November 2017 Surgery Group

@sharon1014 - we share our surgery date. Hope you are recovering well. Do you already have pathology report? I expect mine in the next couple days.

Hi @GenevaCanadienne, thanx for checking in on me:-) It was a long day for the surgery. They had me as a day surgery and at the Nanaimo hospital on Vancouver Island - I was not relaxing in bed before the surgery:-( and no pre meds to make me happy either. I was in a general day sugery room with everyone else in my surgery garb anxious as hell. The surgery was delayed an hour (of course!) but all the staff were super nice and my surgeon was ready to go. Since I have decided not to have reconstruction I told him to remove extra fat and skin so that I'll look prettier lol. When I woke up he said that he had taken all the extra tissue out but that the incision goes all the way around to my back.

Now I am sore and achy but doing ok. I've been icing and measuring the drain fluids. My husband has been so great helping me get pillows propped up so I can sleep and everything else.

You are doing the best thing by concentrating on taking it easy for the next while before chemo. I took about 10 days off before surgery to just focus on myself and getting prepared for surgery. It was the best thing I could have done for myself. I was more at ease with the decision for no reconstruction and actually thought about what life might be like for me after all of the treatments. It just helped my be more at peace.

I hope you get some good rest and peace, and you have rays of joy that filter down for you. Let me know how your doing when you feel up to it:-) Take care, R.

Greetings fellow survivors! I have been lurking for about a week and this is my first post. Discovered lump in October and had left mastectomy almost 2 weeks ago. Sleeping in bed on back with 2 pillows under head and with left arm propped up on 2 more. Is comfortable and seems to help with drainage. Picked up a head cold about a week ago. Sleep enhanced and cough suppressed by taking 1/4 of a Tylenol 3. Only last 2 nights have I been able to sleep on right side while spooning a fluffy pillow to wrap left arm around. Dear husband doesn't seem to mind...

Speaking of drainage, I have 2 tubes that I collect from and measure fluid every 12 hrs. I am down from 48cc on day 3 post-surgery to 8cc daily total on day 13. Only 1 drain draining now. I see surgeon tomorrow and hope to have BOTH removed! He says he wants daily drainage down to 5cc. Fingers crossed!

I'm getting surgery on Tuesday and am so nervous.

I had my bilateral mastectomy on Nov 3rd. Surgery went well. Just got my last of my drains out last week. After the surgery my doctors said that I am cancer free. It does not feel real to me because I've lost so much and have so much more still to go. Not sure how to let myself be happy about this step.

This past weekend I think I over did it being active around the house and the last couple of days have been rough to get a handle on the pain. I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait a couple more months for my reconstruction surgery. I feel weird and not myself. The waiting is the worst part!! I'm trying to find a support group in my area but haven't had any luck so far. Thinking about going back to work early. Any suggestions on how to manage the emotions and the impatience? Thanks.

Good luck and love to all you ladies!

Best of luck on Thursday, swg! Please return with an update when you feel like it.

@Shenanigans08, congratulations! This is amazing news and shows there’s hope for the rest of us.

Lmurphy, yay! Isn’t it nice not to have to drag those things all over? Although, I have to say, I was used to them towards the end and didn’t bother me that much.

I’m also determined to do the things I enjoy and never had time for before, even though often times it’s hard to find joy in anything with this thing looming over your head... I was just thinking that it’s too bad it had to be cancer for me to actually have time for myself and do what I like. Life was so busy with work, house, kids, etc. I was always running around. I wonder if that’s what got me in the end. Anyway. Now I have time to myself when the kids are in school. I exercise (or used to before the surgery, I can’t wait to get back), read, eat healthy stuff like I did when I was pregnant,cook fancy meals - I find that therapeutic. I’m trying to find positive aspects throughout this ordeal... What else can we do? ....

Sending good vibes to all!

R

Good news, lmurphy! Keeping my fingers crossed you get a low oncotype score. I 'll be where you are soon..

thanks Roxy..that makes me feel better.

