December 2016 Surgeries

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  • Row
    Row Member Posts: 7
    edited December 2016

    Thank you all so much! God bless you !

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  • Marimucho
    Marimucho Member Posts: 25
    edited December 2016

    thekeensheep, I am not sure if you are referring to the radioactive isotope injection for the sentinel node mapping during surgery? I am having surgery, bilateral mastectomy, on Jan 6, and I have to go in on Jan 5 to have this injection done. I was told it would hurt some. Not looking forward to that...who would? I was also told it would go right into my nipple. I am not sure if that is the typical point of entry or if it has to do with tumor location? My IDC is right above the nipple.

    I have not communicated with you very much, but I always read your posts. Good luck on Wednesday. I am happy you have support.

    By the way, I am also PhD student, ABD, and now put off my May graduation due to this situation. In the grand scheme of things, it's okay. I have accepted the situation. Nice to see you have so much strength to keep up your work commitments. That is brave!

    Again, along with all your other supporters on here, will be thinking of you on Wednesday.

    Take good care.

    marimucho

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  • Marimucho
    Marimucho Member Posts: 25
    edited December 2016

    thekeensheep...I forgot to mention, I also have lots of pain in my shoulder blade and I am not sure why.

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  • MexicoHeather
    MexicoHeather Member Posts: 365
    edited December 2016

    BMX= bilateral mastectomy. This shortening of the word confused me, too. I thought, "We all get a bicycle?"

    ((Hug))

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  • jcn16
    jcn16 Member Posts: 128
    edited December 2016

    MexicoHeather,

    Your post about the BMX bike is the first post that made me laugh out loud in a while! I thought the same thing the first time I saw the abbreviation (my son is into biking). Laughter is the best medicine. Thank you for that.

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  • Keiki
    Keiki Member Posts: 51
    edited December 2016

    Marimucho

    I had back pain also, thought the drains were coming out from under my shoulder blades. BS said it was referred pain from nerve damage on chest. Best solution for me was to have DH press his big warm hand on the area for a few minutes. It got better after a few fills.

    Find help with abbreviations go to top of page look left side under topic drop down box.

    Bicycle, cute!

    Good luck, girls

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Marimucho, I wondered if injection location coincided w/tumor location as well. My tumor was outside of an inner quadrant near the breastbone. The injection was placed near (I'm guessing) a sentinel node. But the placement of the injection appeared to be somewhat calculated...like someone trying to line up their cue ball in billiards. ;-) Maybe someone w/a definitive answer will chime in soon.

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  • tlgio17
    tlgio17 Member Posts: 191
    edited December 2016

    Hi Kim,

    Thanks, his bday went well and I was totally exhausted!  I am still not sleeping that great at night just because I am normally a side sleeper and so its difficult for me not to turn to my normal positions. Glad you are getting down to the last drain!  Its glorious not having those! 

    Every day I wake up and I feel different pains,stretching, tingles, numbness, etc etc.  Its all very strange and I know its only been a week and it really takes months for all to settle down.  The worst part for me is where my nodes were removed and side of breast area.  Today is the visiting nurse day for me (2nd visit) and so that is comforting knowing they check things out and make sure all looks ok.

    Have you heard anything back on your path reports? Praying for good results for you and all the other ladies still waiting.

    Hope you have a restful day!

    Traci

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    truper, I'm thinking of you today. Let us know how everything went when you get a chance.

    RedemptiveSufferer, my pain is still hanging on, too. I don't like how the codeine is making me feel now, though (itching and other side effects), so I'm trying today to go to a 2 advil every 4 hours, alternating with 2 extra strength Tylenol every 4 hours, and seeing if that will work. So you're *not* the only one who is experiencing pain, and I've heard it's worse with TEs, too.

    Kattis, were you the one who asked about recovering alone? I don't think I could have done this alone. I need help getting up from a sitting position and getting out of bed. It's not as bad now, but definitely for the first few days. Even now, after a week, I still need help for some things.

