How many of you ended up with a seroma?

KayNYC said:

yes cancer stinks
At the time, the draining did relieve my discomfort but I don't know for sure if it was a factor in the development of the lymphedema or not. I am thankful that my LE is very mild and after having physical therapy and being taught to do the Manual drainage massage and wearing the sleeve, things are in excellent control.With the cooler weather, I have gone without the sleeve and glove with no ill effects. If I am carrying packages, using the computer for hours or working out, I wear the sleeve. It is really only a minor inconvenience so I am not complaining.It could be much worse.
Hope your seroma resolves soon.
Hugs,K

I had seroma, and it was
I had seroma, and it was drained, then they were going to put another drain in, and I begged him not to, and it was wrapped with an ace and it worked. but this went on for a few weeks, and it was frustrating. Try to limit your movement, anytime there is a Pocket it fills with fluid, so try to not make twisting motions so it will tack down. My PS didnt want me to reach up with that arm either I do not have lymphedema. hope this gets better.

Fluids in the breast
I, too, had fluid in my lumpectomy cavity. It made sloshing sounds when I walked. Pretty freaky when I figured out that sound was coming from ME! Grossed out my husband. Big breasts + large cavity = fluid- filled space. It did not hurt at that time

Four weeks after surgery I was having the catheters inserted in my breast for interstitial multi-catheter (45 of those suckers!) brachytherapy radiation. I was all bundled up on the surgical table, the doc numbs my poor boob, then starts to insert the 18 inch needles. From behind the drape I hear him make surprised noises and see the nurse scramble for some gauze and then towels. Apparently that needle punctured through the cavity wall, as it is supposed to, and released the seroma fluid! Got all over his pants. So the two of them proceeded to press on my breast to drain it. Then, nine days later when the nurse pulled out the catheters.there was even more drainage. I'm just a water well, apparently.

Here it is more than a year later and my mammos and ultrasounds still show fluid in a slightly smaller cavity. I get achy- ness in that area about every other day. It feels better if it's massaged.
~~Connie~~

Yep - still have a little one a year and a half post surgery
I had a HUGE one under my arm (where the incision was from removing the lymph nodes) that would get extremely painful as it got larger - I literally couldn't put my arm down because it would get as big as a softball within days. I had it drained two to three times a week for quite a while, then twice a week, once a week, then stopped getting it drained when I had radiation because they were afraid it would change the measurements and screw up the radiation. My OT made a contraption with a long strip of velcro, a piece of foam wrapped in a stretchy sock material that I would wrap around myself and put the foam under my arm at night. It made a big difference and the seroma got a lot smaller! She worked on massaging it in OT, too. She felt like there was a lot of scar tissue in there (probably partially from all of the times I had it drained!) that might be blocking the lymph fluid and that might be contributing to the lymphedema.
I still have a small seroma a year and 8 months post surgery, but at least it doesn't seem to get bigger or hurt anymore and it isn't very noticeable at all. No one ever told me about seromas - what a learning experience!
Getting it drained definitely helps the pain/discomfort.
Good luck!
Teri

lump left from node dissection

Hi everyone!  I’m new to the site.  My dx was November 2014.  The lump left by the biopsy of the sentinel lymph node, under my left arm, never went away.  Over time it changed and appeared to become two all the while becoming more and more painful.  I showed my oncologist over a year ago who  said I had lymphedema.  My lack of understanding at the time, thought lymphedema to be nothing more then swelling.  Doc didnt seem concerned so I went on with life.  Last month one morning getting dressed, my bra was tight on the left and put pressure on the bump that was painful.  Within 4 days my left breast, cancer a d lumpectomy side, was red from my nipple up about Half way.  it had the appearance of an orange peal, with blue and red and purple tiny veins everywhere.  I called my oncologist and say her P.A.the next week.  I told her my oncologist had said I had lymphedema.  She showed me how to massage my arm and body.  She said begin with your fingers on the affected arm and massage lightly up, and showed my how to massage my body all towards my armpit.  She said to do it 3 times a day, everyday and that was about it.  They did my work too.  The P.A. Told me to be sure and not miss any appointments with my oncologist.  Unrealizing I had an appointment with her in a week and a half.  By the time I saw her some of the swelling had gone down and the redness was gone but you could still see signs of what had happened.  While examining my right side she looked up and said you have lymphedema!  i said there she said no on the left I can see it from here.  My nipple has changed colors, it is faded and crinkled in an odd way.  It doesn’t react to touch at all in the same way, and the smaller by nature, lumpectomy, left sid is still larger then the other.  She said she thought she felt a lymph node in my neck and began to order a scan and examined me again, couldn’t find it again she said and canceled the scan.  Asked me to come back in 6 months.  I attend a support group for survivors at the cancer center On Thursdays.  My oncologist office is upstairs. On the 16th of this month when I began doing the massage from my hand up under my arm the bottom part popped inside my body.  These were two, I thought, lumps the size of half a golf ball.  Getting ready for group the following Thursday, in the shower I discovered both of them gone leaving a large crevice under my arm.  I shared about it at group, and they had a fit Ant told me to get up to my oncologist office now.  I did, and the P.A. Saw me right away.  By the way I have lost 37pounds in the last 6 months, the last 12 in one month.  I have no appetite and having food in my mouth make me gage as well as brushing my teeth.  I can drink fine.  But I have no appetite.  She said the lumps could be from the lymphedema an d  asked her to send me to a specialist, and she did.  She also now has me scheduled for a, chest, stomach, and pelvis, M.R.I. with contrast on both ends. Next month, and has referred me to in internal specialist.  Everything I have researched points to cancer of some kind.  Do any of you know anything about this.  I would be so grateful.  Thanking you in advance.  Glama

I did

I did after tattoo nipple pigmentation after reconstruction. Had a bad infection in the hospital for 5 days on two iv antibiotics, once home stayed on antibiotics and prednisone 3 months. Had serous drained by PS pain went away some but developed capsular contracture and had to have bilateral implant exchange