July 2015 Surgery Sisters

Eager to overdo it? My sympathies. If I got stuck with a more involved cancer treatment plan, the oncology team would need to assign someone 24/7 to sit on my head and expound with me why that was not possible.

hello all....surgery all done, seemed to go very well. Will need to wait for final path report etc but bs says all looked very good to her.honestly, her confidence is quite contagious,

I am comfortable on a combo of ES Tylenol and ibuprofen

Back to rest mode. More later

Good thoughts to all and more hugs (from the left for me )

Octogirl

mfana. . .I did not really understand everything about BMx before my surgery but my BS did explain the difference between nipple sparing and skin sparing etc. . .she did tell me that they can't get all of the breast tissue and on my 6-month follow-up she explained that any recurrence will show up as a pea-size hard lump right under my skin (i.e. over the implants that I'm getting in a week). So I have visits with her every 6 months for the next 5 years. I was not given the option of nipple sparing and did not ask, but I believe it was due to the location of my one ILC. In any case I find not having them is liberating (my PS was laughing about that with me at my pre-surgery visit this week. I may get tattooed.

I wish I had not been in so much shock before my BMx. I would have asked more questions about my path reports and such, but both my BS and my PS gave me detailed explanations which in retrospect I now understand. I encourage everyone to ask questions and call your surgeon or their office back if you think of something after the visit.

Jenpam welcome. If you are off the pain meds after only a week that is amazing. Please rest.

Bunnybumps vent away, I totally understand. I have to have a chest xray at pre-op today. I jokingly asked PS if they want to make sure I don't have pneumonia. She responded that she orders them for all of her BC patients before exchange because they have to make sure there is nothing in my lungs before surgery. I hated my MRIs, my bone scan everything. It's so hard going through all of these tests and then waiting. HUGS

Hugs to all recovery and undergoing surgery. I have pre-op at hospital today after a 15-hour work day yesterday (only happens 3 days a year) so I'm beat.

Scottie

rash? I had that when my gall bladder was removed. I was taking Percoset.

Hi ladies,

I thought I would join you. I am 1.5 weeks away from my Lx and snlb. I am getting anxious to get it over with and also a bit worried about my right breast. I have left a message for the BS asking for a MRI for my peace of mind . We will see what she says

Thank you for the reassurance that asking is the right thing to do, octogirl. I am going to a top notch cancer center so not sure why this isn't routine to check the other breast or do more imaging. After getting my full path report this week from my needle core biopsy I decided I really need to have everything checked. I do not want to worry or face another surgery in the future.

BMX July 20th

Hi ispy,

City of Hope. The South Pasadena Satellite office. I see you are a So Cal woman, too!

I'm finally scheduled for a R mastectomy on the 22nd. I'll have an expander placed and decide later on the DIEP vs other type of implant. My surgeon said the team thinks I'll ned chemo because the tumor is over 3 cm, but she's not so sure. She is a great support. I have a16 year old sonwith cerebral palsy who is is total care, so I'm very nervous.

I should long on as Queen Cramp! I had a tough time in Chemo (and for years) with leg cramps. Solution? so simple it makes me feel stuipid. Pedialite (gatoraide) I have always been a water drinker and it seems that I pee out all my electrolites. (spelling?) Years of having bananas forced on me (magnesium-which I HATE) I find that if I drink some with a meal (or at signs of fatigue/dizziness) I can skip over leg cramps.. Surgery on July 22 and in my bag... Pedialite.

Brx10466, what a year you're having. I can relate, as we had five family members pass away all before April of this year. Please accept my deepest sympathy. It feels like the hits keep coming. The best tip I can give you is to be kind to yourself, in every way. You deserve it.

Greendolphin and Mavski80, looks like we're a trio for Monday.

Saw the PS today. Turns out some blood vessels needed for the DIEP were cut during hysterectomy. On the right side, the rest are very, very small, so he will have to take part of the muscle to keep the odds of success at 99%. Left side is better, still small, but usable. The weirdest news is the main vessel they use is usually located below the navel, whereas on on me it's above, so that means my scar will be higher up. I have no problem with this, as I've never been a bikini kinda chick. Figures - somebody did not follow their IKEA instructions correctly when they built me. He checked again to see how much skin, fat and muscle was available - probably just enough to keep me at the same size. So fingers crossed, surgery is a go. It's just going to be longer than anticipated, I'm going to lose some stomach muscle, and recovery will be tougher.

Ssteacher, thinking about you and hoping you're recovering well today!

acr2015 left mastectomy, te 7/13

Brx: yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me after my surgeries--feeling OK for the first couple of days, but felt like I'd been hit by a brick wall by the fourth or fifth. I'm sure there's a physiological explanation, but I can only guess that a) the analgesic effects of anesthesia take a while to wear off and b) your body takes a day or two to realize it's gone through surgery.

Welcome, ACR2015!

Carolyn62, I had a double BMX with reconstruction on 7/7 so I am about a week and a half out- I found button up silky/satiny pi's to be so important- it was amazing the difference the silky material made in being able to slide in and out of bed. I'm so glad I read that here on the boards!

I, too, am a side-sleeper and I've found that if I sort of twist my lower body to the right and turn my head to the right while propped up on my pillows, I can almost trick myself into thinking I'm on my side. Kinda!!

Prayers coming your way for Wednesday!!