You say you’re not able to read the latest messages on your other thread so as promised I’ve copied yesterday’s message into a new thread which you may be able to read. Best wishes - Anthi
Hello Ruth
I’ve just seen this thread and am sorry to read about your recurrence and that you’re facing a mastectomy. You say you can’t face implants - but what about the other kinds of reconstruction? Did they not offer any of those? - I have no personal experience, having had only a WLE last year but one of my friends has had a superb reconstruction - the sort where they use some muscle from your back - she is very happy with it.
About pain relief: when I had a hysterectomy several years ago I had morphine for the first 24 hours and was then given diclofenac suppositories which provide marvellous pain relief. After that I moved on to Tramadol pills which also helped.
Lots of luck with your operation.
Take care
Anthi x
Many thanks for copying over the message again - don’t know what happened to the thread seemed to have done a real tipsey turvey.
The only thing mentioned with regards to implants were the silican ones - I was not aware that muscle from the back could be used - I’ll have to have a talk about that with the medical staff.
I was also given morphine for the hysterectomy, it was then that I found out that my reaction to morphine was not good, so I am hoping that there will be an alternative pain relief.
At the moment I am really finding it so hard because all the dates I had previously been given have been and gone, and I am still waiting for confirmation of dates for pre-op assessment and the operation itself.
How did you cope whilst waiting for operation?
Anyhow many thanks for your kind words, it was great to be able to read them tonight - very kind of you to write.
I was lucky as I didn’t have long to wait for my WLE. I was diagnosed on 15th December 2006 and had the op on 20th. I seemed to have a lot to do during those few days which helped. I suppose the best thing is to keep busy as much as possible but the waiting is a dreadful time and I do understand how ghastly you must feel.
I do hope you get a firm date soon. I’ll be thinking of you.
Take care
Anthi x
Thanks for your message, you did have your op very quickly after being diagnosed - I was diagnosed 14th December, and originally the pre-op assessment was going to be between 27th and 31st December, and the operation 2nd Jan, then I had a phone call to say 2nd Jan was not viable, but it may be 4th Jan. Well it is now 3 Jan, so there is not a lot of time left for pre-op assessment if the 4th is still to be the date of the operation. I phoned to find out what was happening and I should be getting a phone call later today, so hopefully I will be able to relax a little once I have the dates. Keeping busy seems to be a good idea, at the moment I am helping to look after some chickens for some friends, and it gives me something different to do and also a break from home and into a different place, which seems to have a calming effect - not quite sure how this works but it does seem to!!
Just checking in after the Christmas break, and wondered how you were going. Hopefully not too long to wait now, I had my mastectomy in Jan and no morphine was used (unless I didn’t know about it!) and it was all ok. Found the really difficult bit was sleeping on my back at first, but soon go used to it.
Looking after chickens?? good on you, never had that pleasure before, hope you get the eggs!
Yes I did get some eggs - you can’t beat good old free range eggs, and certainly those as fresh as the ones I have just got.
It is good that they did not use morphine for you - I really do suffer with that stuff, so maybe I will be treated the same - hopefully. Were you not able (or allowed) to sleep on your side? If we are not allowed to then I guess I’ll have to get used to sleeping on my back.!! Should be fun!
Anyhow, had a phone call today - the operation date has now been planned for the 14th Jan and I will need to go for pre-op assessment next week sometime - date still to be confirmed. It is really spooky because when I had the first operation for cancer, it was on the 14th January 1994, which was 14 years ago, and it is planned for the 14th January 2008 - all the 14s - I really do hope that this is a good sign - a good omen.
Hope you had a good and enjoyable christmas break.
Yes they have changed the date - I had a phone call today, and the operation is planned for the 14th Jan, don’t yet know what date I have to go for pre-op assessment though - should hear about that soon, all being well.
Last day for looking after chickens - friends come back tomorrow, I will miss them in a funny sort of way, it was something so different and yet in its own way quite rewarding - the eggs were really fine.
Anyhow feel a little calmer now that I have a date - I did ask if this was certain because I had already been given other dates which did not come to fruition, and I was told yes and that the paperwork will be on its way to confirm this. As I wrote to Anne, it is really spooky because it is all the 14s - 14th January 1994 first operation for bc, 14th January 2007 for second operation for bc, and 14 years in between - should be a good one!
Glad you’ve now got a date, it all seems better when you have it sorted - don’t know why really, but it does. Of course all the 14’s is a good omen, - mine were both in January - 11 years apart, and I even had the same surgeon and anthaes… etc (can’t spell it!)
Just couldn’t lay on my side at all after the op for quite a while - a v shaped pillow helped, and pain killers needed were only paracetamol and ibro. Has anyone said about drains?? You prob had them first time round, just make sure you take a neat toilet bag to put them in then you can walk about.
Hi Ruth, that is my best pal,s name,i had a recurring breast pest in october exactly 16yrs apart,i had my op in dec13th07,i had mast,full lymph node clearance and recontruction using fat and skin from abdomen. My plastic surgeon went through all the options with me and let me chose,like you i was devastated i was just beginning to think i had won the battle if you know what i mean,but that,s life for you,now i don,t really know how i feel,sometimes i am all over the place but nobody really knows how you feel unless they have been through it.All i can really say is try and think positive(i know that sounds stupid,because that,s all you hear all the time)but once you get your operation over and done with you will start to feel a bit better because you will know the pest has been dealt with. Remember you did it before you can do it again,you,v proved you are a strong person,that is what keeps me going anyway,take each day at a time,that,s what i,m trying to do.I hope you get on okay,take care,hope to hear how you are getting on.
