August 2013 Surgeries

I just called. My doctor is not in today, which I knew, but I did leave a message for his nurse. She will call me back when she is done with a procedure. The most annoying thing is that I need to constantly keep changing the gauze and I have an itchy rash from the tape. I woke up twice scratching it in my sleep and almost pulled on the drain. I am worried I'll pull it out in my sleep!

I heard back from e nurse and she also said to just keep changing the gauze often so it doesn't stay wet. She said they will pull my drains tomorrow. Yay! So in 19 hours 15 minutes I will be in the office to get the drains out...not at I am counting. Hopefully I won't rip them out in my sleep before then.



Jacquie, I hope the pathology report brings good news. Keeping you in my prayers.

Hi, I just started on this forum and find it very educational.  I had a lumpectomy with sentinal disection on August 19th. They ended up taking 9 nodes but they were all clear. Pathology report came back with 7 mm of clear margins. I am two weeks out. My arm still is swollen underneath and really hurts to stretch for things- which I noticed today stretching for the q tips on the top shelf- OUCH... I am also a bit numb under the arm. I hope this is normal.

This coming Friday Sept 6th I will be having the contura balloon inserted into the cavity where the cancer was in my breast in the OR. This is for internal radiation. Has anyone else had this done? 

I am also waiting for the Onco DX test to get back so the ON can decide for sure if I need chemo- RIght now he says because of my age I will probably have 18 weeks? Is that a lot. seems like alot to me!!  Yes I am scared.

I had stage one invasive ductal carsinoma - stage one - grade 2- - I was dianosed July 19th.

honeybair - Did you call the doctor today?  I wish I had seen your post sooner……..I too have had different pains pop up as recovery progresses but I make sure I inform the doctor right away.  What do I know about all this?????  So I put it in their hands and let them decide if it’s an issue and I need to be seen or if they can advise me to try something to ease the pain or handle the issue here at home.  And there are plenty of pain meds without codeine.  Ask your doctor and they’ll prescribe what’s best for your situation – but ask!

JennH8 - Strange to see your posting asking about how we are dealing emotionally.  Today is actually the first day I got so frustrated, emotionally drained, physically tired, and really just downright pissy that led to a good old-fashioned cry.  I’ve been good til this morning.  But I’m fed up and my medical team keeps telling me to be patient and I want to scream at them I’ve been patient enough already!  I can’t believe it takes so long – and this is just the beginning!  It all just overwhelmed me.  I felt terrible when my husband (who has been such an angel thru this whole experience!) came home from work and I just unloaded on him.  Started to cry and then told him how sorry I was for him to have to come home to such a basket-case.  He just looked at me and said “you have a right with what you’ve been thru” (God, I love that man!).  

KBeee – I’m so glad you clarified for everyone what you meant with your original post and that everyone was able to respond.  Hope everything goes well tomorrow when they remove your tubes!  And please, don’t scratch those things out tonight!!!!!!!!

Jtrosesav – you are so on track with my thinking today it’s a little freaky!  Your comment about having a BMX and still not believing you are a cancer patient – that is so what I have been feeling the last couple days!  I’m kind of like you – I worry about all thing medical whenever I’ve had a surgery……probably too much but I can’t help it.  I’ve done pretty well when my husbands been working but then any “issue” that has arisen has done so either in the evening or weekend so he’s here to see me thru it.  And I hope very much you get news tomorrow that is nothing but good!!!!  You’re in my thoughts and prayers – be sure to let us all know what you find out.

ndgrrl – Welcome!  Glad you found us!  Your description of how your arm feels sound like how I felt for first couple weeks after surgery and sentinal node biopsy.  Told it was normal and would get better – and it has gotten much better even in just 2 weeks.  But if it concerns you, check with your doctor (and I don’t think you should be stretching and reaching up for things – can someone perhaps get those things down on a counter for you?).  If it gets worse, call your doctor.  I don’t know anything about the procedures you spoke of – hopefully others will see your post and can respond.  Everyone has their chemo tailored to their individual case; don’t worry.  We’re all here for you but it’s normal to be scared. 

 aviva5675 – you’re a brave soul out there driving.  I still can’t even get a darn safety cap off a medicine bottle much less attempting to control a 2 ton vehicle!  Did you get a shave?

Hope you all had a better day than I.  Guess it’s normal; I’m so glad to have you all to help me thru and who understand exactly what it’s like to go thru this experience

Wishing you all a good night!  I’ll keep you all in my prayers!

Aviva, I hope you enjoyed your drive! Luckily my doctors said I could drive as long as I was not on narcotics. I have been driving since 3 days post op...albeit, not far. I will drive to the plastic surgeon tomorrow, which is a ways away...it will be my furthest venture out. Luckily it is before rush hour; I love early appointments! Hoping for my first fill too...which will probably take me to my preBMX size. I was not well endowed which is probably why my recovery has been so easy. We'll see. 9 hours, 2 minutes... ( I deal with pain very well; itching not so well...this tape rash is driving me batty, so I am very excited for my appointment).



