MASECTOMY WONT HEAL

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kppb
kppb Member Posts: 5
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I AM WRITING THIS FOR MY BEST FRIEND OF 50YRS: she just had a masectomy 3 weeks ago....it ripped opend and the doctors have been packing it 3times a week..they say they dont know how long it will take...she also told me that the smell is really really bad and wanted to know if anyone else has had or heard of this problem......the doctors also told her that she should think of trying chemo although they dont think it will help...she is a stage 3 or 4 and they werent even sure of that because they arent sure if there is cancer anywhere else yet...her tumor size was 5.5x5x3 cm  and 4 cm deep......they said it was the biggest one they ever saw.....anyone with any information for me PLEASE help.....  karen

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited November 2010

    A bad smell is an idication of an infection--is she on antbiotics?  What kind of doctor is managing the wound care?  If it's her surgeon, she should ask for a referral to a wound clinic for specialty help getting it healed.  Under no circumstances should she start chemo before the wound is healed--chemo stops all healing and will only make things worse, especially if the wound is infected. 

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  • kppb
    kppb Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2010

    thanks for your reply...she is on antibiotics....its just the next step after she heals that is sooo scary..thay say they dont think chemo will help and that the cancer will come back anyway...so what are they REALLY telling her????is it to late but they just dont want to say so.....she asked them how long she had and they said they couldnt tell her............so saad:(

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  • keno41
    keno41 Member Posts: 91
    edited November 2010

    Where is she being treated? Maybe she should get another opinion?

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited November 2010

    One of my mastectomy broke open , I was given silvedine cream to use in the opening & it was left opened until it healed. The silver in the cream kills the bacteria. It took a couple of months for it to close up. She might want to see  about going to a wound specialist.

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  • flash
    flash Member Posts: 1,685
    edited November 2010

    she  needs to see a wound specialist.  she may be on an antibiotic but it sounds (smells) like it might be the wrong antibiotic.  A wound should not smell if it is healing appropriately.  She needs to hustle to the wound specialist.

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  • moyarscs
    moyarscs Member Posts: 20
    edited November 2010

    I also had one of my masectomies that did not heal the right way do to due staph infection ~~ I had a wound vac on for 8 weeks that had to be changed every other day and I even tried wound revision after it healed it was a very wide scar but even that insicion broke open after 10 days and I had to just let it heal It took I bet at least 8 weeks       I am going next spring again to the Mayo in MN to see if they can do anything

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  • kcrews
    kcrews Member Posts: 52
    edited November 2010

    Karen, I healed beautifully after my mx but had 3 infections later (and at different stages of treatment) that required wound packing.

    Your friend is being "packed" 3 times a week??? Initially I was packed 3 times a day! ...Then 2 times a day right up until the time that I was completely healed. I had a visiting nurse for the packing and my husband also learned to pack. (He actually became better than the nurses at packing once he learned the angle of the wound.) My wounds took 7-8 weeks to heal.

    This poor lady clearly has more going on than she is being treated for. At the least, she should not be as uncomforable as she is.

    If there is an odor from the wound that does indicate infection. For two of my infections I was hospitalized and on IV antibiotics to start to get things under control. I would suggest that your friend may need to do that also.

    I pray this poor lady gets the help that she needs.

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