Sarah - its weird you should mention the stockings - I was told by the Sister that once I was up on my feet to wear them just at night for 4 weeks. So on the Saturday (4 days) I took them off, popped them in the washing machine on 30 & hung them on the radiator to dry. Since then I have battled to get them on every night. They rolled down while I was asleep, my toes were half in & half out of the bloody hole. Anyway, we were talking about them in the waiting room & the other ladies had been told to wear them all the time for 4 weeks. So I asked my surgeon and she said, take them off & put them in the bin. So I did ???
Emily - it still hurts when I do the stretch, but it is getting easier. Some of the exercises don’t even hurt anymore- I’m now doing all of them.
I forgot to add - I was a deep purple colour, on my surviving boob, across my chest, down my ribs, under my arm. This is now black & yellow. The nurse said to me that they are quite brutal with you while you are under & the bruising on my breast looked liked ihe had lent on it while operating.
Emma - it’s ok to lose your tough pants for a little while - like Helena said to me, they’re in the drawer & that’s just where they were.
Although I’m trying to get the image of tough pants with tinsel on out my head ??
Sending you huge hugs 
Susan
Nicki - it’s ok to rant on here. We all know how scared you are. It really is the worst time for you at the moment.
It will get better - sending you lots of hugs Susan
Hope you all have a peaceful Christmas - no overdoing it to people post surgery, and if you’re waiting for surgery, try and put your worries in a box for today. Thank you all for the support over the last two months.
love Jane X
Merry christmas to ‘the gang’ … hoping you all have a fabulous day … you are all absolutely amazing … lots of love, Sarah xxxx
Merry Christmas to my lovely ladies.
Thank you for all your help, I don’t know how I would have coped without you all.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Love Susan
Sooooo just had to come and tell you all what happened today …
District nurse appeared at lunchtime, really pleased with how the drain was etc so said it could come out today … A Christmas present she said … lol
I ONLY WENT AND BLOOMIN’ FAINTED ???
Flat out … came round lying on the floor with my poor hubby holding my legs up high and the nurse sorting the drain out … dear me!!! I felt such a wally!!
Anyway, I’m now drainless and it’s amazing not having to carry it with me wherever I go ???
Ooh it just made me feel really squiffy and funny … yes it was the shock … I’m very squeamish!! xx
Haha Emily T - you’re so right, after everything we go through!!
Emma - honestly, I wouldn’t have posted it on here if it was horrendous … it wasn’t at all, so don’t be having any nightmares … lol … just me and my quirks …
Happy Boxing Day guys - how is everyone?
I hope you all managed to have a good day yesterday and got some lovely prezzies …
Nikki - how are you? xx
Good morning ladies,
I hope you all had a good Christmas Day.
Sarah - I know I shouldn’t laugh, but the way you wrote your post did make me giggle as the image in my head was so funny. Glad you’re o.k. How’s the bruising and stiffness, mine has nearly all gone.
I do have a large seroma, starting from my chest going round under my arm and is causing me a bit of discomfort. I’m looking forward to seeing the surgeon on the 29th as it needs draining.
I wish you all a lovely day today.
Silver - laugh away, honestly I felt such a fool ??
Erm … stiffness has mainly gone, just stomach muscles still feel quite pulled but they haven’t been used since I don’t know when … haha … I haven’t got any bruising that I can see and the only discomfort I have is when I bend forwards or really do something I know I shouldn’t like suddenly twist quickly.
Did I tell you that I came out of theatre with a REALLY thick bottom lip … well that has been quite sore but today is starting to go down.
