October 2014 Surgery Sisters

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  • Su-CQ51
    Su-CQ51 Member Posts: 137
    edited October 2014

    OceanSky, Fourminor,  3littlebirds, BrittPro, SummerSun, Osfan, laurie I'm hoping for continued speedy healing for all of you!

    Hopeful, I'm hoping you can find a new BS soon and hope he/she is open to your concerns!

    Togetherness gentle hugs and so happy your fever broke finally!  Doesn't it feel good?  Such a relief!

    How was recovery after axillary node removal laurie?   Was it helpful or more painful to prop arm?  I've been propping my arm since SLND when it aches etc and it helps somewhat .  I think I'm more nervous about the ALND than the UMX  lol

    NineTwelve I'm so sorry you're going through all this!   Try to keep yourself busy and take it one step at a time.   You are strong and you'll get through this!

    It's our Thanksgiving up here in Canada!   I'm thankful for my family and waking up to enjoy every new day!   Have a great day everyone!

    Sue

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  • Ridley
    Ridley Member Posts: 634
    edited October 2014

    Laurie - with me, they pulled my belly button through a new opening and stitched it up.  When they pulled the upper abdomen down (to meet the lower ab where they had removed tissue),they had to move the belly button.  Mine looks fine now.  Do you have some kind of surgical tape to hold the gauze in place.

    Good luck with your follow up tomorrow.  I always felt better when someone with medical knowledge told me things were healing fine.

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  • Sacnaillady
    Sacnaillady Member Posts: 59
    edited October 2014

    Laurie. Glad to hear your doing well. I'm very interested in the flap surgeries a their recovery timeline. I'm havering a sGAP flap tomorrow and I really don't know how it's going to be as not very many are performed. I'll have a giant incision and drain on my backside and a flap with 2 or 3 incisions and drains and their removing an implant on the other side. How the heck am I going to get comfortable?! This surgery might be the longest I'll have to take the pain meds just to get comfortable. 

    Well I travel down to San Jose this afternoon for surgery tomorrow morning at 8:30. Please send me your healing thoughts! I would greatly appreciate it. I'll see you all on the other side!

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  • LiLi-RI
    LiLi-RI Member Posts: 291
    edited October 2014

    sacnaillady: Best wishes for a smooth surgery and fast recovery! I had the DIEP procedure, and my recovery was 12 weeks, if not longer. I had a problem with necrosis on the radiated breast so I needed a second surgery in August. I wish I knew more about your procedure. Good Luck! Lisa

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  • Sacnaillady
    Sacnaillady Member Posts: 59
    edited October 2014

    wow li-li. Sorry to hear that. I hope all will be ok. I hope I don't have necrosis. I took 7 weeks off work. Thank you for the well wishes. 

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  • sandra4611
    sandra4611 Member Posts: 2,913
    edited October 2014

    After every surgery, once I graduate from the recliner I have to move to the guest room bed for awhile. Sleeping on my back, propped up with all sizes of pillows and having to hold my arms just so makes me feel vulnerable. Sort of like I'm "offering up" my chest for an errant elbow or forearm blow. My husband has also been known to yank the covers off and to move his pillows (grabs mine too sometimes) around while he sleeps. The thought of having a perfectly placed pillow taken away & the sudden pain I would feel is scary. A king sized bed doesn't help if he won't stay on his side. In order to get some good sleep, I need to feel safe. My husband complained at first but changed his mind when I moved back to our bed, put pillows down the middle, and had his promise to stay on his side...only to have him fling his arm out in the night and his hand land on my face.  

    Sorry dear, I have to protect my chest.

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  • sandra4611
    sandra4611 Member Posts: 2,913
    edited October 2014

    Since I don't want nipples (they would stick out all the time) or areolas (no matter how good the 3D affect is, Playboy won't be knocking on my door) I plan to live with my Barbie Boobs. (One benefit is no fear of a "nip slip.")

    However for my fellow surgery sisters who are considering tattoos (shouldn't they be called titoos?), here is an awesome one, made just for "our kind."

    image

       

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  • sandra4611
    sandra4611 Member Posts: 2,913
    edited October 2014

    Calling out our virtual support Pink Bus for Sacnaillady and Bubu who will have surgery tomorrow. Best wishes for quick recoveries. I'm not quite ready for dancing in the aisles, but will bring a bowl of delish pink watermelon slices to share...if somebody else will carry the bowl for me and as long as you're at it, can you come over early and do the slicing for me too? 

    image

    Trying to follow my own advice.

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  • Sacnaillady
    Sacnaillady Member Posts: 59
    edited October 2014

    thanks Sandra. I'm packed and ready to go! I'm glad the hospital has wi-fi. 

