March 2014 Surgery

Frostcat, are you maybe doing too much? I literally am sitting on the couch all day watching Netflix and playing on the iPad. Taking a shower is my activity for the day.lol 

I will be thinking and praying that you get them pulled. I was dying to get mine out too. They are such a pain!!! Remember if they are draining it's a good thing and you really don't want to end up with a seroma. Let us know how it goes.

Vintage, these are just the expanders. Filled 100cc in each during surgery and won't be getting another fill until my 6th week post op. I think my PS likes to go slow compared to others here posting. Are you able to change your mind now and get recon done? Or are you set with your decision?

Well they look good Kitty! I am quite sure I will not be getting recon. I still have radiation to do & know the odds/risks of failure from damaged skin...& I am not up for several more surgeries.

Hello March 2014 Surgery Sisters! Hope everyone is doing well. I am 9 days post op and doing okay I guess. Still have all four of my drains of course. I had secretly hoped the PS would take two of them during yesterday's visit since two have been less than 5 for 2 days. He must have read my mind because he said he almost never takes drains out until two weeks. Considering my surgery ended up taking almost 12 hours, I think he's extra attentive to me. 

Okay, am I crazy or does the pain feel like your foobs are in a vice? The tightness has increased in the last couple of days, and I feel like the pain is getting worse. I hate to complain since I basically sailed through chemo (thank the good Lord for that), but man this is making me only want to stay in the recliner all day. I walked two miles starting day two after surgery so I don't know what is going on. On a positive note, I was able to keep the nipples. The PS made them smaller though. He had already mentioned mine were rather large compared to my breast size. Guess that's not in vogue now. I must admit they do look better, all things considered.

Hope you ladies have an AWESOME day!

My incisions are at the bottom of my breasts and I was thrilled when they said they would do it that way.  Of course now that I have to lose my right nipple, I'll also have a straight incision in the middle of  that foob, but I don't think it will be all that long.

Southernbling (love that name), it's funny your PS said two weeks on the drains.  Mine said he often takes them out at one week but wants them to be around 20 for two days in a row.  Here I sit 3 weeks later and still have one.  Well not all that funny to me now.  lol

I am so happy to hear all the chat about tissue expanders. I am 3.5 weeks post op and I feel like I am all healed up from the actual mastectomy. My drains were pulled on day 8 and I barely even have any scabbing left. The trouble however is this darn tissue expander who I dislike very much. I feel like I have a tight uncomfortable bra with underwire jabbing into me in various spots,.. and I can't take it off. I also have some wrinkles that are causing my skin to poke out in a triangle shape. When my clothes rub on these areas, it is really uncomfortable. I will say though, that every day things seem to get a little better. Yes, it feels like a rock has been implanted under my pectoral muscle, but I am coming to terms with it. I think it takes time to get used to the new normal,... and remember they are temporary.

Julie - sometimes I feel that way, lol! I always seem to fall into that small percentage of whatever the complication du jour is! Good thing I am a patient patient! Oh well, just happy that the stitches are holding.

For those concerned about their incisions, remember that when you have exchange surgery your surgeon will use the same incision line so what they look like now is not how they will stay.

You will be surprised at how things flatten out the farther you get from the original surgery, and remember that the purpose of the TE is to create a pocket for the eventual implant. The real artistry is done at exchange time.  The armpit fat thing is common - when they excavate all that breast tissue you lose the structure and end up with little bunches like that - also common on the sides going toward your back.  Those are areas that you can have lipo-ed either at exchange, or after.  If you are concerned about your incisions flattening, ask your PS about silicone scar strips to assist.

Julie - just make sure the incisions are fully healed first.  The purpose of the strips is to flatten the scar, but you don't want any complications that might come from using them too early.  I am assuming if your doc is doing fills they feel the incisions are fully healed.

Great news, Franny!  Do they plan to do an Onco DX test?  Based on my score, my recurrence rate is 8% with Tamoxifen.  I started Tamoxifen last Friday.  No problems yet but I'm thinking side effects would take a month or 2 to show up.  I tried to google that but gave up after awhile.

SpecialK, I am so sorry to hear of yet another complication for you, geez!  Went to the PS today, and no my tube did not get pulled, it was a gusher today - ugh!  I told him and his nurse that I am in pain all of the time.  From the pain in my chest to the raw, numbness under my arm, it is getting to me.  He and his nurse were deciding whether to give me a fill, she wanted to do it with the thought that the fill will push out all the extra fluid and they debated amongst themselves.   Thank god he said, "no I'm not going to fill her, she is in pain now, and she will be in more pain".  She said "not even a little?"  and he said "No we will wait until monday, pull the tube and fill then".  

I think I found out why the pain, I was filled with 300 cc's at surgery not 200 and they want to fill me with 150 cc's on my first fill.  I said "wow that sounds like a lot"  I keep hearing "low and slow" and the nurse said that is how they used to do it, but not anymore.  "They" have found by doing it that way, more scar tissue forms over time and actually makes even the low fills over time more painful and that better results happen with the quicker larger fills before scar tissue sets in.  

