I'll take a bilateral mastectomy, please...............................

Pinkpower

MyTurnNow said:

Thanks, Patti. Yes, a
Thanks, Patti. Yes, a recurrence, same breast. So, I have put on my boxing gloves and I'm getting ready to kick some @ss!! I'm hoping to have no cancer cells in my lymph nodes and then may be able to avoid chemo again!! I have a positive outlook and have managed to live by Chen's mantra since I was diagnosed again. Be Stronger Than, Not Angry At!!

P.S. I still have a lot of living to do!!

That A Girl! You have the
That A Girl! You have the right attitude. Faith and a strong positive attitude is the best weapon, next to science, that we have to fight. I will be praying and thinking of you tomorrow.
Lupe

New Flower

CypressCynthia said:

Surgery advice
I had an abdominal pull-through a year after my first mastectomy. That was way back in the dark ages in 1987. That was a very long surgery--maybe 8 hrs?

In ~1993 I had a second mastectomy with reconstruction this time a free flap using part of my buttock. I want to say that that surgery was about 6 hrs?

Here is my advice, for what it's worth, as a multiple surgery survivor and a nurse practititioner. Please double check all of it with your practitioner as, of course, every case is different.

Pain meds are not just prescribed to relieve pain. Study after study shows that pain meds help you heal faster. Why? Because early ambulation is the key to rapid healing. So:

1) Take your pain meds as prescribed (if you can tolerate them). If you can't tolerate opioids such as hydrocodone (nausea, etc), first try the lowest possible doasge (even break pills in half) or ask for an alternative like toradol. Also, sometinmes you can tolerate one opioid better than another; I can't tolerate percocet but can tolerate hydrocodone.

2) Ask to be given something for nausea along with pain meds, if they make you nauseated. After my last surgery, I went home with zofran pills to help with nausea and that really helped.

3) Oral pain meds do not work well on severe pain. They work best on mild to moderate pain. This means you need to anticipate pain (and response to call light). Thus you need to start asking for your pain meds before your pain is terrible. Usually, once you are off pain pump, you are prescribed meds every 2-4 hrs as needed.

4) After you pain med is working, usually about 20-30 min after dose, get up and move as allowed. This is the most important thing you can do to heal quickly. The sooner you move around the better as this will decrease many, many complications such as clots, infections, poor healing, etc.

5) Pain is usually worst late afternoons and evenings. The afternoon pain may persist for awhile (even weeks) and that is normal.

6) Have someone you trust (husband, family member, friend) stay with you as much as possible. Hospitals are often understaffed and it is a good idea to have an advocate just for you--especially when you are out of recovery, ICU or areas where staffing is more one to one. This person can make sure you get pain meds, be a gopher, etc.

7) Finally, know that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, so speak up if something is bothering you.

Hope some of this helps! I had a very bad experience after an appendectomy when I was very young and I wish I had had someone explain some of the above.

MyTurnNow
Good luck tomorrow!.
I will be thinking about you.Sending positive thoughts to your way.
Hugs,
New Flower

cindycflynn

MyTurnNow said:

Jean, I will have the
Jean, I will have the expanders put in but also need the surgery bringing the latissimus muscle from my back tunneled under the skin to the front to place the expander under. This is necessary because I had a lumpectomy with radiation the first time (7/09).

Thinking of you this morning
We're with you MyTurnNow. Hope your surgeon made room for us.
Take care and let us know how you're doing as soon as you feel up to it.

Love,
Cindy

cindycflynn

MyTurnNow said:

Jean, I will have the
Jean, I will have the expanders put in but also need the surgery bringing the latissimus muscle from my back tunneled under the skin to the front to place the expander under. This is necessary because I had a lumpectomy with radiation the first time (7/09).

Thinking of you this morning
We're with you MyTurnNow. Hope your surgeon made room for us.
Take care and let us know how you're doing as soon as you feel up to it.

Love,
Cindy

SamuraiMom

xxoo
Come up for air when you're ready...we'll all be here.

Good luck sweet friend.

xxoo,
SamuraiMom