Hiya,
My surgery went well and I am now home and recovering. I have to say the pain is nowhere near as bad as I thought. I had chemo first and that was more painful.
I am going back to see my surgeon tomorrow. He seemed happy enough too. I need to do my exercises and. Am to ensure movement.
I also have not freaked out at having no boob like I thought I would. Ok it feels weird but no bad or strange.
All in all I feel ok. Glad it’s over and the fear of it was far worse than the reality. If you have any questions please feel to ask me. I am more than happy to answer. I was so scared about my mastectomy but it’s done and I am still here to tell the tale 
Rae
X
Good to hear that, I’m due surgery next Friday (28th Sept), you’ve put my mind at rest. Though I wondered how the chemo hurt, I’ve only just been diagnosed so I’ve not read everything yet.
Hello,
I had an MX plus lymph node clearance yesterday. Still in hospital but doing ok. I feel the same as Raechi, waiting for surgery yesterday was the worst bit. I haven’t yet seen the scar as it’s still under a dressing, but it doesn’t feel as bad as I imagined, having just the one boob. At the moment the pain is well controlled, though typing this will probably have my arm aching.
Raechi, I’d be interested to know how much you’ve been able to do after surgery. In common with others it seems timing of these things is always awkward - we had to move house the day before my surgery and I have a stack of boxes to unpack!
Jenny & Phil - best of luck to you both, my thoughts are with you. Being the other side of surgery is ok.
Toni
Hiya Toni,
I have been doing my exercises but am basically not going too mad. Can dress myself, do a bra up etc… I am basically using my arm but i can’t get it above my head yet. I was told to use my arm as normal as much as possible just not to lift anything heavy and if things are painful to listen to my body and stop.
I had my dressing off an i think my scar is really neat. The only real weird sensation now is thenumbness. That and I am sure under my arm at the top, where my tricep is.
Let me know how you are getting on.
Phil - re chemo and pain. I got quite bad Bone pain on thetaxotere, but not everyone does. That was just my experience.
Good luck with the op.
Rae
X
hi all im having my lumpectomy on 28th, very scared at what the outcome will be, im lucky apparently coz i got big boobs so not much deformity so doc says, we’ll see
Hi Jellymould.
.I had my surgery in August. I had a wide excision including the nipple and sentinel node biopsy. The actual op wasn’t too bad - not much pain from the breast more discomfort from the wound under my arm. I had quite a bit of bruising afterwards. The tests carried out after the op will provide more information should you need further treatment. Results are usually ready 2 weeks post op. During this time I was well supported by the Breast care nurse. I would advise reading the info from breast cancer care beforehand- my nurse gave me all the booklets before surgery. I too have ample boobs and can have a reduction on the other side at some point but I look ok in clothes. Hope this helps and you are in the right place to find the answers to any questions you might have. Let me know how you get on.
thankyou softkitty, its a great help finding this page has eased my mind so much.
Hi Rae - glad to hear you are recovering well. I am 9 days away from my mastectomy, but I am very busy this week as my son is in year 6 and needs to choose his secondary school. We will be visiting schools every evening this week. His birthday is on Monday hence the delay in my surgery until Thursday next week.
I popped to M&S last week, I had to go to a large store, and they fitted me with a couple of post surgery bras with the pockets sewn in. They are really lovely. And you get the VAT back. One also has a modesty panel across the front. Looking forward to receiving my chicken fillet!
Hi Toni - hope you are now out of hospital and recovering well. I did my exercises daily after each lumpectomy (I had 3 in total), and got my arm above my head within a couple of weeks. I’m sure it will be harder after the mastectomy though.
Have spoken to both schools that my boys attend and the head (in primary school) and head of year (in secondary school) have been excellent. There is a really good BCC leaflet for schools and the schools both thanked me and said they had not seen the leaflet before. I gave them spare copies and they were very grateful for future reference and their ability to support breast cancer sufferers in the future.
Phil - good luck for Friday.
Love from Jenny x
Well I am now 2 weeks post mx and using my arm quite a bit. The only real pain I have is soreness like sunburn due to nerve damage. It’s normal apparently,
i am off to get my seroma drained tomorrow but it doesn’t hurt at all.
Phil, best of luck for friday. Keep us posted
jenny glad you got some bras, have you got your softie yet? You get those before the prosthesis. I had to stuff mine with a bit more stuffing as it was full enough.
cant have a prosthesis yet…get fitted when my wound has fully healed
Rae
x
starting to get scared now, only 2 days till my surgery (28th) sept. not sure how i will react to being unwell, im never ill and this is gonna be a real big shock to my system, not being in control is what worries me the most.
Hiya,
i know it’s easier said than done but try not to be nervous. I had never had an op before ans was not sure what to expect. I felt remarkably better than I thought I would. I think the fear of the op in my case was worse than the reality.
i can’t drive still but other than that I am doing pretty much everything else.
sending you a big hug and good luck for Friday
rae
x
thankyou so much, how long do they advise you not to drive for?
I have been told 4 to 6 weeks. But I have had mastectomy and full clearance. So it may be different for you. Definitely a question to ask
Hi Jellymould
Hope it goes OK tomorrow. Try not to worry. I have had 3 lumpectomies and it’s not too bad. I was driving within a week after the first one, but sooner for the subsequent ones because the seat belt missed my scar. I am right boob, but high up. Just remember not to cross your arms when turning a corner - if you are a good driver, you probably don’t do this anyway. I like to drive like a rally driver and I have to be a bit more careful when driving shortly after surgery.
I have never been unwell either, apart from a chest infection 8 years ago and then again this Feb. I did not even know what a sick note looked like. I did not get one the first time as I was back at work (on reduced hours) within 5 days. I stayed on reduced hours (2 hours per day) for the first week. If you need to be off work for more than 7 days, you need a sick note from the hospital or GP, just ask, they really won’t mind.
Take a book to read or an ipod as there is a lot of waiting around. They like to give you something to drink and eat after surgery and I found that I threw this up. I was told it was the general anesthetic that did this. But throwing up made me feel better.
Fingers crossed you get home from hospital within a short time.
Hi Rae
I was told I would get my softie before I leave hospital after the mastectomy. What did you pad it out with? I was told I would be fitted with the prosthesis about 5/6 weeks later. My BCN has been fantastic and I keep ringing her with every little query. She must think I am really high maintenance.
I was due to have a flu jab next week as my chemo will be after the mastectomy, but when I checked with the BCN, she said no - have it after the surgery and before the chemo.
How’s your progress? Seroma drain OK? I have had two sermoas but the wound care nurse drains them the day after I ask. My friend who had private trreatment did not get such efficient service. The liquid looked like lucozade!
Jen x
thanks jenny, i have already had a sick note from the doctor and he has put me off for 6 months. i work in a hospital doing 12 hr nights so i think i will prob need the full 6 months. got my book packed and a magazine at the ready.
Mine’s tomorrow - 2pm apparently, can’t say I’m not really quite scared - ah well, no stopping now is there?
good luck tomorrow phil, will hopefully be back on the ward as you go for surgery mine is at 9.30.
Good luck to you both.
good luck for your surgery
let us know how you get on