Lumpectomy recovery

ejmann44
ejmann44 Member Posts: 89
edited July 2016 in Family and Family Planning Matters

I'm having a lumpectomy next Wed the 18th of May. I homeschool my daughters, 10 and 11, and was wondering how alert I will be on Thursday. I have the option of asking their Chinese tutor to take them for part of the day. I can also just keep them home and give them direction from my bed. Will I be up and walking around or on bed rest? I was told one week recovery and 4 total weeks for my breast to heal. Does that mean no driving for 1 week but after that it is OK? Pointers?



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  • Dawn41
    Dawn41 Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2016

    Hello, I hate that you have to be here but you are in the right place. I have learned a lot from reading over others discussions the last few weeks. I had my lumpectomy with 4 lymph nodes (underarm/axillary) removal three weeks ago and my breast is still tender. I was in bed and doing very little for the first couple of days. You don't want to do any driving while you are still on any pain medication I was told after I was done I was free to drive and for me that was about a week. My underarm probably hurt the most where the nodes were removed and that made movingy arm pretty difficult. Everyone's different and heals at different rates but that was my experience I hope it helps. I wish you the best and keep us posted.

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  • kbutler
    kbutler Member Posts: 66
    edited May 2016
    Everyone is different but I had lumpectomy in February. I did great. It was done on a Friday and I felt great the next day, even went to church on Sunday back at work on Monday. I was told not to drive as long as I was on prescription pain meds but I didn't need it. Sentinel lymph node incision was a little sorer than the breast but it wasn't bad and I didn't have to have any drains so that helped with the recovery otherwise I would have had to stay out of work until removed. Prayers for good results and quick recovery
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  • WaitForIt
    WaitForIt Member Posts: 6
    edited May 2016

    I had 1.8 cm. of DCIS and 4 sentinel nodes removed during my lumpectomy last Monday afternoon, and I spent most of the following day spacing out on the couch or napping. If your girls have the opportunity to work longer with their tutor that day, that would give you time to nap/relax. Your girls may also be interested in helping you by doing small chores. By the 2nd day after my surgery, I was taking walks and feeling more talkative. One thing nobody at the clinic mentioned is the possibility of a sore/bruised throat from the cuff that keeps the airway open during surgery. So you may not want to talk a lot at first, or have some cough drops handy if this happens. Best wishes on your surgery, and strength to you and your family.

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  • BookWoman
    BookWoman Member Posts: 104
    edited May 2016

    I have had two lumpectomies--actually excisional biopsies (different breasts), and a separate sentinel lymph node removal. For all of them I had the surgery on Thursday, took Friday off work and was back to work on Monday. Once the anesthetic wore off I could move and walk around without a problem. I think I might have taken one pain pill to help sleep on the first day. I also used an ice pack the first day. I also didn't have any drains. But as always, we are all different and some people have a harder time of it. If your tumor is close to the chest wall it may be more painful with a longer recovery. Good Luck and I hope things go smoothly for you.

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  • soficachico
    soficachico Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2016

    I slept for 2 days post lumpectomy/LN dissection. I think it was great for me both emotionally and physically. Best of luck!

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