July 2014 Surgery Sisters

Hi Everyone,

I have really enjoyed reading everyone's updates.

Straitlover, I hope the abx are doing their job and you get good news on Wednesday from your PS. I don't work outside the home but am still so sore and swollen and tire easily... I can't imagine going back to work after what you have had to deal with lately. I sleep with many, many pillows holding me in position... I miss sleeping on my side so much! Hope you get to sleep in a more comfortable place and position soon!

I haven't posted in a while.... guess I was feeling sad and still trying to wrap my head around having positive nodes, and all that comes with that. I am so tired of feeling sore and tired. I thought I would be feeling better by now; my surgery was 5 weeks ago!

I received some good news: my NM bone scan and CTs of chest, abdomen and pelvis showed no signs that the cancer had set up home elsewhere.

Next week I meet with my MO and RO. I don't even know what to expect or what to ask them.

You have all been in my thoughts and prayers.

Poppy

Becky, I'm not sure where mine came from actually. I pulled a stitch in a drain line and could not move my arm w/o severe pain, so I went to the ER that Fri evening. When I got there, my temp was normal. While I was waiting to be seen, all of a sudden my temp shot up and I was shaking and shivering and got really nauseous. The hospital couldn't find anything as to why I had a fever, so they called the hosp where I had my surgery and they wanted me back. So I was shipped back to Raleigh Sat morning. All of a sudden, the drainage in my right drain turned all cloudy and full of pus. I didn't have the red rash like must people get. My right breast was big and hard, but not more than when I came out of surgery (PS filled that TE more than the left one). So I don't know if pulling the stitch allowed infection inside while I was waiting in the ER w/ all those sick people or if it was just a coincidence and was already in htere and just ahppened to kick in while I was at the hospital.

I guess not everyone's symptoms are the same.  Can be a red rash, red squiggly lines like any old infection, fever, pain, bad drainage if you still have a drain in.

Went back to the PS today. Wants to keep me on the iv abx and the last drain in for one more week - ugh! I am going back to work PT starting Monday (however much I can stand each day w/o overdoing it), so i will just deal with it, I guess. He's being extra careful (said we dodged a bullet), so I guess I shouldn't complain too much about it.

At least I actually saw him this time. Don't recall if I said it, but at my appt last week, the PA sand he had been admitted to the hospital himself for IV abx. He said today that he was there for almost a week, so he must have just gotten out in the last day or two. He was looking a little worse for wear, LOL.

Poppy, have you had your appt this week yet? I see my MO next week 9/11 (also have to see the periodontist that day too for a cleaning, fun fun!). I believe she is the one who decides on chemo or rads? The BS did not say anything the other day when he called about anything in the nodes, but until I see the path report myself I won't feel comfortable about it since there were so many questions.

Well, I guess i don't have to worry about the last drain because it fell out a little while ago!!!! At first I noticed that it had come out some and the bulb wouldn't keep suction. I called the PS & left a VM. Before he could call me back, I bent over and the end fell out!!! I washed my hands really well and put a bandaid on it. He called back and said it was OK since the drainage had still been clear, and I just needed to put some gauze on it and keep an eye out for fever until my appt w/ him on Wed morning.

He said I could still shower/bathe, but I'm not taking any chances. It's back to sink baths at least until I see him. Fingers crossed that no bacteria/infection/etc gets in!

So sorry Purplegurli! I hope they abx work and they don't have to do surgery. My PS had considered opening me back up and washing everything out and replacing the TE, but my bloodwork kept looking good, so he just sent me home w/ IV abx for 3 weeks. Hoping to get my picc line out this coming Friday.

They need to make really sure the infection is cleared up before starting the chemo back, so don't be surprised if it's put off for a little bit.

Just curious, what were your symptoms? I never got the rash, pain or anything, just pulled the stitch in the drain and spiked a fever while waiting in the ER to see the doc.

Well, crap! I'm headed back into surgery tomorrow AM. My PS called me earlier today, and he said he woke up in the middle of the night worrying about me and the drain falling out and such. So, he wants to go in and do the "power wash" and reinsert the TE. I can't remember if he said if it would be the same TA or a new one. It's supposed to be outpatient, and the hospital will call me in the AM telling me what time to be there. My sister can't get here until around 1PM tomorrow, so it's been interesting trying to arrange some transport.

Purplegurli, hope you're getting better. At home IV abx are sooooo fun - not! Wonder if I'll have to stay on them longer now???? It's not that bad, it just ties you down depending on how may ones you have to take. I have two, so coordinating the schedule is a pain.

purplegurl and straitlover I am so sorry you both are going through this!  My thoughts are with you.

Yay, they are releasing me from the hospital this afternoon after my next IV antibiotic treatment. I will continue IV antibiotics two times a day from home. And they said OK to do my make-up chemo session on Thursday because my white blood cell count us back to normal and the infection is improving. Glad to hopefully be back on track. 

Straitlover, glad you are home and the surgery was a success. I will have Teflaro two times a day starting tomorrow. Today I had an infusion of daptomycin because the Teflaro was not yet available. In the hospital I had vancomycin and something else (maybe started with letter z) the first day and then switched to another medication, possibly Teflaro, the other two days. It's been confusing!

Straitlover,

No chemo and negative nodes is fantastic news! I am so happy for you!

I hope you are infection free soon!

straitlover that's incredible news!! Congrats!   I hope the infection clears up soon. 

straitlover - great news!

Kellog - how are you doing with your little one now? Mine started to walk 2 weeks ago, means less lifting for me

Kellog- I am glad you are getting better! I think it is too early to feel normal at this point.  My PS told me it would be about 3 months for most people to feel close to normal. My chest area is swollen as well. 

Saw the PS today. No extension of the IV abx, so the PICC line comes out either Friday or Saturday (waiting on a call to find out for sure) - Yay! Gotta keep the drain in at least another week since it's consistently putting out 25-30 cc a day, plus it's a way to keep an eye out for the infection coming back w/o the abx. 8 weeks w/ a drain is no fun!

He says we're going to go slow on everything to make sure we don't have any problems. Sounds like I won't be starting fills anytime soon, so I might not have the exchange done by the end of December after all (I get to spend mo money, mo money!). That extra money will be coming from my car purchase fund, so I hope my car holds out another year, LOL!

He plans on lipo'ing under my arm to use for some fat grafting in the upper pole area. Doesn't that sound like fun??? Wonder if that's at the same time as exchange or if that's a revision sx?

Hope everyone is doing well!