elective double mastectomy

pmac

Hi everyone, grateful for this board.  So I am going to be having elective double mastectomy due to very strong family of breast cancer.  I am just looking for some different opinions of what recovery was like pain factor wise.  I guess I'm trying to get myself mentally prepared.  YIKES!!!

I have a 6 year old daughter and a 19 month old son and my sister will be coming to live with me after my husband's 2 week vacation time is over and he has to go back to work.

Also, I'm looking for different experiences on how long it took for you to feel completely functional.  I run a home daycare and I live in Ontario Canada.  I only cater to teacher parents so my daycare is closed for their school break, all of July and August.  I am hoping to be able to have the surgery as soon as my daycare closes for the summer.  So I'm looking at 2 months of hopefully being able to be functioning again.  My sister is willing to stay past in to September also.  

thank so much in advance

pmac

Egads007

As you know I don’t have any suggestions regarding the mastectomy, but wanted to pop by and say “YAY!! It’s covered!!” I’m wishing you the best for a smooth surgery and quick recovery!

Mammabear

I had preventative bmx in the beginning of April (direct to implant, nipple sparing. The pain wasn’t a big issue. After the first few days in hospital I got off the pain killers and just took it easy at home. While there was some pain at times when I tried to do too much, it wasn’t constant and was definitely manageable.

Week 1 was in hospital

Week 2 at home I was completely helpless. I needed help to shower, get dressed, make food. I binged watched lots of Netflix series!

Week 3 started to be a bit more normal and started to drive and get back involved in the kids activities (taking them to sport) but still unable to lift anything more than a kilogram and needed help with getting food off high shelves in the pantry, pulling seatbelt on, pulling on handbrake etc (luckily my kids are teenagers and could provide muscle for me when needed)

Week 4 back to work (office job)

Then gradual recovery over the next 8 weeks.

It took until week 12 before I could lift moderate weights, go on a skiing holiday, start lifting weights at the gym etc. I would have concerns about whether you would be able to lift older children (19 month old can get heavy!). It is great that you are able to arrange the surgery over the summer break, and it should be long enough that you will almost be back to full functioning, but you will just have to take it easy and try to avoid heavy lifting.

NotVeryBrave

Everyone is very different. I had BMX with direct to implants. My husband took off for two weeks.

The first week I really needed him - helping me with getting out of bed, helping (a little) with my first shower, taking care of the drains, driving me, taking care of getting kids off to school and fed, etc.

By week two it was nice to have him around but mostly for driving and helping in the kitchen and with laundry. I was taking care of myself and had started PT.

Week three had him back to work and me off narcotic pain meds and back to driving. I credit PT for helping me regain range of motion.

All restrictions were off by six weeks. Now feeling normal is a whole other thing ... but it improves rather quickly. I went in a beach vacation probably 2.5 months after the surgery.