***Surgery Chat***

how would I make this sticky like the chemo thread? Thanks

You could ask using this link to send admin an email mailto:community@macmillan.org.uk

Although they may wait to see how popular the Surgery Chat is for a while as they don't tend to create too many stickies.

G n' J

Ah ok, thanks!

Well done for opening this thread. We can support everyone happy to join in pre op and post op worries and concerns. I took the decision to deal with treatment a bit at a time. Now just had last Chemotherapy on 26th December . So now it’s a bit daunting to be facing the next steps where you have to have a say in choice of treatment without being an expert. 
Looks to me as if lots of ladies have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. But then some say they have immediate reconstruction. I would like to know what that means.  Some very brave people have DIEP construction which I have decided not to have most definitely but what do others have?? Do they still fit implants as you read nowadays that people are now having them removed. Is that a safety issue ? If you have an implant how in the future can you feel for any new lumps that may need investigation? Same with mammoplasty - if they move tissue around how do you know it settles without causing further problems. I have been told I have to have radiotherapy after surgery so have to take that into account. Foremost in my mind is that I want to feel well again and recover steadily after treatment. I just want to be me again - at least hope I will. 
- You must do well on Doxetaxel !!! I am day 9 and having usual digestive issues ! However won’t be long till I get past this too. Can’t wait to get my taste buds back !!

Hope your meeting with surgeon goes well. I had one on Christmas Eve but felt it was too rushed and busy to help with decision making and after speaking to breast care nurse on 26 she wonders why the surgeon had changed her recommended treatment for me from the MDT meeting they had previously decided on. So next MDT meeting is on 9th so will have to wait to see what they say then. The breast care nurse is going to phone me. All very worrying and confusing.
 All the best

Jojodot X

I had four different surgeries since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2016. Of these the lung surgery was the most difficult one afterwards. But still I found chemotherapy the most challenging part.

I had it after surgeries, though. Then radiotherapy was easy again.

I still do my the exercises I was taught after mastectomy twice a day and feel they help for movement (no problem) and hopefu;ly against lymhoedema in the future, too.

Hi West End Girl

Thanks for creating this thread - it’s a great idea, and I hope it becomes a sticky.  I’m just checking in briefly to the new thread to say that I had my mastectomy and ANC yesterday, and was discharged from hospital this morning.  On the morning of the operation i found that I was completely calm, to my surprise, and just relieved that the waiting time to go in to hospital was over.  The surgeon said that the operation went really well, with no complications, although it took about 3 hours.  I was only in the recovery room for 15 minutes, and then back on the ward being offered a drink and a tuna sandwich.  I was able to walk around (a bit unsteadily) about an hour after the surgery, and three hours later had a dinner of a jacket potato with cheese followed by sticky toffee pudding.  I have one drain in, which is draining quite a lot due to he ANC.  The drain is a bit of a pain, but I have it in the bag I got from my BCN and am getting used to taking it with me everywhere.  I am on paracetamol for pain relief, but do have a quite a bit of pain when I make certain movements (bending or twisting) and am learning that I need to move around very slowly at the moment.  The wound is very neat, with just one incision as the lymph nodes were removed via the breast incision.  My reaction to the wound is one of great relief to know that the diseased breast is now gone. 

I hope that everyone on the thread is well.  I will report back further on how things go.

Blackcat xx

Blackcat20

Great to hear from you Sounds as if op went well and you must be so glad the surgery is over. 
Look after yourself and take care and no doubt we will have questions to ask you in a bit. So relax and try to have a good rest and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Love Jojodot X

Great Blackcat20 

so glad all well with you .. that calmness before op us a weird one isn't it but very handy .

Take your time and rest the recovery won't take long 

margaret x

Hi Blackcat20 glad to hear you're back home and doing ok. That's another hurdle cleared. Take care and best wishes for your recovery. 

Xx

West End Girl, what a great idea for a thread!

My BC was the same as yours ER/PR and Her2 +.  Chemo eradicated all the cancer with my lump but left a shell. I had a lumpectomy and two lymph nodes removed on 18/12. Op was a day surgery. I was surprised they let me home as I couldn't keep anything down after and they said this was a side effect of the anesthestic. I felt fine the next day. The following week I felt great. Less pain than expected until a week later when I started with a slight niggle. This grew and a couple of days later my under arm swelled and was painful. I went to hospital where they drained 200 ml of fluid off and explained that it was a seroma. The wound started leaking bloody fluid that eve so I went to our local urgent care centre where they redressed and gave me antibiotics as the area looked quite red and felt hot. Finally getting on top of things after a couple of visits to the breast unit to check up on things. They gave me three more days of antibiotics which should hopefully clear things. They didn't seem to convened and have given me dressings to change at home and have just said it wil eventually stop leaking and dry up. My lumpectomy scar has healed beautifully and I've had no bother with that at all, it's the lymph wound that's been the problem!