Lumpectomy Scheduled what to expect

dragain
dragain Member Posts: 4
in Breast Cancer #1
Lumptectomy and lymph node removal scheduled. Short hospital stay and then home with drain.
This drain thing freaks me out. How long have ya'll had this in for? How long out of work?
How sore? Etc.

Comments

  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
    Lumpectomy&Drains..
    As for the lumpectomy....for me, and remember we're all different, it wasn't anything like I expected...not bad at all...I had it at 1:00 PM woke up in the recovery room at 2:30, some discomfort which was relieved quickly, drank a coke and ate crackers.....more pain meds, they ask your pain level on a scale of 1-10...needs to be below 3 in order to be released....I was home on the couch by 4:15....I took the prescribed pain meds that evening and the next day...then switched to Ibuprofen....Really more for soreness than pain....My surgeon also used "super glue" instead of sutures...a real plus!

    My surgeon only removed 3 sentinel lymph nodes so I did NOT have a drain....usually a drain is necessary when lots of nodes are removed...ask your surgeon how many he plans to remove....my surgeon told me they had to take more than 4-5 a drain would be needed....

    You're experiencing "fear of the unknown"....quite normal! I'm sure more of the pink sisters will offer their experiences...
    Wishing you the very best...please keep us posted, truly, we care!
    Hugs, Nancy
  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #3
    MAJW said:

    Lumpectomy&Drains..
    As for the lumpectomy....for me, and remember we're all different, it wasn't anything like I expected...not bad at all...I had it at 1:00 PM woke up in the recovery room at 2:30, some discomfort which was relieved quickly, drank a coke and ate crackers.....more pain meds, they ask your pain level on a scale of 1-10...needs to be below 3 in order to be released....I was home on the couch by 4:15....I took the prescribed pain meds that evening and the next day...then switched to Ibuprofen....Really more for soreness than pain....My surgeon also used "super glue" instead of sutures...a real plus!

    My surgeon only removed 3 sentinel lymph nodes so I did NOT have a drain....usually a drain is necessary when lots of nodes are removed...ask your surgeon how many he plans to remove....my surgeon told me they had to take more than 4-5 a drain would be needed....

    You're experiencing "fear of the unknown"....quite normal! I'm sure more of the pink sisters will offer their experiences...
    Wishing you the very best...please keep us posted, truly, we care!
    Hugs, Nancy

    Jan 2009
    But I did not have nodes removed so no drain. I had a early morning appointment--the worst for me was that I had to have wires inserted while awake and my center did not use local. That ... wasn't fun. The surgery went well, into recovery--I tend to puke but zofran works well for me. Home around 1300 and really OK. I find as I get older that the general anesthesia racks me out more than the actual surgery. Either way, it wasn't bad.

    Good luck to you--remember you can imagine it to be *much* worse than it probably will be.

    Maureen
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #4
    The Dreaded Drains
    I have now had 3 surgeries that required me to go home with drains so I have some experience in that area - an axillary dissection (22 lymph nodes removed), a right mastectomy and my reconstruction surgery. The drains are uncomfortable and an inconvenience but I never found them to be particularly painful. They do need to be emptied and measured which the hospital staff will show you how to do. You can find instructions online, also. My husband has done it for me as well as my 18 year old daughter. I always wore pants/shorts with pockets and just put the drain bulbs in my pockets. You can also buy camisoles that have pockets for the drain bulbs. You can even shower while you have the drains. Just make sure the tubing is taped to your body (we used surgical tape from the drugstore) so the bulbs don't dangle. The drains are removed in the surgeon's office when they drain about 30cc per day - or whatever number your doctor deems acceptable. It is a VERY odd feeling when they are removed. You can feel the tubing being slid through your body. Only once out of the 3 times did was it painful - but it was brief. You do have tiny scars where the tubing enters your body but it is in a place that it only visible in the mirror to me.

    I hope my experience has been of some help to you.

    IRENE
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
    jessiesmom1 said:

    The Dreaded Drains
    I have now had 3 surgeries that required me to go home with drains so I have some experience in that area - an axillary dissection (22 lymph nodes removed), a right mastectomy and my reconstruction surgery. The drains are uncomfortable and an inconvenience but I never found them to be particularly painful. They do need to be emptied and measured which the hospital staff will show you how to do. You can find instructions online, also. My husband has done it for me as well as my 18 year old daughter. I always wore pants/shorts with pockets and just put the drain bulbs in my pockets. You can also buy camisoles that have pockets for the drain bulbs. You can even shower while you have the drains. Just make sure the tubing is taped to your body (we used surgical tape from the drugstore) so the bulbs don't dangle. The drains are removed in the surgeon's office when they drain about 30cc per day - or whatever number your doctor deems acceptable. It is a VERY odd feeling when they are removed. You can feel the tubing being slid through your body. Only once out of the 3 times did was it painful - but it was brief. You do have tiny scars where the tubing enters your body but it is in a place that it only visible in the mirror to me.

    I hope my experience has been of some help to you.

