March 2015 Surgery Sisters

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  • ladyduffer
    ladyduffer Member Posts: 40
    edited March 2015

    Best wishes and good luck tomorrow DawnMarie!

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    OK, I'm calling PS tomorrow. My left boob is now at least a d size and is 3 times the size of the other side. My incision is red and small tears are forming with fluid leaking out. I don't have a fever, but it hurts so bad. Last week they told me to wait until my exchange on the 26th to deal with it but it has gotten so much worse. I swear I'm going to cry on the phone if they don't do something. My dh is even worried and he never worries. Sorry to be a downer...hope you all are doing great!

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  • patty101014
    patty101014 Member Posts: 53
    edited March 2015

    Amy, it breaks my heart that you have had such a difficult time. Prayers and hugs for you and all who are recovering or facing surgery.

    My surgery has been scheduled for Aoril 6th. Still planning BMX with expanders. I will also have LD flap on the right side

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  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited March 2015

    justamy;

    Are you taking any drugs that would mask a fever, like Tylenol? I am very concerned at the size change, redness, and increased drainage. Those are all signs I have been told to watch for after both my surgeries as they can signal infection. I've gone to ER in the middle of the night after my original surgery for a lot less....and been glad I did.

    Does your PS have an emergency number or protocol?

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    Well...I've actually had a fever until today for a week and even today I've have a very low fever. I have been taking meds for headaches etc. My whole family has had a virus so I attributed my fever to that. When I called last Thursday, they didn't even ask if I had a fever. I will get in tomorrow because it really hurts and is obviously wrong. I'm not going to be able to have surgery in a week and a half if I'm swollen and infected.

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  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited March 2015

    Amy, I'm so sorry!  That sounds miserable.  Hopefully your PS can get you in first thing this morning. Let us know what they had to say.  I know infection can set in at any time, but really?  You are SO CLOSE!! 

    DawnMarie, good luck today, we're thinking of you!

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  • gypsyjo
    gypsyjo Member Posts: 304
    edited March 2015

    It sounds like an infection I had after my core biopsy. Please get it checked out. You will feel better regardless.

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  • gypsyjo
    gypsyjo Member Posts: 304
    edited March 2015

    DawnMarie,

    Positive thoughts coming your way.

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    I have an appointment at 3:45 today. I'll let you all know what is going on. Thanks for all of the encouragement. Hugs Amy

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  • gypsyjo
    gypsyjo Member Posts: 304
    edited March 2015

    Good for you, justamy. It is probably something easily addressed. Positive thoughts coming your way!


     

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  • AudreyB
    AudreyB Member Posts: 377
    edited March 2015

    So Friday I had follow-up with BS for SNB.  The nurse practioner was showing me how to massage the scar tissue from bilateral lumpectomies, but when she pressed on the left side scar, I think she disrupted the healing of the SNB site.  I woke up Saturday with the worst pain under my left arm and into the top of my left breast (tumor site).  It hurt so much I cried.  The pain subsided but a dull ache with occasional shooting pain deep into the breast is what I'm left to deal with.  Even today at work I am pretty uncomfortable.  I feel like she set me back a week.  Also, the scar from SNB is very different from lumpectomy.  It is much thicker, and way more tender.  I just took off the surgistrips yesterday.

    Also, I got a very sharp pain on the back of my left shoulder several times yesterday, felt like my clothes were burning into my skin.  There is nothing there, just the feeling.  Such a strange thing.  And, even stranger, my right underarm was giving up sympathy pain, if that's even possible.  I only had SNB on left side, but the right side seems to be jealous and wants in on the action.  Has this ever happened to anyone?

    All in all, I'm ok.  Doing more research and trying to decide what I want to do, treatment or mastectomy.  I'm a good candidate for treatment, but it scares me just as much as mastectomy does.


