Hi, I have just joined the website today, after having a wide local excision and lymph nodes removed on 20th July (my daughters graduation, great…), and my wound check was fine but this last week I have had a nice swelling between my boob and armpit. I declined having it drained off at my results meeting on Wednesday, but now am totally fed up with it, especially when my consultant said I had to have the op repeated to remove more tissue to make sure the margin was clear. I have to go in next Friday for my next op and now I feel a little cheated that I cant move on to the next stage and meet the chemo team to discuss my treatment in more detail ftb. I have been told I will have 4 treatments of Epi followed by 4 treatments of CMF and 17 treatments of Herceptin. I have been reading the sites when people are talking about hair loss and I am not looking forward to that part, although I have also been offered a cool cap by my bc nurse. Of course, its all about now, and until this seroma goes, I cant feel I am making any progress. Does it come back again after drainage, can anyone tell me that ftb? Sorry for the rant, but it makes me feel so out of control when I dont know whats happening to me.
Hiya Annabelle,
I’m sorry you’ve had to join us but ‘welcome’. You’ve come to the right place! I was diagnosed in March, age 34. I had a right mastectomy and total axillary clearance a week after diagnosis. When I went for my results meeting I too had quite a build up of fluid around my wound. Like you I declined the offer of having it drained and my surgeon said that it would either be reabsorbed by the body or it would eventually find its own way out. Well, for me it was the latter and when it found its way out it exploded big time!!! This was prob about a week or so after that appt. Prior to this the area had become very red, swollen and quite hot. The fluid came out of the middle of my scar. I panicked big time and rang my bc nurse who assuerd me this was completely normal and to just use towels and stuff to ‘mop up’ the fluid. Well, without goin into too many gory details a LOT of fluid came out but once it stopped the area felt great. Obviously no swelling and it was not hot to touch anymore. I’ve now got a slight ‘puckering’ in the middle of my scar, where the fluid came out, but I can live with this 'til I have my recon!
I am mid-way through the same chemo that you will be having. I started in May and am taking part in the TACT 2 trial. I have so far had 4 x Epi and 1 full cycle of CMF. I am currently enjoying my 3 week break between CMF’s and its lovely!! My next CMF cycle begins on weds. Personally I didn’t go for the cold cap, although the chemo day centre I go to is lovely I just wanted to get in and out as quickly as poss. Also, I’m a bit of baby when it comes to all things cold!! I had v.long hair pre-bc but decided to go for the chop a couple of days before I went into hosp so it would be easier to manage. The day I got home from my 1st Epi I got OH to get the clippers out on it! I knew it was gonna come out anyway and wasn’t prepared to sit around waiting. The rest of my hair came out 2 days after my 2nd Epi (I had accelerated Epi, every 2 weeks, as part of the trial). Prior to this my head was v.v.sore so I knew it was gonna happen. To be honest I was gutted when it came out and cried buckets. However I am pleased to say this was v.short lived and I soon got used to my baldie head. I have managed to retain most of my eyebrows and eyelashes which is good, and not having to shave your legs or anything is a bonus!! Now I’m on CMF my hair has started to grow back again, albeit much slower than I would like!!
Take care of yourself and I hope your seroma bu**ers off sooner rather than later! Get the towels at the ready in case it explodes like mine did!! LOL! Keep in touch,
Kelly
-x-
Dear Annabelle
I am sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis, welcome to our forums where I am sure you will continue to receive lots of helpful advice and support from our users.
Breast Cancer Care have published a Resources Pack specifically for anyone newly diagnosed with breast cancer which can be ordered on line, it is filled with information to help you better understand your diagnosis, test results and the various treatments available.
breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514
You are also welcome to contact our freephone confidential helpline on 0808 800 6000 for further support, advice and information. The helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.
I do hope you find this information useful.
Best wishes
Lucy
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care
Hello Annabelle
I had a WLE and axillary node clearance last December. A seroma under my arm started about 10 days after the surgery. It was aspirated 4 times altogether and the amount of fluid in it gradually decreased.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve got to have another operation to get clear margins - I hope that goes OK.
I tried the cold cap when I had chemo but unfortunately it didn’t work for me but there are some women I see at chemo who use it very successfully and have lost hardly any hair so definitely do try it. It’s a bit uncomfortable for the first 5 minutes but after that it gets better.
take care
Love Anthi
Hi Annabelle,
I have the same problem with the Seroma, it appeared about a week ago, so a week after my auxiliary clearence. I have been told its better not to have it drained due to risk of infection, but if it became uncomfortable or was stopping me sleeping etc i should have it drained. I have been told you need to have it drained several times if you do go down that route. I am trying to stick it out, stubbornness!! Mine is leaking daily but only small amounts, this worried me but have been reassured buy BCN today that that is normal. She also said it can sometimes all find its way out like Kelly’s did. I was worried my scar was not closing after nearly two weeks, but it is its just leaking the fluid. Hope this helps, but if it does get to bad, do have it drained.
