what did your breast look and feel like 10 daysafter lumpectomy

sagelady

Looking for some comparisons. When I had stereotactic bx a few weeks ago, I got a large hematoma. This was taken care of during the lumpectomy. Now I am 10 days post op. All the literature they gave me and everything I've read on the internet says, tender for a couple of days. Swelling and bruising a couple of weeks.

I am still quite tender, only when I feel around on it. And there are a few spots that feel kind of hard. Not as firm as the hematoma, but never the less, still not soft as the other. Also still have some swelling. I did have some bruising, which has now changes to a pink light red. I suffer from anxiety, so this all concerns me. I don't want to call my dr. yet. And I have a post op appt in 6 ddays. Just watching and waiting at this point. Thought maybe hearing others experiences might help,

This forum has been such a comfort for me, thank you all.

Sage

Beaverntx

Sage, it sounds like you are healing normally. We all heal at a different pace so the time frames you read about are basically an average. The average body temperature is 98.6F but how many of us are usually that-- for example, I'm more likely to be 97.8F. It is the order of the healing processes ( such as bruising changing color and fading) that is most predictable rather than the timing.

My BS describes those tender and possibly swollen areas around the incision(s) as indications of " little carpenters " in there doing the job of healing. At my one year visit, when I mentioned that the general area was still "achy" sometimes her comment was that that tissue had been through a lot over the past year. Made sense to me!

sagelady

Thanks Beaverntx… love the analogy of the little carpenters LOL. Congrats on your 1 year anniversary. You handled " the little bump in the road" … here's to a continued smooth road ahead .

Sage

AnxietyGirl85

Hey sage!

I healed really well after my lumpectomy, no complications, no real pain (I took some Tylenol at bedtime for a couple of days afterwards, but it was more preventative than anything), no trouble at all. I was literally at the mall finishing my Christmas shopping less than 48 hours later.

That said, when I went for my post-op appointment about three weeks later (later than planned just because of the holiday season and all that) to get the pathology results and all that, my surgeon examined me and said that everything looked great, but also that I still had a fair amount of swelling around the incision. It felt weird and thick and lumpy for a while after that, too, but it was totally fine, and in time, the swelling went down and everything has been A-OK since then. You can hardly even see the scar now!!

Everyone heals differently, in their own time and their own way, what's normal for you may not be normal for someone else, and vice versa. Try not too stress yourself out too much about it, especially since you have an appointment soon anyway.

Anonymous

I had a drain put in after my lumpectomy...it got really swollen, and so my surgeon decided it was best. I had that stupid drain in for 3 weeks! But it was fine after, and I could do everything with the drain in: even took my college students on a hike and did yoga because I just tucked it in my pants waistband.

I do understand your anxiety. It's lifelong for me. Your report sounds normal to me, and I bet you're just fine. Call the doc if you have concerns of any kind, even if you think you shouldn't. You've hired him as part of your team, so he's working for you. (Or she).

Claire in AZ

ItsHandled444

1st lumpectomy healed pretty quickly without much pain or bruising. I think the lypmh removal was much more painful but still manageable with Tylenol & Motrin. 10 days after reincision I was swollen and bruised but not too much pain with Tylenol and a Motrin every 6 hours. I started leaking a yellowish pink fluid between the sutures which lasted about 3 days, of course it started the day after my post op appointment. I alerted the surgeon and she was thinking it was not infected and luckily the leaking stopped and the swelling went down. She said it is not "normal" to have leakage at incision site but I read on this site that quite a few people experienced this, I let it run it's course and no more leaking. Radiation consult today so I will see what they say. Never thought I would say this but I am ready to get this radiation started so I can get it behind me.

santabarbarian

Mine looked really good other than the incision itself, which was red/purple. I had a seroma in my armpit, too, but it resolved about day 10. My BS did an incredible job. My tumor was not too far into my breast in the 1:00 position (upper outer part, L breast). I was amazed at the job she did. I am about a C cup and although she took a jawbreaker-to-golfball sized piece out of me, the symmetry is still excellent. I don't think I could do any better with a plastic surgeon so I am leaving it alone!

AliceBastable

I didn't have any bruising and just a tiny spot of swelling - but I kept pressure on it for about three weeks, using a snug sports bra and rolled socks inserted over the incision.

The breast looked a lot like a chayote squash in shape. I shouldn't have pointed that out to Hubby in the grocery store when I held it next to the papaya to represent the other breast - he almost fell over laughing.