Thank you for your reply and for giving me some advice regarding the drains and toilet bag - to keep them in which would be handy for when I am able to walk about - I had not given that a thought, did you take your own V shaped pillow in, or were you lent one whilst you were in hospital? If you used your own, do you know from where they can be bought - I don’t have one!
I can handle paracetamol and Ibro’s, so if I have that option that’ll be great. Anyhow I am sure that I would not be the first person who has a problem with morphine - so I would imagine that they would be prepared for that situation.
I finally had to succumb to the sleepless nights and went to see my GP, they put me on fluoxotine (I think that is how it is spelt), which I believe is not only an anti-depressant but also a relaxant - hopefully it will help.
Many thanks for your messages they really do help.
Many thanks for your message, it is always a real boost to get them, especially in the early hours of the morning - mind though I would probabily be better off trying to sleep - but that just does not happen, so I’ve been to drs and got fluoxotine so hopefully I will be able to get some sleep.
Might seem daft, but I’ve just a little over a week to go before operation and already I am getting a bit nervous - don’t quite know why - I have operations before, but I guess that this time round it is a whole lot more being done.
Think I have got stuff I need for hospital, I read on one of the other forums that baby wipes are essential - but presumably it would be better to use the non-scented ones.
Many thanks for your message - your best pal has got a wonderful name!!! Not too many Ruths about - so I am told anyway. How are you feeling after your op? You had it pretty close to Christmas - how did you cope afterwards?
Thanks for your encouragement, all words of encouragement are such blessing, and in their own way give a boost to be stronger. I have already told the surgeon and my GP that I will fight it again, but I will need as much help as they can give me, don’t know why but this time it is really trying to get me down - much more so than first time round - but I will do my hardest to prevent it from doing so.
Many thanks for your message - you know it is so amazing the number of wonderful people who have taken time and trouble to write and to encourage, so for all of you who have done so a VERY BIG THANK YOU.
Re. the pillow - just google it, ebay is a wonderful thing!!
Try to chill - I know, its easier said than done - the waiting for treatment is the hardest.
Any more questions, just ask.
Hi again Ruth, I’m new to these discussions as i just bought a computer before i went into hosp, i feel the same as you that it is much harder to take this time round, probably everyone in our situation does feel the same as us. Do you not think a lot to do with that is you don,t want to feel like a victim when you are talking with family and friends, it’s much easier to talk about your feelings when you are in the same situation. I’m starting to feel a lot better now thankyou for asking. I went into the Royal in Glasgow for my operation ward48 and they give you everything you need a bag for your drains they call it your gucchi bag, all the pillows you need,and a lot of good care. I was really frightened at first but everyone there are in the same boat and give you so much encouragement and support, it really helps to calm you down and face what you have to do, to fight the pest and get better. Thankyou for replying to my message it really cheered me up. Take care hope to hear how you got on. Ps Reading everyone’s messages really help too. Sending Lots Of Love Reneexxx.
Thanks for letting me know about Ebay - never used it though, so I would have to get a friend to help me out!
Trying hard to chill out, but it ain’t easy - especially when visitors come to the home and start moaning about headaches, and work and stuff like that - I even had one say "you don’t mind if I smoke do you? reply "yep I sure do, but you could always smoke outside if you really want to!, their reply "no its alright thanks I’ll wait!!
Glad you are feeling a lot better now - always great to hear news like that. I’ve not been on these discussion pages very long - in fact it took me some while - cos I can be a bit shy at tiimes, but I am very glad that got onto this site because there has been so much help given by so many lovely people. You are right it is far easier to talk with people who have been through it than try to talk with people who just don’t have a clue, and when an explanation is offered very often they change the topic!! Maybe that’s there way of dealing with it!
Anyhow you take care of yourself, hope to hear from you soon
Had phone call and letter confirming dates for pre-op assessment and operation. The pre-op is on Thurs 10th at 09.30 and the operation is going ahead on Monday 14th and I have to be at hospital at 07.00, so I’ve not much longer to wait, but I am now starting to get a wee bit nervous - but guess that that is only natural.
One of my concerns is “has the cancer spread anywhere else”? Presumably the pre-op assessment will show if there are any other nasties and if there are then the only positive thing I can say to myself is “they will have been seen and will be dealt with”, but I am hoping that there are no other nasties.
Anyhow will let you know the outcome of the pre-op assessment.
Thanks for all the encouragement given ever since I have been writing on this site, it has been very much appreciated, you are such a wonderful group of people, bless you all.
Dont,t worry Ruth usually a pre-op assessment only deals with your general health, bloods, blood pressure weight and height because it was my second time round i was given a body scan and bone scan before i even saw a surgoen about a recon, but i still worried about the pre-op. I,m glad you have got a date because that is half the battle. you will get on great and we will all be thinking about you. Lots of thoughts and love to you xx Renee.