I also know how it feels to have to wait for more surgery before chemo. I had a bi lateral mastectomy on July 2nd, then node clearance on 26th July, now have to wait till September before i even meet my oncologist. Frustrating!! I am going to go for the cold cap and see if it works as don’t fancy loosing my hair at 24!!
good luck with your next op,
hope your seroma goes away soon.
alx xx
Thanks girls for your supportive comments. After the hot weekend, I didnt sleep very well the last couple of nights and found it uncomfortable to lie properly, especially with the tingly arm I still have. Managed to get to the hospital today and have the seroma drained, although my bc nurse said it would come back, I hope it doesnt burst or leak anyway like yours Kelly. Feel a little better now I know I am not so isolated with this, and I can speak to other “sufferers” who understand what I am going through. It sounds not so daunting about the chemo, although cant really imagine how its going to feel until I’m there having it done. At least I may be able to keep some hair if I am lucky, my daughter says she will come with me to choose some hats, although I went on some of the US websites after hearing people talk about them, and thought the hats with hair were amazing, can you imagine it blowing off in a high wind, distressing enough with your own hair, LOL.
Well on the countdown for my WLE again on Friday, and thanks again to you for all your supportive messages.
Anne x
Hi Anne, think i have been lucky, when i got the lymphs out i had the seroma drained after a week, when i had the mastectomy and immediate recon from the back i had the back drained about two weeks later, and except for a bit of a saddle back on my back, well its not really been a problem, but i haven’t had to have chemo or rads, so not sure if that effects the natural process of the fluid finding a natural way out, have a word with your bc, its such a relief when they aspirate, and i know at the hospital i attended i could have gone anytime day or night to have it done, which even though i didn’t have to after the first time for both, it was a relief to know that i didn’t have to suffer between appointments
love
Alison xxxx
Hi Annabelle
I too had a WLE and axillary node clearance 4 weeks ago today. I had a seroma and lots of leakage out of my ‘wounds’. I had to have mine aspirated 4 times in all, it actually doesn’t hurt at all, as the area was still totally numb. I watched the needle go back into the node scar and was amazed that I absolutely couldn’t feel it. It was then a relief, as i could put my arm down more comfortably. With regard to increasing the risk of infection, I had an infection before the seroma appeared!
So if offered an aspiration, don’t worry you won’t feel a thing!
Nicky
Morning laydeez, (does that sound like a pimp talking?), I had my seroma drained on Monday and although I went a bit funny, felt a bit faint, a lot of the fluid was taken by a bc nurse, and I felt a lot better. Until last night of course, when I had been taking it easy yesterday, with just doing a bit of ironing, when I was still awake at 3am, and of course woke up at 8am as usual. Must still b in work time mode, although its only been 2anda half weeks since I finished. After reading some of the threads on hospital stays, I can sympathise with some of you, although even though the nurses dont seem to like to respond to the bells, most of the nurses at my local hospital have been great and very supportive. Hope they are the same this weekend.
Changing direction for a mo, as we have had to cancel our holiday to Italy in September, the first time we would have been away for 2 weeks without the kids, my husband seems hell bent on taking me away asap before my first chemo treatment. We are going up to Edinburgh for the tattoo and festival for a couple of days on 22nd, and he’s like, well we can book another holiday and fly out from Edinburgh to portugal or somewhere for the rest of the bank holiday and a’m not sure if I am up to it, but dont want to let him down, poor thing, as he is trying his best for me (bless!). Then yesterday he comes home from work saying, shall we go away the weekend before as well if you like, and I am thinking, well I am just a week over my next (and hopefully last WLE) op and I still have this seroma hanging over me. Well I think we shall have to wait and see as I dont want to go gallivanting off and then ruin it by moaning about this swelling under my arm! Does anyone know if it comes back less each time its drained? That would make me feel better about it.
Would be grateful for any thoughts.
Annabelle xx
I had an axillary clearance 12 days ago and my husband and myself and another couple had booked months ago to go to Rome next Monday for 4 days (well before I had received the diagnosis of breast cancer). The BCN said before I had the operation that I might just make it as it would be 3 to 4 weeks after the op and I could have a holiday before starting the radiotherapy. I am waiting until the end of the week to see how strong I feel before making the decision of whether to cancel. My husband is trying to convince me that it would be a nice break but I know there will be a lot of walking and sightseeing involved. If I don’t feel completely up to it, I would rather cancel and re-book when all this is over. I keep feeling a bit guilty that if I say to cancel, I would be disappointing my husband and our friends. I have also started swelling up under the arm and will have to phone the BCN tomorrow for it to be checked. If this is going to be recurring, I don’t want to be in Italy and worried about it.
Sandra