I have put ‘the’ comfie bra on today for the first time and it feels ok so far … thought I would try and make myself look presentable as we have people coming for a meal later … hubby is very busy
Helena, lovely to hear you had a relaxing day yesterday and my first drainless day is amazing thank you xx
Hope everybody else is ok
Sarah
xxxxx
Glad your drain is out Sarah, even if it was a bit dramatic! Hope everyone has had a good Christmas.
i had a big wobble for no real reason on Christmas Eve, and would have fallen out with my own shadow if it had let me! But I woke up yesterday in a much better frame of mind and had quite a stress free day. Had a lovely day planned today - traditionally we go to a local town to watch the local hunt meet (controversial I know!), which is then followed by a procession of horse drawn vehicles. But i did a trick I’m getting quite good at and slipped over on a mossy paving slab, landing heavily on my behind and my left elbow, which unfortunately is my surgery side. My shoulder was so painful that I was unable to move my arm so ended up at A and E. Long story cut short, following several X-rays no break was found and it’s only soft tissue damage - problem now is getting some movement back so I can get my arm up for radiotherapy in about 3 weeks time. I’m really cross with myself - I know accidents happen but why did it have to be my left side. I’d been working so hard on the post surgery exercises and had got a really good range of movement - back on the painkillers, in bed but just can’t get into a comfortable position to sleep. Got a busy day tomorrow too with family round for lunch and friends round in the evening!
Jane x
Good morning ladies,
Strudel - the seroma is quite large & is causing discomfort, which I can put up with - I just have this fear that it is going to burst my stitches. Apart from that & when I lean forward I have healed well, I still get tired quickly which is frustrating.
What results are you waiting for when you receive the onco test?
I have to go back on 17 Jan & they will tell me what chemo & when it starts - does anyone else have to have this treatment?
Emily - when do you go for your results?
Jane - I read your post with horror, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How are you today?
Sarah - How did you manage to get thick lip - did you get into a fight in surgery? ?
Helena, Emma, Pam, Nicki, Patricia, Kimjane, Mysti how are you all doing?
Wow - it’s strange that you should talk about canals - they are my all time favourite place and we travel them every other weekend & spend all our holidays on our narrowboat.
This year for our two week holiday we travelled to Birmingham via Birmingham & fazely canal, moored in Birmingham for 2 days & then came back via BCN & staffs & Worc canal. We have had the boat 12 years & this was the first time we had ever moored in a city, it was magical, we were just round the corner of gas street basin. I did 50 locks in in 2 days - I was so knackered & so happy.
This is what I’m looking forward to - we were meant to go out in the boat for a week after Christmas, but then this nightmare began.
I feel like I’m in some sort of daze, a month ago I was told I had cancer, now I don’t - it doesn’t feel like it’s real. Like you Emily, I’m numb. I can’t seem to take it in. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up & it’s not real. Christmas has been weird, it has happened so fast & although I’ve enjoyed it, it’s as if I’m just watching from afar.
Hello all - had a really busy day today. Cooked for our children and their partners at lunchtime - was lovely spending time with them, but had forgotten how much the boys eat!! Then had 6 friends round for the evening - everyone brought leftovers and we made a lovely buffet supper between us. And the best thing was that we didn’t talk about my health at all.
im very sore after my tumble yesterday - my shoulder is very painful - back to painkillers, have a very fetching bruise on the back of my left thigh and a strange bruise on my ribs on the left side - not sure where that’s come from as landed on my bottom.
I’ve had a sore spot under my arm, but on my arm as opposed to my armpit, for about 10 days - it has been pulling when I do my exercises, and reading your posts about cording I’m wondering whether that’s what it is - mind you exercises are impossible while my shoulder is so painful - just trying to keep it moving at the moment. I’m going to give my bc nurse a ring on Thursday when she’s back at work just to see if she thinks I might have caused any damage to my wound when falling - it looks fine, but I know there are still stitches internally and it’s been uncomfortable today. Does everyone still have a very blue boob from the dye - mine’s not fading at all, and I’m still really numb all down the outside. Started using some E45 cream today too as realised the skin was peeling too - wonder if the swelling is finally subsiding.
There seems to be a few of us in the Midlands, we’re about 30 miles north of Birmingham. I love walking along the canals - we quite often take our caravan to sites near a canal for the walks - would have loved a narrow boat, but compromised with the caravan!
