January 2013 surgery
Comments
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AuntieEm, I hear ya. I had my day last week. I'm going to start my morning walks back up again tomorrow. I hope you feel better soon.
So perhaps I am to blame for my elephantiasis armpit? I can never sit still. Especially with a 5 month old... Grrrrr!
Also just wondering what anyone else's 2 week check up with the PS was like. I was under the impression I was to get stitches removed. Maybe I should call the office tomorrow and find out what the plan is (as it is now seemingly different than the handout she gave me pre-surgery). -
Hi I had a bilateral MRM last Jan 14, 2013! My wounds are still in the process of healing. My drain was removed today and my doctor said I did the right choice. I am ER, PR + and HER- and was advised to take tamoxifen tom.. I wish you luck on your surgery! God is good!
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My mom is coming over to wash my hair tonight...between the yucky drain and not being able to rasie my arm above my head, no way i can manage myself...and mom loves to help. I've told work i want to continue to work from home until the drain is out (and it better be soon!!!)...i just didn't realize it would be such a pain. The drain incision hurts more than the armpit or the boob ibcision...and the damn thing nearly makes me pass out if i forget and bend at the waist instead of at the knees...i assume its pulling? Grabbing my innards with talons? Doing a tango on my ribs??? I hate the damned drain! This morning there is minimal drainage (yeah) so i'm leaving it for the nurse...they said it normally slows up and/or stops seemingly all at once. Once its out i'll phsically go back to work...although its -27 with the windchill here in Ontario this morning and i was quite happy to stay home in my jammies and not have to venture outside!!! Onwards & upwards, Ladies!
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Speedy4, I too have what I call a "developing story" in terms of what the full details and facts are of my bc story. I believe that, while a lot of medical advancements are being made relating to detecting, diagnosing and treating bc, the types of bc are many and might be evolving as fast as modern medicine evolves to fight bc. It is frustrating and nerve wracking to have the details of my bc updated as I go thru each step of the process of detection, testing, diagnosis, surgery, and now post surgery/waiting for path results. I keep reminding myself that while what I am experiencing is scary, it is way better than what the bc patients who came before me had to go through five, ten, fifteen and more years ago.
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Smethot here's to my fellow Jammie-wearing sister! My chest incisions feel ok, skin there is numb. Underarm on left feels weird, prob is even more numb there. I have the occasional " WTF is that!" zing under that arm plus it is my "most likely to get lymphedema" arm so I worry about anything I feel on that side. My drain insert areas are the most painful, and I think maybe it is because I am not numb at all there? But I am not touching myself all that much except to empty drains, and to shower, I took my second post surgery shower last evening, my bs said after three days post surgery I can shower over the drains and sterile tape every day but I am not eager to shower daily till my drains come out.
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To all, I just weighed myself hoping I had lost up to ten pounds with the removal of both breasts. Nope. I weigh the same as on the morning of surgery. Any chance my three drains add up to ten pounds??
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I gained 14 lbs with fluid retention from the dang Ivs. I've also got bloating so my pants don't fit. Lost my boobs and my waistline. I'm off to my two week post op today. Hoping drains come out but they said color matters - they want light - and mine are dark. Output has been 10cc per 24 hrs for three days. Here is hoping. I tried to shave in the hollow that used to be my armpit, gave up before damaging my skin too badly and ordered an electric razor.
Kokoo, pain wise, mornings are tough. I'm stiff and fantasize about being able to move to my side to sleep someday. My chest still feels like concrete but the vice grip feeling around the outside is better. I'm still taking Motrin and muscle relaxers.
I looked in the mirror today. I don't know whose body that was. I cried and am going to start going to a counselor for a little help to accept this. -
Hi everyone. I'm checking in after a week of posting here.
Recap: I was diagnosed with high grade DCIS in November. I had a mastectomy (right breast) on Jan 10th, was in the hospital for a night and released the next day. I'm 34 and was 11.5 weeks pregnant when the surgery happened. The doctors couldn't give me any narcotics pain meds except for Tylenol 3, whose side effect was constipation (ugh!). As a result, I was only on Tylenol extra strength for the days after surgery.
It's been 11 days since the surgery now, I'm feeling much much better. My drain came out 5 days after the surgery, and I had my staples removed yesterday (Jan 20). I saw my wound for the first time yesterday when the nurse was pulling the staples and I took my first shower this morning.
I was a wreck for the few days after surgery - it was really hard to sleep, the drain was a drag, and I mostly felt like I was hit by a truck. But it got better everyday. When the nurse pulled out the drain it hurt a bit, but the pain didn't stay. The surgery staple removal procedure was completely painless - I must have had about 40-50 staples. I didn't feel most of them, and the ones that I felt was just as painful as plugging armpit hair. My chest muscle still hurts and I can't lift my right arm too much, but I'm slowly stretching it out.
