February 2016 Surgeries

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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited February 2016

    Wow bjsmiller, that's crazy. Glad to hear that you are on the recovery path now.

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  • Loretta_J
    Loretta_J Member Posts: 67
    edited February 2016

    I am hoping for a February surgery but don't meet with the BS until 2/23. It may be March now. Waiting on genetics results. Have had Biopsies, MRI, PET and those results aren't all back either. 

    I am new to the site but it is just wonderful. 



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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited February 2016

    Glad you're okay, bjsmiller!

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  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 154
    edited February 2016

    hi from the January board bjsmiller! So glad your adventure is past and hoping each day brings swift healing.

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  • blg4
    blg4 Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2016

    I hope everyone gets better soon

    Maybe my BS didn't say anything because I am already in physical therapy for a car accident.

    I don't know if Medicaid will pay for physical therapy. The place I am going to now say they could only offer me a very limited amount. Not sure if she meant anywhere else would be the same.

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  • starsarestars
    starsarestars Member Posts: 35
    edited February 2016

    Hi to everyone! I have my 1st follow up appointment with the plastics breast care nurse tmrw. I'm hoping these drains can finally come out! My surgery was almost 3 weeks ago. I will also be getting my 1st fill in the expanders.Hoping it doesn't hurt too much.

    Thanks for the advice on physical therapy. I'll be sure to ask my nurse about it tmrw as well.

    Bjsmiller- so glad you can start recovering. That sounded like a pretty scary ordeal.

    Here's to hoping we all start to feel better soon!!

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  • Gardnergirls
    Gardnergirls Member Posts: 89
    edited February 2016

    starsarestars, I had one of my drains for 4 weeks, so I definitely know how you're feeling. Having the drain removed isn't bad at all. I didn't feel most of them being removed.I had 4 when I had my BMX in September and I had one each time after my last two surgeries. So that's a grand total of dealing with 6 drains. When one was removed, there was a slight sting, that was the worst but still not bad at all. The fillings aren't bad either. I just had some pressure later in the day and Tylenol helped with that. You can do this....after all you've already done the hardest part having the mastectomy.

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  • mmshea
    mmshea Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2016

    Hello Ladies!

    Just had a rainbow drawn on my chest by my PS for my BMX tomorrow. Anxious but so glad to be getting this part of my journey over with. Hope everyone is recovering well...I am sure I will be on here with questions in the coming weeks.

    Take Care,

    Megan

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  • Gardnergirls
    Gardnergirls Member Posts: 89
    edited February 2016

    Wishing you the best mmshea!!

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  • blg4
    blg4 Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2016

    Going to have the contrast put in the node 2-24, wire put in, then surgery 2-25

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  • Bliss58
    Bliss58 Member Posts: 1,154
    edited February 2016

    Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm blessed to be doing much better than I could have possibly expected. Had a follow up visit with BS today, but drain not out yet; maybe Thursday.

    So hoping that all went well for Numb, cupcaker and mmshea! Keep us posted.

    Time for sleep. Barbara


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  • StaceySue2U
    StaceySue2U Member Posts: 281
    edited February 2016

    My BMX with tissue expander placement is going to be tomorrow morning. This thread sure has been good for easing my nerves. Hope everybody is doing well today.

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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited February 2016

    blg4 - thinking of your today and tomorrow!

    mmshea - hope you are home and doing well

    Bjsmiller - hope you get your drains out soon, I'm at 3 weeks and just over the output my BS wants to see but I'm still hoping to get them out tomorrow

    StaceySue - good luck tomorrow! I hope everything goes easily and your heal quickly!

    Every day I can do a bit more. It's slower than I would like but I'm trying to take it easy so I don't over do it. For me I think it;s a fine line. I went out to DD's choir recital last night and am just exhausted today. How can just sitting somewhere for 2 hours knock me out like that? My body is taking a lot of resources to heal.

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  • mmshea
    mmshea Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2016

    Hello!

    I am home and recovering from BMX. Only in hospital one night and have been pretty hazy throughout the day. Everyone in hospital was great and am feeling pretty good. Trying to stay positive and on top of my medications. Now I am just waiting for my pathology report which feels like it is looming over me. Hope everyone else is recovering well.

    Sending hugs and healing thoughts.

