October 2018 Surgery Support Group

Just wanted to drop by to say thank you to you wonderful ladies for all the great support. It really does help.

I'm four days out from my second revision surgery. I was hoping it would be my final one, but this plastic surgeon did so little (far, far less than she promised she would do), that I fear I will need one more. It's been over two years, and I just want to be done with it all.

I also have some tissue necrosis on the right side nipple reconstruction. Between that and the poor job she did on revising my abdominal scar, I really wish I had walked out when she had her pre-op meltdown.

All in all I am not the least bit happy with this doctor. I'm leaning toward filing a report with City of Hope. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I went through on Tuesday.

Hope everyone us healing well. Sending warm hugs.

Trish

Lillian, good to hear about clean margins and negative nodes! Best wishes for the path report.

Liliangish, here's hoping for a wonderful path report.

Trishyla, I'm so sorry your surgeon behaved that way! Seriously, you'd think she'd never worked w cancer patients before! Not that it would be okay to any like that w anyone else, but we are already traumatized out of our minds! Reporting her might save another patient from going through what you've been through.

Star 🌟 I'm so glad your ooph went well and the pathology came back clean. You deserve a good report .

Good news: Clear margins!

A question about seromas: I think I have one in the lymph node area. Not real knowledgeable, so I'll ask y'all. At what point does it become necessary to check w/the doc? It's maybe tennis ball size or a little smaller, not painful or draining or anything. I have a followup on the 20th. Should I go in sooner? Thanks!

kat22, I agree that you should contact the doc and maybe go in sooner. Mine didn’t seem to be growing and was smaller than a tennis ball, so the doctor said it would absorb naturally, and it did within a month. But based on the size and rate of growth, doctors may choose to handle t differently.

LillianGish,

Awesome about the clean nodes and margins! Best wishes on the path reports!

Trishyla,

I would be working on filing a complaint to the medical board! That surgeon sounds like a POS and PIA! Hopefully, you can find another doctor that will treat you right like they should.

Star2017,

Great ne a on the reports! Bet this takes some worry off. Hoping you have an easy transition into menopause and any further treatment.

Kat22,

I would definitely try to go in sooner. My PS removed the final two drains on Friday and he said this is the point that he gets anxious because of fluid build up. He said to watch for knots and redness, and to go straight to him or his office if that happens. Hope it gets better!

Jacks24,

I had my bilateral MX on the 15th. Some pains throughout the day, but overall feeling fine. I do get tired more easily, and my doctor released me to work. Did you have any nodes removed? This makes the stiffness last longer? some days are tougher than others...just listen to your body and when it has had enough it will let you know!

Jack24 - I had my UMX & SNB on 10/16. My concern is swelling below my armpit that feels like getting bigger and smaller throughout the day everyday.

Bookworm - do you have any treatment plan set?

bookworm, my mo also asked me to consider the hysterectomy but research doesn’t show an elevated risk of uterine cancer with brca2 (based on what I read). Mo suggested I discuss with gyn surgeon who said that she would do the hysterectomy if I felt strongly about it but did not feel herself it was worth the surgical risks as I did not have an increased risk based on the gene. I was torn for a while, but didn’t end up doing it. Partly I decided not to bc I wasn’t ready for the increased recovery time the hysterectomy would require and everyone felt I shouldn’t delay the ovary removal. I may end up doing the hysterectomy in the future. We’ll see.

Best wishes as you figure what makes the most sense for you.

with the fibroids that makes total sense! I’m sorry it means more surgery for you, but hopefully it’ll make things easier!

I know the feeling, bookworm. We’re done having kids, so I was okay making the decision. Is this something you can delay at all, if you want?

anxiouslady,

Just a thought, but maybe keepa record of the measurements of your arm to see if the swelling is happening throughout versus just under the ar? Maybe evenkeep track of it for a week based on time and possibly what activities you were doing? That might help when you go to the doctor to show him/her the fluctuations.

great! Hopefully it’ll be a simple thing to handle.

star2017,

Great news! About time for a breather

Star- Great news, and so glad you get a breather! I had an UMX so I have one remaining nipple as well, I am thinking of just a tattoo down the line. There is a tattoo artist that comes to my PS office so it would be covered by my insurance.

Kat22- Glad you were able to get in sooner, hopefully it turns out to be nothing to worry about!

I go in a bit for my PS follow up, and I cannot wait to get this giant dressing off, the edges are so itchy! I am on the edge of possibly getting the drain out so maybe I will get lucky today and get rid of that too!

As for the plan for my positive nodes, there is no plan yet! My BS wants to bring it to tumor board on thursday but she still has a tentative surgery date for me on friday for full dissection. It feels too rushed, and I don't think I can mentally face that decision so soon. She says she likes to do the full dissection sooner rather than later but the slow growing nature of ILC makes me think I could have a minute to decide. We talked about the z-11 trial and how there was no difference between the groups that had full dissection and those that had chemo and rads. My BS said she worries about my quality of life if I get lymphedema, and that it would significantly affect my abitlity to do my job. A pathologist I work with who has 20+ years experience has looked at my pathology and consulted with a MO that has given me his cell number to call and ask questions. I will hopefully do that later today. Hopefully the tumor board will offer some more insight...... more waiting but I appreciate my BS diligence.

Hello! I wish I had found this group a month ago! I had a bmx on Oct. 3rd with tissue expanders. I am just now starting to feel somewhat myself again, but these expanders are SO uncomfortable. Hoping it gets better soon and counting the days until my exchange surgery. Tomorrow I go in for genetic counseling and start physical therapy. I am little behind on treatment as I had some skin not do well and had to have an additional surgery to remove that. Hopefully no more speed bumps going forward!