    IRENE

    I had a lumpectomy and the
    I had a lumpectomy and the wonderful drain. The surgery was not bad at all for me. I was in and out with 22 nodes removed. The drain is a pain in the butt. It did not really hurt me or anything just not a comfort thing. Can't say how long it will stay cuz that all depends on how much fluid is there. For me it was just a pain and the biggest part was waiting to get rid of the darn thing. Good luck, hugs
    Kathy
  • ladyg
    ladyg Member Posts: 1,577
    #6
    I did have a drain
    when I had my lumpectomy. I had 7 nodes removed. I only kept the drain in for 2 days and then it was removed. I had my surgery at a surgery center not a hospital. I was there at 10 am and released at 1:30. I used pain meds that day and the next only. For me it was not as bad as I expected. But then I had never had any surgery before so I really expected a lot worse. As far as work goes I stayed home for a week although I probably could have gone back sooner.
    Think positive, you will get through this.

    Hugs,
    Georgia
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #7
    ladyg said:

    I did have a drain
    when I had my lumpectomy. I had 7 nodes removed. I only kept the drain in for 2 days and then it was removed. I had my surgery at a surgery center not a hospital. I was there at 10 am and released at 1:30. I used pain meds that day and the next only. For me it was not as bad as I expected. But then I had never had any surgery before so I really expected a lot worse. As far as work goes I stayed home for a week although I probably could have gone back sooner.
    Think positive, you will get through this.

    Hugs,
    Georgia

    You guys will think I'm
    You guys will think I'm crazy but I had a double mastectomy with a drain on each side. I missed one week of work after my surgery. I wore my post surgical camisole with the drain pockets. My job is cushy... and I have a fantastic boss. Since I was using vacation time I knew my limitations and back to work I went. I figured I would do myself more harm at home with housework, laundry and cooking meals. At least if I went to work I'd have someone watching over me.. LOL

    My message is this, even though you will have a drain it really doesn't hold you back too much. I had my drains in for the full three weeks. UGH... I don't miss those days.

    Good Luck..
    Lorrie
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #8
    butterflylvr said:

    You guys will think I'm
    You guys will think I'm crazy but I had a double mastectomy with a drain on each side. I missed one week of work after my surgery. I wore my post surgical camisole with the drain pockets. My job is cushy... and I have a fantastic boss. Since I was using vacation time I knew my limitations and back to work I went. I figured I would do myself more harm at home with housework, laundry and cooking meals. At least if I went to work I'd have someone watching over me.. LOL

    My message is this, even though you will have a drain it really doesn't hold you back too much. I had my drains in for the full three weeks. UGH... I don't miss those days.

    Good Luck..
    Lorrie

    Yes I agree, the drain did
    Yes I agree, the drain did not hold me back at all. I went to a party and know one knew I even had surgery. You just pin that baby up and go for it. LOL
    Kathy
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #9
    Kat11 said:

    Yes I agree, the drain did
    Yes I agree, the drain did not hold me back at all. I went to a party and know one knew I even had surgery. You just pin that baby up and go for it. LOL
    Kathy

    I had a lumpectomy, re-excision
    and 23 nodes removed so I did have an axillary drain. I was freaked out about it at first, but you sort of get used to anything after a while. My surgeon's nurse told me that at the time it was my best friend because if it wasn't there or was removed too early--the fluid would build up daily, hurt like he** and have to be drained with a syringe which is not fun. My fluid kept flowing so I had to have mine in 5 weeks! My surgeon would not pull it until I had 3 days in a row of 30 cc. or less drainage. He pulled in out in the office and I did not feel a thing.

    Since I had quite a bit of tissue removed, I had numbness for a long, long time--still do in some areas today after 18 months. I also developed a huge (a little larger than a golf ball) seroma (with scar tissue) at the excision site which I still have.

    Once again--as someone above said--we are all different. I think my case was extreme. You cannot expect to have this result and I am sure yours will go smoothly. This was just my experience. Even though it sounds pretty darn rough--I got through it and all in all, did fine. You will too.

    Hugs, Renee
  • TKMomma
    TKMomma Member Posts: 54
    #10
    Had lumpectomy in march and
    Had lumpectomy in march and lymph nodes removed in april. No drain. Honestly the surgeries were not bad and healed quickly. More sore with lymph node surgery. Cancer society sent me a little pillow for under my armpit. It helped from the rubbing. Both incisions look great now. My surgeon was excellent. Stsy positive and hugs to u.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #11
    Kat11 said:

    I had a lumpectomy and the
    I had a lumpectomy and the wonderful drain. The surgery was not bad at all for me. I was in and out with 22 nodes removed. The drain is a pain in the butt. It did not really hurt me or anything just not a comfort thing. Can't say how long it will stay cuz that all depends on how much fluid is there. For me it was just a pain and the biggest part was waiting to get rid of the darn thing. Good luck, hugs
    Kathy

    The drain! None of us liked
    The drain! None of us liked it, but, it is only temporary. The lumpectomy wasn't bad. I took pain pills for a couple of days, but, could have probably have gone without them. The pain really wasn't that bad. Just take it easy and rest as much as you can.


    Good luck to you!

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