October 2014 Surgery Sisters

Hi, 3 Little Birds - Thanks for the good luck wishes! 

Does the Hibiclens have a strong scent or is it fairly neutral? Just curious...

Hope your reconstruction goes well; I suspect you're ready to be done with surgeries for a while.

Hi, SC - the block is a paracervical block (similar effect to an epidural, just in a different region). MAC is 'monitored anesthesia care' - basically enough sedation to keep you comfortable but not out. Between the block and regional anesthesia, there's no pain. I did the foot surgery with MAC - lots of Novocaine in the foot, no block of any sort. It went fine and I was pretty clear headed afterwards. It was also pretty interesting to follow the surgery by the sounds - but I realize that wouldn't be for everyone! I'm just a little odd that way. I'd rather know what's what and what's going on. 

I hadn't hear that rule of thumb about how long it takes anesthesia to clear the system, but that certainly is eye opening.

I had two surgeries that required an overnight hospital stay, and both times I have had trouble with the nurses and pain control . I had a morphine pump and the nurse discontinued it for a reason that was incorrect (per my surgeon). I usually have a block (this time a parathoracic which will take until the following day to wear off. I'll also receive a short -acting barbituate so I can sleep during the surgery and not have to hear or smell anything. I can't take sedatives or tranquilizers because they make me wild and violent. I find I can easily control my post op pain with Percocet or Vicodan, distraction, and biofeedback.

Hopeful, the Hibiclens doesn't smell strong, but does smell a bit medicinal, if that makes sense. 

The only time I used my Kindle was before surgery. My BS had an emergency appendectomy to take care of first, so I was delayed for 2 hours. I had already sent my DH home because his fidgety anxiety was not helpful! They gave me a Xanax and I read a trashy romance novel while I waited:) 

Laurie, I've never heard of a lymph node transplant. What does that involve and why do they do it?

Since I understand both sides of the argument about staying in the hospital, the only thing I can say is I feel very strongly both ways. Hospitals are full of sick people and germs. When I had my babies, I wanted to hop off the table, grab the baby, and leave. That was because I wasn't sick...having a baby is a natural thing, not an illness. My body knew what to do during pregnancy, it knew how to have the baby without any intervention, and it knew how to make milk to nourish the baby. There was no reason to stay.

Having a bilateral mastectomy with direct to permanent implants is the other end of the spectrum and far from natural. Although I had read everything I could, I didn't know how my body would react. I had to depend on the expertise and skill of others to get me through and I was scared to death. So many things could go wrong. When I woke up about 14 hours later in my room, I was sick as a dog, so weak I couldn't lift my hand, and my chest was on fire. Go home? Seriously? My family had no idea what to do and would have been in an absolute panic if we had been sent home. I would have been too sick to care. As it turned out, leaving early could have had very serious consequences. I had been exposed to a bad gram positive staph infection and damage was already starting. My family and I would not have recognized the early signs at home but the hospital staff did. During the wee hours of the morning the doctors were called in and stronger antibiotics were begun. It took two more antibiotic changes over the next two days before one was found that worked. 

I think you need to stay at least 24 hours after you get to your room. The nurses are so helpful in showing you (and your family) how to care for your incisions and drains, how to get yourself up and to the bathroom, and their frequent checking will give you confidence that you are doing fine and what you are experiencing is normal. Any reactions to pain drugs will be noted immediately and changes made so that you know you have what you'll need at home to stay on top on your pain.

Perhaps you will sail through surgery and feel well enough to leave after one night. Maybe you will have a tougher time of it and need to stay a second night. Yes, hospitals are germy places and you shouldn't hang around there one minute longer than you need to. But insurance companies should not tell you when you have to leave and certainly shouldn't require "drive through" day surgery. It's just my opinion.  

Sandra, I wish you the very best of luck this time. It's time for you to catch a break. I agree with you about the insurance companies. If you and your doctors agree you're ready to go home that's one thing, but to kick you out before that is just not right. I know I was approved for 2 nights, but felt I was ready to go home after only one. I was lucky that things went pretty smoothly for me and I didn't have any significant complications.