Jane
Good morning, looks like you all had a late night last night … I was fast asleep by 9.30pm … lol
Are there any Lancashire lasses out there?? How strange that quite a few of you are from the midlands area … I am 10 minutes from Manchester centre
I have had a lovely Christmas, yesterday we had a get together at my daughters house with the grandchildren and I loved it … I was extremely tired afterwards though!!
Has anybody got any idea on how long dressings stay on? Silver, I think I’m asking you really as you had the same op xx
It seems hard to imagine that it’s not even a week ago since I had the op and I’m almost back to normal, I honestly thought that it was all going to be horrendous but it isn’t as bad as I thought (yet!) (fingers crossed) (hope I haven’t cursed myself)
Silver - did you have the op on the 13th Dec?? How are you feeling now?
I don’t know when I’m next at the hospital and I have done a very good job of not thinking about it … in reality, I don’t want to go ??
Jane, hope you are feeling ok after your fall, I am very prone to falls as I’m always rushing so I have had to be extra careful where I put my feet ?
Helena, I have had the same feelings as you “gosh, I’m doing so well, this can’t carry on, I’m going to come down with an almighty bump” … I even spoke to the district nurse about it …
Just for fun … Emily T put a pic up of herself the other day (you look lovely by the way) and before I saw it I always imagined you with shoulder length blonde hair and straight … soooooo, what colour and length is my hair … lol …
I will tell the rest of you your colours and lengths soon xxxxxxx
Good morning Ladies,
Sarah - The District Nurse took my dressings off in the Sunday (5 days) but then stuck a huge plaster across the scar line as the bit near the cleavage just needed to heal a bit more. I let the surgeon take the plaster off at my apppointment the next Thursday. I was told to get aqueous cream to put on my scar in a couple of weeks and I also use it to wash myself in the bath. I am doing really good, it’s just the seroma that’s causing me problems, it starts at my cleavage, fills my scar, so I look like I’ve got a B cup, carries on round the back and then there is a bigger swelling under my arm. I’m going into Derby today, for a walk round and I can’t wear my bra as the swelling is in the way.
Helena - We haven’t managed to get to Hatton locks yet, we are moored at Mercia Marina, so we can only go so far and then we turn back. Our plan was to live on the boat from March to November when we retired and then we would be able to go to all the places that were too far away at the moment - though, at the moment I don’t feel like we will manage that, I don’t plan the future now. Thanks Helena, you are always there with the right words, I forget sometimes that you have already been through this and still are. I am so grateful I have met you and all the other ladies on here.
Strudel - I’m there with you in that universe and that is exactly how I think, I still don’t believe I had breast cancer.
Jane - you cooked for everyone, even though you are supposed to be resting, no wonder you are sore. I have a sore bit under my arm when I do the exercises that pulls- I thought it was just the last bit I need to stretch. I’m about an inch off the other arm when I do the wall exercise before I have to stop. My boob is a very pale blue still ?? I love caravans as well, we spent all our childhood in caravans.
Sarah in my mind you have dark and medium length, straight hair. ??
Tardebigge has 30 locks and is the longest flight in the U.K. on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. I had to do a flight of 21 on my way in to Birmingham and another flight of 21 back down to the Staffs & Worcs with a few stragglers in between on my own as their wasn’t any other boats about.
Helena - how are the rads going, are you sore? I go to meet my Oncologist for the first time on 17th Jan, to find out where, when & what chemo & rads I am having. I was looking at scarves today in Debenhams, not sure if I’m going to bother with a wig, just might have fancy hats.
My hair is dark, waist length and very, very curly. It hangs in ringlets and I only brush it when it is wet, otherwise it frizzes so bad, I look like Chrystal Tips. I wear it up all the time.
Emily - I have read the other threads in this forum, mainly because the ladies there inspire me, they are so brave and I read their threads hoping that their treatment will keep working. I am under no illusion that I will end up there, maybe not for a few years yet (hopefully), but eventually. My Mums came back after 5 years in her lungs, liver and bones and she fought it for another 3 years, but eventually there was nothing more they could do for her. I do wonder, that had she got it now, whether she might have lived longer. Those threads don’t frighten me, they give me courage to go on.