October 2019 Surgery Support Group

Thank you, dearheart! I'm kind of freaking out, to be honest, but mostly holding it together. 💚

Sounds like we are in the same grey area...hoping that nothing else changes. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and pray for you

Hi Gibbos and famousthecat! How did your surgery go? Hope all is good with you. Wishing you both a speedy recovery!

Well, I made it through my lumpectomy yesterday and I'm still feeling pretty good today. I arrived at the surgery center at 6:30am and was able to go home a little after 12noon. I wasn't scared, my hubby and best friend were there. I had never had anesthesia before so I didn't know what to expect. I remember giving my hubby a kiss then nothing after that til I woke up. I was still pretty out of it, but do I remember my surgeon coming in to talk to us afterward. All I remember her saying was that my lymph nodes were clear (Hallelujah!) and that the tumor she removed was larger than originally thought. All of the images prior indicated that I had three small tumors and one larger one all in the same area. Turned out that it was just one large one. I'm going back next week for my post-op and will find out the results from the pathology report. Hopefully I will only need 4 weeks of radiation as long as my oncotype score is low, which I'm really hoping for so I don't need to do chemo. I'm not in any pain right now, just has a slight headache when I got home yesterday. No nausea at all, in fact I was starving and ended up eating a whole foot long sub for lunch and then dinner later. Glad the anesthesia didn't affect my appetite. However, the tip of my tongue is still numb, is this normal and should it go away in a couple of days? I’ll call the office if it doesn’t go away by the end of the weekend. Just going to take it easy for the next two weeks while I’m off work.

Hey Teslafied. Glad you made it through. My surgery is coming up. So nervous. How can they see if lymph nodes are clean... don’t they need to test it before saying anything?

Also, I miss craft beer. 😂

Hi All, New to this thread but see many of you from the other October surgeries one... Can I rant for a second?

At my pre-op with PS, we were told to clear the 4 drains from my BMX, but leave the hospital bra in place until the post-op appt. When we went to that appt 3 days later, the dr was unhappy with us that the drains were all clogged the first inch or so. Guess what - that's because they were under the bra. And the bra was never fully closed at sx and I couldn't get it closed at the appt - clearly a sign the damn bra was not the right size! And since the drains were pinched under that way too tight bra band, they were a mess. I asked if I could switch to a front-close sports bra - actually a mastectomy bra that I'd been fitted with before sx - and he said no.

Well, my poor hubby saw me sobbing my eyes out for several hours because I couldn't sleep, couldn't be comfortable in any position, was exhausted and in pain that no drugs were fixing, so at 2 am this morning, I made the executive decision to switch the damn bra out! Phew. Breathing better, resting better, feeling better. I need to make peace with this PS because I have tissue expanders with eventual implants coming. I'm just so angry with him.

Thanks for letting me get that out. Is anyone sleeping in their own bed yet without a pillow fort? I'm still using the recliner, and when I'm too far reclined, everything hurts and feels weird, so I'm afraid of trying to get in the bed. Is anyone else having that experience?

Glad you can rant here! Drains were the worst and I got them out yesterday. I had a sympathetic surgeon but not much could be done for pain before the drains came out. But hang in and they will come out! As just said, take it one day at a time and get comfortable as best you can.

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful replies. It makes me feel so much less alone!

BgRose, that's great news that you can sleep in the bed. I did notice last night that I was able to put the recliner back further than the previous night without the weird feeling. Maybe I just need to keep working towards full horizontal.

naalehunet - Congrats on getting your drains out! I can only imagine what a relief that must be and I'm looking forward to that feeling. My hubby has been doing a great job taking care of them - I can't really reach them well. I see my BS tomorrow and I'm hoping he takes one or two out. I know the 2 lower ones have to stay in longer since they're still draining more.

Michelle, it's funny you mention that cushie pillow thing - I received one in this wonderful basket of stuff from a hospital volunteer who went through BC too. I just hadn't figured out where to use it because it seemed almost too squishy. I'll try it near the drains on my right side where they just irritate me the most.

Today a friend came to take me to Starbucks, sit in the sunshine, enjoy some iced tea, and catch up with each other. It's the first time since sx that I felt close to normal, if you don't count the drains and the maternity shirt I use to hide them. I hope all of you had a great day too!

Lumpectomy is on Monday followed by Savi Brachytherapy radiation and hopefully no chemo. Won't find out until after surgery. I'm hopeful that I have all my ducks in a row and am ready to move on!

Hi NoMoreKindaCCups!

Congrats on getting some sleep... more importantly though for shedding some of your drainage baggage !

I would love to speak with you about my experience thus far. It would be much easier than typing a response and waiting to hear back from one another. If you would like to talk to me, please private message me and I will be more than happy to give you my cell phone number. To answer your question though in the interim, the jury is still out on my implants. I've had them for fifteen days and still have a lot of swelling (they feel like the tissue expanders being in my arm pits). They are A LOT softer than the TE's. I'm thinking that they may be too wide for the area that they now call home. I guess that I just need to wait a little longer and give them a chance to settle. I guess that I was so used to having my originals for so long (50 years), it's hard to adjust to the change.

Anyway- I hope that you are having a sunny day and are enjoying having your dog back!

Hugs!

Michelle

Hi StAuggie, I'm no expert and did not have PT of any kind offered to me, but I'd say I got back 90% of my range of motion within 10 days or so (probably because I felt I needed to be doing things). I still have some way to go, especially on the side where the SNB was done. I'm copying and pasting this from the other October thread. Maybe some of this will help you...? Gentle stretching to start!

Oct 20, 2019 06:58AM ChaClarey wrote:

I was given a booklet from oncology nurse that had range of motion exercises to do, I was instructed to start day after surgery. The first three days were shoulder lifts shoulder rolls, squeezing shoulders together, clasping hands in front and raising over head. All 5-10 times. On the 5th day after surgery exercises added where you lay on floor and use broom handle, cane etc to reach over your head first hands shoulder width apart, then hips apart. This followed by clasping hand behind head and trying to touch your arms to floor while laying down. Also spider walking arms up wall as far as you can reach and lastly snow angels on the floor. I am to these every day for at least six weeks.This is probably more information than you wanted. Lol