    Everyone else, I see my BS tomorrow and will hopefully get my drain out then. I only had one drain. Did others with only a MX get one drain, too? I still have gotten any pathology results yet, which worries me since I had biopsy results within 2 days every time. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

    Has anyone's vision gotten worse after surgery? It seems that my vision has improved for distance, but I'm having a more trouble reading things closer.

    I hope everyone is doing well!

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  • Logang
    Logang Member Posts: 421
    edited December 2016

    Just chiming in here: My Journeys: Some narcotic pain medications can cause vision changes. They are generally temporary. When I took percocet, I had to take my glasses off to read when I normally wear them all the time.

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  • Goincrzy8
    Goincrzy8 Member Posts: 387
    edited December 2016

    good afternoon ladies Today is day 4 after surgery I have had limited pain nothing over a 2 on the pain scale don't know what surgeon did but nurses say his patients have no pain I got rx for Tylenol w codine and it makes me feel groggy when I take 1 I was only taking to sleep I have been taking extra strength Tylenol every 4 hours it helped with the burning and twinges

    Got my daughter to wash my hair today so actually feel almost normal I have 2 drains that go to one container and post op tomorrow he said path should be back I am worried about what it will say

    Here's to a speedy recovery to us all

    Sherry

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  • Kattis894
    Kattis894 Member Posts: 218
    edited December 2016

    After reading your experience here I am going to ask for some help the days after I come home just in case.

    Thank you all.

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Traci, glad the party went well albeit tiring. You're the woman! I probably would have postponed for a month or two! I'm so wimpy. :-) I meet w/the BS Thurs to review the pathology report. Last Fri., my husband was on the phone w/his nurse setting up this week's appt. I told him to ask what she knows of the lymph nodes. She said they were negative w/clear margins. Hoping that's accurate, but that's all I know so far. I'm thinking the Oncotype test will still be in my future + the Tamoxifen. Really looking forward to knowing the game plan.

    MyJourneys, thanks for the feedback. I don't like knowing you're still in pain but good to know I'm not the only one experiencing this. This morning I called the pharmacist to ask about alternating the Hydrocodone w/extra strength Tylenol because I need to be awake a little more! :-) She said that was fine. Didn't work AS WELL but I think this will be manageable as I wean myself off. May try what you're doing w/Advil as well and see how my pain responds to that. I had itching, too, but that was starting to diminish. Hope you feel much better soon!

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Here's some "pretty talk." Anyone else who has already had their surgery suffering from constipation? My surgery was exactly one week ago and I've still not had a BM. I started taking the prescription stool softeners a few days ago and I drink H2O around the clock. I didn't eat much once I first got home, so thankfully I don't feel miserable, but wondering how much longer this could last.

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  • Keiki
    Keiki Member Posts: 51
    edited December 2016
    I llearned the hard way, every time you take a pain pill, take a stool softener and drink a bottle of water. I had supportive friends who had made the journey before bringing me dried fruit, prune juice, whatever. Good old milk of magnesia finally did the trick. Even then, without the stool softener it is, as you say, not pretty. You think your chest hurts? Take the ducosat sodium, trust me.
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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Thanks, Keiki. I started taking the DS a few days ago, maybe it just hasn't kicked in yet. I'll add some prunes. I had a flashback to when my oldest was born almost 13 yrs. ago. It took 2 weeks for my system to wake up. It was a pain I won't soon forget. Don't want to repeat that.

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  • Goincrzy8
    Goincrzy8 Member Posts: 387
    edited December 2016

    I have the same problem had daughter get me something today usually I can have a cup of weight loss tea and it works but not this time drinking lots of water and walking also had a bean and cheese burrito hope that helps move thing

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Goingcrzy8..bean burrito sounds better than prunes, lol! This isn't generally an issue I struggle w/and have never been on narcotics. Wow. At least I'd been taking probiotics and fiber before this. :-) Hope you get things moving along!! Not that this was recommended, but I took a laxative (TMI?) a couple days prior to surgery. Glad I did or else I think I'd be feeling miserable about now! For those who haven't had surgery yet, stock up on the prunes! :-D

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Redemptive- I haven't had surgery yet, but experienced some constipation with the chemo- funny as I was reading your posts, having my "snack" of a fiber 1 bar with my steroid all in prep for chemo tomorrow. I don't know if they help, but I've been eating them with am vitamins/pills now since I started. 90-150 calories, high fiber and they actually taste decent to me lol. I also take senokot around the chemo - once or twice a day and that helps. I think I read avocado was good, and potatoes, but double check me on that!! Good luck- it makes me nauseated so I definitely try and stay ahead of it!!