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited October 2014

    Good luck, Sacna - I'll be thinking of you. Hope you can get out for a walk or something enjoyable today to take your mind somewhere else for a few minutes today.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited October 2014

    Hope you're having a good Thanksgiving, Sue. Thanks for your support and good wishes. I'm concerned, too, about the ALND - I really wish that weren't in my future! 

    Hang in there and enjoy your holiday.

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  • LiLi-RI
    LiLi-RI Member Posts: 291
    edited October 2014

    Sandra4611: Wishing both ladies an easy and safe surgeries! I will bring some pink cocktails!

    P.S. Love the full chest tats! I know in 2015 I will be searching for alternatives to the no nips!

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  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited October 2014

    So happy to hear you're doing well and yay on the clear nodes!!!

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  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited October 2014

    May I join the October surgery group? I'm scheduled for BMX  with SNB on October 27. Like a few others, I have a history of melanoma in-situ and had a spot biopsied from my leg on Thursday. If it comes back negative, they may move surgery date up to October 22. To say I'm petrified is an understatement as I've never had surgery. My lone hospital visit was to have our son who is 9. I am 47 and was diagnosed after call back for abnormal mammo and had u/s and contrast MRI. I have 3 spots in right side and by the time he got clear margins I'd have nothing left on the right so I opted for both. I'm apparently not a candidate for TE yet. BS won't start any reconstruction steps because we don't know yet what's next. Praying for no lymph involvement. Anyway it's so nice to know I'm not alone and to read the positive stories that the anticipation was the worst part. Hugs to all of you! This is all so overwhelming and scary!

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  • SCMom
    SCMom Member Posts: 112
    edited October 2014

    Sacnaillady and Bubu, good luck tomorrow!  Prayers for successful surgeries and speedy recoveries. 

    Hummingbirdlover, welcome!  I'm right with you...petrified, overwhelmed and scared. But you're in the right spot, these ladies here have all been so helpful and supportive. It will be great if the anticipation IS the worst part!

    Lilith, thanks for the update on the pillow...I had that one on my list, the model looked so comfortable on it!  So now I have Laurie's pillow on my list, I'll probably head over to bed bath and beyond sometime this week. 

    I had a smile reading on the September thread about how to put on sports bras...I've always stepped into mine and pulled them up. But mine are all racer back or cross straps in the back and invariably need a bit of adjusting once on which won't work for now.  Can anyone recommend some nice supportive sports bras that don't have racer backs?  I also keep looking online at the Victorias Secret zip front bras, they're so cute.  But aside of the $59 price tag the cups on that style are so molded, and I have no idea what I'm going to end up with after surgery and what size to go with. 

    Hope everyone's having a good night :)

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  • Lilith08
    Lilith08 Member Posts: 163
    edited October 2014

    Welcome Wagon is here for Osfan, howdidigethere, barefootmom, and hummingbirdlover--we're all in this together!

    Jumping on the virtual bus for Monday's Sisters, Sacnaillady and Bubu.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited October 2014

    SC Mom -

    You might see if your breast center has a shop with bras, camisoles, etc., suitable for post-surgical wear. Mine had several styles of zip up (including some made in the USA - a bonus) and were happy to special order them in my size & color preferences, too. They obtained an RX from the surgeon and billed my insurance for me. I paid a small amt. but not much and it saved me a HUGE amount of shopping time. 

    You could also try the American Cancer Society - I understand they carry a line of them, too, that are well-liked.

    Good luck!

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  • LauraW68
    LauraW68 Member Posts: 100
    edited October 2014

    I just joined but I am scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy (right) with immediate reconstruction on October 24.   I am 45 and was diagnosed with ILC, stage 3, ER+/PR+/HER2- in right breast on September 24. I am still waiting for test results to come back on the gene mutation. Those should be back this week sometime.  My surgery will occur just 20 days shy of my 46 birthday.  I've always wanted a breast reduction... just not this way. 

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  • 3littlebirds
    3littlebirds Member Posts: 101
    edited October 2014

    Good luck tomorrow Sacnaillady and Bubu. Sending you good energy!

    Welcome Osfan, howdidigethere, hummingbirdlover and LauraW68. Our group is growing! 

    I am feeling better almost every day. I say almost, because I need to exclude Friday. I lifted a bag of groceries and ended up back on Norco to sleep that night. Stupid! Careful everyone. 

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  • Galsal
    Galsal Member Posts: 1,886
    edited October 2014

    Love the pink bus and I'll bring the bowl for you, Sandra!  Good luck to those with surgeries in the next few days.  Welcome to newcomers, although ultimately no one really wants to be part of the group.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2014

    Welcome to the BCO community, LauraW68.

    You have joined a terrific group of supportive and
    knowledgeable people who can offer wisdom, information and their own
    experiences.

    While you are waiting for some responses please know
    that we are sending along warm thoughts and hugs for the 24th. You may wish to search our
    main site for more information www.breastcancer.org as there is plenty of technical info there to compliment the "real world" experiences here.

