decision

kit45

Hey all, went to the surgeon and have chosen with her recommendation and all the data to have masetectomy of rt breast. Its not scheduled yet but will be in about 2-3 weeks. Reconstructive surgery will be done at the same time and a port for chemo . Any thoughts to guide me along? How long will I be hospitalized? The surgeon says only one night but I have two kids at home ages 14 & 11. One night doesn't appears accurate.I guess a nurse will come to my home due to drainage tubes? Not sure about lymph nodes until surgery Thanks for support. Kit

liz11808

Hello Kit,
I had a left breast mastectomy and stayed overnight in the hospital. I didn't sleeped the whole night so I decided to go home the next day. There are 2 drains that needs to empty every 8 hours and the amount must be recorded.
I brought this at the time of my appointment to check the fluid on the surgery site. 5 weeks after the surgery, I started my chemo of 4 rounds (taxotere/cytoxan). I'm done with it and will start harmone therapy in 4 weeks. It will be your decision if you want to stay longer in the hospital, let your surgeon know. With the drain, the nurse will teach you how to do it. You can use all the help you need during this time. You will be in my prayers.

God bless, Liz

tan39

hi kit,
i had right breast mastectomy in February, lymph nodes removed. My stay in hospital was only 2 days but some of the other women in my ward had to stay a bit longer because of swelling and their drains were not emptying enough fluid, i think it depends on the individual person and how quickly they recover, but good luck to you Kit.

cabbott

Shucks, I had a right mastectomy without reconstruction (my choice, I just didn't want it) and they did it as day surgery. They even said that most folks that had the same surgery I was scheduled for would go out to eat the night of surgery. I figured they were telling me a tall tale. They weren't. I went in to surgery around 6 AM and was out at 4 PM. I really and truly wanted to go out, but we were two hours from home and I wanted to see my 10 year old before he went to bed. We settled for a fish sandwich at Burger King and a tall glass of ice water. I had a sore throat from the anethesia intubation and my arm was stiff and a bit sore like a sore muscle. I didn't want to be bumped, but I was walking and feeling fairly okay. With reconstruction, you will need to stay in the hospital. How long depends on the kind of reconstruction you picked. Some kinds take a night or two, others up to five or six days. Tissue transplants take longer than implants. The cool thing with those surgeries is that you will not need a prosthesis so for most people it is worth it. Call your insurance company NOW to make sure what they will cover. Mine covered a nurse to come once and check the incision. I had met with the occupational specialist and a surgical nurse BEFORE the operation so that I would have exercises for rehab and know how to handle all the drains and stuff when I got home. Frankly, it was a good thing that they put everything down on handouts to take home. I couldn't remember squat the day of my surgery! I was much too rattled! My friends had their surgery at the local hospital. They were all given a night in the hospital for mastectomies without reconstruction, but almost no directions on what to do when they came home. One lady I met from around here was not even told about prostheses and tried to invent one to sell or give to other ladies that were embarassed to go out in public. That she was so unprepared by her doctor still makes me furious. But there it is. You need a medical plan and a rehab plan now. Ask and see if you can get it. If they don't have one, see if you can find something out here or on the internet. It is much less scary to have an operation when you know what to expect and what to do to maximize your recovery.

mmontero38

I had a right mastectomy last June and stayed in the hosp for 2 days. Came home with 2 drainage tubes. The nurse at the hosp, taught me how to drain the tubes and luckily had them removed 1 week later. I went through 8 rounds of adriamycin/cytoxan and finished chemo in NOvember. They removed 7 lymph nodes and all were negative so I didn't need to have radiation. I didn't do my reconstruction right away. I waited until this past February to have it done and decided to do the tram flap. I am very happy with my decision and will be going back in August to finish the reconstruction. Talk to your doctor, some insurances are now allowing 48 hrs. Keep us posted. Hugs, Lili

VermontPines

Kit,
Most hospitals have someone who acts as a go between with insurance companies. Not a billing person, but rather, usually like a social worker, nurse administrator, or some other title. They're also very familiar with the requirements and 'cultures' of the insurance companies they deal with and they can give you a good idea of how amenable your own company is to extending your stay. Most are flexible about the length of your stay - you may have to have a reason for a stay that is longer than the 'suggested/approved' time, but these can often range from a rise in B/P that needs to be watched, pain control, etc etc. Your surgeon can be a big help with this - just discuss it with them beforehand. As far as the drains go, the usual one is a JP drain, and theyre easy to deal with. You'll be shown how - ask them for a printout though, because, like cabbott said, you won't remember. You should also check your insurance to see what it covers for a home health nurse. Many cover them now for surgery, but each is individual. Your surgeon can arrange for it, and the home health service will know what the requirements are. My local hospital was excellent at getting me a fourth day for a radical hysterectomy, along with making all the arrangements for a visiting nurse. Just let people know. And good luck to you!
Stacey

kit45

VermontPines said:

Kit,
Most hospitals have someone who acts as a go between with insurance companies. Not a billing person, but rather, usually like a social worker, nurse administrator, or some other title. They're also very familiar with the requirements and 'cultures' of the insurance companies they deal with and they can give you a good idea of how amenable your own company is to extending your stay. Most are flexible about the length of your stay - you may have to have a reason for a stay that is longer than the 'suggested/approved' time, but these can often range from a rise in B/P that needs to be watched, pain control, etc etc. Your surgeon can be a big help with this - just discuss it with them beforehand. As far as the drains go, the usual one is a JP drain, and theyre easy to deal with. You'll be shown how - ask them for a printout though, because, like cabbott said, you won't remember. You should also check your insurance to see what it covers for a home health nurse. Many cover them now for surgery, but each is individual. Your surgeon can arrange for it, and the home health service will know what the requirements are. My local hospital was excellent at getting me a fourth day for a radical hysterectomy, along with making all the arrangements for a visiting nurse. Just let people know. And good luck to you!
Stacey

Thanks Stacey and to everyone. I read and re-read all of your comments and it really helps. My surgeryis tomorrow. Scared to death but I keep saying "it is what it is" and I am trying to be proactive and positive. I have a 14 and 11 year old (boys). They are aware of what is happening and I know although they don;t express it are scared. If you read my post please keep me in your prayers and I for all of you. thanks, Kit