December 2017 Surgery Group

There is nothing better than getting a shower! Enjoy

I've been bumped to January for my BMX neither surgeon can fit me in before they take their Christmas vacations.

Well I'm having the sentinel node biopsy done on Monday, although I do question whether that's smart now that it will be 3 weeks before the actual surgery and it could spread to the nodes between now and then! Then it will just be Christmas and New Year. I don't begrudge them their vacations, they deserve to see their families too. I just wish they'd had a little more foresight when we were talking about planning this last month instead of waiting until it's too late.

Hi everyone. I am just home from a double mastectomy. I was in the doctors office October 22, and was scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound - for the next Monday. Did that, the next week I received my results - need to do a biopsy. It was scheduled for Dec 2nd, but was called the following day and was scheduled in for 2 days later. I was told from my doctor I have invasive mammary carcinoma, and at that time got a surgeon appointment for the following week. Saw the surgeon, and was scheduled for surgery Dec 8. That was moved to December 14th. I wound up having a different surgeon, and she wanted to only do the right breast, due to the possibility of infection and having to postpone treatment of the cancer waiting for the infection to resolve.

Everything went well with the surgery, and I am at home since yesterday. What I am finding the most troublesome is that the tape holding my bandages on is pulling my skin horribly and I am having a hard time with this because it is hard to put my shoulders back without pulling on my skin which then pulls the underarms and I don’t want to hurt myself. I already had it loosened, but the tape that they replaced is really irritating my skin, and I have some blisters forming around the edges of the tape.

I don’t have specific information regarding anything else about the cancer and all, but I should be getting that back in about 7 days now.

Thanks for listening.

Su

Hi Su, I too would be concern with the blistering, but hopefully the antibiotic will help prevent that. Your doctor office is probably not open on the weekends, but don't hesitate to go to the ER if it becomes inflamed or if you have concerns.

My antibiotic is giving me itchy hives, so I have taken myself off them as of yesterday (seven days post op). Hands down the worst thing about post op for me are these darn drains.

I am 2 weeks and 2 days out from my bmx..they also took 7 nodes 4 (and 3 that stuck to them). My breasts and all but 1 node showed no residual evidence of cancer..I have .5mm spot left in 1 node. I got my drains out last Wednesday. I can not have any reconstruction until after radiation. I already completed chemo back in October. The only issue I'm really having is that I seem to have developed some cording in my right axilla. I have been doing my exercises but it is very painful. Hoping it clears so I don't have trouble with radiation.

Need some advice from ladies who finished Stage 2 revisions, please. Just had SGAP Stage 2. I am in shock because just saw new breasts. Discussed C/D cup size with surgeon with upper pole fullness. These are small flat almost B cups, with nothing on top of breast. Flat upper chest. Only B on lower pole of breast. Was a lifelong natural C or C+ cup and wanted C+ or D.

So disappointed. Haven't seen surgeon for the post-op visit yet. How can tell him that I can't believe that this is the result? Breast mounds after Stage 1 were full C cups and lipofilling was supposed to increase that. What on earth can have happened and can this be fixed? Anyone come out much smaller in their Stage 2 revision?

Sopho, I hope you’re doing better today. That’s awful you’re not feeling well. Maybe the drain site is just tender and healing. When my left one was removed they put a waterproof bandage on it and said to leave it on for a few days.

Good news for me ladies, I’m getting my right side (last drain) taken out today. I’m so happy to be rid of it. 2 weeks of this thing is way too long. It’s really been hurting me at the drain site the past few days too. My PS office called me a few minutes ago and got me in at noon to remove it. Finally!

Good news, Sopho!

Had my sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery done yesterday. They started almost 3 hours late which threw off all my childcare plans! I’m home and resting, still very nauseous and exhausted but I can at least get up and use the restroom. They didn’t put any dressings on the wounds though, just a 4 inch line of stitches. Do you think I should cover them to shower

houmom:

I received the same instructions as moth: no shower for 48 hours following surgery, then when showering let water run over steristrips and pat dry.

Bit surprised they didn't cover your incision at all. However, just a heads-up re: covering the incision if you choose to do so: the steristrips on my axillary incision came off after about 6 days, and the incision was nice and clean. I finally pulled the steristrips on my breast incision off after about 10 days, and the incision was wet and oozy. I had been a bit worried about the breast incision because every time I showered, some watery blood would come out from under the steristrips. Perhaps I left the steristrips on too long on that incision.

Dance

Dance - glad you're recovering easily this time! Yes, fingers crossed for margins!

oh & I totally know what you mean about that dye! I would guess it partly depends on your skin tone; I'm a pale sallow person to start with & with the dye I looked like some halloween zombie - this eeery greenish grey.

Update: surgeon just called and confirmed no cover over the stitches.

hello, new friends

Just joined this evening. Having a double mastectomy next week. Recurrence in the left breast after 20 years. I am not having reconstruction. I have some I guess silly questions like should I bring my own pajamas to the hospital? Any supplies to have at home in reference to the drains? When will I be able to type on my desktop computer? Is the recovery period long before I can get back to work? Does it hurt a lot after surgery? I’m scheduled for early morning surgery. Will I be fully awake by the afternoon and able to answer work emails? (I can hear the sighs). Thank you so much

Justme111 - I found the anesthesia knocked me out for quite a while and I was only under for a lumpectomy so much shorter surgery. It wasn't till about 24h later that I started to feel awake. I think there's a reason they tell you not to sign any legal documents for 24h . I think I wouldn't plan to be answering email, and esp not any important work email.