January 2015 Surgery Sisters

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  • Positive_spirit
    Positive_spirit Member Posts: 218
    edited February 2015

    thank you all for taking about the tightness of implants, feeling of pumped up armpits, iron clad bra syndrome. I laughed because this experience is mine too. God, I feel jammed together between my external skin and chest wall with the implants. I am hoping they settle down with time

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  • Positive_spirit
    Positive_spirit Member Posts: 218
    edited February 2015

    so happy for you amy

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  • Jmo06
    Jmo06 Member Posts: 159
    edited February 2015

    congrats justamy 👏👏

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  • Loveroflife
    Loveroflife Member Posts: 5,563
    edited February 2015

    Thinking about you too, MrsTee.

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  • DaisyQ
    DaisyQ Member Posts: 123
    edited February 2015

    After 3 weeks, the drains are out! And I got a fill..60cc's. 2-3 more fills then it's on to radiation.

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited February 2015

    Looks like my drains will be coming out this week.

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  • Jmo06
    Jmo06 Member Posts: 159
    edited February 2015

    yeah M0mmyof2 ... and yeah no hospital stay 4 mom

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  • Hygeia
    Hygeia Member Posts: 50
    edited February 2015

    Hello everyone,

    It's been quite a long time since I've written.  I had  lumpectomy:  two small ILC tumors, excisions of papillomas and SNL node dissection on rt breast; lumpectomy/excision of papillomas on left breast.  On left side, no cancer & on rt side, clear nodes (0/2) and all cancerous tumors removed (& clear margins).  It took 12 days to get path rpt, so I had high anxiety.  Surgical follow-up 1/26/15  and all went well.  I've had some soreness but no real pain.

    Met w/RO & w/Oncologist on 2/04/15 and RO informed me that I'll have 19 rounds of rads.  Then met w/Onco who explained that it was noted in path rpt evidence of vascular invasion, so chemo (12 weeks) may be in the picture, and that would come before rads, then AIs. Chemo had never been mentioned before, so I am concerned.  My tumors have just been sent for Onco DX test.  Aren't we so fortunate to have available to each of us such sophhisticated diagnostic capability?  If my score is low to intermediate, no chemo.  But if high, then yes.  So I feel a bit in limbo for the next 3-4 weeks until the results are in.

    I must share with you the lovely gesture done by my colleagues.  We are a group of 14.  Each of them contributed fabric which reminded them of me.  One of these colleagues is an avid quilter and created a magnificent "comfort quilt" of hearts and stars, with a remembrance book in which each friend wrote something from the soul.  Not only that, a second quilt consisting of squares in geometric design was presented to my 27-yr-old son!  I didn't know what to say.  What a wonderful gift and we'll treasure them forever.

    Well!  I truly hope each of you feels better day by day.  I don't write often but I read your posts and think of you every day.

    Love to all 

    Hygeia

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  • Msmath
    Msmath Member Posts: 77
    edited February 2015

    heading back to PS tomorrow hopefully to get my first fill. I was a little scared by what I saw this past week with my nipples. Thankfully they are doing better and healing nicely. Still hard to look at but thankful I was able to spare some of my old self. Pathology report came back with all clear on the nodes!!!! They did find an additional area of cancer in the RB but the BMX took care of that. My 16 yr old has had an ultrasound on her RB and is going to my surgeon next week I'm praying

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited February 2015

    Good news all around today!

    DaisyQ -- bet you're enjoying being drain-free!

    M0mmyof2 -- you're next to lose yours!

    Jmo06 -- good news about your Mom!

    Hygeia -- nice to hear from you and that your surgery went well! I'll be doing rads as well.

    Ms. Math -- glad to hear that your nipples are healing well. Best wishes for b9 results for your 16 year old.

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  • JJ47
    JJ47 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2015

    Congratulations justamy!!

    Thank you for sharing your experience with the TE's DaisyQ. I just got my last two drains out yesterday and I am happy to finally be drain free! I hope you got yours out as well. I have heard once I get a fill the pain won't be as bad, so i am hoping this holds true for me. I was an A cup so I didn't get any fill after they put them in, kind of indented looking now. I get my first fill on this coming Monday so I am hopeful. Sneezing is by far the worse! I didn't know whether to hold on to a chair or my chest! ;) No more sneezing!

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2015

    I also can't wait to get my drains taken out. I kind of started over again today with them because my doctor took the TV out of the old and put new one and today after my surgery. So maybe in 2 weeks.


    the surgery moves my TE's into the right spot and now it is very uncomfortable. I hope it gets better with time. it helps so much knowing that there are other women who understand how I feel physically and emotionally thank you all for your help and honesty. Hug Amy

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  • Jmo06
    Jmo06 Member Posts: 159
    edited February 2015

    wow so nice Hygeia

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  • Loveroflife
    Loveroflife Member Posts: 5,563
    edited February 2015

    Amy, good to hear that you are uncomfortable rather than with severe pain. The discomfort will improve. Hang in there. Listen to the PS and don't do too much. The more you do the more you will drain. Praying that you are on the road to recovery and no more rough rides for you.

    Jmo06, what a relief that your mom doesn't have to be hospitalized.

    JJ47, take a motrin b4 the fill. I had spasm in my back and shoulder after the first fill. Icing and massage really helped me. If you decide to ice, just make sure you don't ice near the mastectomy site because it can affect blood flow to the area and that in turn can delay healing. Check with your PS first. As far as sneezing/coughing, pressing a pillow on the chest helped me...when I caught it in time of course lol.

    Hygeia, good to hear from you too. Hoping for low oncotype. Does vascular invasion automatically warrant chemo? I wonder how they can tell how far the cancer cells travel through the blood vessels. Thank you for sharing your story of your loving colleagues...such blessing to have compassionate friends.