     

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    That burning feeling is terrible. I had it for a few weeks after my mastectomy. It killed me even if clothes touched it. I took perkocet w it was at its worst. Supposedly it's from the nerves being cut. I'm not sure if it's the same w a lumpectomy. I had a BMX and treatment. To be honest, i would have opted out of chemo and had a BMX if it was one or the other. Chemo did it's job with me but it was not fun to say the least.

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  • AudreyB
    AudreyB Member Posts: 377
    edited March 2015


    Thanks Amy!  Good luck at your Dr. Apt.  I can't wait for the day you are free of all your worries and pain and finally on the road to recovery.

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  • CatsRus
    CatsRus Member Posts: 310
    edited March 2015

    DawnMarie, thinking of you today and hoping all goes well... take care.

    Justamy, good luck with your appointment this afternoon. Hope the issue is quickly and easily resolved.

    AudreyB, sorry to hear of your pain today. Hope you are feeling better very soon.

    Ashtore1 and bigcmel, sending good thoughts for tomorrow.

    I had a follow up with BS today and she took the drain out...yeah!! I feel so much more comfortable. She took one dressing off that covered the whole area so now I just have dressing on the actually incision. So very glad the drain is out though. After milking it first thing this morning, I experienced quite a bit of pain - not sure if I pressed on it too hard or what but it hurt. Getting it out turned out to be no problem but, just in case, I had dosed myself up with pain killers expecting the follow up visit to be pain inflicting :-) The nurses at the hospital warned me to take painkillers before my follow up visit and being a wimp I did as I was told.

    Now the agonizing wait for the pathology report.... ugh... fingers crossed.

    Be well everyone!

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  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited March 2015

    justamy,

    Glad you are going to see PS. Keep us updated.

    CatRus, yay for drain removal!

    AudreyB, I had no nodes removed but my sides and armpits felt like they were raw and badly sunburned for a while after my MX, as others pointed out it has to do with nerves being cut. It was such a frustrating and uncomfortable feeling. I used soft cool packs under my arms and it seemed to do the trick in calming things down. Be careful though as you don't have sensation in certain areas and you do risk frostbite or hindering blood flow and healing . I made sure they were not on any incision areas or breasts themselves, were wrapped in a towel, and only left them on 10 minutes at a time, once an hour.

    I went back to work today. I did not expect to be able to go back for a week but I just felt eager to go back today. I did get a ride in though from my husband as it snowed quite a bit overnight and I did not want my first drive to have the added "fun" of slippery roads or risk of getting stuck in my backlane when I can't shovel! Snow is melting and it is back up to 14 C tomorrow so I should be fine tomorrow.

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  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited March 2015

    Divecat, you ROCK!!  I can't believe you're back to work already, good for you. 

    Audrey, I did not have full dissection, only SNB with 3 nodes removed but I have to tell you my armpit is STILL numb and tender five months out.  I agree with the others - that burning pain is probably due to severed nerve endings and you have to figure they were in there digging around and your body didn't like it very much!  I've had (and still have) lots of aches and pains and I just add it to the "because of BC column".   

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  • NY2TXbaby
    NY2TXbaby Member Posts: 171
    edited March 2015

    heading back to surgery this week Wednesday the 18th for BMX as LX did not get us clean margins. Not worried about surgery just more worried about how I will feel and deal with my new body. Because I still need to do radiation I opted to postpone any type of reconstruction until later. I didn't want to risk any type of complications and risk having my rad treatments interrupted. So many decisions to make and none of them good ones. Have my sis in law here with new own NdI yo hubby so it know i will get thru the this. Wishing all my other March surgery sisters strength and good results with few SE.

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  • farmerjo
    farmerjo Member Posts: 518
    edited March 2015

    Ny2txbaby-so sorry to hear!  Two days? ? Glad you are waiting on reconstruction issues... You have a lot on your plate and it's hard to make an informed decision in 48 hours. 

    Hang in there!  As hard as it is to believe right now, it will get better. 

    Hugs. 

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  • angmom41
    angmom41 Member Posts: 27
    edited March 2015

    Good luck Amy, glad you are going to get some answers!

