January Mastectomy

Ugh.  Got my pathology report.  Good news -- lymph nodes were negative.  Yippee!  Bad news -- it was more than DCIS and has migrated to Stage 2 IDC, ER+/PR+/HER+.  I see the chemo oncologist on the 27th.  I don't like those results.  Keeping my chin up for my interview this afternoon.  I think I found a jacket I can wear that won't be too bulky.  Just keep my mind off my results.

Guess you can add me to the list-  I am scheduled for a BMX with Immediate TE on January 26th.  I will have SNB as well. 

I've been out of the loop for a few days - stomach flu! I even missed my pre-op appointment. Just starting to slowly come back. I was still sending my thoughts and prayers to all you ladies who had your surgeries this week! I have to run, but just wanted to let you all know I have been thinking of you

Faithandfifty -- I knew you would round us out in style this week!

To all of you scheduled next week -- keep positive thoughts over the weekend, breathe, enjoy friends and family, and go in with your heads held high!  We are all with you.

aces - Welcome to the group - not a place where you want to join, but a wonderful place to find friends on the journey. My date is the 27th so we are some of the last of the month. It's such a long wait and all our friends who have gone before are so brave and it is sooo helpful to hear their stories.

So thanks to all of you who have been posting after your surgeries. There is an undeniable reality here and your experiences help us keep things in perspective without sugar-coating. Something no one who hasn't gone through it could do.

Welcome home formykids. I can't imagine having to get on an airplane so soon, but you did it. So glad your home.

Strength and courage! This too shall pass!

Welcome back formykids and thanks for  updating our January calendar. I am so exitced for your preliminary path report.  Praise the Lord!

How are you doing Never Surrender, my same-day-surgery-buddy? 

I've got my room all ready even though I've got another week to go.  I bought and washed extra sheets and pajamas and zip up track suits from Sams.  I've got a ton of pillows, and all hygiene necessities on the bed side table. I've got support camis but there are the pull on kind so someone is just going to have to help with that.  I chose cheery color sheets and a bright placemat for the end table.  It's going to be a very aseptic place. I"ll try and take a picture of my room and upload it.  (if you can do it here) 

 I even have a box of gloves for my mom, the caregiver. (my husband wont' be able to look for a little while...however; I understand that about him and I love him dearly.)

I wish I didn't have to wait another week but I do believe the extra time in preparation is really helping.  Reading everyone's experiences is really helping my attitude too, so thank you all for that!  Knowledge is power. 

I have  full week of work coming up in between scheduling with the various last minute doctors appts to square up the remaining details.  I am ready to get it over with! 

Kat

Faith, Frosty, and Lyn,

Glad your all doing well. The worst part of the whole surgery is waiting just to have the surgery. Once you wake up in recovery you feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

 I hope your all resting comfortably. Best of luck to all the ladies having surgery next week.  Your all in my prayers.  

I keep checking in here to see how you're all doing. Great to hear that those of you who have been through surgery already are doing well. And for those of you who will be having surgery over the next couple of weeks, the waiting and anxiety pre-surgery is the worst..give it another month and it'll all feel like a bad dream. Wishing you all good path reports :-)

I'm home safe and sound. Have slept more deeply in the five hours here at home, than in the entire time at the hospital, cobbled together.

Today I am having some sort of an 'allergic' reaction to some part of the process and itch (internally) at every juncture of skin & air. Benedryl, the miracle cure. I think that's what has finally allowed me to sleep, too. (The benedryl.)

In getting ready to depart the hospital, I went to put on my wedding ring and it wouldn't fit and I had a melt-down. My sweet little discharge nurses assistant suggested that I wear it on a chain, near to my heart, until my fingers lost their swelling.

Just woke up here at home to a floral delivery from my fellow BC survivor, first diagnosis, and I had a melt-down.

Do you see a pattern developing here?

BTW: We are expecting a home health nurse coming over tomorrow.

I still owe you my experience of surgery. LOL.

In the pre-op room I asked for a little something-something to take the edge off. Just as soon as I spoke to my surgeon, she put it directly into my IV. She said to my husband -- "she won't remember any of this". That is the last comment I remember until waking up in my private room.

I need to explain about my SNB, that wasn't. My surgeon injected the magic blue dye (which was, as has been described by others -- a short stinging) but due to my lumpectomy two years ago and the subsequent radiation, the dye was unable to 'locate' the SN. So I was unable to have a traditional SNB performed.

His explanation was that he removed several nodes with the mastectomy -- on the effected side, and so those would go thru the pathology process for diagnosis specifics. Pathology report is expected back on Wed.

The thing that nearly drove me crazy was the leg cuffs to protect against blood clots. They hooked them up immediately in pre-op. I kept them on for 12 hours after surgery & then just insisted that they be removed around mid-night...... that was one of the issues that was keeping me wide awake. The night nurse finally relented and allowed their removal.

I have never 'pee'd' so much in a 24 hour time frame in my life. All of the systemic liquids of surgery..... every time I got comfortable, it was time to unhook the leg cuffs, unplug the IV pole and take another stroll. Another absolute impossibility for sleeping.

