December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

Keeping Faith69- That is great news...Congratulations!!!

mybodymydecision- you are never alone on this site; there is always someone around to lend support and a listening ear.It is a safe place to let it all out and we totally get it. You will make it through this!

CatWhispurrer,

Have the dr. give you something for your nerves. That helped me a lot. The wire isn't bad.

Druanne, for a lumpectomy, the patient often has to come to the mammography unit to have the "spot" visualized in 3-D then they shoot a fine wire (basically "harpoon" the spot) with the end of it at the lumpectomy site and the other end dangling outside the body (taped down, fortunately). The process is quite like the biopsy, with all the associated squishing and sharp poking, and you're awake. :-( But then once you're asleep, the surgeon removes the tissue around the end of the wire. (I imagined it like the world's worst canape on a toothpick.) It doesn't apply to mastectomy, as they are taking everything. But it would be a bummer to have a lumpectomy and take the wrong chunk. 

Home yesterday after Dec 1 surgery and reconstruction.  Less pain than anticipated, but finding that comfortable sleeping postion.... not fun.  Had option to leave hospital on Sat, but decided to stay until Sunday as I felt 'puffy'.  Spent sat night in pain from IV.  Mine infiltrated, so needed a new one.  8 tries later I had one!  More pain from that than anything.  Home now and resting on recliner while husband takes care of me. Meds are percocet, cefadroxil (duricef) and a stool softener - much needed for that horrible constipation.

Teresa 

Fitzdc-I had BMX with te on nov 30th and agree with the dreaded constipation. If the softeners don't work then try the milk of magnesium...just start with a low dose. Are you sleeping through the night or do you take meds around the clock for the pain?

Hi CookieMonster-You can put my name on the list.  I'm having Stage III DIEP in Charleston with Dr. Kline on December 15th. 

Cresent5-thanks for the hoodie tip.  I've been looking for post-op clothes, and that sounds perfect.  I'm headed to Target right now. Think I'll pick up some Milk of Mag while I'm there, too.

Good luck and quick healing to all the December surgery gals.  My thoughts are with all of you every day. Your posts are so welcome and helpful.

Make the most of your Monday.

Kelly

Thank you goldlining & CookieMonster!!!! Sounds very interesting!! I am always intrigued by how things are done.......just wish it weren't happening to ME or ANYONE ELSE for that matter!!!!.....I had a few more tests done today......am now just waiting for end results and surgery date....love, light & all things good to all of you

There's a lot of surgeries this month. I'll be praying for the ladies who have surgeries this week.

There is a part of me that wishes mine was at the first of the month and the other part is glad it's after Christmas. I'm putting up the tree tonight and I'll try to take it down on the 26th before the 27th, surgery date.

Today I had my pre-op appointment. I've been struggling between a uni-or a blmx. Again, my surgeon talked me into a blmx. She had me sign the consent form and said even the day of the surgery I could change my mind. She went over the risk factors. The day of the surgery she is giving me a blood thinner to prevent strokes. She said she prefers to deal with bleeding over strokes or blood clots.

hey everybody! wow time is flying by.  im having mine thursday & i am freaking out. it will go fine, i will be fine, but i cant help myself. THANK YOU LADIES, the support has been wonderful & helpful.    cookie: nipple sparing prophylactic BMX . -if anyone is interested in how my story goes, you can read my thread i started a few months ago called awaiting surgery from the forum 'not diagnosed, but worried'.     GOOD LUCK GALS!

vamom and sleepless-- Mine is the 8th too! When I'm all gowned up and in the bed waiting to be knocked out and my hands are sweaty, heart pounding, nerves shot, I am going to take a deep breath and know you two are out there somewhere do the exact same thing and I'll be OK!

Hi Ladies- Just had a BMX with immediate recon with TE's Friday afternoon. Got out of the hospital yesterday. Actually could've opted to get out one day earlier (so only have stayed one night instead of two) but decided one more night in the hospital might give me some extra rest since I have 2 kids  and under the age of 3 at home. Feeling better than I expected and got 2 of my 4 drains out today. The PS said everything looked good today, so I have another follow up in a week. There was bad pain the first 12 hours but things got much better quickly. If you wake up and think, what the heck did I do, don't get discouraged. Things improved so much quicker than I thought possible.  I am so pleased thus far, as my anticipation was so much worse than the reality. Good luck to everyone!

Okay, I was freaking about the wire.  I had my appt with the BS today and he said he couldn't give me anything for nerves because it might interfere with the anesthetic.  He stepped out to take a call and I broke down.   My Nurse Navigator came in and then the BS came back and saw how much I was scared because the local shots don't work.   He finally agreed to have the anesthesiologist give me something before putting the wire in.  He is doing it by US and not by mammogram so I will be laying down, thank God!  

So, I was starting to feel okay when they mentioned that I had to go in tomorrow and have three shots put in my boob WITH NO NUMBING!   They said the shots do sting/hurt and they put them into the tumor and into my nipple to inject radioactive stuff so they can film the SN for surgery.  OMG, I started freaking out again.  No one had mentioned this nice little detail....    So, BS gave me a script for Lorazipam to calm me tomorrow and said I could take some Ibuprofen before the procedure but I am not feeling very good right now.  Why can't they do these barbaric things under a little something to make you not be aware.  Anyway, I was told that the Lorazipam is "great stuff" and said I could take it to help sleep too because I'm having trouble.  The Nurse told me to take 1/2 tonight and the other half tomorrow before the procedure.   Well, I took 1/2 of a pill over an hour ago and still wide awake!   Doesn't seem to do much as far as I can tell.  

Tina- For my lumpectomy, they did the radioactive stuff once I was under anesthesia. For my BMX I was awake but I did not think it was so bad. It did sting a little but it was tolerable. Can they do it just before your surgery when you are already under? You should ask; it can't hurt to try

I did have the wire put in by ultrasound also. Mine was not bad but I did have the local shot for that. I hope it all works out for you! Keep breathing...