Day after durgery. Haf a tough night. Hate not being able to use anywY made it! Still groggy from meds.

TallnTerrific

I feel ya , you and Imare on the same time frame more or less. Sometimes I feel great then boom I'm having spasms tightness and hysterical again ... I feel night time is the worst !

The pins and needles on my upper arm drive me nuts - every once in a while a sharp spasm - but mostly just really annoying. That and the drain - I hate the drain. And I only have one, can't imagine what you girls who have so many do!

tallnTerrific I LOVE THE STAR WARS Moviefest with a low key thanksgiving dinner. I .might copy you

Brithael, you could also ask your doc for an Rx for Lidoderm patches for your arms. You place them only where the pain or tingling is--and you can cut them in half. They can stay on no longer than 12 hrs., and you can’t reapply until another 12 hrs. have elapsed. But they were great for my torn glutes last spring. I wouldn’t have made it through Spain last April without them (used Flector diclofenac patches or gel during the no-Lidoderm 12-hr intervals).

tallnterrific

So funny I'm trying not to take my pain pills but at night I look like a junkie counting how many I have left , I'm terrified to run out and that my PS won't refill thinking I'm abusing . He prescribed 40 and I have about 10 left . In the morning I have no choice but to pop one as I can hardly move and at night I need another for sure , during the day I try to alternate with Tylenol or Motrin ... ... Can I get off this roller coaster ride now ?? I don't want to ride anymore .. I want a peaceful Thanksgiving with no spasms or tightness in my chest. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

And now my left nipple which usually feels like it's on fire is starting to get a faint red rash right around my areola 👀 Really ??? I hope this isn't a sign of infec

Live4them. I do the same thing, I also cut them in half. They never say how long you need them, just how many you can take each day. But if it gets really bad and you need them I would think they'd give you a new prescription. They did say stay ahead of the pain....

Hi all, I was in ER last night due to large clots blocking a drain causing fluid build up/swelling and pain in chest. I hadn't had any pain till then. In ER again this morning as drain insertion opening leaked all over bed. Slow dripping from insertion site. Thought they would have to go back in but not bad enough. Swelling/fluid build-up way down since last night. Surgeon on call met us there this morning.

All seems good now.

Hope everyone is improving daily. Take care

TikkasMom, I'm so sorry you're having a difficult time with your drain! I had constant, slow weeping from my drain site but nothing like what you describe. So glad you received prompt medical attention. Sending you gentle hugs that your swelling decreases and you have no further complications.

Hi all. Still new-ish here though I have been lurking and reading since my biopsy in Oct. I'd like to thank contributors. The discussion has been helpful to me. Two thoughts/questions now:

1) Status-post lumpectomy, I have positive a positive margin and need to go for reexcision. I wish my HMO offered intraoperative margin assessment but they don't. So I'm kind of stuck. Anyone else had intraoperative margin assessment (like frozen section or touch prep)? Can you comment on whether it was helpful? I so want this phase to be definitively over and hate not having access to these options.

2) I am getting some push by both medical and non-medical people around me to "just" have a mastectomy vs lumpectomy - not for medical reasons but because they think it will provide a better cosmetic outcome and make them feel better. This is absolutely not my choice and I am slightly horrified that this suggestion is being pushed without a medical basis. They seem to be saying you are so lucky you can get a free boob job. I know, intellectually, that I just need to ignore them but it really wares on me hearing it. I have read in other forums on this site that others seem to have had similar experiences. Just wondering if others have been through this.

On a more positive note, my SL node was negative and so was my contralateral breast (once I finally convinced them to mammogram it). Those were a big, big relief. Learning the hard way how aggressively one has to be one's own advocate....

