Seroma following mastectomy

Hi Puggomum 

I really feel your pain. I had a seroma after same surgery (4th Nov) it just would not let up. I would have it drained and feel it filling again as I left the hospital. I had mine drained sometimes 3 times a week t least 8 times in total. It did get less.ln the end they left it to absorb on its own as said the more they took the more it would fill. It took a while.i spent hours at breast clinic and ultrasound.  I had first chemo on 13th December and got swelling each time I had it but did subside, radiotherapy began in May. X15. I now have more discomfort it's going tight so doing massage and stretches helping. So it goes on. Good luck we will get there. No one understands all the trauma unless they have been there it is hard at times but we have to remember the goal xx️

Hi, I had a big one too. 900ml came out the first time. I had it drained 3 times. The third time it was drained by a registrar, with a nurse in attendance. She definitely knew what she was doing. She gently massaged  several areas, draining from each one. She said that some areas were healing and where it wasn’t this was leaving pockets that were filling up. It didn’t look like that though, it looked  like the whole area was affected, so she must have felt it. She took ages, and was very patient and meticulous. That evening I could tell that it felt different, and was cautiously optimistic. It didn’t fill again. 

Thanks, ladies. I suspect I may have pockets, too, Cloudier, as it looks puckered and tethered after drainage. I will mention about the massage technique x

Hi Puggomum, I have been drained abut 6 times and I have just finished my radiotherapy. They had to drain me a further 2 times through radiation and now a couple of weeks later I have another pocket of fluid which they said could take a while for the body to absorb it. I was told that because It had filled again between the planning stage my first dose the needed to drain it as they wanted me to be safe. I hope all goes well for you. Jxxx

Thanks, Janicol. It’s so difficult and imprecise. I am getting my planning CT this afternoon, shortly after getting it drained again, so I will have to see what happens during the actual radiotherapy days. It is still filling up regularly and by 7-8 days it is fit to burst, so tight and giving me shoulder blade pain. The joys! 
Eileen x

Hi Eileen I hope everything goes well for you With the Rads. I seem to be left with a large pocket and they want to wait and see if the body will start to reabsorb it. The last time they went in with a guided ultrasound and the consultant said that it was dangerous where it was as they could have punctured my lung. I still find it really uncomfortable and tight and it affects my shoulder too.You are right The joys! Good luck. Janexxx

Thanks, Jane. I think radiotherapy itself can cause seromas, but I don’t mind being left with one as long as I can get on with radiotherapy, being high risk. That sounds scary, needing ultrasound guided and risk of pneumothorax. Mine drains easily, is near the surface. I think the seroma can be deeper for women who had lumpectomy. It’s such a learning curve, I have cording too now! 
Hoping your fluid resolves quickly, Eileen x

Hi Eileen I have cording now too and I am worried that I will get lymphodema in my arm because of the seroma. I hope you manage to get started with the radiation soon and all goes well. Best of luck. Janexxx

Oh, no, poor you. I have been doing stretches and massage for it, and my breast nurse has referred me to physio. I start radiotherapy in two weeks. Hope your skin has been okay with radiotherapy, Eileen x x

Hi Eileen my skin has been really sore and covered in blisters. I was given something called a bolus which is like a really thick layer of gelatin and this was because I had inflammatory breast cancer so they also needed to treat the skin. My oncologist apologised in advance and said that I would blister badly and I have, so now the blisters have burst and the skin is peeling off. Hopefully yours will be fine Eileen. They give you betnovate and zerobase to start from day one and for 2 weeks after radiation finishes. Janexxx