25/4/22 finally surgery day has rolled around and thankfully not delayed (too much) by getting covid. Me and my partner went in at 8 am and thankfully because they couldn’t test be for covid since I’d just had it I got to go straight to the ward and my room I’d be staying in over night and didn’t have to go to admissions.
Felt like the longest morning every, I got told pretty early on I wouldn’t go down until afternoon time but people we in doing tests and trying (unsuccessfully) to put in a Cannula, chemo did a bit of a number on my veins. Then the surgeon came in and explains the surgery to me in a lot of detail (maybe too much.. my partner actually ended up fainting, turns out he’s not so good with bad news/ alot of info.. which I should of known as he had to go be sick when we had a video call to discuss how chemo would go and the side effects of that) anyway he did make it sounds a bit more serious that had previously been explained, I wasn’t aware that when they would take out all my lymph nodes he would also need to take out a nerve permanently which would likely mean I wouldn’t feel a part of my arm ever (the back of my arm and my arm pit just feel a bit weird, like numb but I can’t really feel it either, it’s odd but not sore or anything) but I felt totally fine and ready to get going the whole day and obv a bit nervous, but also I was more worried about my partner hitting his head so his we faint spell even though he didn’t mean it did the trick of getting my mind off it.. right until I went through the doors to theatre, I’m not sure why but I just suddenly started to get really nervous and was like.. nope this isn’t for me haha, bit too late now. I thought I calmed down a bit after a minute or two but I think the nurses thought otherwise as they gave me a weak sedative before the gave me the anaesthetic to calm me down so they could do all of their tests the needed to do beforehand and that’s actually the last thing I remember, no count down from 10
the next thing is just me being wheeled into the recovery room and saying “I need to pee x3” the nurse said ok two seconds and I’m like nope literally right now I need to pee, she said ok I’ll go get a bed pan for you and I was like no no it’s ok I’ll manage by myself to which she then pointed out “darling you haven’t even opened your eyes yet, there’s no way your walking to the toilet” I actually hadn’t even noticed I hadn’t opened them haha. Two massive peel and a wee cry later, I remember saying that I really don’t like asking for help and I wanted to peel by myself, think I was a bit dopey from the anaesthetic, I think they also gave one as pain relief after the surgery and I had gotten given some kind of morphine tablet I forget the name now. I asked the time and realised it was a lot later than me and my partner had discussed I might be out by so I think the surgery must of went on longer than expected but all went well, so I gave him a call on the nurses phone and he was already on his way worried that no one had been in touch by then. He got to stay for a few hours and my cousin also popped in after her shift at the hospital I don’t actually remember a thing that I said to them even now, I also had totally forgot a dr came in to give me an update and check on me as I said to my partner I can’t believe that dr never came around like they said and he said they did don’t you remember joking about your bra having 7 clasps and now he said it I did but I don’t remember anything else he said so I made sure to get an update in the morning again. I also text him saying I wish he got me snacks but he had and I just forgot haha
I had a drain in my arm pit for the one night whilst I was in hospital and they took it out in the morning, the drain wasn’t as awkward or as sore as I imagined.. that was one of the things I was freaking out about and taking it out I didn’t feel a thing, I am glad I didn’t have to take it home though, but my surgeon rarely does that.. but I know others have other opinions but that worked for me I didn’t have any fluid needing drained after the surgery again another thing I was worried about. All in all it really went as well as it could of. I did get little paper stitches on the upper part of my armpit scar which had opened slightly but they were only on for a couple days and then it was fine and didn’t hurt or anything and thankfully no infections which I was the most nervous about
I was quite sore for a few weeks after and was very careful about lifting heavy stuff and didn’t do any driving and made sure to do my Excercise… which may be uncomfortable but I promise you that not doing them is 10000x more uncomfortable even just missing a day you feel the difference in tightness and soreness and then after starting it up again it gets better, same with massaging the area (I used E45) you feel way better for doing it and worse if you miss a day, even if it is a thought. I found myself sitting with the bottle in my hand for hours just not wanting to do it, and it isn’t even that bad it was just the thought of it
i got on ok with most things I needed to do for myself, my partner helped me with showering the first couple times just as bending down hurt a bit with the weight of my breast pulling and also with getting changed but I had batch cooked meals the week before surgery and froze them so I was able to cook for myself atm as I didn’t want to ask for too much help if I could avoid it. It’s weird I don’t mind asking my partner to go make me juice or something now when I’m able and just being lazy but when it was because I was sore and not as able I hated it, too independent for my own good. I really thought I wouldn’t manage to do anything for myself like going to the toilet or something but thankfully it wasn’t anything like that, even the showering and clothes I could of done myself but was easier and less sore with his help.
also need to recommend getting a mastectomy pillow I got mines from Pillow Pals on Facebook, it’s a lovely group of people who make them in their spare time and they only make you pay postage although I actually paid extra since I’m able to at the moment and it was hands down one of the best things it just stopped my arm from touching my breast and helped both the armpit area and the breast from feeling sore and being irritated I slept with it and used it most of the day but did make sure to stop using it at points so my arm wasn’t in that position all day and night, and of course doing my Excercises too. I also got an L shaped pillow on Amazon, which was amazing and I still use now. I also got compression socks which was recommended after surgery but they were so tight I must of only wore them for like 2 days max but didn’t have any issues.
I am not 3 months after surgery and have full range of motion on my arm and only have a little bit of pain in my arm pit and breast (which got brought on again my radio) so think that will go away shortly, already getting better in the last week and otherwise I think I’m much the same as before, and the weird feeling in the back of my arm where the nerve was removed. Oh and both the scars look pretty good I recon the one on the breast will barely be visible after a while and the one on the arm pit it’s a bit red but also probs won’t looks too bad in a year or so, and it’s in a pretty well placed pace that it’s covered by most clothes
as always guys stay strong, positive and kick cancers ass!! xoxo
