Surgery June 2018

yikes,whatever it takes, so sorry to hear that! Sending healing thoughts,

Aussie cat, hope the pain settles soon!

Llinkc, hope all goes well!

Just keep moving, still waiting on pathology and my surgeon is now on holidays. Will try my family doc.

Love your humour! It does help!

Hugs and healingto all!

Ladies....

I'm planning and trying to get ready but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels! Off from work today and yesterday and it's Go Time but not feeling very successful or efficient or effective

What am I forgetting? I guess at some point it's all just going to happen and I'll just let go. None of it matters after I walk through the hospital door.

just keep moving: I have three kids, 15,12, and 3. The older ones have really stepped up to the plate for this and I’m so proud of them. I’m having a DMX with expanders placed. The area of DCIS I have is just too big for a lumpectomy and there are areas of IDC. They also found a thickening in my left breast starting. I am having tissue expanders put in instead of immediate reconstruction because I want some skin taken off which they cannot do immediately. My understanding is that they will do the exchange operation sometime early fall. I am so anxiousness to have this over with but at the same time, getting a little nervous.

Hello justkeepmoving. I will keep you in my prayers for your upcoming procedure. I remember I couldn't sleep the two days before my surgery on June11th.

I'm now 2 weeks post op. I had IDC and it was in 3 out of the 11 lymph nodes, so had axillary node dissection as well as left mastectomy. They could only remove on drain last week. The other still had too much output to remove. The pain the first two days was unbearable but got through it. Now I can use just Tylenol or Motrin with relief. I only use oxycodone when gets too bad. I still can't sleep lying down. So have slept in recliner since surgery. The numbness and tingling under the armpit is driving me crazy. Just took bra off couple of days ago and the surgeon was worried about the swelling. I had a tssue expander placed to keep the breast tissue soft.. I'm doing the exercises to prevent lymphedema and it's nonjoke. The stiffness is bad some days and okay others. I'm up to walking 2 miles a day, though nowhere's near the running and lifting weights I was doing before. Taking one day at a time. the pathology staged me a stage 3A. It's hormone receptor positive. I see oncologist Monday to lay of chemo/radiation plan. I have to have both.

I hope this info helps you. I know your date is coming up soon so just hang in there and take one day at a time. I followed the suggestion of someone who posted on this site; the day before surgery I lost my hair I went to the salon and got my nails and my feet done had a facial went out to dinner. It really helped to calm me and you deserve to treat yourself before you go in so I would recommend that. Good luck to you! Prayers for the best outcome for you!

~a3ve

a3vee: thank you for sharing your experience. It helps to prepare.

Just keep moving: I woke up at 4:30. Big thunderstorms in the area, so the dogs are going nuts. But I can’t sleep either. I’m doing last loads of laundry now at 6:00. Cleaned the trash to put out and made my final list of to dos. I’m going to do my nails now. Then, last call on dr appts for the grandmas who live with us. I’m so nervous. Nervous about what I’m going to look like (vain I know). Nervous that too many people keep calling to wish me well (im trying to pretend that this is not a big deal). Nervous about the loss of control that I will have. But then I read the stories of recovering women who are getting out and walking and getting their control back and it helps.

Kandy, I'm glad you're doing pretty good and it was heavenly sleeping in your own bed. It's good that the second fill didn't hurt. Tiredness can come from not sleeping well, being in pain, taking meds and even the general anaesthetic. People take different lengths of time to feel better.

I'm still tired after my surgery 9 days ago but that's partly because of the meds I'm taking. I'm still quite sore too.

Whateverittakes, I'm sorry your nipples didn't survive and you're having more surgery tomorrow. I hope it goes well. It's great that you don't need chemo or radiation! Well done for walking and moving around.

so, out from surgery! A bit of pain but I’m taking advice and admitting to it before it hurts too much. I’m going a little in and out of it. So unfortunately, my first sentinel node and a small vcamcer area in it so I’ll definitley be doing radiation but still unsure about the chemo.

Going to nap now

Thanks, Benny Bear. I hope your underarm feels better soon. It's great that all five lymph nodes were negatives!

It's 11 days since my double mastectomy and the pain doesn't seem to be getting any less. I'm still finding it hard to concentrate at times and getting sleepy, but that's most likely from the pain meds. I sure hope the pain gets less by the time the pain meds run out. I thought I'd be feeling better by now.

Thanks, Moonrabbit59. It would be great to be less sore.

I hope you get discharged today and you can rest at home and feel better.

Justkeepmoving, it's good to hear from you. It's great that your sentinel nodes are all clear! It's no wonder you're finding things difficult but I'm glad that things will get easier.

JaBoo, I'm really sorry the margins weren't clear and you had to have surgery twice! I hope your meeting with the oncologist goes well and you get to have an ultrasound so you can be more at ease. I've heard that the lumps and bumps after surgery can take 6 weeks or so to settle down but it's different in every case. It's good that the surgeon is happy with the way it's healing. I feel for you going through this.

I didn't find this group soon enough. I had a lumpectomy for 3.5 cm with sentinel note removal on June 25. I didn't understand when they said that the radioactive tracer injection would hurt that they actually intended to torture me. Now I don't care about the scars. I don't care about cancer. Every time I close my eyes I'm back begging them to stop. I have to go for a follow up with the surgeon, it is making me panic. I don't want them to hurt me any more. How will I face chemo / radiation. How are you all so very strong

Kelly-Anne, I'm sorry you feel so traumatised by the radioactive tracer injection. I wish they'd been more careful not to hurt you! It sounds like you have some PTSD developing, so I suggest telling a doctor about that or trying to find someone to talk to about it. I hope you can go back to see your surgeon without panicking too much. It certainly does take courage to go through all these medical appointments. Remember that you have the right to ask questions and to refuse treatments that you don't want. Sending hugs for all your suffering.

I hope everyone is healing well! And not too much pain! Aussie cat is it better? My underarm is better than last week. The nurse navigator told me probably nerve pain. I have been doing the stretches and started Physio so that is helping.

Jaboo, sorry you have to go through it twice! Hope you feel better about it all soon.

Kelly Ann, if IS a lot! And none of it very much fun. I have to keep telling myself that at least the cancer is gone. I have a high pain tolerance but the dye really stung for me too. This is such an ugly disease, disfiguring, disheartening but thankfully one that is treatable. I find I have had to break it down, the. Biopsy, then deal with surgery, now heal and get used to the new me. Then wait for pathology. Then see what other treatment is needed. And small But a real pain, find a swimsuit, argh, tough enough at the best of time!

So hugs and support to everyone struggling with this individual journey. Sharing helps. Thank you!