December 2014 Surgery Sisters

Pinkninja; so sorry you're having so much pain.

Hugs to you, I hope things are getting more tolerable.  

I found ice packs were helpful.

You're in my thoughts.

(((❤))) your BC sister Quiggy 

Hi Bippy625;

Sending you good wishes for a low pain/fast recovery!   You'll be in my thoughts.

(((❤))) your BC sister Quiggy 

Isn't it amazing how much the support and information from this website helps? I felt prepared and fairly calm the morning of my BMX. For me, information is power and fear is the enemy. As long as I know what is coming, I'm fine. Surprises and I are not friends. The post op experience was not nearly as tough as I thought it would be. Of course, it wasn't fun but I was armed with hints, tips, and facts so I knew what it was that I was feeling and why I was feeling each thing. I'll be forever grateful to those that went before me.

Best wishes to those having surgery this week.

I wish I had seen all the great advice sooner. I'm still trying to do too much with my arms and shoulders and have aggravated old left shoulder injury. Not good since I'm a lefty. I have finally figured out last night that icing the shoulder helped as did elevating the whole arm. Much better.

Scottie

Hi, Bippy. I am only two weeks and have been out to dinner and to the store a couple of times WITH my drains. I actually went out for lunch after only one week post op. I have not had nearly the pain I expected and like you opted for delayed reconstruction.

I admit I did do a little too much after first (stripping my own drains) and that's why I was stuck with them a week longer. Not really the end of the world, but it really is difficult to stay down when you don't feel bad and live by yourself. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Good luck to you. You're gonna do great

Pink, those shooting pains are what I call "zips, zaps, & zots." You are getting them a bit early, lucky you. Whenever the nerves have been traumatized, they do this when they are coming out of their coma and starting to wake up. Most women notice them running across the chest. Fortunately they don't last too long - just a second - but they are enough to get your attention. They will disappear within a few weeks.

Bippy, it's hard to predict how you will feel from day to day. You may be just fine and feel like getting dressed and going out. You may feel it's better to sit quietly and have someone bring you dinner instead. My recovery has been different after each of my 5 breast surgeries. The third one was the hardest. You really never know. Don't let drains hold you back. Just put them in your pockets, wear something long and loose, and go for it.

I wouldn't paint yourself into a corner by saying you WILL go out. Then you will feel like you have to, even if everything in you is saying no. One thing for sure, you can plan on feeling wiped out when you get home. I remember after about a week I accompanied my husband to the store because I just wanted to get out of the house. I had to reach for the Tylenol and then take a nap when I got home. If you are going with a group, I would make sure you have a ride home at your disposal in case you want to leave early. (You will not like sitting around for a long time.)

I cannot take pain drugs except for Tylenol, so perhaps those who can dope themselves up good might have a different story. Also I have a world class pain tolerance so I have to watch it or I'll wear myself out easily. I don't have pain to tell me I've done too much...until it's too late.

I'm in the middle of my usual pre-op cleaning frenzy, made even more intense because of getting everything for Christmas done early. All the gifts are wrapped, cards went out two weeks ago, most of the heavy cleaning is done, so all I have left is decorating and baking. Ack! I'm almost out of time. Surgery is Friday. Tomorrow is my pre-admin meeting with the anesthesiologist, bloodwork, EKG, chest x-ray, and signing a bunch of paperwork. It usually takes 3 or 4 hours. (sigh) There ought to be a way to bypass some of that stuff since I'm a "frequent flyer" and my last surgery was just in October, but my hospital has everyone go through the process.

One unexpected but welcome difference this time...no nightmares and no problem sleeping. Usually I have a bad case of anxiety, even though I've been through this so much and know what to expect. Maybe it will kick in later. It's ok because this will be surgery #6 and my LAST one!! I can handle anything.

Got my Christmas and New Year's wishes today. Path report for surgery was as good as we could hope for and I made the right decision with BMx given the final path.

BS did not seem too concerned about my inability to eat anything but soft bread and broth after 2 weeks. Great for the diet and probably the result of reflux history aggravated by surgery.

Best wishes tomorrow Bippy. Don't over do after. I'm still exhausted.

Scottie

Hey everybody! Been too busy to post much.

I think my expanders know they're coming out on Friday. They have been giving me a fit for the past week or so; I guess they're getting in the last bit of mischief they can!!!