    The Mods

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  • SCMom
    SCMom Member Posts: 112
    edited October 2014

    Thank you Hopeful, but no bras at my breast center :(. I'm still surprised that my PS isn't supplying one!  I was looking at the bras on TLC, the cancer society's website but just don't know what kind I need. I see my BS tomorrow so I'll ask her advice (I'm also going to beg her to micro-manage my BS during surgery, my confidence in him is not the greatest!)

    I need to get crafty in the next week, I just can't bring myself to pay $22 plus shipping for an elastic belt with Velcro pockets to hold drains...it should be pretty simple to rig something up. Can someone tell me the approximate size of the drains?

    3littlebirds...be careful and take it easy!  As a wise woman on our thread said, just because you can do it doesn't mean you should!

    LauraW68 - welcome!  I'm trying to look at a breast "reduction" and lift as a silver lining to having cancer...I had that cosmetic surgery 26 years ago and it was the best thing ever, but after having 3 kids and many years later they're pretty much back to where they started. So, small perky breasts will be my reward for losing most of my summer (and all of my hair!) to chemo!

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  • Ridley
    Ridley Member Posts: 634
    edited October 2014

    SC - I just pinned my drains to the inside of my shirt.  I had rigged up a loose belt with a couple of Velcro pockets that I had from a running store, but never used it.  My drains were about 3 inches long by 2 inches wide.

    Good luck to those on deck tomorrow.

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  • Su-CQ51
    Su-CQ51 Member Posts: 137
    edited October 2014

    I'm on the pink bus for sacnaillady and bubu!   Pink champagne for everyone!

    Welcome howdidigetthere, barefootmom, hummingbirdlover, LauraW68!

    Thanks Hopeful!   It was a great feast!   I can also tell you that there's nothing better than playing charades with a 4 yr old!   Laughter is the best medicine! :)

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  • OceanSky
    OceanSky Member Posts: 165
    edited February 2015

    Good luck tomorrow ladies!

    My mastectomy is a week from tomorrow.

    Did I miss when you can wear a sports bra after reconstruction?

    Best...

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited October 2014

    Sue - charades with a 4 year-old sounds hilarious! Glad you had such a fun holiday.

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  • Slavrich
    Slavrich Member Posts: 50
    edited October 2014

    Osfan: Have you heard about Little Vinnies for tattoos? Although I'm now scheduled for nipple sparing surgery, I was previously planning a trip to Baltimore from Boston for his artistry. He was reccommended to me by a friend.

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  • SummerSun
    SummerSun Member Posts: 91
    edited October 2014

    Sacnaillady and Bubu, good luck today! Wishing you all smooth surgerys and easy recoveries. 

    SCMom, I have a long shoestring that I use to hold my drains up rather than pinning them to my shirt around the house and for showering. Not the best looking necklace though. I did find that they tuck nicely into yoga pants/shorts for Dr visits. I still have 2 in. Hopefully they will come out on Tuesday. 

    Welcome to our new ladies! 

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited October 2014

    Good luck with your surgeries ladies!  I'm at POD #5 and ready to get these damn drains out.  I've had some GI issues from the medications--I think the declofenac--and I'm ready to be off the Norco also.  Haven't had need of Colace since I seem to have the opposite problem and once drains are out I can hopefully quit the antibiotics too.  I'm switching to regular Advil today, so we'll see how that goes.

    The drains are the size of lemons.  I was given two bras at the hospital, they are velcro closure which seems ideal for this stage.  Hooks, even zipper might be more than you want to fiddle with for the first week, particularly if both arms are limited.  The drains attach to the side of this bra with velcro strips.   They laid combine bandages inside the bra, but no tape or adhesive have been placed on my skin; the bra holds it all in place.  I've been wearing my husband's shirts; you're going to want something loose.

    I was able to sleep with a V pillow (search on amazon to see what it is)  and two regular pillows behind me, one behind my knees.   The V pillow helps hold me in place on my back and supports my arms.  It was about $30.

    My husband has done all drain maintenance for me and I'm really grateful for that.  I have two on the left side, one above and one below the incision.  One of them has not put out much fluid at all (less than 5) every day, but surgeon said that's usually the case.  The other has gone from 80 ccs to 18 ccs yesterday.  

    I figure by next weekend I can move on to the front closure bras I originally bought with hooks and I'll need something to stuff on the left to even me out.  PS did put some saline in the TE at the time of surgery so there is a small mound there.

    Good luck to everyone.  I also found it to be true that the physical pain of recovery is much easier than the emotional weight prior to surgery of grief and fear of what would be found.

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited October 2014

    Oh, as far as showering with drains--my PS does not allow so i have been creative with hand shower.  However, they did give me a kind of elastic "garter" belt made of elastic with velcro closure that you could use to holster the drains around your waist.  

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