October 2015 Surgeries

My 8 yr old daughter made me a survivor poster when I came home from the Hosp last week. I think she figured, cancer is OUT = mom is a survivor now. I did survive chemo and surgery so far! But I kinda like the warrior description myself! I still have a lot to war thru!

I've been out just over a week now, and still spend most of my time in the recliner. The last few days I've gotten out a few more times, but man, I just get WEAK SO QUICKLY! And feel sick. I do have some antinausea meds which have helped.

I managed a shower today without feeling like I was going to pass out. And I somehow managed to get a regular T shirt on (no front zip/buttons)! The little things....

I agree with KCinMN...I have survived very invasive/scary tests, chemo and now surgery but still may have more surgery and def rads with Herceptin and more meds....thinking WARRIOR describes how I feel most of the time. As a friend said to me, "You are punching cancer in the face every day." Yep....trying to do that every single day!

mvspaulding...so glad your husband was able to come up with a way to help! Not sure what in the world I would do if my hub and sister weren't there every step of the way! Soo very sorry you haven't been able to shower...they told me I could after my LX after 24 hours...but to have back to shower. Maybe you could clarify with your team because I have seen other folks saying that same thing but....maybe not with drains, though. Water therapy is so healing to me so am hoping you can shower soon!

Weird... surgery was Wednesday afternoon. Draining was fine but this afternoon the tube stopped up. I pulled out a two foot long jelly like thing, like a very long rice noodle, blood red. Have no idea what it is? Could they have left something in there? How did it make it to the little hole on the tube? Well it's out now. Three days almost exactly and draining has really slowed down. Anybody? Back of my right arm is numb but that should go away right?

Marjen

I would def call the doctor about whatever that was that you pulled out. I still have numbness 4 years out at the back of my arm on the affected side. Its certainly not as numb as it once was. Scratching it is a bit weird. Speaking of itching, I too experienced major itching all over last week. It went away though for the most part, I have to wonder if its the anasthetic drugs and pain meds. I don't remember this when I had my MX in 2011

mvspaulding, I had something like that too - little tiny blobs of white stuff, maybe a half dozen of them. I talked to a nurse at the hospital and she said it was normal. She said those bits may actually dissolve - apparently they can be some kind of fluid clotting? Not sure, but she was not worried. As long as the drain was flowing, it was OK. We are very fortunate here, I was given the number for the surgery unit with my discharge papers and could call them with stuff like this that didn't seem to merit a call to the surgeons' exchange on the weekend. I just needed a nurse, not necessarily a doctor.

Marijen, that sounds like your tube got a bit clotted. I had some small clots like you described, but yours was a lot longer. I'd check with your doctor on Monday for sure, I'm wondering if your drains are getting clogged up, since you are not draining much.

marijen and myleftboob. Not sure how you are getting through this living alone. My family has been my rock. <<big hugs>> for you. So my surgery was Tuesday and the fluid anoints from drains has gone down a lot. Follow up with plastic surgeon isn't until Friday. I'm wondering if I will need the drains that long. The long red spaghetti looking things are clots and they are real sticky. You just have to use a glove and pull them out. I get to take my pain catheter out tomorrow so pretty excited about that. At least one less thing hanging from me and from inside my body

magiclight - I'm now 13 days post op and I'm no longer taking any pain meds, Yay! No drains and only 2 dressings left. My Husband had to leave to be with his terminal ill Mother (Yep, cancer) yesterday so I'm on my own and coping OK so far. I only have the one minor concern and that is my one black nipple. The BN has said it is undrained, compressed blood of sorts, she said because I'm still wearing a compression bra the blood collected in my nipple from surgery and just stayed where it was. My nipple is still warm so it still has circulation.

The itching is uncomfortable but my drain sites are not bothering me at all, this could be because I only had the drains in for 3 days. Surgeon said the itching is from the nerves starting to grow back so I take that as a good sign. The only other thing that is annoying me is how tender my underarms and upper chest are.

