December 2014 Surgery Sisters

so I missed driving my hot rod so much that I decided to go out and do a little shopping today.at least I was smart enough to take a friend. We were in a store for about an hour and by the time we left, I was ready to cry because I hurt so bad. I figured I had bmx Dec 10 so I should be able to drive a little but it was hard to turn my wheel and also back up because I couldn't really turn around. Think I'll wait at least another week before I try to drive again.

I thought I'd be off the pain meds by now but I can't even get up and shower without them. How long are we supposed to be on them? The Valium definitely helps with the tightness but it makes me sleepy during the day. My underarms are still hurting me and they are a part of the te I'm guessing that really hurts. I'm supposed to start with the fills in the next few weeks because it was so right the ps couldn't get any fluid in them

Sorry you've had a bad time with your surgeon  waitingtoexhale15.  This BC craps is hard enough without that.

My surgery was 12/2 and I'm feeling better but similar issues with being winded.  If I do to much, reach too high or lift, I'm reminded I'm not healed yet!!  

I empathize about the look.  I'm certain down the road,  surgeon's can help us.  Hard to look at myself sometimes without sadness but I try to remember that I did what I had too to live.

Sending you gentle hugs and lots of positive hope for better days to come.

(((💓))) 

Chloesmom,

So glad you had a little fun!  It' feels great to start adding pieces of "normal" back to our lives.

Drains. 10 days for me.

Thanks Quiggy - I appreciate the hugs

Here are some of my observations since surgery:

SLEEP - Very hard to sleep on back. I have lined up pillows and tucked pillow under my left arm which is still swollen. Lots of fluid drains to side boobs while laying down. It has gotten easier since drains have been removed, Side sleeping is impossible with much pain and left arm pain.

DRAINS - DRAINS HURT - Dec 1 - 2 drains were placed during BMX surgery SHOULD HAVE BEEN 4 since I was very large breasted. Another problem caused by board certified surgeon. Left drain where cancer was NEVER drained any fluid. Left breast was full of fluid which just swooshed around. Right drained thick blood for days and days. My hemoglobin levels dropped and I needed 2 blood transfusion during first 5 day hospital stay. Infection at suture line formed on day 2.

Dec 10 - (was suppose to be my reconstruction surgery day but infection stopped this). Thank God PS performed surgery to drain infection, reposition drains and added 2 more. Drains became active and the healing began,

Drains are painful. They get more painful as the days go by since they become cumbersome. I was so happy the day before Xmas when my last 2 drains were removed. It was freeing to me.

ENERGY - Since losing blood first week and infection and IVs the next week, I am just now healing and getting my energy back. I become winded easily and dr. appts are about the big activity of the day. I have grocery shopped a few times and each time I feel like I need to sit down at the end. My sister has been my helped and has lifted everything for me. I am trying to walk each day a few houses on the block to try and build me energy.

SPIRITS - I am a 53 yr old divorced women with a 14 yr old daughter. I am very strong and independent but must admit this has been hard on me. I was limited to do anything in Dec including decorated my home. Not driving till last week was also hard since my teenager has many activities. My sister moved in with me to help and has been a godsend but I am experiencing the blues. The look of my breasts after infection and 2 surgeries are horrid. Like a shark attack. I will be asking dr for a mild anti depressant to take the edge off.

LYMPEDONEMA - I believe I am developing this in my left arm. Upper arm is swollen where lymph nodes were removed. I am exercising every day and can lift my arms completely and side to side with little pain. The nerve cut in my left arm is where most of the swelling is. Trying to exercise and lift arms frequently to stretch the muscles and move the fluid around.

I will be finding out the results of the ONCO DX test today and figure out if chemo will be necessary or just hormone therapy.

Well, a lot of crappy news here today. Infections are so devastating and can have repercussions that last long after the infection itself is gone. It took me 15 months and 5 more surgeries but I'm finally on the other side of this nightmare. To those who are dealing with pain and exhaustion, I can say you are perfectly normal. Both are to be expected after such a serious surgery. How long does it last? Each of my 6 recoveries have been different so I can't say from personal experience. The majority of people say they turned a corner at 3 weeks post op but there are plenty who take longer and some who are back to work at 2 weeks...which I can't imagine! Pain drugs are a two headed sword. They can help greatly for a while but there is always a price to pay. Constipation - awful - or a dependence that demands more and more to produce the same effect. After the first crucial week, I believe you should take them if pain is preventing you from doing something that is important to healing...like being able to sleep. But be willing to put up with some discomfort during the day. It's to be expected. You just had surgery. Things hurt for awhile, especially if you are trying to do too much. Pain is a good indicator of what "too much" means. Dulling it completely can be a mistake and lead you to activity that isn't good for you at this point. Sit quietly. Sleep. Your body heals best during sleep. If you can't sleep, maybe take over the counter pain reliever during the day and save the big guns for the night. Sometimes a Valium will help enormously. It isn't a pain reliever. It is a muscle relaxer and will make you drowsy. Perhaps all those pec muscles need is to calm down and stop complaining for a couple of hours.