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    Redemptive, it was going well with the ibuprofen, but the Tylenol extra strength wasn't enough, for some reason. I may have pulled or stretched something, so I will try again after my appointment tomorrow, but switched back to the Tylenol w/codeine this evening.

    Goincrzy, whatever they bathe the area in after surgery starts wearing off 72-96 hours after surgery, so if you're still feeling good now, you'll hopefully be fine now.

    Keiki, welcome! I'll add you to the surgery list.

    With the constipation, I didn't go after a week using just stool softeners, and a couple doses of a laxative in pill form, and neither worked. So then I used a glycerin suppository and went about an hour later.

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    Kattis, try to have someone stay with you past the 72 to 96-hour mark, whenever the pain meds they bathe you in wears off (at least 1 day past that). That's seems to be the worst part for a lot of us.

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    KeenSheep, I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. Check in with us when you can!

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    Logang, thanks for the info about vision changes. At first I thought it was my imagination, but it's been persisting. Hopefully it will go away when I quit taking the Percocet.

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    tlgio, you said, " Every day I wake up and I feel different pains,stretching, tingles, numbness, etc etc. Its all very strange and I know its only been a week and it really takes months for all to settle down. The worst part for me is where my nodes were removed and side of breast area." -

    Me, too! The side is the worst. I think it's the lymph node area, and maybe where the drain is pressing on a nerve or something. But upper and lower areas on the side are the worst for me.

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  • MyJourneys
    MyJourneys Member Posts: 143
    edited December 2016

    Row, are you feeling less overwhelmed now? Ask any questions you have. We're here to support you!

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    ajbclan, Perfect timing, Ha! Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look up avocados...seems the fat would help. MyJourneys, I hope I don't have to go your route, but that may be a strong possibility. But you get to the point that you'll use whatever works, right? Thanks for pain meds input. Was trying to use TylenolES today, but I just broke down and took my Hydrocodone. Know I'll need to take 2 before bed. :-( Hoping that when the last drain comes out tomorrow that it helps.

    Praying for everyone's healing & future surgeries!

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  • thekeensheep
    thekeensheep Member Posts: 24
    edited December 2016

    Hi All - Myself and the family are currently checked in to the hotel for the night. I went in to the hospital tonight for my node mapping. I did already have EMLA cream left over from when I had my port. I will tell you it does nothing much in this case. I had 3 injections in the nipple. The only thing you don't feel when using the EMLA cream is the initial prick of the needle. You feel the dye under your skin as it moves through. No escape. It stings and burns. It isn't horrible but EMLA did not mitigate that at all. I would say, just save your cream for something else. I had one node show and they said by morning I will have more as it will take time to work through, but they were primarily concerned with that first node.

    I will be checking in to the hospital at 7am tomorrow. Surgery checkin at 730. Surgery at 10. Recovery at 2. At least that is what they say that the plan is....

    I will check in with you all when I can.

    Aimee

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  • Goincrzy8
    Goincrzy8 Member Posts: 387
    edited December 2016

    thinking of you thekeensheep praying for fast easy recov

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  • Logang
    Logang Member Posts: 421
    edited December 2016

    I took stool softeners 2 times daily and took senna and milk of magnesia as needed for constipation. With narcotics, stool softeners weren't enough.

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  • RedemptiveSufferer
    RedemptiveSufferer Member Posts: 242
    edited December 2016

    Thanks, Logang. I'm questioning the effectiveness of the prescription stool softeners. I appreciate the suggestions.


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