I did not have lymph nodes taken out. Due to the pregnancy, the procedure for sentinal lymph node was not available to me (they couldn't give me the injection). So my only options were either take out all the lymph node at the first surgery or wait until the pathology result come back to see if there was focus of invasion and go back for the lymph node surgery if so. I chose the second option, since it seems too crazy to take out perfectly good lymph nodes if there was no invasion.
Today was my post-op appointment, and it turns out that the pathologist is still not able to confirm if there was a point of invasion in my tumor. I took it as a good sign, but still have to wait until the end of the week to get a confirmation for sure. So, anxiety ensues...
smethot - I hear you about being in PJs all day, I'm also in Ontario (Toronto) and so glad that I don't have to leave the house much in this weather!
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MirMir, My daughter has reactions to prolonged wearing of bandaids, maybe it's the prolonged wearing of the bandages that caused the reaction. She isn't allergic persay, but if you let the bandaid linger for more than a day or so her skin starts to react. I wish I had a trick to make you feel better, but unfortunately for my daughter we have to just let it run it's course or switch the way the bandaid is on her skin.
Hope your doing better!
Lifeybloom I hope your lumpectomy goes smoothly.
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Still thinking of and praying for Joan today and also for mrenee68 and RMlulu tomorrow.
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Good news and bad news today. Good news is that I finally got my genetic testing back and I am BRCA negative, hooray! Bad news is that they seem to have biopsied the same original spot and not the second suspicious spot so my BS wants me to have a 3rd MRI to see if the second spot is actually still there or if it was nothing in the first place. So the saga continues. Deep breathes....my new motto
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Speedy4 great news negativeBRAC, yeah! As for the ad news, keep breathing this to shall pass. Hang in there.
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You are doing well abitmuch, keep going.
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Drains came out. Honestly felt nothing except a little slithering - if that's a feeling. No pain. A little stinging now, but nothing. The doc took one side and nurse the other so they were both at same time. Also got name of a pt to work with. Going to take that advice and get a pro to show me what to do.
Best to Joan, mrenee, and rmlulu. -
Thanks Lmimp64, isn't is a wonderful feeling to get those drains out? It makes you feel lie a whole new person. I'm so glad this time around I won't get drains. Take care. Hope your recovery goes well.
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Nurse said if the slow oooze continues, drain can come out tomorrow!!! Yee ha! I hate the damned drain...not as much as i hated lumpie but not a big fan. Bad news is, once the drain is out, i have to physically go back to work instead of working from home and its FREEZING outside. I hope it warms up before i start chemo...
Anyone else starting chemo in February? I've been reading the Jan 2013 chemo thread and those ladies are inspirational...and I've been learning a lot. Lets hope they jump over to the Feb 2013 thread once it gets going and offer us help, advice and wisdom...I'm gonna need it! Bring on the chemo...all remaining insurgents must DIE!!! Onwards & upwards, Ladies...
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Melinda...looks like we are surgery sisters...bmx on 1/29
where are you having surgery? We will have to keep in touch!
Laurie -
Hello,
I am home from my lumpectomy and feeling pretty good, all things considered. Mercy Hospital in Baltimore was wonderful, can't say enough good things about them. I had two lymph nodes removed, with only one showing positive signs, so I feel ok about that. I had about an hour session yesterday with a physical therapist about the risks of lymphedema and exercises to do. Thanks for all of your support. Oh, and I did come home today and am very glad I did. Also no drain! Yippee (and sympathies to those of you still struggling with them.)
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Liffey, great news and results! You will much more comfortable at home, envious of no drain!
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Lmimp64, hunny I know that feeling you had, just looking in the mirror and not recognizing yourself. It's heartbreaking, but temporary. We've hit a life rough patch and need to push on and fight through. This time next year we will all be so strong that the earth shall shake beneath our feet, we shall be more beautiful than we were before this journey and be better women because of it.
smethot, I believe I shall be starting chemo early February. I'm going to have a peek at that January 2013 chemo thread.
Heard back from my PS, won't be getting my stitches out for 2 more weeks. I'm guessing its because of my water retention in the muscles etc... It was a brief message, don't really feel like playing phone tag today. Looking forward to next Monday, gonna see my BS and hopefully get my pathology report, then off to the medical oncologist on the 30th and then to chemo land I suppose. I went wig shopping the other day, it was pretty weird... I did find a couple that weren't awful, I just can't believe how much they are!
Gonna go do mom stuff as I just finally got Hazel down for a nap after an afternoon of singing, dancing, tummy time and lots of mumm mumm crackers
. This baby refuses to have afternoon naps, it's a good thing she's so cute and sleeps through the night!!!! -
Home Sweet Home! There isn't a hospital on earth that feels as good as home does. Surgery went well and after panicking and getting the Emla cream for the SN injection I discovered that they didn't put in near the nipple after all and it wan't bad. Better safe than sorry. I am so relieved to finally have it over with and just plan to hole up with the vicoden and nap. Love and best wishes for tomorrow's gals.