Hi Lumpie, Welcome to the community. We hope that you will find support and information to your questions and concerns. Here is some information on our site about Re-exicisions after Lumpectomy. We look forward to hearing more from you. Keep us posted. The MOds

Hi Lumpie! I hate you're having to deal with all this- and hairy armpits to boot! Ha yes that was an issue for me as well, as I have no doubt it is for most ladies on these boards. A week or two after my mastectomy I tried an electric razor but since I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time, that was a bust…

I finally had to do it sitting at my little make-up chair looking into my magnifying make-up mirror at my arm pit so I could see exactly what I was doing! I did make sure my razor wasn't too new or too old so there would be less chance I would cut myself. So far so good!

Best wishes!

Hello Ladies,

Just dropping in to say I made it through surgery on the Nov 17th!!

I had a double mx with immediate reconstruction, with a free flap from my abdomen. The plastic surgeons incision was shaped like a lollipop, my nipples were not spared, however the skin and tissue from my abdomen match pretty nicely. There is some swelling and chest pain, breathing is okay but my chest just feels soo darn tight sometimes. I willl practice inhaling with spirometer, that should help things wake up.

I have six drains that feel like little children lol!!! These thing are annoying and I cannot wait until they are removed. I empty them and record the amount of drainage twice a day.

Unexpected things that happened before and after surgery.

1) My menstrual cycle came on the DAY of surgery. How nice.

2) After surgery, my hemoglobin level was low therefore I needed some blood, got two bags on the second post op day. The doc told me I'm "naturally anemic" and recommended iron tablets. Im also taking black strap molasses. This really has me concerned because if during chemo my hemoglobin is low what in the heck will happen?

3) Was given Percocet and immediately became superwoman, I cleaned my hospital room without any pain, talked to friends in the phone till 1 am and then went to sleep. In my dream I built a spaceship.

Overall I'm pleased with the outcome. My final path report should be in next week maybe. I stayed the hospital from the day of surgery until yesterday. I'm now resting and praying at home.

I think of all of you when I'm alone and you all will be in my thoughts! Best wishes to everyone!

Hi all, I hope you're all doing well and looking forward to Thanksgiving! We definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year.

On Saturday I had my first post-surgery shower! It was so good to feel actual water on my body, not to mention feeling clean! Jinx27, congrats on a successful surgery! Be sure to take some sort of pain med on schedule (even if it's just Tylenol instead of the Percocet you were prescribed). I missed my pill two nights ago, and it was NOT a good night. Almost two weeks out though and I'm feeling okay. Still not at my previous energy level, but I'm getting there. It's not as bad as I had imagined.

TikkasMom, praying for a good pathology report for you. Hang in there!

Sugar-and-spice, no bra for me either. I feel liberated. While I didn't have reconstruction, I'm feeling okay being one-breasted. I was scared away from reconstruction, but personally, I didn't want to prolong my recovery especially when there were a lot of unknowns in my situation. My main priority was to get the cancer out of my body. Down the road, I might consider it, but I would hate to have drains/pain/etc all over again!

Has anyone here been recommended chemotherapy? If so, what type? I'm struggling with the thought of losing my hair, feeling like crap, and all of the other things that come with it. But then again I want to stay cancer free for as long as I live. I'm going to see another oncologist sometime in the next couple of weeks, pending my oncotype results.

Best wishes to everyone!

Hi Everyone, I had my first fill in my TE this morning... I did NOT enjoy that at all. I am only 6 weeks into my journey and I already feel so poked and prodded and can't imagine another 15 months or so of this. I'm really not a strong or brave person and find going to the dentist a little traumatic so this is very difficult for me. DH is trying to understand and does well most of the time... but in my really low moments he is completely at a loss which often leaves me feeling utterly alone and unbelievably unhappy. Last night I was horrified by the appearance of my incision which is very gnarly, puckered and dented. Both PS and BS say it looks great. I feel like Frankenstein.

Lovingisliving: I expect chemo, the meds are listed below. I have ILC with lymphatic invasion, 6cm tumor. I had my mastectomy the same day as you and just received my path report. My nodes were all clear and I had clear margins so I am hoping he tells me chemo is no longer necessary, although that is highly unlikely. I expect 6 months of chemo and another 9 months of herceptin. A very long journey indeed. I have never had short hair so I can't imagine being bald 8 months or so.