Laurie, I didn't know they could transplant lymph nodes as a treatment for lymphedema. I hope it's successful! 

Hi everyone,

I am now officially an October surgery participant.  Unilateral mastectomy with TE insertion on the 28th of October.  Very anxious about my self image afterwards and also making sure my husband stays with me.  I spent a lot of time in the hospital last November, wishing he was there...but he couldn't be, as he had to take care of our daughters, dogs and cats.  So, I am flying his parents out the week before for support.  Very thankful they are willing to come out and help.  

I pray everyone's surgery goes smoothly without complications, with lots of support and with excellent outcomes!

hugs from Akitagirl

SC -- hard to say  re: anaesthesia leaving your body.  I've heard 1 week for each hour you are under.  I took 12 weeks off, but I know many women take less time for that same surgery.  I hadn't taken any real time off since my diagnosis, and emotionally I really needed the break by the time I had the diep surgery (which was about 6 months after diagnosis) as I was one big ball of anxiety during those six months. The biggest issue for me was unexpected fatigue -- I could sleep for hours (and often did) during the day and then slept pretty ok at night too.

SCMom, I would have wanted to leave the hospital too if I had your experience. Why the heck should you stay when they are ignoring you? You would get better care at home for sure. You didn't see a doc everyday? That's awful. After my BMX & implants I saw the breast surgeon and his "minions" on rounds every morning. Then my plastic surgeon would come in each day after his morning surgeries or clinic appointments. On all the surgeries since, I see the PS and his resident comes by sometime later. The head nurse of each shift comes in, the RN and LVN assigned to me come in at shift change, and of course somebody is always coming to give meds, empty drains, or flush IV's and to do vital signs every couple of hours around the clock. Just about the time you get back to sleep, someone comes in to take a blood sample, or the nutritionist stops by for counseling, the occupational therapist comes by for a bedside evaluation, or one of the chaplains comes by. It's a revolving door! No wonder I can't get any rest in the hospital.  

Galsal -- I'm sorry they had to abort your diep surgery -- I can imagine it was tough to be told that the surgery was not a success.

I agree that every surgery I have it seems like you are awake a minute after you remember not being awake -- sort of fascinating to me.

SC -- I can't totally remember re: the fatigue -- I was on vacation about 8 weeks after surgery and we were walking a lot (20,000 steps a day), so by that time I was fine with being that active (mind you I was lying on a lounge chair under a cabana for a few hours a day while I was there as well!). 

I think part of the fatigue issue that I was attributing to surgery could have been related to tamoxifen as well, so it all gets a bit muddled looking back.

Amen to the comment about insurance companies!!!!!! I am new to this blog and don't know how to join the group yet, but I hope I can figure that out soon. I had my BMX on Sept 24 and the doctor ( none of my doctors) decided that I could go home next day. I totally agree that t is better to wait and see how a person feels after surgery. I was at the hospital two nights and went home when I felt ready. What would my husband do with me at home? He was already terrified, with the whole medical staff on board. My recovery was great up until today.Today,I'm back to heavy pain killers and it hurts so bad .I hope tomorrow will be a new better day.

Happy October everyone!  We are on deck! 

Happy Birthday laurie2025!  My birthday is 10/4.  I went the other way and booked the surgery after instead of before.

Its always my favorite month of the year--post season baseball, fall leaves, Halloween.  I can't decide if this is spoiling it, or at least well timed since I will get to experience it at a slower pace this year.

Welcome horsemom and Gosiagalas! Our group is growing.

Happy birthday Laurie! I am another October birthday. When I got my date for my surgery, I thought, "Maybe I'll be back up to speed by my birthday on the 17th!". I can only hope.

Nerves are setting in a little today. Only two more days! Didn't sleep well last night. I feel more anxious for this one than my BMX. I had almost an eerie sense of calm before that one.