Just back from surgeon

kjrpcb

Hi all, just returned from the surgeon's office. Good news and bad news. We reviewed the path report and as expected the tumor was huge, margins are clear, 5 out of eight nodes were positive,her2/er/pr positive. I'm in for both chemo and rads. The right breast was cancer free. I'm feeling great and healing well. He took the drains out and I took a long , hot shower. It felt amazing. Next appointment is with the oncologist.
I do have some questions for my sisters.
What do you normally wear after he takes dressing off? I have two bra type camisoles that my insurance ordered for me but I don't want to wear the padding that came with it and looks kind of odd without it.
What are your opinions on breast cancer support groups?
I haven't looked at my chest yet. I'm very apprehensive about seeing if for the first time. Normal??
I work full time when did you return to work? My doctor says whenever I want to go back later or sooner it's up to me. Should I go back sooner and save my sick leave for chemo/rads?
I also signed up for the FREE house cleaning service and was accepted. You get free house cleaning for 4 months. The web address is below.
http://www.cleaningforareason.org/
Check it out it's a good thing.
Sorry this post is so long. As always, I appreciate your positive thoughts.

Balentine

Glad your surgery went well
but sorry to hear about the lymph nodes and size of your tumor. I know it was a great feeling to get those drains out...that is the worst. I wore just a t-shirt with nothing else for awhile until my incision healed better then I wore camisoles. I did not go anywhere outside the house though for awhile either until I felt comfortable enough to wear a breast form in my camisole. I did join a cancer support group that meets once a month and I do advise you to do that. It always helps to be able to talk to others that can relate just like we all do when we flock here. When I first looked at my incision, it was difficult but as time goes on God gives you the grace to deal with it and get stronger day by day about it. AS for your job, I was off for 2 weeks before I went back but of course it is going to depend on your job and what you are going to be able to do and not be able to do for awhile. Maybe get a limited duty note from your doctor. I was blessed that my co-workers donated 30 days to my sick leave pool. Such great people I work with
Hope this helps and be blessed.
Lorrie

cahjah75

Glad you're doing
Glad you're doing all right. My surgeon put a compression bra on me after surgery. I still wear it. When I saw him 1 week post op he removed my drains and asked that I wear the compression bra for a couple more weeks. I do however have 2 camisoles that I wear without the inserts when I was my compression bra and I wear it with inserts when going out.

I looked at my chest when I took first shower. I didn't get upset, just kinda stared. I was a bit concerned about swelling under arms but that's the only thing that looked wierd. I had bilateral mastectomies June 22. Doing ok and scheduled to start chemo August 10.

I no longer work so I can't help you with that. Take care:)
Char

New Flower

Balentine said:

Glad your surgery went well
but sorry to hear about the lymph nodes and size of your tumor. I know it was a great feeling to get those drains out...that is the worst. I wore just a t-shirt with nothing else for awhile until my incision healed better then I wore camisoles. I did not go anywhere outside the house though for awhile either until I felt comfortable enough to wear a breast form in my camisole. I did join a cancer support group that meets once a month and I do advise you to do that. It always helps to be able to talk to others that can relate just like we all do when we flock here. When I first looked at my incision, it was difficult but as time goes on God gives you the grace to deal with it and get stronger day by day about it. AS for your job, I was off for 2 weeks before I went back but of course it is going to depend on your job and what you are going to be able to do and not be able to do for awhile. Maybe get a limited duty note from your doctor. I was blessed that my co-workers donated 30 days to my sick leave pool. Such great people I work with
Hope this helps and be blessed.
Lorrie

Please be careful with a HOT shower
you need to avoid hot showers and hot tubs. Ask your surgeon about it. I am glad that you are doing well.
Take care

m-star

Hiya
Glad you're doing well.
Hiya

Glad you're doing well. I just wore o loose top after my MX. couldn't stand to wear anything fitted,let alone a bra.My skin was very sore and sensitive.

I must seem a wierd lady,but as soon as i came around out of my anaesthetic,the first thing i did was open up my gown and look at my chest! LOL We dont have compression bandages here so my incision was glued and there was a piecs of wadding and gauze over the drain entry site_so i saw the whole lot right away.
I looked down and started grinning! Now that may sound odd,but i was so happy to be rid of those ticking time bombs,cleverly disguised as breasts!

I came home 4 days later and stripped off and took a good long look in a full length mirror.It never did bother me one bit i have to say.

As for work,i still haven't returned yet from February. But this is due to the nature of my job (hairdresser) and the fact that the expansions were preventing me from doing my job. I am hoping to now stay off until after my exchange in October. Just be careful returning to work TOO soon.But it really depends on what your job entails.

I goe free house cleaning too! It was my hubby! LOL

VickiSam

m-star said:

Hiya
Glad you're doing well.
Hiya

Glad you're doing well. I just wore o loose top after my MX. couldn't stand to wear anything fitted,let alone a bra.My skin was very sore and sensitive.

I must seem a wierd lady,but as soon as i came around out of my anaesthetic,the first thing i did was open up my gown and look at my chest! LOL We dont have compression bandages here so my incision was glued and there was a piecs of wadding and gauze over the drain entry site_so i saw the whole lot right away.
I looked down and started grinning! Now that may sound odd,but i was so happy to be rid of those ticking time bombs,cleverly disguised as breasts!

