Hi
(Just realised that I posted this is the wrong section so have copied/pasted into here! sorry!)
I’m having a mastectomy this Friday and have a few silly questions that are really bothering me so can any of you girls out there help me out please?
Do you keep your pants on during the op? (Yeah, told you it was daft but need to know!!)
What do you wear to go home? I’ve been told I can go home next day but don’t know what to pack-can you lift your arm up to get a vest top or jumper on?
How soon after the op can you wash your hair and how the heck do you do it if you can’t get the dressing wet and you’re full of stitches?
Is anyone out there being treated in Norwich?
This site has been an absolute God-send to me-just knowing there are so many of you out there going through the same thing and retaining your sense of humour gives me such hope! Thank you ladies!
Love Gill x
hi
just waiting for mine on 6th but had wle 4 weeks ago and was out next day.
i was allowed to wear pants as they were cotton.
i took a blouse in with me, i know not very warm to wear as i had sleeveless one but then i had my coat so was OK you could take a cardigan.
i did have movement in my arm and had lymph nodes taken away …
i washed my hair about five days after but had trouble holding the hair dryer in my hand. it seemed heavy and awkward when i did that side. i did my hair over the bath so didn’t get stitches etc wet. i also took bath instead of showers so again no problem
i used baby wipes fragrant free etc to wipe around the areas and under arms so didn’t get smelly…
i am off to luton hosp Thurs for mastectomy and recon.
oh i don’t know if you will have drains…
i also brought a soft sports bra so easy to wear in case of soreness etc.
well good luck to you i am scared stiff.
julie
Hi
(thanks Anthi & Julie)
Huge paper knickers eh? Sounds very alluring! And OMG! 5 days without washing my hair?!! I have to wash mine everyday as it is so fine but guess folk will have to put up with the Wurzle Gummidge look!
Another question-how soon can we drive after mastectomy?
Godd luck for Thursday Julie-yep I’m scared too! This horrid new world has suddenly opened up and swallowed me and I don’t like it!
Love Gill x
How interesting! in Switzerland modesty is apparently not of prime importance , although they are very good about keeping you warm! Warmed blankets, no less. They get you out of your gown by magic it seems, without exposing anything to the world or the cold air of the theatre and anti-room. But definitely NO knickers!
A nurse washed my hair for me the very next day: I sat on a chair in front of the washbasin, well enveloped in towels to avoid any drips.
I was able to shower from the waist down, and wash my face, and the rest I did with a damp flannel.
When I got home (after a week) I washed my hair with the shower attachment over the bath. Yes, drying it was a bit difficult, took longer than usual, but how about just fluffing it up with styler and letting it dry by itself if the dryer is too heavy.
I drove a week after my op (don’t know if I could have done it, specially parking, without power steering).
I found either very stretchy tops, so you can manoeuvre into them, or zip or button fronts (cardigans, jackets, fleeces) easiest to manage, but you soon get into the way of getting in and out of things!
Keep the questions coming!
petitepart
I had to wear cotton only knicks and they checked that they were!! You should maybe check with your insurance company as some dont cover you for a while if you have had a general anaesthetic.
Good luck
Hilary
Hi and good luck for the op. Are you having an axillary clearance as well ? Is so your underarm and side may be very sore and tender with limited movement (i was) so loose button up blouses and cardis are best. The drains are a pain but you get used to them. I washed my hair over bath on day 2 - i also have very fine hair and wash it daily. I bought some dry hair shampoo (Batiste) which is quite good between washes. And yes i wore knickers for op and woke up with them intact! Hope all goes well.
Liane
I was diagnosed last Thursday with invasive lobular cancer, which didn’t show up on mammogram or on ultrasound. I’m awaiting an MRI scan before the mastectomy. My hospital in Coventry gave me loads of info on the day by talking to me plus an A5 ringbinder to take home, covering all the things like going in, what to take, chemo or not, reconstruction etc etc… the breast care nurse is brilliant too and i can ring here with any q’s - and she did say to me… look call me - no matter how daft you think your question is… Gill if you have a specialist breast nurse then do use her - she’ll be able to help loads. the ring binder is great because I can dip in and out when i feel like it.
I guess the problem is that on the day we are told we feel shell shocked and our brains do not function as normal… i can remember thinking… they haven’t even taken my breast off yet and we’re talking about building a new one!!!
I was told that jim jams are best because they are easier to get on and off and since i don’t wear anything in bed normally i have bought £5 jobbies from tesco, plus a short robe because apparently drains don’t like long things. bras are my prob - i wear e cup and normally use uber constructed bras with wires… that is not recommended so i now have to buy new cotton bras - they are more comfy apparently… plus i was told that shirts are better than t shirts etc…
i can’t cope with not washing hair either - i have hair like yours Gill!!
I am laughing about pants because I have worked out that on one day 7 people I didn’t know touched my breasts…that has to be a record for me!!! But i gave up on modesty after my first child was born and i was put in stirrups for needlework and then they went off and left me for ten minutes with the door wide open and my bits facing the corridor… a number of expectant dads looked quite queasy!
My sis was diagnosed with the same cancer as me about this time last year. She has had chemo and radio too and coped well…she’s going back to work and looks really well. She is great.
This is not the end for any of us - it’s just a new phase in our lives. Best of luck to you both and know that we are thinking of you. A quaker friend has told me that she is holding me in the Light, she says it is a mixture of thinking good thoughts and praying. I like the idea of that - we are all in the Light.
Hi, I wore cotton knickers during my WLE & SNB. For coming home I took a top that buttoned up the front to avoid having to raise my arm although my range of movement was good. I washed my hair over the sink for the first 2 days then my dressings were removed and because I had been stitched inside and out ( no steri strips) I could shower from then on using Simple products. I also started using the aqueous cream 2-3 times a day as I had been told this would help the scar to heal smoother and prepare my skin for rads. My after care nurse said driving would be a bit difficult whilst still sore as the seat belt tends to rub on drivers side, I was ok on passenger side (my op was left breast). Went back to driving normally fairly soon after op but have had to stop again as nearing end of rads and sore again. I bought 2 cotton non wired bras from Marks and they have been very good, because I’m using the cream they get quite messy so I removed the wire from a couple of old bras and use them for around the house.
Good luck with your operations
Caz x