December 2017 Surgery Group

Hey Justme111! I had a double mastectomy 12/8 with DIEP. I was up for some conversation and texting the same day-- but not up to really thinking. I was in and out for day 1 and 2. I was more of myself day 3. I was in the hospital 4 days and when I came home, I was up to doing small things on the computer right away. My recovery has been great. I left the hospital taking Tylenol as needed-- but everyone is different. I'm down to 1 drain (abdominal site) and I'm up walking more and more. Today I drove a short distance and it was wonderful! Not doing any lifting over 10 lbs. My doctor told me to maintain that restriction for 8 weeks post surgery. Here's wishing you the best!

A little happy dance: my gp called to say the pathology report says clear margins & negative sentinel lymph node.

Yay!

Yay!! Congratulations.

Tracy

Thanks Lexica!

It's good your girls are having fun with grandma but yeah, must be hard missing them. It's a good thing we have all the tv shows and internet to distract us these days... I binge watched through a large chunk of The Americans last week

MBPooch, when I had surgery on my thyroid last year I was told to start massaging as soon as the incision wasn't raw and I'm doing the same with my SNB incision. The lumpectomy site is still covered by steristrips but I'm also just gently massaging it. hth!

Dance that's great news for you & yeah, so quick!

I think I read somewhere that they look for a certain # of mm clear tissue so it probably was just super close the first time around. Good thing they're being extra careful though it sucks having to have surgery again. Hope you're recovering well!

Hey ps0705,

My Dr. has been having me was with hibiclens soap to prevent infection and it seems to take care of/prevent any possible armpit stink. When I leave the house I put on a small amount of natural deodorant just in case but haven't seemed to need it really. It does dry you out though...so I apply lotion every time I change dressings.

I found that ibprophren worked better than opiates for the pain (and this is backed up by some research: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&u.../www.nsc.org/RxDrugOverdoseDocuments/evidence-summa...&ved=0ahUKEwjAss2fnKLYAhWDwYMKHaKrC4QQFghDMAI&usg=AOvVaw0KMs3Iaw4Y2gcb5cfyPGW6). I found the pain much more manageable when I was allowed to start taking 48 hrs post surgery. I have to stick to a pretty strict schedule of alternating tylenol and ibuprofen every 3 hrs.

For sleep I have found that it is really about finding the right angle to take strain off the surgery site. I sleep partly reclined with my arm propped up and with a pillow and another small pillow on my diaphragm for my hand to rest on. I also have a trazadone prescription from the stress before that I take if I can't seem to stay asleep and it really helps.

Hope this is useful!

I seem to be developing a seroma under the SNB site. There's no sign of infection, the incision looks the same, but I've got swelling.

I've poked around archives a bit already but if anyone has more advice on what to do with it, I'd appreciate it.

Moth- you probably already received this advice but my Dr. Told me to wear a binder with extra padding to make sure there was constant pressure to deal with possible seromas.

ps0705- I received my final pathology report about 7 days after surgery.

Thank you Lexica. I appreciate your response.

My Plastic Surgeon set up for me to meet him at the hospital at 6 tonight to (hopefully) remove 1 or both drains. He set this up before I was dismissed on 12/22 so i'm hopeful he will also have the results.

I had double mastectomy surgery done two months ago in late October. I thought of having reconstructive surgery and had the expanders put in at the time of surgery. Within two weeks, I started to get anxiety attacks having some foreign object inside me. I decided that I would not go through any reconstructive surgery. I had the expanders removed in next two weeks.

Since the original surgery in October, in addition to swelling in the front, I had two big lumps (size of the egg as I read in some posts) on each side. I still have pain and the lumps feel awkward when the arms are down. The surgeon says it is swelling and the body tissue, it should reduce eventually.

Does any one went through this experience, how long would it take for the lumps to disappear, or does it need extra surgery to even it out.

I am confused, not knowing when this swelling would go away when my body feels like normal?

ps0705, so funny you named your dang drains! I never even thought of that one. Lol. No - zero pain for both drain removals!

Hang in there girl, you’ll get your pathology report soon. You’re almost there. I totally understand the hurry to not worry after what you’ve been through. Hugs. Xoxo

I bet you hear something tomorrow (Friday for me). Wishing you all good news, my friend. Xox