SEPTEMBER 2015 Surgery Sisters

Tina - that's great news!!! I'm so glad you were able to find something comfortable finally!!!

Actually heading back to my apt to stay for the first time since surgery (I've been recouping at my parents house). I'm nervous although I'll be closer to all of my doctors and my fill appt is on tues. Nervous!!!!

I can totally relate to being nervous about your first fill and heading back home. I will be thinking about you and sending positive thoughts your way. I'm sure all will be fine

You'll have to keep us all updated. Especially about the first fill. Mine will be the following week after yours.

Tina - I took 1/2 my pain pill, 1 Valium and my Melatonin and I sleep good for 4-5 hours. I have to get up to pee after that. Then I usually take the other 1/2 pain pill and sleep another 2 or 3 hours. I still have 1 drain. Should come out next week. One night I didn't take anything for pain and it was horrible. If I stay on top of it I do okay. Glad you are in your own bed. I had only RT MX so I was able to sleep propped up with pillows. The Valium really helps to relax the tight pectoral muscle. 

Rainny - what did MO say? I am sorry if I missed something but why more chemo? My PS is keeping bandage on incision for now. I am 10 days postop so I haven't seen scar. Inevitable and I know it will be upsetting. What gets me through everyday is trying to keep somekind of normalcy in my everyday life. A new normal for sure. 

NYNJ- this is your last weekend before work? Glad your steri-strip off! What are you wearing for support bra wise ? When I am home I wear nothing because it irritates drain site. I wear my Cooby bra when I am out and about. 

Katherine - how are you doing? How is pain? Wondering if you need pain meds?I am taking Percoset and I need it for sure. 

Penny- did you see Alloderm video? 

Everyone have a great Saturday. We are going to start getting stuff put away for winter. Bikes, hoses, lawn chairs etc. winter in Idaho comes fast. I have one good arm and I can supervise. Lol

Patty

thanks for all the info and support ladies! I'm so used to having my parents do the cooking and laundry so I'm nervous about being on my own.

The fill equally scares me. I think I might just close my eyes and have them tell me when it's over. I'll keep you all posted though.

pMR - Turns out my disability was approved till 11/2 so I'm pondering about going back to work the week of the 26th or 11/2. It'll depend on how I'm feeling after the fills and my boredom level. Currently Im Using the bras my PS gave me but they are so irritating on my "sunburned" skin. I think I'm going to purchase some coobie bras this week. Any insights on which ones to get?

NYNC- yea for disability!! Take the time. Pamper your self!! You deserve it. I do not miss my horribly stressful job and I keep myself busy. I ordered the Cooby Comfort bra. I love it. Order it one size bigger. They run small. 

Penny- I forgot to tell you it was animated I liked that part too, although I am a nurse so nothing medical bothers me. I am currently watching Scandal on Netflix, I will start The Affair when I am done. Good tip! I haven't been given any exercises yet. I still have a drain left. I will ask next time I go in!

Have a good night all!

Patty

PMf - have you tried any of the other bras? I'm looking at the scoop neck and vneck....

Hi everyone. I'm having mastectomy on the October 29th with a tissue expander. I was supposed to have diep flap reconstruction but now I can't because I had one positive node. They said I could do chemo before or after, I'm doing surgery first. I'm very scared and nervous.

Hi Swimmersmom, I haven't had my mastectomy yet but did have the sentinel biopsy almost 2 weeks ago. I have bad pain in that exact area for 2.5 days. It also is in my breast as well. I can feel it when I take a deep breath. I wonder if it is referred pain from inflamed nerves. Of course there is no one in the office until tomorrow. The pain is worse now than the week of the procedure. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi--new here (well, began posting w/in the past few days). Had my lumpectomy w/sentinel node biopsy on Sep. 23. All was going well until this past Fri., when while I was leaning over the bathroom sink the incision at the sentinel node site suddenly ruptured (it had been closed with only steri-strips which I was told to remove by Thurs.) and the seroma beneath it gushed like an oil well, totally soaking my bra, blouse and waistband. Had to make an emergency trip to the breast center, where one of the surgeons sutured it. He said that probably a major contributing factor was the extreme size, and consequently weight, of my breast (I am otherwise overweight but not obese) pulling the incision open. Hard enough finding non-underwire bras in my size (38I), and now apparently I'm finding out they provide inadequate support. So now I'm wearing an Ace wrap as a binder over the soft-cup bras to prevent jiggling. Wondering if I ought to revert to my underwires (the wires don't touch either incision) placing extra padding between the wire and skin. I had just started wearing underwires again (with my RO's permission) the day before, when this happened. Now I have to wait for the newly sutured incision to heal before I can start radiation--even though it'll be partial, aimed only at the tumor cavity. I'll find out more at my sim session this Wed.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and continuing to improve!

