Lumpectomy done and next steps awaiting...

Hi Buzzz

I had a wire guided lumpectomy at the end of April and I'm pleased to say that everything has healed well.

When I had mine I was given a sports bra by the hospital and woke up from the operation with it on. I was advised to keep it on day and night for 4 weeks, except for when I showered. I am a similar size to you.

For the first week I had a PICO dressing on which I wasn't allowed to get wet so had to settle for strip washes. After that the dressing was replaced by an ordinary one for a few more days which I could get wet.

When I saw the surgeon after 3 weeks I asked if there was anything I could use on the scar to help. She suggested bio oil but said the scar would improve in time even without anything being applied to it.

Wishing you all the best with your recovery

Hi Buzzz, glad your lumpectomy is done, good to tick that box! I had mine nearly 4 years ago, and I bought a couple of front opening post op Royce bras which I wore day and night for quite some time. When it felt less dangly I used a crop top at night for a bit of support. I also felt I had to sleep on my back as it hurt to lie on bad boob, which was my usual position, and if I lay the other way I felt like it was dangling, not nice! I got used to back sleeping by using extra pillows in all sorts of places - a flat one for my arm, and one under my knees, plus an extra under my head. Sounds ridiculous but it was very comfortable in the end, after much trial and error.

Like latchbrook  I had to flannel wash for a while, although I ended up sitting in a shallow bath and just flannel ing the top half, as that felt at least like a ‘nearly bath’! I didn’t use any oil at first as my scar seemed so much bigger and deeper than a previous lumpectomy (which had been for a benign fibroadenoma), partly because the surgeon did one long incision for both the lump and the sentinel node biopsy. But I eventually used a Palmers oil which has seed oils and cocoa butter in it, in fact I still use it all these years later to keep the skin supple after radiotherapy. 

Good luck with it all, let us know how you’re getting on. Sending love and a big (but gentle) virtual hug, HFxx 

Hi, I got my pathology results yesterday from my lumpectomy op for DCIS. I had clear margins and no invasive cells present.  I had my op on 21/7/22 and have been wearing a from opening bra from ASDA.  I bought four of these because I knew I would be wearing them more or less continuously.  They are extremely comfortable and I'm not sure I want to go back to underwired haha.  I was in quite a bit of pain initially as I had mammoplasty as well as the WLE so quite a few internal stitches as well. Some shooting pains for the first couple of weeks, but now it seems to have settle well.  I still have bruising after 5 weeks.  I am waiting for an Oncology appointment now so that I can start radiotherapy.  Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.