The operation

Shiny

With the greatest respect to the surgeon and everyone caring for you but WTF. 

So:

1. Do you call the nurses supporting you and ask their professional advice? They will have all your details in front of them. 

2. Do you want to seek a 2nd opinion? Time could be wasted worrying in

3. Any .... I mean any .... operation has the chance of infection . We all sign it off to say we are aware. And yes he should have known the pathology of your BC if biopsy’s were taken. And the reconstruction needs a seriously clear explanation

4, BP up well really was it? What in the bleep could have possibly caused that

5. There is no earthly reason for them to push you .... other than the bleeping obvious their timetable

Get on that phone tomorrow tell them it is all too too confusing. Tell them you want the best medical advice you can get. Tell them Leolady and the rest of the squad will come round and kick butt. 

Leolady56 steamingly angry coz they are not playing fair with you

Hi Shiny

I had failed lumpectomies ( I won't repeat my whole story but it is in my information) and ended up with a mastectomy. As youve already had chemo I would think the chances of your lumpectomy being successful would be higher than normal - but I would ask the question as if you go down the lumpectomy route and have no clear margins (which was the case with me) they re-operate until they do, or in my case ended up with a mastectomy.

I am a bit puzzled with the infection thing, as Leolady says all operations have some element of potential problems with infection, maybe it is because of where the scars would be ?

My lump was high up on the outside of my breast (towards my cleavage) and my surgeon went around my nipple, she said that is the way she does most lumpectomies as it leaves little scarring. I can honestly say I would never have noticed the scar, she did a fantastic job, so I would also as Leolady says, ask for a second opinion. A friend of mine changed consultants after her first told her she needed a mastectomy (she has small boobs) which she really didn't want. The second one said he would do a lumpectomy and that was successful so no need for the mastectomy.

I would also ask about reconstruction, I had an implant but am not happy with it (my surgeon did this) and am now down for a DIEP using my tummy fat, this is done by plastic surgeons, so again you may need a different surgeon for this ?

I would also ask if you have the lumpectomy and are not happy with it if you can then have a mastectomy ? This is just giving you options.

It may also be worth ringing breastcancercare.org on 0808 800 6000 , they deal exlusively with breast cancer (clue in the name!) and I have heard their helpline is very good.

It is so hard having to make such potentially life-changing decisions so quickly, so very best wishes

Jo x

Thank you all for your thoughts. I had my mastectomy yesterday and am home now with drains already removed. I am in quite a bit of pain and m trying to decide whether I am better wearing my bra or not. I don’t like taking codeine but I think I might have to. Can I ask how you managed the pain? 

What a fantastic place this is for getting advice and comfort. Thank you everybody

Ros x

Hi Shiny. What an awful time you are having with a surgeon who does not sound very caring. Can you ask for a second opinion although that will delay your treatment. My advice would be to contact your breast cancer nurse as they have all your information and can talk you through everything.

I am wondering if this surgeon has high infection rates. It might be worth checking the rates of infection at that hospital and see if they are higher than average. I am still not clear why you have to go to a different hospital for your mastectomy. Would you be better to go there anyway as that surgeon might be the cancer specialist. I am not sure how it all works in your area

i am sorry I have not been more helpful and perhaps given you more decisions to make but this decision is so important. I was given 2 weeks to decide whether I wanted a reconstruction after my mastectomy and that was after 2 lumpectomies. The surgeon had me down for reconstruction but I changed my mind and told her on the morning of surgery and she was perfectly happy with that. I had my mastectomy yesterday without reconstruction and I am quite happy with the result

let us know how you get on and please don’t be bullied into making a wrong decision. Speak to your BC nurse

Ros x

Hi Flossie.  Had my mastectomy yesterday and looked at the area as soon as I could and am really pleased I did not have the reconstruction. I am quite happy with the flat side. I also had the drain out the following day but I will watch for seromas. Did you wear your bra straight away? And did you sleep in a bra?

Ros x

 Hi  Ros, so pleased you are through surgery ok. I took paracetamol and Ibruprofen regularly for the first 3-4 days then as I needed them...probably still quite regularly for 1-2 weeks but less than maximum doses. I too was pleased Id not gone down the recon route and remained unconstructed as seaspirit44 called it.... I do like that description. I wore a soft front fastening bra, and softie, from the first day post op. I did wear them 24hors at first, then tried without at night , but went back to wearing them as the bra gave some support and took the strain of boob pulling wound.... plus I found wearing the softie 24hours helped with the sensitivity of the area. I did have dressings on for a couple of weeks also. 

Sending hugs xx

thank you all for your replies, i'm sorry i didn't reply earlier - managed to stress myself into a migraine. on the plus side it did give me more time as i wasn't exactly lucid when nurse phoned lol. 

you have given me a lot to think about and quite a few phone calls to make - your replies have def helped put me on a more even keel so many thanks

forgot - have clear margins, doc doing ultra sound after last chemo said he was taking longer cause he was making sure he had clear views from as many angles as poss but margins were looking very clean.  had biopsy at first visit and the metal bits put in then were the only reason he found one of the lumps. haven't talked to oncologist since half way point so might add her to my phone list.

again, thanks guys - i feel much less stressed now i have a plan 

finally got hold of clinical nurse - seems they discussed me at weekly meeting and lumpectomy is the way to go. said i didn't want either of the operations described by the surgeon cause they sound horrible and it turns out he was describing reduction mammoplasty.  now i'm not sure i want a surgeon who scared the utter shit out of me for no reason.

got a meeting with nurse on monday so hopefully feel better after that  

so glad i never looked into plastic surgery on my boobs tho - that is some freaky stuff!

Shiny

Hurrah a plan. That will ease the gremlins of fear and doubt

I was not too impressed with my surgeon until I checked him out and found so many good reviews. And when I demanded to see him before an op  he came up trumps with his 'I am in the business of saving your breast and your life'. sadly I think they lose their empathy button, but if you  nudge them hard enough and kill them with kindness it does come back

Leolady56