Hi all,
Well I had my lumpectomy and SNB (3 lymph nodes removed) yesterday.
The worst part for me was the fasting for the General Anesthetic. I get really dizzy, weak, shaky and feel sick when I need to eat and despite arriving at hospital at 6.50am, I didn’t get my surgery until after 2.00pm so there was a lot of waiting around, thankfully they let me lie down as I was feeling faint, a lot of people were sitting in chairs.
I woked up in recovery room around 3.20pm and felt a bit panicky and sore but the two nurses with me were lovely and I was quickly given pain relief intravaneously which worked immediately and the panic was just the effects of anaesthetic which also went away after 5-10 mins. I was up in the ward 10 mins later feeling much better and ready for some tea and toast.
I stayed overnight as I live alone. I was told in surgery to tell the nurses on the ward when I felt the first sign of pain. At around 7.00pm I started to feel a bit of a twinge and was given dihydrocodeine, I may well not have need such strong pain relief but I just took what I was given. Since then I have just been taking paracetamol. They discharged me with paracetamol and dihydrocodeine but so far I haven’t needed the big guns! From reading your posts on here, I’m aware that pain levels can change during the healing process so I’ll see how I get on.
Anyway, appointment a week today to get dressings removed and pathology results. The surgeon was able to tell me that I didn’t need hormone therapy but wasn’t able to tell me anything else until lab tests come back. At first I was delighted at the news that I would need to take tamoxifen as it interacts with my psychiatric medication which would have caused me some problems, now I’m thinking is that really a good things. What if it’s triple negative?? Like many of you, I was told initially that my treatment would be surgery and radiotherapy (which is still in the plan) but she did mention chemo after my surgery. Oh, I’m overthinking and I’m still tired and have a fuzzy brain from all the drugs. I’ll just have to be patient, concentrate on recovering from my surgery, not overdoing things and do my exercises and deal with the results next week. Ha, easier said than done when you have an anxiety disorder and you overthink everything.
I will catch up on all your posts later.
This forum has been the most incredible form of support and advice for me. I couldn’t have coped nearly so well since my diagnosis without you all, from your helpful little tips to sharing your experiences. Thank you all.
Best Wishes
Hazel. x
Hi Hazel, You did brilliantly - well done! And thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts - It will be so helpful for so many others, who will, unfortunately, join the forum. Let us know what happens to you - so we can also support you through the rest, even if it may be on a different thread. So happy for you that it has all gone ok. xx
Thanks Sue. You are a perfect example of “sharing tips”, I saw your post about never having blood pressure cuffs, blood tests, injections etc. on the same arm you had lymph nodes removed from and asked the nurse who admitted me who agreed that this true. I would never have known this if you hadn’t posted and prompted me to ask, nobody told me.
My Breast care team also didn’t tell me about wearing a supportive bra day and night after the op, I found that out from this forum also. I’m wearing a not very supportive crop top bra at the moment but will put my sports bra back on tomorrow. My Breast surgeon isn’t really that big on wearing sports bras after surgery apparently according to the nurses, whereas the othe two Breast surgeons are. It was nearly midnight last night before I remembered I should be wearing one, my breast nurse and surgeon both visited me in the ward after my op, nurses were checking my wound and not one of them reminded me I should be wearing a bra until I remembered myself.
Charys, I will PM you.
Cheers girls. Hope you are doing as well as can be expected in the circumstances.
Hazel. xx
Hi Hazel
So pleased to hear that your surgery has been done. I know you have been waiting quite a time for it.
After my surgery I was really sleepy and they had to force me to wake up by shouting my name really loud then offering me toast. I bet I could have slept longer.
Had to take some painkillers this morning but those are the first ones I’ve taken since Sunday. I was really uncomfortable all day yesterday but not in pain whereas this morning my under arm was really hurting.
Try to rest as much as your body wants. That’s what I’m doing. I’m getting tired so easily.
I was also told it would be surgery then radiotherapy but then found that chemo could be an option once the Oncotype dx test comes back. I’m due to get my results Monday but I have been told there may be a delay in getting them as the lab is really busy.
Good luck and keep in touch Sonya xx
Hi Sonya,
I’ve been thinking about you and how you are doing. Yeah, I think the pain will vary from day to day as we go through different stages of the healing process.
So, you’re due to get your results on Monday then. Hopefully they won’t be delayed.
Yes, I’ll be staying on the Recently Diagnosed section but have also subscribed to the Surgery section so will post between the two.
Best Wishes
Hazel. xx