Any suggestions welcome to aid comfort & recovery following mastectomy.

Hello, I’ve had two separate mastectomies (the first with an axillary clearance. You might find it more comfy and practical (especially if you have a drain fitted) to sleep on your back almost semi upright, as it can be uncomfortable if you roll onto the affected side. Sometimes people sleep for a few days in a recliner chair (which prevents rolling) but I haven’t got one, so didn’t try it. I used a V pillow for support, and popped an ordinary soft pillow under my armpit for comfort. There are some special shaped pillows for mastectomies also, but I didn’t use one. 
You will be given a booklet of exercises to do following surgery. It tells you when to try them, and in what order. You’ll find that you can’t do them all at first, but it gets better. I used button up tops for the first couple of weeks , and a front buttoning bra can be useful if a single mastectomy . It was easier and less sore that way for me, but we are all different. 
My radiotherapy started about nine weeks after surgery, but it can vary. This is one of the reasons why  the exercises are important as you will need to get your arms in a certain position for this treatment. Your breast care nurse will likely demonstrate this  if you  ask. 
I’m sorry that your husband is going through a challenging time. X 

Hi, thankyou for your advice and recommendations, I had read something about the recliners and wondered how many others had found them useful, i May borrow my dads if it’s really going to help at night. I will look Into those v shape pillows also as I can imagine the drains get knocked if you’re not supported enough. 
I hope you’re ok and on the road to being at the end of your journey with full health x

Hello,

So sorry to hear that your family are going through the big C rollercoaster. It's just bloody horrible, but you've seen what good support can do 

I had a Righr side mastectomy 10 weeks ago.

Too tips -

Start moisturising your side, armpits & upper arms. Get your pits waxed for the last ever time!

Find the exercises on the breast cancer now website and start doing some of the stretches NOW so you are a little more supple going into surgery. And do them religiously afterwards. I thought it would be impossible to do the hand walks up the wall but it actually comes quite quickly (which helps with everything).

Rest - not everyone sleeps through the day, but go to bed & rest for at least an hour each day, really helps with lymph drainage.

Get a V shaped pillow - most comfy to sleep on, I stopped using it 2 weeks ago. I also still have 2 small heart shaped pillows - useful for slightly raising your arm while sleeping.. Really useful.

Clothes - cool & loose. I had a stretchy vest top & hoodie, button shirt, zipped fleece etc. It's winter so PJs are a must!!! Nothing too fluffy though as it sticks to your wound dressings. Takes about 10 days to put a jumper on yourself.

Drains aren't in for long, mine was a day - hospital gave me a bag.

Walk a bit & drink lots of fluiid.

Good luck to you - sending positive & healing vibes

Hi, lovely to hear from you and so sorry that you have also been affected by this.  
You sound very positive and I will most certainly take on board all your advice  especially the exercises, as it’s not one I would have thought of prior. 
I do wonder with the drains why they have told me 2-3 weeks they will be in? Seems a lot compared to others, hopefully it heals well and can be removed sooner as that’s the part I’m actually dreading the most. 
lots of love to you on your recovery!x

Hi Harperavenue, I had 1 tumour in my breast and 1 in the lymph node, I got away with a lumpectomy but the tumour was quite big so when I saw my consultant after the op he said not a single bit of breast tissue was in the same place as at the start so he could try and make my breast look as normal as possible.   My drain was in for a week and during this I had to limit are movement.  Unfortunately for me it was the more difficult op to recover from and I wasn't given exercises to do (it was at the start of covid so things were a little over the place) I also had radiotherapy with no physio and ended up with a frozen shoulder which was a further op so make sure you do lots of exercises when they say you're ok to do so, I slept a couple of nights in a recliner and some in my bed on my side.  My tips would be, front fastening bras and ditch any underwire bras, I live in sports bras now, dry shampoo - no way i could wash my hair with one hand, an electric razor for under the armpits as you have dead areas that you can't feel - my son found it hilarious that he could tickle me and I couldn't feel anythng.  Hopefully you will recover from the ops quite quickly.  After my initial op it was 2 weeks before the dressing came off and then another 3-5 weeks before i started radiotherapy to make sure everything had healed enough, they will give you some cream to apply to keep the radiotherapy skin damage to a minimum, apply lots, I didn't have a lot of problems from the radiotherapy just a bit of tiredness.  You don't want to be lifting your arm initially so front fastening tops essential x 
Sending positive vibes xx

Thankyou for your advice and hope all is well for you now. It’s a minefield with the variations of treatments and reconstructions but I’m trying to trust the process. Take care xx

Hi I had a mastectomy and lymph nodes removed plus a lumpectomy on the other breast with diep reconstruction all in one op 31st jan last year.

Front fastening cotton bras NOT underwired and eventually sports bras (my consultant advice )

Lots of cushions. I had them either side of me cos I had to sleep on my back plus to support arms a little in bed was more comfortable. Plus under my knees and feet to raise my legs slightly. The best ones were diy ones. One to wear under my armpits like a tiny handbag with a strap. One on my breast seat belt . And cos of diep one under horizontal seat belt (like a small draught excluder).

Electric shaver... much safer.

Front fastening tops.loose tie up trousers (if ur having a diep reconstruction).

Do your physio exercises and moisturise at least 2/day. I was advised aveeno... still use it now (you shouldnt use any harsh perfumed moisturisers for a few weeks).

Rest when you can, cos ur night sleep might not be great if you're a fidgeted like me. 

Be very kind to yourself.  Sounds like you and your husband have been through a lot. Take care and big hugs. Xxx

Hi, sounds like you also have been through the Mill. Can I ask, was it your choice for the diep reconstruction? Or was that recommended by your consultant? It’s a mindfield knowing which is best and my consultant has pretty much told me to have the breast implant with not much mention of the alternatives. My MRI results are back this week and will know more about the other breast, praying it can be left alone. 

Much love to you also and hope this year brings happier times!x

It was my choice. My consultant offered tissue or silicone. When I opted for tissue they chose diep. They said they thought that was more manageable and gave better results than the other tissue one(luckily I had more than enough tummy fat

I chose tissue, cos it grows with u. Otherwise I would have had one hoing with gravity and the other (my husbands words) a bionic boob that stayed young and same size forever (although they said they would adjust if needed over the years. But I couldn't be bothered with that palaver. 

It was a lot more restrictive initially cos they cit right across obe side of hip to other side and have to find a strong tummy blood vessel, so cut through your tummy muscle (not as deep as a casaerian). So they check every 2hours fir 2st 24hrs post op to check blood supply. Plus drains from tummy op aswell as boob op. Plus initially you can't stand straight, but the physio exercises sort that. 

I'm OK now, just battle scars on tummy, new belly button and both boobs. Waiting for nipple and reduction/reshape of new. They made it bigger cos I too should have had radio after and that reduces the tissue. But they got it all and I didn't have radio. But cos it's just aesthetic I'm low on priority list. That's OK. Still using strap on breast seatbelt (lumpectomy boob, had to have my nipple moved and that's a little uncomfortable, but ok).

Xxx

Wow sounds like a real journey! I totally understand about the numerous operations later on which is the downside of the implant, although I have two young children and didn’t like the thought of diep flap right now either, I’m hoping tomorrow they put my mind at ease as I’m going to sign consent. Thank you for all your advice xx