JennH8, I hope you get those drains out too! It'll be so freeing!



ndgrrl, I am not numb under the arm where they took this lymph node, but I am on the other side where I had a lymph node removed and biopsied 2 years ago. It was annoying at first, but now, I do not even think about it. I have heard that sometimes it comes back.



I plan to do some wig shopping tomorrow too. We'll see how that goes!

I had BMX on the 16 th and am still exhausted from low hemoglobin from a positional drain that bled. I had the other drain out today but the positional one is still draining almost 100 mls a day



. Still nice to only have one. I have been complaining to the home care nurses who change my dressings that they are too tight and today after the nurse leaving the dressings off I still have that really tight feeling like wearing a really tight bra. It drives me crazy. I hope that improves. It makes me grouchy. Glad I have this forum

Thanks Ann i need to be more patient. . I didn't think either drain would come out so i need to remind myself. Thanks for reply

I’m comforted to read others have these random, sudden and overwhelming emotions that seem to take over.  I also agree, AnnFM, that we do put on our brave faces but the stress does have to come out; and it seems to be doing that to a fair number of us.  Your words are really spot on as well when you talk of this new world we all find ourselves in.  Perhaps I’m in denial, but I still can’t think of myself as a cancer patient.  It’s just nothing that I ever thought I’d face and I’m so used to, medically speaking, if somethings wrong that requires surgery you get your surgery and move on.  It is a strange world and feel too much is out of my control and perhaps that’s why there seems to be this denial I feel.   Nobody who knows me, except my husband, would have any idea of all these conflicting issues I have.  I’m sure everything will seem more real once I meet with Oncology and find out what chemo I’m destined for – in fact I know it will.  I think I’ll need a lot of support when the time comes……  

I’m really envious of all your ladies who’ve had their drains removed.  I am on day 30 today……and I still have 2 drains.  I spoke with PS yesterday, made sure they were aware how frustrated I was (you may recall I had a bad day yesterday and could not help myself – I spread it around!).  For those who have not been watching, I had no fill at all at time of TE placement.  It was agreed we would start fill this Friday both because it is their practice to wait until 4 weeks post-op (I find that strange when so many of you had your first fill at time of surgery) AND to attempt to fill some of this dead space from tissue removal in hopes that it slows down this continued draining.  I really have not come down in amount for 3 weeks!  Hope all goes well.  I also made clear, for the 3rd time now….sutures do not dissolve on me and I want someone to snip all the sutures on my chest and underarms (I can’t take it anymore!!!!) and if they were not going to assure me they would, and there is no reason for them to remain – I’m closed already! – I was going to my family doctor and I’d have them snipped there.  I received response “we know your frustrated but it’s not uncommon at this point after the surgeries you’ve had”, blah, blah.  Well, at least we’re going to start the fill process, the sutures will be snipped, and if by some fluke my fluid decreases today thru Friday, perhaps I can get the drains removed as well. 

I want to make sure any newbies jumping in here knows not to think there is a set normal time-frame for drains.  Some are lucky and have them removed shortly after surgery but there are also plenty of women on BCO that have been/are in the same boat I’m in w/drains still 30 days after surgery.  I’ve read other threads of women having them until 8-9 weeks post surgery (good God I hope I’m not one of them!) 

I worry about that first driving experience.  It would be different if we still had a car like the Bonneville we had years ago that handled like a dream; I drive an SUV now and it is far from “smooth” and does not steer anywhere as easily as the Bonneville did so I’m making sure I am completely confident I can handle anything that might come my way on the road before getting behind the wheel (worry most about deer jumping out in the road and how well I could safely keep vehicle under control so as not to put any other vehicle on the road in danger).  We have many deer in our area year-round…..so I know that’s usually the biggest danger and I could never live with myself if I got behind the wheel too soon and caused an accident that hurt any other innocent person.  I’d like to have that little independence back but not at the risk of hurting anyone in the process – just my fear. 

KBeee – you crack me up, you do watch that clock very closely, don’t you!  How did you do last night?  Hope you didn’t scratch the drains out…..   I’m shocked that you will likely be at your pre BMX size so soon!  I was not well-endowed either and PS explained to me that is why I’ve had so much pain from surgery and have not had an easy time of it all around.  Strange how all PS’s are different – and I guess it just goes to show how different we all are and have such different experiences from our surgeries.  Good luck with your wig shopping today!  

AnnFM – from your post, are you opting for the scarf/hat/caps vs wigs?  I’ve been watching what other women decide and what made them come to their decision.  I’m pretty certain that I’m not going the wig route myself; not that I have a problem with anyone who chooses a wig as we all  have to choose what is best for us, but I’m feeling if I have no hair after chemo starts, I don’t want to take care of hair.  Also think there are so many cute scarves and hats.  I’m actually a “wall-flower” and hate drawing any attention to myself so I’m really surprised with my decision.  Perhaps it’s my fear of what a fool I’d look like if my wig got crooked and nobody told me and I went thru my day without a clue – you know, like if you find out you have a little something there in your nose and nobody said a thing…….  

wrenn – I have that same tight feeling in my chest.  I’d explain it more like someone taped very strong heat-shrink tape across mey chest and it’s been slowly shrinking as each day goes by.  I’m grouchy myself (pissy really!) and feel like clawing at my chest!  I’m hoping it’s these darn sutures and once they snip them it will feel better.  I guess I’ll find out of Friday. 