    Megan

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  • shpva57
    shpva57 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2016

    I'm sending healing thoughts to all. I'm three weeks and two days out from surgery. Having the drain taken out is a major step forward and gives you some real freedom. It's not too bad to have it taken out. I am also getting back range of movement. The fatigue is the thing to be aware of. I need a nap each day and get a bit winded going up and down stairs. It's the lingering effect of the anesthesia I think. I went back to work on week three but realized that I wasn't being fair to myself. I cut back to half days and only three at that. It was plenty. We all need to allow ourselves physical and psychic healing time

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited February 2016

    At this moment a year ago, I was in pre-op for my BMX. Life gets better!

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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited February 2016

    My incision on the effected side is not healing well so I have to go back to surgery tomorrow for him to do a quick revision and cut that part out. He says it only takes 15 - 20 minutes but I still have to go through all the steps and go under anesthesia. I'm upset but watching the wound it;s not unexpected. Wish me luck and I hope I don't puke all over the place afterwards!

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited February 2016

    Hi blg4:

    Just popping in to say I am thinking of you, and hope your surgery went well.

    Good luck also to Mckaylaleigh and Mellomom up next.

    Best wishes to everyone in this group for a speedy recovery and the best possible pathology results.

    BarredOwl

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  • cupcaker
    cupcaker Member Posts: 35
    edited February 2016

    Hi ladies - My BMX was this Tuesday and I came home yesterday afternoon. Everything is good so far. Just having pain where the drains are at. I've got 2 drains on each side. They're not really producing much CCs so I hope to get them removed this coming week during my follow-up on Monday. Trying to be positive and feel positive but not being too successful at it right now...

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  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited February 2016

    BLG4 hope everything went well and you got your work issues resolved. Thinking of you.

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  • shpva57
    shpva57 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2016

    Hello cupcaker

    You poor thing. I only had one drain and that was a nuisance. I hope they can be removed soon so you can get some relief. I'll be thinking of you.


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  • cupcaker
    cupcaker Member Posts: 35
    edited February 2016

    Thank you shpva57 I was able to take a shower today so I'm feeling much better physically and mentally. One of my brothers sent me an unexpected delivery of flowers today, so that was really nice and uplifted my mood.

    Wishing everyone a quick recovery and sending positive thoughts to everyone. Thank you to everyone that has been posting to this thread - I've learned quite a bit and was able to prepare well for this surgery. Now that it's in the past, I'm looking forward to being active again soon.

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  • StaceySue2U
    StaceySue2U Member Posts: 281
    edited February 2016

    Hi. I had my BMX yesterday and came home this morning. I have tissue expanders and it's painful but not unbearable. I don't like the way I look but I'm so glad I found this forum so I was prepared, and I know I'll look better soon. I have 4 drains, too, cupcaker. And I'm wearing a tight binder. The plastic surgeon says the drain cami won't be tight enough for me. I'm waiting for pathology results. No lymph node involvement yay yay yay!!!

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  • blg4
    blg4 Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2016

    thanks for the thoughts and prayers

    Before surgery a lady asked me if I would give tissue that would otherwise be discarded to them so it could be studied for a research project.

    I didn't have any pain after the surgery. I kept trying to find out what I had been given for pain. I didn't know when I might need some more. I was already on pain medication for fibromyalgia. I wanted to at least take those even if they weren't going to have me take additional meds in the hospital. It seemed that there was no order for medicine, Or else the nurse was constantly forgetting what I asked her. I told her I brought my regular meds with me. (I knew they wouldn't let me use my own but I brought them anyway)

    I waited for many hours to get a room. I was supposed to get the catheter out when I got to the room, but it wasn't done. When the dr came to see me he saw it wasn't done. I don't think he was very happy about that. He said he wanted me to walk so the catheter had to be removed.

    A nurse had a sign on the table about how the were not supposed to anything to the mastectomy side arm. When the new nurse came on, she said that the previous nurse was new. She told me a node was NOT taken for biopsy. I told her I had a procedure to inject dye. So I don't know what was going on with that.

    Later on I started having pain. Not sure if it was from laying in bed for so long or the surgery.or the really tight binding they put on me.

    I feel if I had not been able to fight to get pain meds I wouldn't have been given any at all. All through the night they were administering meds but the pain just kept going up anyway.