*****One other suggestion. As soon as I got back to my room, I was given a popsicle and jello. I didn't think to ask for anything more substantive. When I went to take my second of my loo-hikes, I got way dizzy, urkie feeling, combined with hot-flash from hell. We all realized simultaneously that I hadn't had anything 'real' to eat in over 12 hours at that point..... and the pain meds going that long without 'food' was not a great combo. She ran for another handy popsicle and I was fine. We then ordered an omlet and I was a whole new person. I think there's a fine line between getting food back into your system and all that anesthsia.

Well..... that's probably more than necessary. Ask questions. I'm an open book.

Faithandfifty, Too bad you didn't have a cath.  I thought I was going to HATE being attached to one, but it was probably a really good thing I WAS attached   At least I didn't have to worry about being unhooked from my oxygen canula, the leg thingies, the blood pressure monitor, the sat. monitor, and the drain tube suction (one of mine wasn't functioning correctly) every time I had to go to the bathroom.  Although, one time, I did have to ring for the nurse because I awoke with the sensation of having to go to the bathroom really badly.....and couldn't do anything about it!!!

She had to turn the cath bag over, and hold the tube upright so my bladder would drain.....and drain it did!!  The bag went from 250 cc to 1000 cc!!!!  No wonder it woke me up!!

As far as the rings go, I too, could not get my rings on for about two days....so that must be a normal thing.  I had been fine, with lots of energy for the first several days, but found as the week went on, I'm not as energetic as I once was.  It's really easy to overdo myself.  I'm finding I need at least one really good nap every day (2-3 hours).

 I, too, have had lots of itching...and itching I can't even relieve with scratching.  My BS said it's phantom stuff going on already.  I also found that some of the paper tape caused severe itching, so I'm using bandaids, instead, over the drains (where they enter my body). 

Like you, F&F, I find benedryl helps me sleep at night.

And I am still needing some pain meds....I had a BMX, without reconstruction, and my skin feels really, really tight.  It continues to feel tighter each day.  I was reading tonight in Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book that this is common as healing is going on.

I'm ahead of most of you gals, as my surgery was Jan. 6th.  I haven't found anything to relieve the tightness/pressure yet....It makes me feel as if I want to remove the tight garment that's on, but it's not my "garment"....sigh.  I think pain med takes off the edge.  Sure wish I had more percocet.

I had two of the four drains removed two days ago, and the area in my chest where they were removed from were very tender, but they feel better today!!  As my husband says, our bodies have gone through an awfully lot.....

My hospital room (in Louisville, Ky) was absolutely beautiful....looked like a lovely hotel room....gorgeous wooden floors, inviting interior!  The couch/window seat made into a bed for my husband - who did spend the night with me.  There was also a round table, chair, and a recliner.  There was plenty of room for when my three kids (ages18, 17, and 12) were there, as well. 

I, too, am an open book - so if there's anything you want to know about my experience, feel free to ask me - either on this forum, or in a private message.....

praying for all of you on here...

I'm having a bilateral mastectomy and TRAM Reconstruction, this coming week.  Tomorrow I'm having Delay surgery.  Please help with any words of encouragement or advice.  I'm so scared.  (Also it's hard to explain to my young son; this will be the first time in his life that he'll be away from me longer than a day).  I'm supposed to stay in the hospital for 5 days.  Thank You.

Faithandfifty: I am a few days ahead of you (1/8) and I wondered about sleep as well. Four hours was my limit the first few nights. I would sleep soundly, then either need to use the bathroom or just move in bed. Considering the amount of effort required for either objective, I was wide awake. The past 3 nights I have been able to go back to sleep more easily as I have been in less pain. Last night I slept for 7 hours. I feel like a new person. Continued healing to you!!!!!!

taraleec: Best wishes and all the support in the world to you. This is such an overwhelming process and worrying about your son makes it that much harder. I don't know how young he is, but this five days will be a distant memory for him long before it is for you. Remember that you are doing what you need to in order to be there for him for a looooooong time. Once you are back home with him, with the surgery behind you it will all be worth it. This is a great place to vent and gain strength. All the best to you! 

taraleec - I am sorry you are going through this - you are not alone! Please stayed tuned here for support and gentle cyber-hugs from others going through similar difficulties. I am not sure how old your son is (my daughter is 3-1/2) but I have some suggestions. I had a friend who went through a five-day hospital stay for bc years ago. She showed her 3 year old daughter a calendar with the day marked that she was expected to come home. Then each day, her husband would bring her daughter home a balloon and they would mark off the days on the calendar so she could know when to expect her home again.

I explained it to my daughter that I have a boo-boo (from my first lumpectomy) -- That there was something inside that needed to come out (she recently had the flu so she knows what that means now!) and that the only way to "set it free" was to have the doctor's help. But that I am absolutely fine, and even if I cry it is all going to be okay. Tears are good - they help the body heal so sometimes crying is needed I hope this helps - my cancer hospital had some books on how to explain it to different ages. If you have any questions - feel free to post them here or send me a PM - there might be something that could help. You are doing the right thing - you are going to be okay - and your son will be okay too. It is definitely harder on you than him. I am hoping my daughter considers becoming a doctor with all this exposure to the field so young in life To her, it's not a bad thing, it just is. Sending you lots of love, support and prayers for a quick recovery and joyful return home!