December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

lol Bogie, I doubt that we are the only ones requesting it. But you are right what's a girl to do when they aren't being trained to handle drawing blood and taking BP other places. Just keep being your own advocate and tell them NO. My BP is high anyway. But they seem to be able to get about the same as I used have in my arms. It runs anywhere from the 140s to the 170s over 60s to 90s. 

Moon I am keeping them heavily covered with lots of 4x4s packed in and over the wounds. I am washing it twice a day with dial anti bacterial soap that my BS said to make sure I did. They just don't look like they are closing at all. The PS said it may take like 3 months for them to heal all the way! YIKES! 

..... and ...... I have gotten that  C O L D / HOT  sensation mid chest since my BMX also.   Bizarre! 

JATNME, The only thing my surgeon said to do is put Neosporin on it. I think this aggravates it! I also use Dial soap and rinse well With the hand shower , let dry and if it dries out add Aquaphor. I think it was to moist before and stalled healing. It's now beginning to scab over some areas, and just whitish/yellow other areas. Dr, said its surface infected.



Off to go shower, the dang Neosporin is bag graduating it. I never heard of the wet dry packs, interesting.

 @ gabe and Bogie - 

Doctors are so different aren't they?  I told my BS I was using neosporin .... and he said 'don't'.  

My wound was yellowish/white too and wet ... but he explained that when the smaller dressing - next to the wound is moist - it draws the wetness OUT of the wound (?? made no sense to me either) ... then you cover with a larger guaze ... just to cover things up.    I noticed after doing it for awhile - he was right.  The wound would look dryer .... and it's working for me.  Just actually last week it finally appeared to have a 'skin' over it ... and like I said it's half the size now... Just thought I'd share.  To add - he did say though that it would leave a scar .... lol.

Out with Neosporin and in with Bacitracin next! I felt irritated all day until I washed it off.



I thought better it breathe just been wearing white cotton camisole or tanks undershirts (no bandages)maybe I should cover it again.



OK as far as needing blood drawn, should I stick to my guns and NOT get blood drawn from masectomy side that still has nodes? Bilateral MX 5 nodes removed right side only. Ask to go to the hospital for the draw out of where? I hear heel hurts bad.



Crissiloni, iI see you are ER/PR+and her2- wondering why your Oncologist isn't suggesting hormone therapy antihormonal drugs like tamoxifen or Arimidex?



It's 3:30am and I can't sleep, anxious knowiing I need to go back to work next week,

Hi Adrain - FirstCall.  I was following your story on the other thread on which you posted.  When I reminded my friends and family about screening and I made sure to include my dad.   Most of the information the Dec. group has been sharing lately relates to reconstruction and issues with those processes.  However, you can find good information on SNB related, HT, and overall emotional health and support. Brother, Your sisters are here for you! 

Bogie - Read about the Santyl ointment online .... looks interesting ..... wish my BS would've considered it for me 4 weeks ago....  Now that mine is Finally covering over ... too late.

Let us know how it worked! 

JST the collagen cream didn't work that great for me. Since I reacted to Neosporin I'm now trying the Bacitration, if I react to that back to just plain old Aquaphor.



moon good idea on the port. Where will you get blood draws, your foot?.

Went to the Weight Management Program Orientation tonight....got to taste the products....not bad!

The only problem is that the nutrition bars list 7 grams of soy protein as an ingredient. You only get one bar a day, and I could substitute an extra shake, so if the Onco says no, it won't be a issue. I also want to make sure my PS is o.k. with such a reduced calorie diet. I'm 8 weeks out, and healing well, so I'm hoping he says yes.

I also have to have extensive lab work, an EKG, and a one-hour physical with the weight mamagement doctor next week before I can be admitted into the program.

Hoping this works!

Judy -

I see the PS Friday morning for my 3rd set of fills. I want to make sure the extra low calorie part (960 per day) is o.k. with him. Then I'll email my Onco to ask her about the soy. Will have lab work and EKG on Monday the 6th, then see the Weight Management doc on the 9th.



So I'm moving right along!



I think WW is awesome and healthy. I'm just on sort of a time crunch to lose more before my Exchange Surgery which could happen sooner than I expected.



Would love to be your WW cheerleader!!!

Moonflower- thanks for explaining the MUGA.  I've had a couple of echo's in the past and do have a bit of back flow between my left ventricle and left atrium (mitral valve)....hmm.  Do they do this same day you have chemo?  I will have to travel 85 miles for chemo, so still thinking how I will do that (alone if needed).

Gabe - are you getting seromas or general swelling?  Like you, two of my drains came out after week one, but of the two I have remaining at 2 weeks out, one is still not getting into qualifiable range (the other has been ready to be taken out).  What bothers me the most are these boobs under my arms.  I got filled 250cc each in surgery and wonder how much of this is the TE, swelling or fluid?  Anybody have any ideas?  Again, I'd probably be running into my PS's office to get these answers, but being so far away.....p.s. the sloshing has stopped. I only had that the day after I lost 100cc of fluid in 8 hours...may have well created a cavity. I kind of liked how I felt after that event, too!

Has anyone in December group started chemo or been told they need chemo, yet? 

Bogie - Since surgery, I've always had blood draws and BPs done on my right side, where no nodes were removed. No one yet has said that this would be a problem....they said just avoid it on my left (SNB) side.

Kam170 -  The LONG version of my story is on page 36 of this thread, somewhere in the middle. The SHORT version is that I need to lose at least 40 pounds, and Kaiser is offering an 82 week Weight Management Program. The first 16 weeks involve meal-replacements in the form of shakes, soups, and bars.

I need to get this fat off for two reasons: 1) My cancer is estrogen-positive, and even though I'm post-menopausal, my big honkin' belly fat is still producing estrogen. 2) I want my PS to have the best material to work with at the time of my exchange. If he puts in 700cc or 800cc high profile implants just so I can have some projection over my big gut, and I lose weight later, I will end up looking like Dolly Parton. NOT for me!!! I already know he will be doing extra work cleaning up some of my side boobage, and armpit fat/spillover, and it would be better to have lost the weight prior to going into the Exchange Surgery.

I was worried that my exchange might come sooner than I'd expected, because he was filling me so fast. But this morning I got only 80ccs on the left, and 60ccs on the right. I didn't tell him to stop; he just felt the TEs and said that was all for today. So actually, if we slow down, my wait until exchange (final TE fills + 3 months waiting period) may take me closer to my original date.

The meal replacement plan is faster than WW. I love WW, but I only lose a pound a week and often hit plateaus. I am very limited in how much I can exercise, and my doctors seem to think this program is a good jump-start to getting down to a normal weight. I can count on losing up to 40 pounds in four months. Then we start easing back into home cooked meals.

Sorry....guess my SHORT answer wasn't so short after all!

and blessings you just made me giggle out loud!