Pathology came back and my tissue was cancer free so I'll take all the pain of the surgery and discomfort of the recovery with a big sigh of relief and gentle fist pump.

Lemint, the 120cc is a lot only in terms of you getting it taken out. They usually won't remove them until less than 30cc per day for 2 days in a row drains. How's the color? It should be lightening up a little eventually too. If it's still draining that much, well....better to be draining then retaining that fluid in your site. It just means having the drain longer. I bet it will lighten up soon though. Do you call the office with your drain totals?

Ladies I was still with my ex 4 years ago when I had my MX. Other than doing some driving and changing the kitty litter, he was really quite useless. I did have a visiting nurse every 2 days for 2 weeks after surgery and all of my girlfriends had dropped off about 2 weeks worth of meals which was just awesome. By about day 5 after surgery I was able to throw in a load of laundry, make coffee and simple meals. This time around the surgery was easier and I had my sister stay for a few days. She continues to come once a week to clean my bathrooms and floors. Like I've said before it would be a totally different story if I had a BMX I would imagine. At least I had my right side to use. This time around for the TE placement, family and friends were at the ready and I don't have the stress of dealing with the ex or his family who all had a nasty habit of making everything about them. I really think I'm healing much faster this time around because I'm way less stressed in general.

I wish I could comment about the normal amount of fluid re the drains, but quite honestly I can't remember. I do however remember how great it was to have them removed. I didn't need them for the TE thankfully

Marijen, you sound better! Sorry you couldn't get in touch with your doc, though. It sounds like the sleep and that healthy eating are doing the trick though in terms of feeling a bit better. Impressed with the flax cereal...are you having it with milk or almond milk or something else? I'm trying to stay off dairy but use almond milk in my morning protein shake. Maybe it would be good on cereal? Take care. Sending healing energy your way today!

mvspaulding I did neoadjuvant(chemo before surgery) to shrink my tumor. I have an appointment with the oncologist on friday by then I should have the second pathology report back and should have an idea on what we do next I do not believe we will do any more chemo. I think radiation and hormone therapy.

Not sure who wrote that when they look at their sx site they feel sad and other times happy. I feel like same way. I think it's important to feel everything and talk about everything as crazy as I might sound if I feel it I'm saying it 😘.

Hi Marijen - everything sounds like it is going well for you..I'm glad!

I've had family here offering support so haven't checked the board in a while, but I'm doing well! Icing all the time, took pain pills the first day but couldn't sleep well and had freaky dreams the first night. Stopped taking my pain pills day 2 and then slept better..weird!

No pain to speak of, not what I expected at all. Seems surreal that I don't have more pain, not sure what to think about that. Glued shut on the top of the lumpectomy site, stiches for the sentinel LNs. No drains.

I can feel where the surgeon cut the lump out, skin over the top but soft, almost empty. Worried that I'm going to look like someone took an ice cream scoop out when it fully heals. I hope they can figure out a good reconstruction method when I'm ready for that.

Here's one for you (and I probably would have freaked out if the nurse didn't tell me about the possibility of this), but I am walking around today gently, and I hear "sloshing". Like when you drink too much water and hear it moving around? Bizarre. I guess the hole is just filled with fluid, although I am not swollen at all.

Pathology won't be back until Friday I think, fingers crossed until then. I feel like I could go back to work tomorrow but I'm not. Still a lot of things need to happen before I feel out of the woods. I know I will still worry until the final results, and not knowing what the next steps for treatment is.

But until then I will keep positive thoughts for myself, and for all of you here! Hopefully all of our October Surgeries 2015 posts will turn into success stories in 2016!

anyone that did a BMX and have taken a shower? I was told not to because of drains can't get wet. I see others that are talking about showering though.

monarch17- So glad you aren't in pain! Keep an eye on the sloshing... may be a seroma? ...may want to check with your doc about that. Have seen others talking about it on here.