March 2017 Surgery

Woo-hoo! My anesthesiologist was a rockstar - Zofran did the trick. Woke up in recovery with a completely calm stomach. The injections of nuclear isotopes for the SNB hurt like a mother! The radiologist was pretty cool - "I'm going to hurt you," he said. And he did. But that didn't last long. I have no idea what went on in the operating room but I'll find out in two weeks when I return to the surgeon. Anxious to hear the pathology results. Just some discomfort now so it's not bad at all. I had read about a breast cancer navigator on this site but didn't know what that meant. Well, I met my navigator, Michelle, at registration yesterday morning. What a doll! She'll call me on Monday to check on me. I was pretty wiped out (lack of sleep and food!) when I got home. Rested, relaxed, thought I'd sleep well but no such luck! I had a terrible time falling asleep and then worke up two hours later. Still awake! Guess I'll be resting a lot come sunrise.Thanks again, everyone, for your support.

MJ

tapper. Glad you are home resting. I didn't have a navigator, so that sounds really helpful. Get lots of rest, and keep chugging water to get all that surgery stuff out of your system.

Welcome TenMarie. I am very sorry for the necrosis. You must be very frustrated. I will be praying for you. Tapper, woo hoo for a good anesthesiologist!

Y'all. My reconstructed breasts HURT. They appear to be healing well, and they look good...but they are KILLING ME. My PS said I really wouldn't experience much pain in my breasts because they'd be numb following surgery, but that I would have a lot of abdominal pain because he sewed my muscles together for the tummy tuck, and because there would be far less nerve damage in my abdominal area. It's been exactly the opposite. My belly is completely numb, and what little muscle pain there was is pretty much gone now. But my new breasts have plenty feeling, and I suppose the nerves are regenerating because they feel like...a weird combination of electricity and mild ant bites...only way I can think to describe it. Anyone else experiencing this?

Tapper, that's great on your anesth! Never heard of a nurse navigator. Sweet you have one.

Welcome Ten!

Scottie, great on finally being able to move around a bit. Felt good, right? Now get back in bed.

I took my first real walk today. Put in my knitted knocker and walked with my head held high. I'm at 3.5 weeks and I think I had a bit of a fear to go out and do it, like everyone would know. So it was good physically, mentally and spiritually. Such a gorgeous day too.

Hope you are all doing well today, amidst the crap going on in our bodies.

Tappermom383, sounds like you're coming through this really well. I've never had a nurse navigator but it would have been really helpful. I seem to get a lot of "the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" at my facility. There's a competing system here that advertises nurse navigators all the time; I'm kind of jealous.

TenMarie, so sorry you're having such a difficult time with the healing process. I would encourage you to up your Vitamin C as well. If you have access to high-dose IV vitamin C that would be even better. And feel free to cry and vent away here – it's a safe, supportive place.

Xtina78, sorry you're experiencing so much discomfort. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you but hopefully others here will be able to chime in.

My drain drama continues………Elphaba put out 45 yesterday and 35 today – so it went UP instead of down! Arghh!!!! I'm currently trying to dehydrate myself with alcohol. LOL!

Xtina: I think it's normal. I'm almost 5 weeks out and still have lots of what I'd call "burning". The sharp, somewhat painful "zings" are getting better as is (I think) the bullsh*t/ TE pain between my breasts and/or over ribs. I don't know how to explain it. But the burning remains. My PS said this is nerve regeneration. My nipples (spared) also burn and I don't even know if that is real or just my mind. LOL I think surgeons and doctors in general discount pain to a large extent. Idk why.

It does get better though.

Hugs to all!!!

TenMarie, Xtina78 - So sorry to hear about the difficulties you are having.

Raven, sorry to hear about the drain. Hoping Monday is the day it comes out.

Yvonne, glad you got a good MO that you like. Hopefully he'll more than make up for the BS.

Does any one feel like theirTEs are almost in/under their armpit? I can't tell if it's swelling or TEs or both. 10 days out from BMX, I too have burning, like a sunburn, even my shoulder blades feel like they are sunburned!? 😕

I've been keeping up with reading but haven't been responding too much. Even though I've never met any of you, I do carry you in my thoughts.

Hope everybody is able to have a restful weekend.

2FUN Now that i think about it I guess I would say to the side, not under the pit. Guess that's the nature of TEs.

Sitti, my right TE always seemed to be close to my armpit, and I had a dog ear (think that's what they call it.). Since exchange, that has gone away and breasts are a natural shape instead of the "football" shape of TEs. Hope that makes sense. So it does get better!

To everyone with the little stinging/burning sensations, I had that really bad the first few days after surgery and doctor said yes, it's your nerve endings going haywire. It has eased up quite a bit, surgery was 3/21, and now just getting the occasional zap that makes me go "OW" out loud and my family looks at me like I'm nuts lol.

Tenmarie, sure hope you get better soon!

Hugs to allof you!!

Also, talking about nurse navigators, I receive a publication from Living Beyond Breasr Cancer, LBBC, and this month they have an article about nurse navigators. Hopefully this link works!

http://www.lbbc.org/news-opinion/navigators-can-he...

My turn to vent. . .I was up yesterday and supervised moving ds' old bedroom furniture out and new in. I barely used my arms and did no lifting. Woke up at 2am with excruciating bilateral burning pain. What the #@)(/*$!) $@(/&;*&$#!!! Pain meds worked after an hour or so but I've been trying to stop them. This bites!

Currently sitting on a bench just supervising Dh and ds planting lots of stuff.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Scottie

Thanks all for the hugs and thoughts, will update tomorrow after PS appt.

Bluebird-girl thanks for the link. I have also signed up for the email.

Scottiemom sorry to hear about your pain, and I feel your frustration. Just when you think you are doing / feeling better something will flare up (or in my case leak out ) and you feel as though you just took 3 steps back. On the bright side at least you can sit outside, here we still have snow, ugh!

Had lumpectomy Thursday, March 31 at noon. Surgery took a bit over two hours. Was on the ferry headed home at 5:30 pm. (It's an hour from surgery center to ferry). Both my older daughter and my 6 year old grand daughter have been here from out of state helping me.. They leave tomorrow. I've felt more relaxed since having surgery - maybe just the thought that the cancer was removed but most likely due to having family around. Getting anxious about pathology results. Waiting seems to be the most stressful part of bc. At preop appointment surgeon said he was going to consider my cancer multi-focal. Said if the lumpectomy didn't get it all we may be looking at a mastectomy and either way I would need radiation.

Post surgery I have found the sentinel biopsy area more painful than the lumpectomy area. But it hasn't really been that bad. I have been really tired and have slept a lot. Am ready to work tomorrow.

SJI, I can believe you rode a ferry home. Hope u r able to rest.

I finally spoke to.BS about my narrow margin, and he wants to go back and take more tissue, mainly skin. He said he needs to get more info from the pathologist. Argh, like I need more surgery.

DH also told me this weekend he thinks I'm going to have a hard time getting back to my previous job. I think he doesn't realize that any job in my field is physically difficult, but not impossible. The more surgery the longer before I return.

I was able to get to my usual 10,000 step count over the weekend, so I hope I can keep making improvements.