I wish all of you could see the pictures I just posted on the picture forum of how good my left side looks after this last (Final!!) surgery. To go from a Frankenstein underarm to looking somewhat normal is a miracle to me. The before and after shots on the four pages would give you some hope that your plastic surgeon WILL be able to make you look better. The picture forum is a separate website from BC.org and you just can't go there and look. You apply after you've posted here awhile and the website owners review your posts here to make sure you are a legitimate breast cancer warrior, not just a freak who wants to look at pictures. This is the link to info about joining. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/824546?page=2#top 

Waitingtoexhale, I'm from St. Petersburg too. Small world. I have a house (my mother left to me) in the Tyrone area that my daughter lives in. We visit at least once a year, the next one will be in late March or early April. We have a wedding to attend in Tallahassee on April 11th so not sure if we will go to St. Petersburg before or after. Perhaps we can meet. I've had the opportunity to meet a number of online friends in person during the past year.

Lmcqueen, some doctors take drains out quickly and others have a more conservative approach. It's a balancing act - any opening into the body is an opportunity for infection so I understand why they usually want them out by 3 weeks. However if the drains come out too soon, the fluid will build up and form a pocket called a seroma. It's painful and can become infected, leading to more problems so try to put up with your drains. My surgeon is conservative and wants each drain output to be less than 30 total in a day for two consecutive days. It's not unusual for one drain to put out lots more than the others. The pain isn't from the drain itself, it's from the stitch that closes the opening around the drain. It gets SO SORE and everytime you empty the drains, it seems to feel worse. Immobilizing the drain tubing close to the opening is essential. Tape it to your side in several places to minimize any pulling on it.

I got my drains out at 2 weeks. They each had to put out under 30 cc's before my ps would remove them. It felt so good to take a shower without those things dangling from my meck.

Went to my onco go a follow up and she looked at my incisions and saw that I have a lot of swelling under my arms. She said they're seronomas so I'm seeing ps tomorrow.

Yay Bippy! Freedom at last! In retrospect, I wish I'd waited for recon. Doing it the hard way is exhausting both physically and mentally. I might have even decided against it altogether. Sure would have made life easier than it's been in the past 15 months.

Here is a pic of my fuzzy wuzzy hair growth. My last Chemo was Nov. 17th of the Taxol.

I say the Chemo scared my hair into all white!!! I hope as it grows I get some of my brunette hair in there mixed in with gray like it was!

Me before starting chemo :

Me after I was losing my hair I shaved it off so I would not have bald spots!... But so odd to see how white my hair is now after 5 months of Chemo. Hurry up brunette hair to come in! LOL

This is the new me.... I look at old photos of myself from just a few years ago and see this is not me now of who I am. I am not the same. I was much different back then that's for sure. And now I am much stronger than I was back a few years back, and as I am on this breast cancer journey, it has shown me just how much I have changed, not just physically but emotionally as well.

Time heals all wounds... Stay strong my BC sistas !!!

Hey "Fuzzy"...you are BEAUTIFUL.

I just got my drains removed today. It has been 11 days since surgery. It's nice that they aren't hanging down the front of me anymore. :

!, 'fuzzy'

me too, exhausted easily. Drove myself today shopping at church thrift store, ran into lady that was 18 years ago BC, then cancer free since. Nice woman, took me aback at first, but then we bonded, that short trip made me so tired. Came home and rested remaider of day.

I am cooking again. Roasting chicken! Feels great to be sort of normal. Go for labs tomorrow, then perjeta and herceptin on friday. Hope to shop tomorrow afterwards with hubster for my ebay store stock.

We are ordering out for new years, Or going out for early supper. May have a bonfire to burn some wristbands and other unneeded cancer papers......

All the best health and happiness to all my sistahs, wherever you are on this journey

Bippy,

Good idea about the wristbands. I've been collecting mine all in one place. Way too many.

Happy New Year all!

Got the best possible news from onco today. . .confirmed no chemo and bone scan was negative (stessed that one because of false positives possibility).

Welcome Gingercake.

Scottie