Things went well at the MO on Friday. I'd originally been told I'd have more chemo after surgery, with rads after that. (It was a very aggressive cancer.) But based on the pathology report, they decided to skip the chemo and go straight to rads, while continuing with Herceptin/Perjeta. I asked the MO--who's not the sort to put a happy face on things--if she was expecting this result from the neoadjuvant chemo. She said no, this was a great result. So, knock wood, things look good for now.

Cute cute cute baby! They are so dear at that age. Well, any age--just dear in different ways, I guess. But he's adorable!

NJNYGirl: I got 3 of the Coobie Scoopneck. They're very comfortable. I might start stacking a couple of the pads in while I'm waiting to be fitted for prostheses. I don't know if you can wear bras during rads, guess I'll find out. I found the surgical bra and another camisole I bought to be very uncomfortable, because I hated the feel of velcro on my skin. I might get the comfort bra if I order more of them; those wide straps look good. No hair loss after surgery--but I'd lost mine in May and it has only started coming back post final chemo in August.

LHarry, I know what you mean about overdoing things. It's hard when you're healing and start to feel fine again. Yesterday, I drove 1.5 hours to see my elderly mum, who hadn't clapped eyes on me since the surgery; stayed overnight, then back this morning. I popped a tylenol before the drive, but between the seatbelt over my chest and my hands in the 10-2 position, it was an achy experience. But worth it.

Lemint, good luck with your surgery. I can tell you that the pain in the node area was far worse than in the actual mastectomy incision, so you may be past the worst of it, though I can't speak to the reconstruction as I'm doing mine later.

Swimmersmom, I hope you get some pain relief when you see the PS. Sorry it's so bad.

ChiSandy, yeah, I had draining from the site where one of the drains for about 2 weeks after the BS took out the drain. On the worst day, there was a gusher while I was trying to take the Worst Selfie Ever: a photo of the site to send into the BS's nurse, so they could see if it was infected. It was. They didn't seem too worried, just had me come in the next day, took a fast look, and sent me on the way with antibiotics. It stopped draining a couple of days after I finished the antibiotics. MO took a look on Friday and says it has to heal from the inside out; as far as I am concerned it can heal however it wants as long as it is done draining!

Well, off to buy celery, then make tomato sauce with eggplant. It is chilly outside! After a summer of chemo in 90 degree heat, that is absolutely fine with me. Happy Sunday to all!

hi ladies!

First fill today... 40ccs on each side. Wasn't painful or hurt at all, just mostly pressure. My PS thinks I won't be able to go above a B cup so only 2, possibly 3 more fills till I reach my max. I was able to even secure my swap out date!!! Jan 4..... Wooohoooo!

Ordered my coobie bras and am possibly heading back to work on Monday. Now off to watching Scandal..

Hope you ladies are having a great start to the week!

NYNC-

Glad to hear its not too painful on fills! And you have exchange date too!

I am 2 weeks postop tomorrow. I still have 1 drain. So my fills aren't starting quite yet.  I really love my Cooby bra. You should get it soon. 

Enjoy Scandal. It's pretty addicting. 

Gardener- yea for last drain. Hope I can get that itchy annoying last drain out soon. 

Good night all!

Patty

Gardenergirl- I have. I am so sorry. Where is it and how bad ? I had a SNB back in January!! It never felt right. It always hurt. Finally in May it turned into the worst case of cellulitis all under my arm and right boob. I had to go back for incision and drainage and ended up with a drain there. Also Vancomyacin IV for 5 days. I pray yours is not as bad as that. Hopefully you caught it early?? PM if you need too. I will be praying for you. 

Patty

PS that's why my MX was moved from May until 2 weeks ago. 

Welcome NYNJGirl3! It sounds pretty normal what you are experiencing with the TE's. When do you see your PS? How did you fill go on the 20th? Check out this thread TE's A Beginners Primer. It is the best group to go to for information about TE's.

Well ladies, I'm headed back to work on Monday. I am ready to have an active mind once again! I was on a 7 week leave. I will still have PS appointments once a week for a while, but fortunately my office is being extremely flexible for me! I am truly blessed