Hello poodlefluff.
Thanks for your post. It sounds as if you are going through a difficult time after your surgery for primary breast cancer .Understandably you have been feeling down and disappointed that you now find yourself in hospital with an infected seroma and cellulitis, on intravenous antibiotics. As @evieb1 said, it can happen post-surgery and not always immediately. We look for reasons why something like this has happened, but seromas commonly develop after surgery and can get infected irrespective of what you do.
You explained you are normally fit and sporty and returning to physical exercise can help enormously mentally, coping with a diagnosis, treatment and side effects. It’s understandable that you want to get back to preoperative fitness, but your body can take time to settle down and it’s not surprising you are feeling glum. As healing takes place, these effects usually subside (get less or ease).
You mention that you have cording which can be painful and distressing. Stretching and massaging the cord can improve your symptoms and it sounds as if this is improving gradually. You may find the breast physiotherapist Jen McKenzie helpful; she has a YouTube channel where you can find videos including one on cording. Do ask your treatment team advice at this time and for clear instructions on exercise.
We also have a webinar at the end of September you may be interested in which lead by a personal trainer who was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she will be talking about exercise.
It is difficult to say whether any individual will develop lymphoedema which is swelling caused by a build-up of lymph fluid in the surface tissues of the body. This can happen as a result of damage to the lymphatic system following surgery and/or radiotherapy to the breast or armpit (axilla). Other risk factors include being overweight and infection in the arm or hand.
People who have had a sentinel lymph node biopsy, like yourself, have a reduced risk of developing lymphoedema compared to people who have had a number of lymph nodes removed.
There are ways in which to help reduce the risk of lymphoedema developing. Try to use your arm normally. Movement of your arm muscles reduces your risk of lymphoedema and encourages fluid drainage. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising (as able) will reduce the burden on the lymphatic system.
It is best that you are fully healed and free of any infection before starting radiotherapy. Do talk to your breast care nurse or oncologist about the timing of radiotherapy as you are concerned about this, as they are best placed to advise on your individual situation.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful so for example a fit sporty type of person who has had surgery and radiotherapy. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to help answer your questions, offer support and listen to how you are feeling.
You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org, so they can then match you to your volunteer.
If you are unhappy or have concerns about your treatment or care, the best people to speak to are the people involved. This may include your breast care nurse or hospital doctor. They are often able to help you resolve any concerns you have. If you live in England the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help resolve concerns related to health matters, explain, and handle complaints procedures and use feedback to help influence change. Other parts of the Uk have different organisations .
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
Our number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties dial 18001 followed by our number and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.
If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.
Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturdays.
We are closed on English bank holidays.
Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.
Best wishes,
Helen
Breast Care Nurse
Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy
As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.