    It's a teaching hospital. So in the am I got a visit by 3 students and 2 drs. Not sure if one of the drs was actually a student too.

    Long conversation with a resident about how i should take my meds..the new plus the old. The plan kept changing as it was being discussed. I wonder if he was a student. He said he was going to let me hand carry the prescription if I still needed it if the meds had from previous surgery ran out. When the nurse came in with the dscharge info, I told her I was supposed to get a prescription. She called down and they said they had just starte to fulfill the order. It would be 5-10 mins. It was much longer than that.


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  • blg4
    blg4 Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2016

    Does anyone know about bindings? I am wondering if mine is too tight because the skin around the bandage is numb. I don't know if it hurts where the bandage is because it was put on too tight or if it would hurt anyway without the bandage.

    When you remove the ace bandage does that help with pain or make it worse?

    I am having to take oxycodone hydrochloride every 4 hrs for pain

    They didn't explain how to handle the dressing except saying if you take shower the area where the bulb tubing enters the body is has to be covered so it doesn't get wet. I called from home and they put me through to a resident. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. Eventually I understood it as just put some covering over it like cling wrap over the area. The ace bandage could remain off

    What happened with you guys? Did you have to put the binding on again?

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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited February 2016

    Blg4, I had the tight ace bandage on for 6 days and was told not to take it off or shower during that time. A bath was ok keeping the bandage dry. I just did a spongebath every day. Mine was super tight too. Now I'm in a mastectomy bra 24/7, only allowed out of it when I shower. I would check with your surgeon. My plastic surgeon has been in charge of my care since my surgery so I call and ask him everything. I had a bit of revision surgery yesterday and he only put a dressing on that small spot which I'm allowed to take off in 48 hours. I'm still in the mastectomy bra.

    Cupcakemaker, that first shower feels awesome. I've had my drains in just over 3 weeks. I use the mesh lanyard and keep my back to the water and have been able to shower since the binding came off.

    Staceysue, good luck on the path report! Sounds like you are doing well. The binding got pretty irritating since I had it on for 6 days but it wasn't painful, just a nuisance.

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  • grandma3X
    grandma3X Member Posts: 759
    edited February 2016
    Bgl4 - I agree - the instructions I received were also confusing! Before surgery I was told not to remove the clear bandage over the drains, that the nurse would do this at my first visit. Then my discharge instructions said to change this every day. In the end I just left it in place but put Tagaderm (3M product) over it before showering. It was a bit more secure than cling wrap. I did not have any kind of binding over my breast- just a clear bandage over the excision, so I'm not sure if you should replace after showering.
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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited February 2016

    Yay for no lymph involvement, Stacey!

    Good luck to everyone healing. I am no help for bandages and binding. I had a binder on and my surgeon said I could take it off whenever I wanted to. No restrictions for showering. No special instructions about keeping it dry around the drain tube openings.

    I got my last drain out yesterday. My incisions are healing well. Fairly good range of motion. Surgeon signed off on me returning to work in about 2 weeks. My next follow-up with him is in about a month.

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  • VSB2015
    VSB2015 Member Posts: 34
    edited February 2016

    had my bmx 2/16. Everything went well, no lymph node involvement!! I have 4 drains and pray they come out Monday. Do not like pain meds but Aleve works fine. Suppose to return to. Work 3/1 but will take at least one more week, then maybe part-time for a couple weeks. I have no treatment plan yet. Left is triple negative right is er/pr positive her2 neg.


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  • anniekaja11
    anniekaja11 Member Posts: 140
    edited February 2016

    Hi everyone,

    Just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone! I've been off the board after my surgery and then having to back to work the next week. My big lumpectomy went very well - they got clean margins and my lymph is clean. Healing is going very well, the bs was surprised. I took arnica before and after and I think that always helps. Tumor was 2.4 cm. (Almost Stage 1....). My relief was short lived however - with chemo on the table for HER2 positive, E- and P - cancer type. So I'm back to sleepless...UGhhh. See the radiation doctor next week to make a plan about a tiny area where the margin was very close around the DCIS type I had. Then the oncologist.

    Ayyyy...I just started a new awesome job with insurance and I don't quality for FMLA (extended leave where they pay your insurance and hold your job) for about 8 months.

    I hope that everyone is recovering well.

    Annie

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