    MsMath, so glad to hear that your nipples are healing. Praying for favorable result for your daughter...how scary. I have a sixteen year old daughter too.

    Mommyof2, you will feel so much better with the removal of those dreaded drains.

    DaisyQ, I'm jealous. JK. I was only able to get 40cc, but that's ok...no rush. Can't wait to be done with the TE though.

    Elaine, I didn't get my full range of motion until after seven or eight weeks. You will get there. Just becareful with carrying anything heavy on the affected side. I think I mentioned this before to CassieCat- I developed cording by hauling the vacuum upstairs. Cording is painful and I have high pain tolerance too.

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  • JJ47
    JJ47 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2015

    Thank you Loveroflife for the tips, very much appreciated!!

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited February 2015

    The drains may come out today. Looking forward to my first shower since before the surgery! 

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  • Loveroflife
    Loveroflife Member Posts: 5,563
    edited February 2015

    Mommyof2, the first shower will be heavenly. Enjoy

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited February 2015

    I will! Been dying for one! Spong baths are the pits!


     

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  • ljamia66
    ljamia66 Member Posts: 7
    edited February 2015

    Yesterday I went to my PS and he removed the last two drains (been in four weeks) event though the fluid levels were above 30cc because he was concerned about potential infection. He had 90 cc put into the expanders in order to close up the pocket the drain. I woke up today with both incisions spots leaking lots of fluid. Dr's office said this was normal for 2 to 3 days....has anyone else experienced this? I am constantly changing the bandage...

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  • Loveroflife
    Loveroflife Member Posts: 5,563
    edited February 2015

    ljamia66, I had 2 drains on one side that were removed at different times. One drained more than the other. I did have fluid soaking the gauze with the removal of the second one for only half of the day (I was down to 10cc of fluid when they removed the second drain). I'm thinking because you had more than 30 cc output at the time of drain removal, you may have a few days of leakage. From what I understand, they don't like to keep the drain in for more than 4 weeks because of increased risk of infection.

    Just make sure you put triple antibiotics ointment on the incision sites to help prevent infection. I think it's good that the fluid is coming out, otherwise you might develop seroma.

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  • ljamia66
    ljamia66 Member Posts: 7
    edited February 2015

    Loveroflife, thank you for your response. I just wished the dr warned me that this may happen. Didn't like waking up to a soaked shirt. I put absorbent pads over the incisions (a friend had major surgery last year and he told me to tape a mini pad over the incisions and it works great...lol). Now I do not have to change the dressing every 20 minutes. Hopefully it will slow down before the weekend, would love to finally get out and enjoy again!

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited February 2015

    Got my drains out today. Little bit of leakage but not concerned. Probably will change the gauze and put some ointment on it before I go to bed.

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  • AudreyB
    AudreyB Member Posts: 377
    edited February 2015

    Congratulations MOmmyOf2.

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  • M0mmyof3
    M0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,696
    edited February 2015

    ty

    Forgot how much those things hurt when they take them out. Good thing I had taken some Tylenol prior to their removal, it cut down on the pain.

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  • CassieCat
    CassieCat Member Posts: 1,257
    edited February 2015

    Congrats to all getting drains out and making it through recovery!

    I start rads tomorrow and have been stretching and working on my range of motion every day. I really hope that it's more comfortable tomorrow than it was last week. An hour with my arms up over my head? Yikes.

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  • Jmo06
    Jmo06 Member Posts: 159
    edited February 2015

    so moms infection looking a lot better. way less red. Yeah. looks like draining the fluids worked.

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  • TealWarrior
    TealWarrior Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2015

    Hello Ladies,

    I had my BMX on 1/12/15 with direct implants, nipple sparing. I just finished reading through most of the posts on this thread and I'm wishing you all speedy healing and peaceful thoughts.

    I'm just wondering if anyone else is feeling some of the weirdness I'm dealing with. Some of this I posted on another thread. I feel a need to have pressure against my nipples otherwise when I move it feels disgustingly weird, like they're not really attached. My entire breasts feel a sticky pain, kinda like a bad burn that's healing but still sticky. The swelling under my arm pits and on the side of my breasts (near drain scars) is still very uncomfortable, numb, and I can't stand anything touching that area. I've tried a bevy of sports bras and nothing's comfortable.

    Sorry if I sound whiney, just thought I'd feel better by this point and not seeing a lot of comments about what I'm feeling so I don't know if it's normal.

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2015

    This pain is terrible. I thought it was bad before the TE's got fixed.Man that was nothing compared to this. They had to stitch the side of the each breast.. Right under my armpit. That hurts the worst. Then you have to wear bandages and this post surgical bra to hold everything in place. After the mastectomy I was hurting but some of that was due to me overdoing it. Now I genuinely have trex arms and have to ask dd to reach and pick up everything for me. I am taking my 5 mg of perkoset along withith 800 mg of IB every 4 hours and the pain is only slightly muted but still bad. The real prob is that my Dr. Is an hour away, so if I need more meds...I have to get my dh to drive me there... Anyway..I hope it is under control soon. Thanks for listening to my pain induced whining. Hugs to all.. Amy

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  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 2,026
    edited February 2015

    Oh my, dearest Amy you have suffered so much. I pray that this will subside soon. Love, Jean

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  • Loveroflife
    Loveroflife Member Posts: 5,563
    edited February 2015

    Oh Amy, so sorry you still have to deal with so much pain. Ultram, unlike Norco and Percocet,is a pain med that can be called in to the pharmacy...just in case you decide you would like additional pain management.Make sure you drink plenty of fluid while on motrin

    TealWarrior, I am sure MsMath will chime in soon. She and I think two other ladies on this thread had nipple sparing MX.

    CassieCat, hope radiation goes well

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