I think I may be developing a little lymphedema in my left arm. Need to see the doc about that.

Good news Scotty!!!

Bippy, good luck tomorrow.

Pinkninja, never heard of that med. I had norco and valium after my bmx. Stopped the valium after 10 days because it made me too emotional, or so I thought at the time. I think it was a combo of it, the anesthesia leaving my system and stress. I've taken it a couple of times after fills and it didn't bother me. I don;t plan on taking it all the time after this next sx, though, hopefully just for a few days.

Bippy I also taped the TCM movies Love anything noir! Wishing you healing. Gentle hugs!

Hi Erin, I go in January 13th and am also a nervous wreck. I have never been under, had surgery or for that matter been in a hospital. Is it more of the unknown that is scaring me so much? Thanks, VeraAnn

The anticipation is more than the surgery. Waiting makes it harder stil. Just think it will soon be past I had a bunion repair in June and have to say it was much more of a challenge than the DMX. Just had them keep giving me Tylenol for the first 48 hours. The hardest part is forcing yourself not to do stuff after to allow for optimal healing. Gentle hugs!

Hi all!
First of all, I would like to Thank everyone for sharing their experiences. I'm finally having my bilateral mastectomy on Monday 12/22. I was diagnosed on 11/4 with IDC. Tumor size is about 3cm (per MRI). I am So nervous and anxious about the surgery. I've never had a major surgery so that ups my anxiety to say the least.
It's nice to hear that the procedure wasn't as bad as some of you guys expected it to be. I'm praying that I have the same experience
Hugs. ....

Scottiemom11;

Sorry about your rough night.  I'm in a similar boat.  Two week post op and went to work yesterday.  Came home crying.  I over-did it too.  Today I'm painful, sick and sad.

What do our BC sisters say about recovery?  When does the pain ease?   

I understand our journeys are all different, but knowing more helps.

Scottiemom11, I hope you're feeling better and the Jacuzzi is waiting for you.

Back to work in 2 weeks??? No way! My original plan was 4 weeks. Spending almost a week in the hospital for an infection pushed it to 5 weeks. The extra surgery on the day I was supposed to go back made it 6 weeks. That first week back I didn't work full days. I work in accounting, so I just do desk work, too.

I'm planning on just 2 weeks w/ the exchange, but if I need to stay out longer I will.

Scottiemom, I would ask your PS about exercising. I would think that doing the wall crawl should be OK, but I'd still ask. I wouldn't go back to t-rex because that might delay your recovery. The shooting pains will happen either way because that's the nerves healing.

The next person who says, "Sorry you have cancer, but at least you got new perky boobs out of it" is going to get punched in the face. Yeah sure, it's just one little surgery after which you wake refreshed...no pain, no worrying, no recovery, no tears, no disappointments...and poof...a perfect pair of boobs! That's the way it goes, right? WRONG. Although some of us have it easier than others, the word easy means something entirely different for us. There is NOTHING easy or perfect about anything connected with breast cancer.

As someone who has been through 5 recoveries, my advice to those suffering is stop doing things. Your body is trying to tell you something. Pain is the language it uses to get your attention. It needs you to back off and let it concentrate its energy toward healing. Now is not the time to start exercises or anything else for that matter. One of these days you'll be an old hand like me and it will be you saying these same things to the ones coming up.

On another note, I was at the hospital this morning doing my final pre-op labs & meeting with the anesthesiologist. My husband works two floors up in the Burn Unit and my upcoming surgery is #6, so he said he would go ahead and go to work rather than sit and wait with me - again. He walked 100 feet to the elevator, walked through the doors and collapsed. Fortunately one of his co-workers was in the elevator. The next thing he knew he was in the ER with no idea what happened. He did not have a heart attack or stroke. He was admitted to the hospital and the internal medicine docs were running tests all day. When I left, he was getting a blood transfusion. We knew he has been anemic since the spring due to a bite by a brown recluse spider, but he was getting better. It's a puzzle. Meanwhile, I am still having surgery Friday. I've been through it enough times to do it all blindfolded, so I'll just drive myself to the hospital, go to his hospital room to give my husband the keys, then hop onto the OR table. I should be released on day two. Whoever gets out of the hospital first drives home and comes back the next day to pick up the other one. Good thing this didn't happen before one of my earlier surgeries.