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Had my post op appt today w/surgeon.It went well except it kind of ticked me off when he told me that I didn't have Cancer.I said then why do I have to go through rads and all of this surgery if it's not cancer his reply was because it's precancerous.He doesn't'consider it Cancer until it invades the breast.My next lumpectomy is scheduled for next Weds Jan 30.I meet with my rad oncologist and my hem oncologist tomorrow .
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Josie- I would be ticked off at the doctor saying that too! I added your other lx to the list.
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Sorry everyone that I haven't commented much. My head is kind of in a fog. I am doing my best to stay up with how everyone is doing.
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Jennifer, no need to apologize.Just concentrate on getting better soon.My head would be foggy too if I Just went through what you did.I Don' t even feel right complaining about my aches and pains after my lumpectomy when I think of what some of you have we been through going through mastectomy' s.
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Rmlulu and Mrenee...sending you both hugs and prayers for tomorrow'
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Abitmuch.... So happy to hear from you and that you made it through.... I think of you and the lil one daily.... Keep up the fight, you got this and are truly the strongest warrior I know! How is the lil one doing? Please fill us in and know we are hear for you... Oh btw we all thought we had alot of doc appts but your about to blow us out of the water between the baby and you.... Hugs!
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Josie.... Ahhhhh thats messed up! I hate to say that you have cancer.cause no one wants to hear that but it doesn't make your situation any less important if you technically dont have it! So sorry that docs can be insensitive.... Seems they forget we are people and not lick and sticks... You matter to us!
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Josie- I would be mad too! If it's not cancer then why are you seeing an Oncologist...you caught it early and that is what is important, but to dismiss your concerns/worries/feelings is not okay.
I think doctors/nurses(my sister)/healthcare professionals/scientist (my husband) get caught up in the semantics that they sometimes overlook the human aspect. I'm in nursing school right now and in a way you are taught to be so specific and clinical that I can see how the human element/feelings are often overlooked even though it such a vital part of patient/human relations. I keep reminding myself of this as I go through school. What I write in a chart may have to be technically correct, and how I answer a patients questions should be too, but how I address their feeling or concerns is another matter entirely. While he may technically be right, he should have addressed your feelings...how you are being treated like a Cancer patient even though it's technically precancerous cells (According to his standards). I think sometimes it gets trained out of them...the feelings.
My husband, after 7 years of marriage, is starting to talk less like a scientist and more like a human! LOL He's learned the hard way though. I'm very much a feeler and he's had to learn how to address my heart as well as my brain!
Jennifer- I hope your head continues to clear...*hugs*
Abitmuch: Glad to hear you are doing better! Love having you check in so that we can get updates on you and your sweet babe.
Goodluck MRenee and Rlulu and to Hopex and Jenni!
Prayers and love to you all
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Jennifer~ The fog goes away slowly, but it will go away! You are doing a great job keeping everything updated and we all understand if you aren't up to it here and there!
Josie~ I had that same thing happen to me at my MO appointment that I had before surgery. Because I opted for a BMX, there was no need for a MO after surgery. She told me DCIS wasn't cancer and that having a BMX was overkill. I told her that given my previous history and strong family history I was 100% committed to the BMX and very sure that I was making the right decision for ME! I was shocked and frustrated about how she handled the appointment. Thank God I never need to see her again! I started a thread about it in the DCIS topic on here if you are interested in what others had to say about it. Here's what I think: DCIS= Ductal CARCINOMA In Situ.
Tami
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hi ladies! new to this string........had a bilateral recon TE surgery on 1/3......still have my drains and yes....they are annoying. i had them with my bmx but can't remember how long they were in. i'm not even close to having them be 30ccs or less. they are starting to hurt a bit and i developed a bad infection last weekend and had to go back on antibiotics. getting better every day which is good. i know i will feel so much better after they are removed but i was hoping they would be out by now.
does anyone know if they still do the fills if you still have the drains? and i remember wearing my compression band last time to lessen the cc's every day.....can you still do that with TE's?
i read all your stories and time does fly. i remember having to do the chemo first......thinking it took forever and then before i knew it....i was done. then after my BMX.....i had my radiation and was told i couldn't do my recon for 6 months after that.....i thought it would take forever. what was i going to do with a completely flat chest and no hair! but time flew.....my hair is growing and i'm slowly getting my foobs. i know its not over.....but for those going thru everything....time does fly and we do get thru it. my friends used to say there's no way they could do what i did and am doing......i told them that as a woman and a mom.....we amaze even ourselves sometimes!
be strong sisters.....grit your teeth under that smile......and remember that although you may not know it now......you are blessing many around you every day!
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