October 2015 Surgeries

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  • Cubbie2015
    Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
    edited January 2016

    I'm very interested to see other people reporting soreness at the drain sites months later. That's exactly what I was checking in about. I feel like I haven't seen much from people about the long term healing from this surgery. My soreness has been gradually getting better, week by week, and I can finally sleep on my right side. On my left, it is still sore to lay on the left side, but it's finally possible. Does anyone else still have swelling/puffiness on their sides under their arms? The right side has definitely gone down, and I thought the left had too, but maybe that is just me hoping!

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited January 2016

    yes, I have puffiness, I have more side boob than I have front boobs right now. I'm not sure why. My Plastic surgeon said that is something we can fix with final reconstruction/implant surgery.

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  • CateM
    CateM Member Posts: 39
    edited January 2016

    My drains sites have only just become unnoticeable. Yay! I do still have swelling in my left underarm but my right is nearly back to normal. I have mentioned on here before about having a startle while watching a film and having the pectoral muscle spasm. I've notice a new oddity recently. The weather in the UK has only just turned a little colder for winter (we've had a wet but mild winter thus far) and I've noticed that my chest gets colder than before, I guess its the lack of actually breast tissue. Anyway, when I get cold and shiver.......my pectoral muscles will spasm and it feels like a full on body shiver that is quite uncomfortable.

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  • KCinMN
    KCinMN Member Posts: 81
    edited January 2016

    My muscles spasm from the cold too! It's painful and weird!

    My drain holes are less noticeable these days, and I don't have any swelling.

    Range of motion is better, but not like it was. I've been doing PT. That helped a ton!

    I still occasionally wake up at night sore from sleeping on my side. I'm not sure exactly why, but it's somehow related to my tissue expanders. I turn over and am fine.


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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited January 2016

    Got my third fill in my expanders today and I can't believe how much pain I'm in with it. Actually took a pain pill tonight I had left over from surgery. Anyone else have a lot of discomfort with fills

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  • PMR53
    PMR53 Member Posts: 452
    edited January 2016

    MySpaulding- I had problems with pain/swelling after each fill too. I took pain meds as needed. I have side boob also when I lay down. Looks and fills so weird. I had last fill December 29th. It is starting to feel better now. Exchange in April. 

    KC- glad you did PT!! I'm sure it helped. I did not do this but did some exercises at home. 

    Cate- I have had similar spasms and tightness when I am out in the cold! Crazy feeling. 

    Cubbie- I have had problems with swelling on the side but I can't say it's from the drain sites. 

    On another note -- I spent all day adding up all the medical expenses from wigs to surgery to prescriptions and Co-pays on an Excell spread sheet for the year 2015 it came to a whopping $11,500. Wow I was shocked. Good write off though. 

    Hugs to my Surgery Sisters!!

    Patty

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  • KCinMN
    KCinMN Member Posts: 81
    edited January 2016

    mvspaulding -

    My fills hurt too. The day of each fill, and a few days after even... I obviously had pain in my chest, but my back also hurt so bad! It was crazy! I didn't think that was possible. I asked for more painkillers, and those helped, esp for sleeping...

    I finished my fills in early Dec before starting radiation. Things have gotten better with time, although I still don't care for the things! :) But less pain.

    Keep hanging in there! How many more fills will you need to do? I'd suggest keeping on top of the pain with pain meds while you stil have fills. I'm betting your surgeon will prescribe you more if you need. I'm not a big fan of having to use them, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited January 2016

    Yeah, still very sore today. But I just took Tylenol. She said I would probably have 2-3 more. I have two more chemo treatments and I have to wait at least 6 weeks after last chemo before they will do transfer surgery. I can't wait to be rid of these expanders.

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  • PMR53
    PMR53 Member Posts: 452
    edited January 2016

    MySpaulding- I have a Hat with Hair. Same color as yours if you want it! I wore it in Hawaii and no one new I was bald underneath. I am not sure If you have lost your hair or not. PM me if you want it. It's real hair. Go to JodiHat and you can see what they look like. 

    PMR53

    Patty

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  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 700
    edited January 2016

    PMR don't forget to add the cost of your medical insurance premiums paid by you to the spreadsheet for medical write-offs if applicable (if you pay for your premium with after tax dollars).


