December 2016 Surgeries

Myjourneys, I feel you. This is getting closer and although I am only working one day this coming week, I hope I can keep it together. Burst of tears now and then. We will survive and put this past us. I will definately be thinking of you tomorrow.

Hello,

i am scheduled for surgery 12/7 at 3pm. Mastectomy on the left side. I am having a TE and then a follow up surgery to match the right side. I have done all the pre op and am feeling nervous and stressed. The PS nurse told me they will put a device in that automatically bathes the mastectomy breast in numbing fluid for the first three days post op. The made me much less concerned about the pain. They also said I should only have one or two drains. I am off to get recovery bras tomorrow. Has anyone got the one that have pouches for the drains? Are they really needed? Good luck everyone.

RedemptiveSufferer, All the best to you tomorrow with your surgery. You'll do great!

I never answered your question about who I told about my diagnosis. This was a tough one for me.

At work I told all 10 in our department over two days more than a month ago. No way to hide the frequent doctor's visits and being out for 6-8 weeks from people you work with every day. I asked them all to keep my news confidential. They've all been supportive.

Friends were tougher because I didn't want them to worry and if it was a day I wasn't thinking about the cancer I didn't want people to ask about it. So I waited. Probably longer than I should have. Since I've started sharing my news Everyone has been wonderful. Offering to make meals, visit, runerrands, etc. so glad my secret is my out!

Thanks to everyone who posted lovely comments about allowing others to help. I needed that reminder because it's not something I do naturally and you are ALL correct. Good things happen when you allow people into your life.

MyJourneys, all the best with your surgery tomorrow!

Good Luck to everyone - wishing you all a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

Just wanted to mention something that helped me after my surgery --- Arnica Montana 30c --- it is a homeopathic medication available at Whole foods. Also available on Amazon and Walgreens. I had a lumpectomy (left) + reduction (right) in February. The Arnica was recommended by my Plastic surgeon. It helped with the swelling, bruising and pain after surgery. I healed very quickly and had drains out in 3 days.

I also used the Arnica during my radiation, it was approved by my radiologist and it helped. I am in a clinical trial for Chemo (ATEMPT) and have chemo every 3 weeks for a whole year -- 6 more months. I do not have a port and take arnica before each infusion and my veins are doing very well.

Best,

Reikion

Hi everyone - Congratulations to those that are now on the other side and healing. It is nice to hear that it is not as bad as expected. I had a complete hysterectomy before, and with the bed-ridden, unable to walk, catheter, stomach muscles cut in 5 places scenario, I feel like this might be a cake walk in many aspects. At least I will be able to walk around whenever I want. That will help my sanity immensely.

This is a busy week with SEVEN ladies! - MyJourneys, MexicoHeather, RedemptiveSufferer, tlgio17, dccancer, Goincrzy8, pepper43. Wishing you all well and I will be checking in often to see how you all are doing. I have been getting my email dings all day on my phone that tells me when one of you posts, so I pop in and do a quick check which leaves me with a smile. It is so helpful for me to have this group. Even if I don't chime in all that often, just being able to feel like I am actually going through this at the same time with others is so helpful.

I have 9 days to go and the closer I get the more anxious I become. I have never been like this with any of my previous surgeries. I guess its because the physical results of those were all internal. This is external. There is no hiding this. I am struggling more with just knowing that I will literally NEVER be the same after this. There is no going back. I cross a threshold of sorts next tuesday. I am struggling with the unknown of pathology after surgery. I am currently struggling with how I will deal with my body, but I know that I will probably be okay with it after surgery is done. I expect to shed some tears of course, but will probably move on quickly. Mostly, I am struggling with the effect of no estrogen on my mental healing...not only am I stressed about this huge change, but I can't keep my head on straight or my emotions in check, and there is no recourse for me to feel better emotionally and mentally now that I am off estrogen. I have decided to keep myself as occupied as possible. I am supposed to be working from home, but can't get it together enough to accomplish anything even with hard deadlines. So instead I am ditching all my responsibilities to the chagrin of everyone, and doing superfluous but meaningful crap. Today my boyfriend and I took his 10yr old daughter to Bronners Christmasland (if you aren't from Michigan, google it....its insane), and picked out all sorts of fun ornaments and stockings and stuff. This is our first Christmas together. I have a movie with friends scheduled this week, a pedicure, a haircut, some shopping with the BF's daughter. I need something for Tuesday. It is helping the time fly by, and keep my mind occupied even if for a few hours.

