November 2018 Surgery Support Group

Thank you, all. I called the doc and he didn’t have much to offer. My husband helped me adjust the bra and we found a spongy disc that was once around the insertion site but fell off. Once he put that in place for me it was better. Still painful occasionally but not as sharp.Whew. My family is becoming a top notch medical team.

Mcbaker and Rosie red, I might add some fluffy gauze like you said to help protect the insertion area thanks!

Heather autumn, thanks for the lidocaine idea. I want to pick some up to help with that left side. Hang in there. Let us know if you are able to eliminate a drain and how your nodes are this week.

Evily, thank you for the encouragement each day is getting a little easier so I’m hoping the pains will be a distant memory soon

So, things are going great for me Four days post-op and I couldn't be doing better. I do have some very dramatic bruising, but got some arnica cream this afternoon that should help with that. My pain has be almost non-existent and I'm down to just taking paracetamol every 4 hours, not because I'm in pain, but because I'd prefer to have something on board, just in case, for the next few days. I've been sleeping well, able to side sleep from the same night as surgery. Today I got the right hand side drain removed, and hopefully the left one will go on Wednesday. My ROM is great and I can do all the exercises the PT gave me with ease. All the concerns I had about being able to look after myself have disappeared. Sure, I get a bit tired, but compared to some people, I am having an absolute dream run

3 of 4 drains removed today! Woohoo! I feel like a new woman! Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post surgery. Just in time to get a new drain on Wed! LOL!!!

Just checking in... I'll be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow & had my last drain removed today! yay! With it gone I feel less like I'm "recovering" & more like myself. Tomorrow I also return to work, which I'm so eager. Being at home has me stir crazy. As an exec, the majority of my time is in meetings or in my office so I'm not concerned with over exerting myself. Working helps my sanity..lol.

Regarding chemo, I've decided to hold off on making a determination until my oncotype score comes in. It just feels like we're jumping the gun. So much so that I left the oncologist (stressed/upset from the chemo recommendation) without a clear hormonal treatment plan. No literature on Tamoxifen.. no rx called in to the pharmacy.. like what gives? So I'm pumping the breaks, until I have my score I refuse to make a decision. This lets my body continue to heal over this month, allowing me to enjoy the holidays with my health & energy in tact. ...its the right choice for me.

Continued best wishes to you all💕

Thanks Wigging! I'm so ready to return to my "normal", even if it is temporary. That's awesome you're feeling so good after only 3 days! But your body will thank you for taking the time to heal. Good luck on your upcoming surgery... & fingers crossed for no node involvement.

Luckily I connected with the nurse navigator at my BS office & she was certain that the oncotype dx test had been ordered. So I'll trust her word. But it sounds as if it was just ordered at my post-op visit last week, so at least another week or two for results... just great, more waiting. I also called the MO office to cancel my infusion & ask questions regarding the hormonal treatment. Never received a call back. I hope this isn't a trend of inadequate care with this unit of my care team. It seems once we jump on this bc train, it just goes on & on.

that would be a great excuse for getting rid of it. My PS says he won't authorize for it to be pulled until it yields less than 20ml for two consecutive days. "But, Doctor, it just ran out of my body. It just didn't want to stay in there any longer😂!"

Hi all!

I went for follow up today and for my pathology report. The bs told me after surgery that when she injected me for sentinel node and got in their for dissection there was no sentinel node. And she saw no other dye uptake indicating any other lymph nodes. She took a section of tissue hoping to get lymph nodes. My report states there was no lymph nodes..only adipose tissue in the sample. So now I'm on to the oncologist for the oncotype dx. I know this test is suppose to be the tell all but it makes me very nervous that a lymph node wasn't sampled. She said its not common for this to happen but some peoples anatomy is that way. Either no lymph nodes or scar tissue blocked the path of the dye to that area. I just dont know how to feel about it. Trying to be positive...she could've gotten 5 lymph nodes and all be positive! On a positive note the ps said my healing problem was resolving itself and would just take longer than the other side to heal! So i was so excited to hear that! Good luck and continued healing to all my nov peeps!

KerriOz-my drain goal per discharge nurse was also less than 20cc/day. I’m having more surgery on Friday though, exactly one week after initial procedure, so my drains will stay in even though I’m under 20cc. I hope yours come out at just the right time for you. It seems that so many things (showering, drains, etc) are so dependent on the individual doctors’ preferences.

Cjzach-the lymph node thing certainly sounds frustrating and confusing! I’m sorry you are dealing with that. I’m glad the healing is resolving. Hopefully you do not have to wait too long to see your oncologist. Oh the continual train of waiting!!!! So much patience is required!

FYI Stella McCatney is giving away free Mastectomy Bras. I got mine today, Check out the website stellamccartneycares.org free shipping too.

HiAll! Had plastics today and we are a go for reconstruction tomorrow. I'm scared to start up with the pain again but it must be done! Got my drains out today (I'm getting 4 new ones tomorrow though...bummer).

The best news of the day is my pathology report. Margins are clear, lymph node benign. No additional cancer surgery or radiation needed. My right breast was clear and my left breast has LCIS and DCIS in addition to the IDC that we already knew about...largest tumor size 1.7 cm. So, onward I go. Will not know about chemo until after they run the new tumor markers on the DCIS/LCIS. More waiting, but I'll be healing from Fake Boob Friday while I wait!

Wish me luck tomorrow ladies!

-Wigging

Good luck Wigging2000. Hope all goes well.

so glad to see good news for you, wigging. Been a long time since you chose that name, lol. I see the oncologist tomorrow.

Got my drains out today and also got my full pathology report. I had one tumor measuring 4cm another 2cm and a couple of 1cm ones all in the right breast. I also had 3/11 nodes test positive on the right side. The one part that bothers me is where it says that the invasive carcinoma extends to the superficial margin, spanning 2.2mm. The surgeon was ok about this but would've preferred a bigger margin. I will be getting chemo but she thinks I should get radiation also because of this 2mm margin. I had radiation 12 years ago for dcis so I don't think I can get it again in the same place but she wants me to meet me the radiologist and see what they think. I have my MO appointment next week to discuss treatment so hopefully she will be able to give me a clear plan of action.