They just called to give me my time..I have to be there by noon.

Kinda sucks that I can't eat or drink anything for THAT long.

Also, she said I was listed as an ambulatory patient, which means I might get to go home tomorrow night! That would be nice.

Sounds like you're ready for tomorrow Swg! Best of luck! Once you are hooked up to the i.v. you shouldn't feel thirsty or hungry any more. And, tomorrow evening, let the healing begin!

Hi Roaming: I'm 2 weeks post surgery today and had drains removed yesterday. Now have more arm mobility, but still have sharp pains underarm and in left chest area, I think, where drains were originally located. Haven't found anything yet that helps with that pain except, maybe, moving around. Have tried different NSAIDS in different doses. If you find something that works, besides 'time', please let me know. Was interested to see that you and I have similar PR(-) genotype. I have an appt on Friday with the oncologist to talk treatment. Thinking it might be the same treatment as yours. I also opted for no reconstruction and have also just started looking at types of bras and protheses available. Right now just going the baggy shirt route. Wishing you best of luck post-surgery!

That’s great news, swg. Nice to have the surgery over with. It’s good you got to spend the night in the hospital and got some help. I had a hard time at home that first night, especially “milking”those drains. It took me a while to get the hang of it and it’s a bit hard. Keep taking those pain meds. My anesthesiologist told me to take them before the pain starts, otherwise it gets worse. Pain seems to like to feed on itself.

I just had my post-op check-up with the plastic surgeon. Apparently I can start exercising 4 weeks post surgery. Yay. They also told me to expect to be more tired than usual for a few weeks after the surgery (which I definitely did, and was really worried about it). They said it doesn’t mean something is wrong, it’s normal and partly due to the adrenaline drop after the surgery. Thought I’d share the insight!

Now I’m waiting for the lingerie store to open and will treat myself to some pretty bras.

Best wishes to al

glad you’re doing well swg! Definitely take your pain meds based on when the last one is scheduled to wear off-don’t wait for the pain to start before taking one. You’ll taper off as the next week or so goes by and be able to switch to OTC pain relievers. But staying pain free is the goal for now.

MBPooch, I was really anxious too. Plus, my surgery kept getting pushed back. I came in at noon but didn't go in until 5! When I woke up it was 9:30p! What helped me was having my niece hang out with me in pre op. And everyone was so nice, from the nurses to the anesthesiologist..they talked to me about fun stuff, like our pets, etc.

Then they put the anesthesia into my hand IV, and I was out by the time they were wheeling me into the OR. I had some dreams while I was out but don't remember them. They weren't scary at all.

I think the biggest fear before surgery is fear of the unknown. Just know that this is a surgery done on tons of people with very little incidence of complications. You will be fine!

I had a rough night with the nausea but now I know and I'll tell the dr when I have my exchange surgery to prescribe an anti nausea med proactively.

Hi @lmurphy, Glad to hear that your drains are out:-)

Geesh not sure if I can add anything that helps with pain. I have been icing 4x a day to keep swelling down, doing the exercises recommended for moving lymph fluid and getting mobility back. I was given Tramadol/Acet which has an opioid and Tylenol in it. It works pretty good but I find it really constipating. It lasts about 4 hours for me. I only take it when I want to sleep or need a break from pain. I also started taking Bromelain a few days before surgery. It is an enzyme in pinapple that reduces bruising, swelling and speeds recovery so I haven't had a lot of bruising:-) And I found that when I was on chemo that CBD helped with neuralgia, nausea, pain and inflamation so I take 25 mg. of that before bed and it is really helpful for sleeping comfortably. I also have red and infrared laser panels that I use for a few minutes on the incision site to help speed healing. Everything seems to be healing pretty good and my pain is manageble. I am more concerned about the numbness under my arm:-( I really don't want to loose any feeling and it may be something I will just have to live with.

Good to hear u r doing well swg. I had my alnd today. Not much pain yet but they had given me a local as well. Hoping I'm not in too much pain when it wears off in in hosp overnight.