We got our first snow finally today in mid Michigan. How are you all doing with holiday stuff and family and stuff? Anything fun lined up?

Armecia and NorthBrooklyn - I am having the same surgery. Can I ask how you are handling the change in your body now right after surgery? Did you have the same anxiety situation I am having leading up to surgery? I feel like I might have a sense of relief afterwards, but I am also scared about what my reaction might be and how I will feel about it.

Hi KeenSheep,

I was the same--very scared but also sensing I'd feel great relief once it was over. And I do.

I'm really surprised at how little it hurts. I still haven't taken a pain pill! Not even Tylenol. But they told me to keep my compression garment (veronique?) on for 48 hours after I left the hospital. Will be able to take it off this morning. I'm guessing I'll have more soreness once it comes off and everything "settles."

Myjourneys and Mexico Heather thoughts are with you two ladiesl I am going to grandaughters pre-school Christmas program, will bring her home with me, then pick up big brother from school. Today they will keep my mind from Friday. I will work work tomorrow, then Wed will pick up kids again, and my daughter will be flying home for Friday. Scared and want this over but how will I be with one breast?, and the unknown of what is next. Nothing in life is simple.

Armecia!!!! I LOVE your vision statement and overall outlook!! I've been ok and not cried over this yet (except once while feeling overwhelmed by options and not liking any of them) but I feel it will hit me once I see the final result. Not sure exactly what to expect. Yet you give me hope that maybe I'll actually be ok w/it. Would probably help if I adopted your vision statement as my own.

Goincrzy8: Amen to what you said. Nothing in life is simple. And I think I've had a pretty good life thus far, so who am I to think that some obstacle wouldn't come up, ya know? We'll all deal with this and I believe be better for it in the end.

Traci: Glad you're busy today, too!! We'll do this and be ok!! Like you, I'm so thankful to hear of everyone's healing stories. I feel encouraged and...dare I say...ready. Sort of. ;-) HUGS to you, TOO!!!!

Goincrzy8: love it!

Traci, my day was excellent. I hope to get a good night's sleep and I hope the same for you. Will be thinking of you and praying for you, too. Looking forward to swapping stories :-) Trusting our stories will be of the encouraging variety for others as we've read about here! :-) Let's do this!! ~ Kim

Hi ladies! Posting for the first time on this forum. On 12/28 I'm having a UMX on my right breast with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction. I'm terrified of the surgery and recovery process, but hoping I can be even half the trooper that jcn16 appears to be. PS is saying I'll be in ICU for 3 days then in bed for a week or so. I'm only taking two weeks off of work. Since I'm a software engineer I can work from home if need be after my time-off. Still making my list and buying things for recovery. I LOVE the idea of making a hospital basket for my husband. He's a huge cry baby so I know it will really hit him with all the feels. Plus I've been getting showered with attention and I think he needs some acknowledgement of how wonderful he's been.

With New Year's and my birthday (January 2nd) falling during my recovery it appears as though I'm going to be having quite the party!

AmazonQueen, Your positive attitude is what will get you through this. You'll do great! I was scared too but had such tremendous faith in my surgeons who do a couple of DIEPs a week. Their confidence that this would work for me and the encouragement from the ladies on this site are what got me through the stressful weeks and days leading up to surgery. The surgery wasn't half as bad as my imagination thought it would be.

I'll be discharged today and my "must-have" supplies for the hospital stay included a sleeping mask and ear plugs (ICU is busy all night), cell phone and charger, and notebook and pen to write down questions for the docs and reminders for when I get home. Most of the docs round early and had to wake me up. No way I could remember questions if they weren't written down! The rest of the stuff I brought has been helpful but the above were absolute essentials. Also wished I would have asked for a laxative sooner.

BTW, protocol at this hospital (Penn in Philly) for DIEP has changed to 2 full days in ICU and 2 days on regular floor, not counting surgery day. Hope that's your experience too because I'm ready to go home today. Thanks to my nurse for letting me sleep most of the night!😀