November 2018 Surgery Support Group

([{Mariett}]) So sorry to hear your news. If I could give you some skin, I would. And your favorite comfort foods are an excellent recommendation. I am using pure coconut oil from the grocery store to facilitate skin stretching. Pharmacist's recommendation, LOL.

I went to the city on the seventh, Onco said that drain needs to be pulled.When I last saw the PS in Nov, he said that it couldn't be pulled until it had produced less than 20 ml for two days in a row. But he said that the local clinic could pull it with his consent. I have an appt in the city on Monday with another PS in his office. The woman at the local clinic was finally able to contact the other PS, who confirmed that it could be pulled tomorrow at the local clinic, especially since I have reached the celebration mark. I have an appt later with OT, but I need to get get this thing pulled so we can determine if it is the drain that is causing right arm decreased ROM. So I have an appt at 8:20 to get the damned thing pulled!! And it will be well on the way to healed by Wednesday, chemo #1. FINALLY!!

Good luck with your drain removal MCBaker I'm sure it will be a relief. I will have to get some of that coconut oil and start using it before my re-excision just so my surgeon can pull as much skin as possible. I have been walking alot since my bmx and the chest doesn't feel as tight anymore. I am gonna see if my mo can start chemo sooner then January 9th. I read that a re-excision only takes 3-7 days to heal so not sure why they are making me wait 3 weeks. I think starting chemo asap is better in the long run.

Hey Mncteach-welcome!

I hope you’re healing nicely after your revision surgery.

Also-I went to the YMCA for the first time-after my surgery. I was pretty nervous about trying my old cardio class-but I felt pretty good! I only did the arms ‘half-up’ on the jumping jacks

Hope everyone else has a peaceful holiday.

So any of you November ladies having any feelings of depression or sadness? My prophylactic NSBMX on 11/12 went great, nipples good, tissue expanders annoying but not painful anymore, fills have gone fine, and exchange surgery scheduled for Feb. 8. I thought I was doing great emotionally too - feeling very blessed and relieved I was able to have MX before my atypical biopsies became cancer. When I met with After Breast Cancer advisor last week, I broke down. She was talking about the group exercise classes I can start in a week or so, and I asked her if other women in there would be annoyed or resent me for being part of this program even though I didn't have breast cancer, and that I didn't want them to feel bad that they got cancer and I didn't. That's when I started crying. She explained that just because I didn't have cancer didn't mean I wasn't allowed to be part of the group, because I had gone through the scare of cancer, and had mastectomy, like the other women who will be in the group. She then said that many women, about 6-7 weeks out from surgery start to feel emotional, sad, depressed, because we are past the intensity of the build up to surgery. She also said I might have "survivor's guilt" because I didn't have cancer, when these other women did. Also, in 2018 I had other health issues pop up - shoulder surgery, cataract surgery, lumpectomy, etc., that all randomly happened in this same year. She suggested I meet with a counselor to help cope with these things. Again, I thought I was doing well until she started discussing these things (she's a cancer survivor), but now I do feel a little depressed. I also am realizing I have probably worn out my friends with my continued discussions of how I am/what I've gone through. I guess we have all been so used to going from one dr. appt. to another, and suddenly we are on our own more now. In preparing for this whole process I spent hours researching what to expect and to better be prepared, but now I'm done with most everything except exchange surgery.

Borogirl - my sister (who had breast cancer 9 years ago) had warned me of becoming depressed after things start to calm down a bit during the breast cancer journey. She said it really hit her after her treatment and things went back to semi-normal. No doctor appointments, no one asking how you are doing, no special treatment from anyone because everyone starts to assume you are “done” with it all and feeling good. She went to group counseling to help deal with her depression.

I feel sad at times because I’m still having to deal with radiation and exchange surgery. Somehow I thought I’d be further along than I am to being done with dealing with it all, but I’m not. Currently dealing with a seroma that developed 6 weeks after my BMX. Didn’t need that monkey wrench in my plans.

Wigging2000 - since my PS has been out of town, I’ve had to see my surgeon. He cleaned the small part of my incision that opened up and then put steri-strips over the opening. Have to keep it clean and dry. He also has me on a round of antibiotics (yuck). Now I have skin underneath my incision that is looking red and angry. So I have to delay radiation treatment until my skin heals.

I’m hoping that you will not need chemo. Hugs to you