They warned me to take motrin, percocet and valium Monday and to not drive, that someone will have to do it for me.  This does not sound like fun at all.  Also, they thought I may have overdone it too, I did go to the grocery store yesterday, I really didn't think any big deal of it, until I had to start loading and carrying bags, lifting onto conveyer belt, loading car, carrying in, I guess I shouldn't have done that.  I sat and did nothing the first week and a 1/2 and really couldn't do it anymore.  But I guess this is the consequences.

I did go and buy a Genie bra hoping that the cutting in my armpit from the compression bras will be alleviated somewhat, that was making a bad thing worse.  Meet with the BS tomorrow to review pathology report.

hello everyone! 

This is the update that I received from my MO yesterday:

I am HER2/ER/PGR positive. My tumour was 2.3cm, grade 3 with 2 nodes impacted.Thankfully the skeletel muscle is free of cancer as was the skin.

April 22 - I go for a non invasive cardiology test referred to as a nuclear angiogram (SYMA). My nurse told me that then is no injection involved but I think that there is. Crap! I HATE needles!!!

At some point during the same week I will also have a PORT installed. Yippee!!!

April 29 - I have bloodwork and some other stuff - I believe that I also meet with my MO.

April 30 - Chemo. I will have 6 cycles - one week on, two weeks off. I can't even find some of the chemo meds listed on this website!!!! My regimen is called FEC-D Treatment. The first 3 cycles = 3 drug combo - Floirouracil (also known as Adrucil) + EPLrubicin (also known as Pharmorubicin) and Cyclophosphamide (also known as Procytox). The last 3 cycles = DOCEtaxel (also kmown as Taxotere). At some point Herceptin will be introduced which will last for approx 1 year. I will also get Tamoxifen for approx 5 years (if not more). During my chemo treatment, I will also have a shot called Neulasta after each chemo cycle.

I am actually scared of the treatment and even thought I know that too many women have gone through this I'm scared that I'll die from the chemo and all the other crap!!

My MO stressed that all treatment is precautionary and that he is confident that I will come through this okay and hae a very healthy life after treatment.

So - what can I do? I am petrified of having to take drugs when I feel healthy. I am petrified of becoming skin and bones. I am petrified of the side effects especially the severe ones which may cause DEATH such as heart damage etc when I am so healthy right now. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't read too much - it might be better NOT to know because then the mind can't play tricks on you.

Football- you will do just fine. I worked throughout my chemo tx and never had any nausea at all. Just do what they tell you to do, take nausea meds even if you aren't nauseated. Rest when you can, it is all doable. It doesn't seem like it will be but it is. Enjoy your trip with the hubby and have a great time!

Footballnut.....just want to reach out and give you a virtual 'hug'.  All of this stuff is so scary.  I did not need chemo, but I know I would be feeling EXACTLY as you are if I had.  Please keep sharing....this is not an easy thing to face and to understand.  Praise God that there WILL be another side to this.  You WILL go on to have a wonderful, healthy life.  But, there is going to be some tough stuff in between. I have 2 friends who went through all of the chemo, etc (after BMX and reconstruction).  I was so terrified for them, but their attitude was so positive.  It was just a 'bump in the road' to them.  One of them was 10 years ago, the other was 3 1/2 years ago.  The first is now running marathons, raising her boys, and many people who know her now don't even know she ever went through it.  The other one is now on the other side as well...all of her hair is back (obviously), she is a busy mom, and just got back from a wonderful trip from Mexico.  It is WONDERFUL to see women just living their lives as if this never happened ...at least that is how they explain it to me :-).  I know you don't go through something like this without some residual emotional scars.  It helps to see that. 

Gramof2boys.....by looking at your info, I am assuming you are talking about the TE's...not the implants?  I was NEVER able to sleep any way except on my back with pillows under my arms, slightly elevated, the entire time I had TE's (5 months).  I am in awe of those who can sleep on their sides....I always felt like I had blades in my chest and if I moved the wrong way, it would NOT be good!

I did wear a bra for awhile.  2-3 months, probably.I don't know why.  It was a little bit psychological for me.  I had such an intense 'iron bra' feeling.  I thought that if I had an actual bra on to fiddle with, and 'pretend' to make myself more comfortable, then maybe I WOULD be more comfortable.  In the end,  it became such a pain to decide which bra I should wear that I just gave up.  I was never able to put any kind of pressure against the TE's....it would just smash those blades into my chest and make me miserable.  But, others do well with sports bras and wear them all the time.  There was nothing on earth that was going to move those TE's, so the idea of a bra was a little silly....completely unnecessary.  But, I guess it made me feel better.  It's OK to wear a bra....wear whatever you need to to feel comfortable. 

After exchange, I am back sleeping in the recliner...2 weeks tomorrow!  I am also back in a bra, and am required to be 24/7 for at least 4 weeks.  He said I could do whatever I want after that.  If he gave me permission to get rid of it right now, I don't think I would.  Again, there is some strange sense of security in wearing it.  I would, however, get out of these underwires and find something more comfortable!

Many people can't sleep on their sides with TE's.  Stock up on pillows and prop yourself into a postion that is comfortable. In my bed, it because a huge ordeal to get me into a sleeping position!  LOL.  I always tried to get there before my hubby...or else I would wake him up getting everything 'just right.' 

Hang in there!