at Penn (with Dahlia Sataloff who did a skin and nipple sparing mastectomy that looks much better than I anticipated), but went back to Jefferson for PT because of Ed. He has healed me from past injuries.

Bravenurse13

Going back to work tomorrow!

This Friday will be 6 weeks for me.

PS filled bilateral expanders now I am at 550 cc one more fill,

and scheduled for radiation on right breast only.

Plan is to (if all goes well), to do exchange surgery 6 weeks after radiation. 

If there are complications with skin, I will have to wait 6 months out.

PS states that waiting after 6 months the skin goes through changes, where doing sooner, skin is easier to

deal with and better results.

nayda985

Good luck bravenurse!

I go back to work this Saturday. My six weeks will be Friday..Time has flown by😱..my boss has already called to give me my schedule...i think they are ready for me to come back.. Lol

But I am not.. Haha

Castigame

almost 7 wks post opBMX. 2 out of 8 DD chemo done. Minimal SEs. I feel very lucky. Focusing on my own healing by doing a lot of stretching at home. Nerve pain comes on after stretching, chemo and my friend neulasta. Eating good no nausea. Too much home made food by friends and family

Bravenurse13

Rebamacfan123,

I have a pulley I use to stretch it really has helped things along.

I can get both arms way above my head, my right side I had lymph node removal,

much more sore than the left, which was just a simple mastectomy.

I am now 6 weeks post-op feel fantastic!!!

I hope you will feel the same soon.  Chemo was not too bad,

only had a few real bad weeks, but the rest I kept busy with work.

Now I think back on it and I wonder how I did it?

Lucky many of us are, and thank goodness...    Feel better.

Jackiebro

I still have sensitivity where my sentinal node incision is and i continue to have LE above my elbow to armpit. i measure minimal so i feel they don't take it as serious as how it feels to me. miserable...

i restarted OT for manual drainage. I wish they woukd realize minimal measuring does not equate to not having LE. i have had this since Feb. it never goes away.