I came home 4 days later and stripped off and took a good long look in a full length mirror.It never did bother me one bit i have to say.

As for work,i still haven't returned yet from February. But this is due to the nature of my job (hairdresser) and the fact that the expansions were preventing me from doing my job. I am hoping to now stay off until after my exchange in October. Just be careful returning to work TOO soon.But it really depends on what your job entails.

I goe free house cleaning too! It was my hubby! LOL

Hidy .. i too did the same thing as M-Star .. pull my GOWNup so
I could see the tissue expanders, and incisions. I also showed my mom and sister! Baby yourself if you can. No hot baths or showers. Try not to sweat in your breast area .. I also like many other sisters in pink wore very loose tops - I couldn't stand to confine my new tissue expanders - and wanted the air to help with my healing.

I did put 5 cups, plates saucers etc on my kitchen counter - reaching is very difficult for a number of days, after surgery -- If you ever had a C-Section - remember the pain when you rose up from a chair or laid down, and asked for assistance to get out of bed. Same thing - except this time it is the top portion of your body.

If your family enjoys your cooking - cook family favorites, and freeze dishes for easy, worry free dinners. Just a thought.

best of luck - strength and courage.


Vicki Sam

susie09

Balentine said:

Glad your surgery went well
but sorry to hear about the lymph nodes and size of your tumor. I know it was a great feeling to get those drains out...that is the worst. I wore just a t-shirt with nothing else for awhile until my incision healed better then I wore camisoles. I did not go anywhere outside the house though for awhile either until I felt comfortable enough to wear a breast form in my camisole. I did join a cancer support group that meets once a month and I do advise you to do that. It always helps to be able to talk to others that can relate just like we all do when we flock here. When I first looked at my incision, it was difficult but as time goes on God gives you the grace to deal with it and get stronger day by day about it. AS for your job, I was off for 2 weeks before I went back but of course it is going to depend on your job and what you are going to be able to do and not be able to do for awhile. Maybe get a limited duty note from your doctor. I was blessed that my co-workers donated 30 days to my sick leave pool. Such great people I work with
Hope this helps and be blessed.
Lorrie

Happy that your surgery is
Happy that your surgery is over now, but, so sorry about your nodes.

Praying for you and sending you big hugs!


♠♣ Susie ♠♣

Heatherbelle

Hi! SO GLAD to hear you're
Hi! SO GLAD to hear you're feeling good!! I got my bandages (or my Effin bandages, as I called them!) last week and that was the biggest relief to me! I had a bilateral mastectomy and have only been wearing loose fitting tops. Good thing it's summertime and I can get away with wearing those baby-doll style empire waist tops -you can't even tell I don't have boobs in them! I have the camisoled but I haven't worn them since my drains were removed.I feel much more comfortable in loose fitting stuff, rather than something snug against my skin. Next week when I get my expanders filled my plastic surgeon is giving me a sports bra type thing.
I was a bit apprehensive about seeing my chest for the first time also. I did make peace with my body in the days before my surgery, though, and went in with a really good mindset, and got all my crying out & done with before surgery. I didn't want to be sore & depressed as well. With the bandages on I did take peeks at it alot. I was fine with it when my bandages were removed, though. My husband was in the doctor's office with me & my first instinct was to cover up, because I didn't want him to be freaked out at seeing me like that. Of course he was wonderful about it though. I do have expanders in, and my surgeon did my first at the time of placement. So I do have little bitty cleavage down there Makes it a little bit easier for me!
I've been wanting to check out the housecleaning service myself, I must look into that! Today in the mail, I received a box of hats & bandanas from the Heavenly Hats Foundation. I went to their website about 2 weeks ago & requested a package. They try to match your hats with what type of request ou put in -I put on there my age & that I wanted more casual, rock & roll style, beanie-type hats, and I got 2 great beanie/skullcap type hats and some cool bandana fitted scarves -the exact type of hats I would wear WITH my hair, and the bandanas I wear when I go on my husband's motorcycle with him. For any of you with hair loss from chemo or facing it soon like I am, I would highly recommend checking the site out!
*hugs*
Heather

Rague

We're all so different!
I was 'straped' down - both sides though only right mod. rad. mast. when I left the hospital. The next week, surgeon took off the dressings. I looked down as he took it off - I wanted to see if 'it' was as bad as I envisioned - 'it' wasn't. After that I used a little 'fluff' that the local ACS sent me in my old bras. This was during winter so it worked fine as I always had turtlenecks on. That was in Oct. - I didn't get my prosthesis til Feb. so that swelling was down.

Haven't been to any support groups other than Look Good Feel Better. Was going to go this month to one but I forgot that day so will go to the Aug one. Every group is different. Actually I had an bit of an issue (well she had a problem with me) after the 2nd LGFB because her care had been through VA as her Hubby was disabled and they made her do her chemo at the VA facility near us but as I'm a veteran in my own right (Hubby is a retired disabled veteran) and mine was done at the local CCI. Don't know anything else about her DX.

Never knew about getting house cleaning - didn't need it. What I couldn't do Hubby did.

Just my experiences.

Susan