All the comments on the numbness – I’ve read quite a bit that it is normal when any nodes are removed for this to happen.  I had electrical type shocks shooting from the incision down on the inside of the arm to the elbow area start very shortly after surgery and also developed seroma on that same side.  I used both my arms as much as I could as soon as I could for fear of developing Frozen Shoulder (read about in Dr Love’s Breast Book).  Other threads I’ve been at about this issue had women assure me it was likely nerve damage and it would get better with time; and it has.  But it also is not uncommon for it to take a much, much longer time before the numbness goes away and it may never go away (so be sure you read about the dangers of shaving with a blade!).  My BS actually gave me Dr Love’s book when I had my first appt – anyone interested in reading all about this new world we find ourselves in, here is the link to her website:  http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/  Very useful information!! 

Hoping everyone has a great day!  Mine started on a bad note – cat jumped on my chest while I was in bed sleeping (been up since 3:30 so I’ve had time to post)……..but brushed it off and determined to have a better day than yesterday.

Pam358 - yeah, I was whining at 14 days as well......so I guess you can imagine what I'm like now!  I hate being so witchy but it just seems like such a long recovery.  I hope yours goes more smooth and quickly than mine!

I'm DETERMINED to have a better day!

I love the quote you've got listed by your DX.  I'm going to remember that and thanks for sharing it with us!

Lisa

Your activity level has NOTHING to do with fluid output; trust me, I asked.  I would not sit around just to reduce the fluids either, but because I've twice now gotten some swelling issues in my feet/ankles/calves since surgery I've HAD to sit and elevate me feet to get the swelling down per doctors orders.  And fluid output is the same those days as on the days I'm active.  You can read a lot about that theory of "sit quietly and the fluid output will lessen" but according to my PS there is no medical evidence to support that and my own experience has proved it to me.

Glad you got a shave.  I've thought about Nair - that should be OK, right?  I do want to have my underarms "cleaned up" before having the sutures snipped on Friday and would love to know if any of you have tried Nair and if it worked well or did it sting? 

I may be the guinee pig then - I'm going to try it tomorrow and I'll let you know.

PS removed both drains (yay) and gave me a fill. Feeling a lot of pressure in left breast only. Will take a Percocet to help. Oncologist appt. in 35 minutes. Glad we're 2-3 blocks from each doctor! Hoping second appt. goes as well as first. Feeling shaken up.

Jacquie,

By time I've read the most recent posts, you should have seen your Ocologist - please let us know your news (and I'm so happy you got your drains removed!). 

I'm hoping to hear you received positive news - I'm certain we all are hoping that for you!

Lisa

Remember, side efffects are different for everyone and no one will get all of the possible side effects.  What I found interesting was how our oncologists differ in what they recommend in managing side effects during chemo.  To avoid pain before chemo and after taking Neulasta shots, I was advised to take Claritin and Alieve before each infusion session and for a couple of days afterward.  This regimen did alleviate any type of muscular/joint pain for me.  To avoid constipation which can be a major problem for many, I was told to take one Colace and one dosage of Miralax daily and this worked really well for me.  Some people have the opposite reaction and suffer from diarrhea.  Chemo was long and hard, I will tell you, but my pathology report showed that I had a very positive response to it and I am grateful that I had it.

We do what we have to do to defeat this disease and get ourselves restored to health. For those who believe in the power of prayer, I know without a doubt that the many prayers and affirmations of love that I received have helped me to remain positive and upbeat. Still, without the help and steadfast support of my wonderful, loving husband, I would have really had a rough time.  I have much to be grateful for.

Staying connected on this forum has been a real comfort and a source of encouragment.  We all need to lean on one another.

I had my first post-op appt with my PS this morning.  I was only putting out about 15 cc in each bulb for the past 4 days.  Wasn't a good thing though.  The drains actually had been obstructed at the drain sites and I had developed a fairly good seroma already in the left breast.  They set up the surgery suite and cut me back open cleaned out the infection packed with anti-biotics and resewed me back up with new drains.  The propylactic side was ok but cleaned the drain area again to be on the safe side.

I never had warm breasts, no reddness and no fever so I was really surprised.   I will be taking it easy for another week or so.  I wanted to know what could have caused this because I was very careful with cleanliness.  He said I did nothing wrong, maybe my immune system was still compromised from chemo. 

I will still be seeing my BS tomorrow morning and at least get my final pathology results.  Still want to hear NED while I finish up these last battles.

Prayers to all  waiting for Onco results.  I will be glad to talk to anyone needing chemo.