    NY2TXbaby-wow not much time to get ready for surgery...but you will do great. I felt so much better after surgery than I thought, but it is really hard to do much of anything. Good luck to you!

    Ashtore1 and lbigcmel--good luck to you tomorrow. Positive thoughts for you both.

    AudreyB-my armpits are numb but very tender. I'm not even sure how many nodes they removed for my SNB, but I'm sure I could tell you where they took them out!

    I think the most frustrating part of this recovery so far is that everyday I don't necessarily feel better than the day before. Sometimes it feels like I'm taking a step back before another step forward. Especially with these drains! I am hoping that the 2 drains on my right side will come out on Wednesday, but I'm doubting about the left. They are causing most of my pain too. I really think I could go with just tylenol if it weren't for the drains hurting when I move around. It's better than it was on Saturday, but still enough to make me need the extra pain medicine.

    And still no pathology news yet....


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  • AudreyB
    AudreyB Member Posts: 377
    edited March 2015

    So sorry NY2Txbaby. We go through so much. Your turnaround time is quick. At least no time to dwell. My SNB we rushed so I wouldn't have to go to hospital for PST. Silver linings?Best wishes for a successful surgery and smooth recovery.

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  • ladyduffer
    ladyduffer Member Posts: 40
    edited March 2015

    Good luck tomorrow Ashtore and Bigcmel, hope your surgeries go well.


     

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  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited March 2015

    NY2TXbaby,

    Ugh, I am sorry you have to go back in for MX. ILC is such a tricky and sneaky bastard that certainly makes it more difficult to get clean margins at times. And you certainly don't have much time to wrap your head around the idea of MX, never mind recon, so waiting to consider recon options is a good idea. Rads generally contradicts implants, but there are newer techniques (fat grafting beforehand) that seem to result in improved outcomes, and tissue reconstruction is generally something that works very well with radiated breasts. So you will still have lots of options to explore, including of course going flat, which many women on these forums also do

    Wishing you a smooth surgery and recovery on Wednesday. It will be an adjustment, and you won't know how you will feel until it is done, but I know you will have support however you feel.

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    Well I went to PS and he looked it over and confirmed that it was a seroma. He said we really can't do anything until surgery on the 26th. Then they will just take out my TE, clean out the fluid that's built up and put in the implant. The only concern is if it gets infected. He is reasonably certain that it won't. If it gets red or I get a fever, I am supposed to call immediately. So 10 more days of sheer discomfort, then surgery...

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  • justamy
    justamy Member Posts: 532
    edited March 2015

    Ashtore and Bigcmel: praying for you as you have your surgeries tomorrow. Hugs Amy

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  • robinblessed54
    robinblessed54 Member Posts: 578
    edited March 2015

    Justamy, Oh my gosh! I am so sorry you have to go through this! Monitor yourself carefully. It will be over soon and the healing will begin. Take care , robinblesse

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  • robinblessed54
    robinblessed54 Member Posts: 578
    edited March 2015

    Divecat, you have that right about ILC! That is why I didn't even mess with anything other than Mx and prophylactic MX on right. I didn't want to worry everyday that the beast might rear it's ugly head on the other side.

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  • ladyduffer
    ladyduffer Member Posts: 40
    edited March 2015

    So sorry you have to go through all that Justamy.  Try and hang in there, but I'm sure it's hard.

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  • hummingbirdlover
    hummingbirdlover Member Posts: 421
    edited March 2015

    NY2TX, good luck tomorrow. I'm sorry you're facing surgery again so soon but I think you'll feel better after. I'm just moving forward with reconstruction after being flat for 5 months and at least I feel clear about my choices and healthy and ready to take this next step. I'll be praying for you tomorrow

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  • NY2TXbaby
    NY2TXbaby Member Posts: 171
    edited March 2015

    thank you everyone for the well wishes. Hope I can sleep tonight since I have to be at the hospital at 6am - hugs to all

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  • CatsRus
    CatsRus Member Posts: 310
    edited March 2015

    Sending good wishes for tomorrow NY2TXbaby.....

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