January 2016 Surgeries

hi everyone! I'm here having surgery to replace my expander that had to be removed due to cellulitis in November. If I can be of any help answering questions feel free to ask. I am glad to read about everyone that has had surgery this month is doing well and wish everyone that is having surgery coming up best wishes. Just remember to stay as positive as possible. I know it's hard and well I've done a great deal of crying myself . It has been very helpful having this site for sure!!

Debbie

1/13/2016 right lumpectomy with SNB

Hi Bella! I'm sorry you are going through this, but I don't think you will find better emotional support anywhere else. The women on this thread are the best! Praying for your Lx to heal well and that your path to treatment is an easy one!
I also had surgery yesterday and feeling remarkable well today! My anxiety has vanished. I'll be heading home today from the hospital and taking it easy the next few weeks - which sounds heavenly to me after waiting 5 weeks since my surgery was scheduled. I know that there will be pain, but today I feel like I will be able to handle it and be back to normal in no time.

grandma3X, so glad you are doing well after your surgery. I feel pretty decent today too. I think they are keeping me here one more night. I made them give me Tylenol instead of narcotic pain management. The docs thought I was being overly ambitious, but Tylenol really is enough to take the edge off the pain for me. My major discomfort right now is that my nausea patch is making my vision blurry. I can't actually focus on the message I sm writing right now...so hopefully no typos.

Sending good vibes to everyone!

funny side effect from surgery - my plantar fasciitis has cleared up - no foot pain

thank you grandma3x--I'm one day post surgery, actually doing pretty well. pain is tolerable with just ice packs now, Waiting on the final path report as to what treatment I might anticipate. I did have a DCIS with microinvasion, but the surgeon said the snb looked pretty good.So much to absorb in less than a month. Such good information here, but overwhelming too!!

@SGVsurvive: Yes, they put in a catheter for my surgery. I had BMx/recon/BSO all at once, about 5 hours of surgery. Fortunately, they wait until you're asleep.

It doesn't hurt, and you don't have to worry about getting to the bathroom with rubber legs. Mine was removed in the evening the day after surgery. Again, it doesn't hurt coming out.

Best wishes to all! 😍

Love, Mominator.

First night at home - I went to bed at about 10 pm with a Tramadol and didn't wake up until 5am. I was not in any pain at that point but took a couple of Tylenol just in case and then slept until my DH woke me at 8:00 to take my antibiotics. Pain is minimal - hardly a 1 on the scale of 1-10.

Drains are not too bad. I'm only putting out about 20 cc in one and 40 cc in the other per day. I'm not feeling any tightness that others have noticed, but I'm not sure if the PS filled my expander with anything just yet - I look pretty flat.

BlueHeron - I'm also a bit nervous about taking off the bandages. My PS does not like compression bras after surgery so I'm hanging loose (although there is nothing really hanging any more). I plan to take a shower today and then DH will change my bandage over the drain incisions.

Kessa, Balthus, Bella - I'm glad you are all doing well post-surgery!

For those undergoing surgery today, I wish you a speedy recovery!

BlueHeron:

Ugh I am with you!!!!!!

Omg what a day!! So arrive 7:25. Took me for my mri & mammo like 8 ish. After put me back in patient room & sat until 1:00 until surgery!!! So 4 hours to wait!! With wire in boob & iv. Hadnt had food/drink in over 14 hrs at that point!

Well surgery was 2 hrs. All went well. Everyone was great! I was out within 5 min in OR.

I got home, so sleepy. Not hungry & looks like I found out I get sick from Anesthesia! Threw up twice! Icing my breasts & on percocet. My left breast (cancer one) hurts just to walk around so i will just sit with ice all day! This compression braon my chest is so tight, I can hardly breathe & cant come off til tomorrow.

Hugs to all of you on your surgeries & healing!

Thank you I will.

I deleted my previous post because I was incorrect in my posting. I'm having BMX 2/3/16 with TE and SNB.

Here is a link to the Wu paper:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25480319

Hi everyone,

I'm still in limbo - getting tired of it frankly. My surgery is set for the 28th, but I still don't have a final answer on the surgery I'm having.

The initial plan was to have a first surgery to do the axillary dissection and a breast reduction(to make me a candidate for nipple sparing). Then a second surgery to do the actual BMX. They were going to try to go straight to implant in the second surgery if my circulation was good enough.

I started asking questions about when radiation would happen within that plan and I couldn't get a straight answer. The PS said I would only have radiation to my axilla not to my axilla and breast. I told him that I had heard at one point that I'd need to have both. He checked with the BS who agreed - no radiation to the breast just to the axilla.

Then when I went in to meet with the BS on Wednesday this week she insinuated that I was being a pest worrying so much about the radiation portion of things. (which annoyed me). She assured me that it was just to the axilla. I said that's fine, but when in the process would I have it? After the two surgeries (so basically in August/September?). After the first surgery? At that point I think she realized that we really should have brought the RO into the discussion. She had me wait while she called up to him to talk to him.

She came back in the room very sheepish and explained that the RO said that I might in fact need to have radiation to the axilla AND the breast. And if that's the case that would totally change my surgical plan (which is why I was asking about it in the first place). I would no longer be able to do nipple sparing BMX if they have to radiate the breast. So the surgery on the 28th would go from being an outpatient procedure that would take me off my feet no longer than a week and a half to one big surgery where we'd do the axillary dissection and skin sparing BMX which would put me out of commission much longer. I need to get to the bottom of this because I work full time and we have a toddler so I need to be able to make arrangements to be out of work and have some help from family.

Anyway- the RO wouldn't give a definite answer until he met with me so they sent me right upstairs to meet with him while I was there. I met with him and he said that he'd need to think about it and get back to me - that he wanted more time to review my case file.

So now I'm waiting to hear back from him. Supposedly I'll hear back today. Fingers crossed.

Hmm....I was told that I could shower 36-48 hours after surgery. Maybe I'll double check with the nurse practitioner first.

I took a nice long nap today, then my daughter came over for a brief visit. Still no significant pain. I've been keeping up with the Tylenol every 6 hours and that definitely helps. Most of the pain seems to be along the side of my rib cage and shoulder blade - is this where everyone else is feeling pain after MX

kessa, yes! I just hacked up some bloody phlem. How's that for attractive? They had a hard time with my airway. I'm sore and swollen up in the armpit, trying to get my compression garment up there but not really working. I hated the narcotic and was moving towards maxing out Tylenol, so PS called in Tramodol and hubby went to go get it. Ribs are sore too, feels like cuz I'm not moving or stretching enough.

Edwsmom, I'm so sorry! I went through much indecisiveness and unclear plan, and it's just the worst. Hugs to you.

JulieAggie - that is great news!!

I called the on-call resident and he said I could shower, just not get the incision site soaked. It felt good to wash my hair!

I have not been coughing, but my lungs feel slightly congested. I'm using the respirometer they sent home with me so hopefully that will help.