I am three weeks post bilateral Mx and axillary clearance and thought it might be useful to share some reassurance and lessons learned the hard way! I have posted on the April surgery thread to share my experiences of the actual surgery and recovery which was so much easier than I feared. For anyone anticipating surgery, do have a read and I hope it will be reassuring - no one is a bigger coward than me.
Continuing with the cowardly theme, I have been my own worst enemy in managing the healing process, specifically seromas. I developed two seromas on about day 10. One was small and manageable but the other looked like a monster breast back from the deep and extended well into my armpit. I rang for advice and was reassured that it would settle by itself and the hospital would not aspirate unless it became difficult to put on my clothes or do my exercises. As a needle phobic who was terrified by the idea of aspiration, that was just dandy.
Over the bank holiday weekend, I noticed hardening, increased swelling, growing heat, redness and discomfort. I minimised and denied the symptoms, partly because I didn’t want to face the prospect of the needle, instead choosing to google photos of Mx healing (I don’t recommend it). Last night, it was impossible to ignore and realising that the risk of sepsis was worse than the potential needle, I rang the hospital who got me antibiotics straight away from an out of hours GP and asked me to come in this morning for surgical review.
I am just back and here to tell you that I am an idiot. Partly for ignoring the growing monster seroma with bonus infection and partly for being so scared of the aspiration/draining. It was, like the bilateral Mx, portacath insertion, chemotherapy and almost everything along the way, no where near as bad as I feared. When will I learn? 1250 ml of yucky fluid later, I am a new woman, clutching my Flucloxacillin and grateful to the patient, gentle and skilled surgeons who would have been entitled to say ‘what is wrong with you woman?’ but instead let me hold their hands during a painless procedure which I undoubtedly needed as the infection was spreading and the scar was under strain.
So, if you are struggling with a seroma and have any sign of infection, do seek advice and I promise what will follow will help and be nowhere near as bad as those of us with overactive imaginations can imagine!