How long before I can do stuff?

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sparrowhawk
sparrowhawk Member Posts: 179
edited November 2018 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

Or is it an individual thing?

I had my surgery (excision) yesterday. Pain has been strong and coming and going, even with decent meds, and using my arm in certain ways really hurts. I'm doing great though and hoping for a better night's sleep tonight!

I work in aged care and part of my work involves physical stuff like pushing wheelchairs, sometimes on an incline and for a distance. I don't go back to work until Tuesday and the hospital specified not to do manual work for first 24 hours...but is it a good idea to do anything remotely strenuous so soon? Pushing wheelchairs can be hard for me anyway, as I'm small, and I don't want to cause serious injury to myself (or to others).

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  • Raysal
    Raysal Member Posts: 45
    edited November 2018

    hey sparrowhawk

    The advice for lumpectomy seems to be all over the board. Did you get a snb as well or not? I had both snb and lumpectomy and was told to avoid heavy lifting driving etc for two weeks. Last tuesday had a re-excision and this time there were no restrictions, though personally I'm avoiding heavy lifting for a week since it does feel sore.

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  • sparrowhawk
    sparrowhawk Member Posts: 179
    edited November 2018

    Thank you! No; I should have mentioned that I had surgery to remove a suspected, problematic fibroadenoma, not cancer, but my doctor referred to it as a "wide local excision" in her notes.

    My incision is on the side of my breast, not through the areola (doc changed plan as the growth was far back in my breast) and so doing things with my arm, even the way I position my arm, hurts. I'm trying not to overdo it while still being active.

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  • PurpleCat
    PurpleCat Member Posts: 358
    edited November 2018

    The advice I was given was, stop if it hurts. Unfortunately I don’t always realize I’ve done too much until it’s too late and I’m hurting. See if you can get a note from your doctor just in case you need it. It’s great you don’t have to go back until Tuesday! I recommend lots of naps and tea in the meantime.🙂


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  • sparrowhawk
    sparrowhawk Member Posts: 179
    edited November 2018

    Thank you! I will take it easy as much as I can...my schedule is busy with classes and other things, but thankfully others are very understanding and considerate.

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  • sparrowhawk
    sparrowhawk Member Posts: 179
    edited November 2018

    Thank you! I will take it easy as much as I can. My schedule this weekend is busy with classes and other stuff...even going out tonight for dinner. Thankfully everything is pretty relaxed and others are understanding and really helpful.


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