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  • PMR53
    PMR53 Member Posts: 452
    edited January 2016

    JBDayton- Thank you for that info. I will have my husband contact his Benefits specialist !! We have insurance through his work. 

    Patty

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  • knitnpurl
    knitnpurl Member Posts: 62
    edited February 2016

    Just wanted to post an update. I just had my UMX on Feb. 9. KC, Lemint, Cubbie2015, and solfeo - thank you for all your advice! The foam wedge pillow is perfect for sleeping. I had my pillow and heart pillow for the ride home. My husband did a great job driving, so I was able to relax for the 5 hours from Tampa.

    Currently, I'm just trying to rest. It's hard to do with 2 boys under 8. I have one drain, and that seems to be doing fine. I can take care of it and it's already losing the reddish color. The most unusual part is that the back of my left arm is both numb and super sensitive. I expected the pain/sensitivity at the incision and underarm, but the back of arm thing just hurts so much!

    I'm adjusting to the whole mastectomy, but I get sad when I look at it in the mirror. I'm pretty practical about this whole process, and have my bad nights of course. I think when it heals up, I'll be better about it.

    But again - thank you for your help! Hope you're all healing well.

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  • KCinMN
    KCinMN Member Posts: 81
    edited February 2016

    Knitnpurl -

    Glad recovery is going well for you! I know it's hard with young ones (mine are 8 and 9)... But keep trying to just rest and recover! Getting the drain out is a big help! And as far as the strange numbness... I had the same problem! It kinda freaked me out as first... It does get better with time though, so hang in there! Keep healing! :

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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited April 2016

    Has anyone had a recurrence of cording? I had a little bit shortly after the surgery. Now that little bit is back. And, interestingly, some new cording on my right side where no lymph nodes were supposedly taken. Thoughts?

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  • solfeo
    solfeo Member Posts: 838
    edited April 2016

    What does it feel like?


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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited April 2016

    Left side (cancer & SNB side) I have a sore spot btwn the thumb and pointer finger, top of hand, feels like a bruise. Going up, if I stretch the skin on the underside forearm it hurts (hard to explain). Then I have actual spaghetti like tendons/cords in my armpit.

    Right side: spaghetti like cord through armpit. The nodes might be a little swollen, hard to tell as my armpit is still (and probably will forever be) numb.

    And to make things more confusing, of course, all of this comes and goes. No real striking pain or movement restrictions. It's just not normal. :(

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  • solfeo
    solfeo Member Posts: 838
    edited April 2016

    I asked because I feel all kinds of weird things going on too and I don't know what it is or if I should be alarmed or not. Not really spaghetti-like. It's all so lumpy I don't know how I'll ever recognize a recurrence. I've been examined by surgeon and MO, neither seemed very concerned but weren't very forthcoming with explanations either. Funny I had the BMX to eliminate future problems with false alarms since my breasts were so lumpy. It didn't even get rid of my cysts. I had new cysts on an ultrasound I had a few weeks ago to check on one of the lumps.

    I hope you get some help with it, whatever is going on.

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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited April 2016

    Well that stinks! Are your cysts in your armpits or the left over breast tissue? Or is that the same thing? Gah. I really hate when dr's blow us off. They may have 50 of us raising all our questions and concerns, run of the mill, same ole' same ole' for them, but we only have one of them and their responses mean a lot to us as individuals. Unless they just don't know, and I can appreciate the honesty.

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  • solfeo
    solfeo Member Posts: 838
    edited April 2016

    The lumpiness is widespread. Under my arm, down the muscle that connects underarm to chest, all over my chest wall. The left non-cancer side is nice and smooth. I don't know what was done differently between the two sides. I had widely clear margins, there was no medical need to treat the sides differently. I was originally offered a reduction lumpectomy I had so much breast tissue to spare! When I did see the surgeon to talk about the lumps she kind of scolded me and told me to stop checking myself, so now I don't even want to talk her at all. What doctor says that to a BC patient? I saw my MO after that, who did take my concerns more seriously and ordered the ultrasound, which showed the cysts. I was also told I only had cysts while my cancer was being misdiagnosed for five years, so I have very little faith in the system.

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