February 2016 Surgeries

VSB2015, amazing that each breast dx can be so different. Glad to hear you had no lymph node involvement. Myself, I had one, but it was the only one they felt needed to be removed, so I'm lucky there, but on to radiation I'll go, although not until the 3rd week of April, so I get a break!

I got a binding after my bleeding episode, but BS said I could take it off as soon as I wanted. I was instructed to not take a bath, but showering was okay immediately as long as I covered the drain incision with a wash cloth and plastic wrap. Sounded like such an ordeal to me, that I haven't actually showered yet! I still have very short hair from neoadjuvant chemo, so I just take sponge baths for now. BS hasn't yet taken out the drain, but I'll definitely get it out Monday; can't wait! Mom2boo, hope you've now gotten your drains out. I must say, I was blessed to receive excellent and consistent care at the hospital, pain meds on demand, etc., and consistent after care instructions. Everyone was just wonderful, patient and caring.

I'm feeling really good, just a bit sore now and range of motion is pretty good, but I understand about the fatigue. Went for a herceptin tx last Thursday and ran a couple errands with hubby, and just felt wiped out when I got home. My MO said my RBC levels are lower than they ever were during chemo, so keep taking the iron!

Wishing all of you who just had surgery good healing! Hugs to everyone. Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Interesting how the instructions can differ so. My BS wanted 10cc or less for 3 consecutive 12 hr. periods. I have steristrips over the mastectomy incision and had dressing with plastic overlay that the BS removed at my follow up appt. She said not to change it, but keep it dry until the follow up, so i didn't shower because I just didn't want to take the chance of getting it wet and too lazy to cover the drain incision to keep it dry.

The binder is on my chest, not abdomin.

I have chest and underarm pain. Does this go away when drains come out? Feels like bad bruises. They remove my binding bandage the morning after surgery. I have medistrips that will fall off when showering. I was told gauze by drain sites were for leakage not infection so I could shower and wash sites with soap.

Hi all. I had left umx and axillary node dissection 3 weeks ago. I had no problems with the drain and it was removed last week. I didn't feel a thing when it was taken out.

However I have had excruciating pain in my chest and under my arm. It comes and goes in intensity, but is otherwise constant. It even hurts to breathe sometimes since that causes my chest to expand. I've been using the prescribed hydrocodone and trying to step down to Aleve, but then the pain gets intense.

Is this normal? Thanks

My chest and underarm just felt really sore like bruises and lessened as the days went by. I took Vicodin for three days and then Extra-Strength Tylenol for two days and nothing after that because the pain had lessened so, but I had just a UMX and no recon.

How do they dress the drain incision site once the drain is pulled? Is it just bandaged?

knitnpurl, I agree you should check out your pain with the dr. That doesn't sound normal to me after three weeks and drains out that you would have such pain and especially having a hard time breathing. I would definitely mention that part.

I also got a rash under and around my breast after my lumpectomy but I think this was because of the disinfectant put all around my breast area for the operation and then I wore my bra day and night over that and wasn't used to wearing that at night and the heat caused the rash.  I just put Sudo crème on it and it disappeared after a couple of days.

I left my plasters on and they are looking a bit grubby now but afraid to take them off.  Will see the Surgeon tomorrow and ask him about that.

Thanks. I'll call my doc again tomorrow. I see my oncologist on tues too. My surgeon is actually at a cancer center that's four hours away so it makes it difficult to get there. We were there last week for the follow up and drain removal asks the doctors and nurse just made it sound like it's normal pain and I should start to get off the narco. But when I'm lying in bed crying about the pain, I'm taking the damn pill.

Thanks, Skittlegirl! Megan, can you wash your hair in the sink maybe with help if needed and then sponge bathe? My BS told me that baths were definitely a no.

Knitnpurl, if they think it's normal pain, and it's so severe you want to cry, how do they expect you to get off the Norco I wonder? I was able to stop taking Norco because my pain kept lessening with each day. Hope you feel better soon!

For people having questions about whether to remove dressings, take a bath etc.. go ahead and just call your surgeon's office. They can tell you over the phone what to do.

I haven't called the office but I have called the hospital # they gave me. They had a resident call me back

I can tell you my understanding of it but check with your surgeon... different surgeons handle it differently. I was told I could shower after 48 hours but to protect the drain area with a plastic type sheet.. No baths. Nothing was said about if I needed to put the dressing put back on, so I put it back on over the mastectomy steri strip area.. A few hours later a nurse called. I was told to remove all bandages except the drain one. I was still itching so I looked again. I noticed a rash. The resident said to take benadryl and call them if it didn't get better.

I have now noticed an area that had the skin torn off. Not sure if this was from the drain tube rubbing against it or what. It is not near the drain site.

dr said not to put any ointment on the skin tear., just keep it covered so it doesn't get irritated by clothes etc. If I start to get chills, fever etc I am supposed to call back.

Just posting this stuff in case someone is running into the same issues. Of course check with your own dr for treatment decisons.

For me the itchiness was from the time of surgery until now... wish I had said something sooner. I wasnt sure if it was pain or itchiness. I still have the rash on the breast area. My surgery was 4 days ago. I feel it was an allergic reaction to the tape or bandage because the rash is only where the bandages were.

yay to drain out bjsmiller! I'm jealous of those who had pain free removal, I'm still traumatized by mine. I'm heading to my prosthesis fitting this Friday, though I've gotten awfully comfortable going half flat in a genie bra! At least in winter clothing. Tee shirts are another story...