Hi Veggie, Susanne and Rhian
thank you all for your posts. Just been getting my stuff ready for tomorrow. Im hoping that by this time tomorrow it will all be over and I will be in a post anesthetic haze. Had to laugh at your comment about the knives being clean and the surgeons being sober Susanne. That will be one of my thoughts plus a wonderful holiday I had in Kefalonia as they put me to sleep! Veggie were you given a choice between a wide local excision or a mastectomy or did the consultant just tell you what they were going to do? Hope you are all keeping well. Take care.
Karen x
Hey Karen,
No I had no choice, I had widespread DCIS and some invasion so I had to have a full mx (mastectomy) and all nodes out. I was happy with that, I wanted to make sure they removed it all. I haven’t had a reconstruction yet and quite frankly I’m in no rush to get anything done, I’m comfortable with the way I look and my prothesis is fine as well. My husband was fantastic as well, he wasn’t in the least bit bothered that I was losing a breast, he just wanted me well.
Take care
Veggie
Hi Karen
got my results yesterday and my lymph nodes were clear thankfully, 3 were removed after sentinal. unfortunately not a clear margin so back next week for more removing. Just opening the boob scar and taking a bit more out then I’m back home same day. Pain from under arm has gone and boob stopped hurting last week. Under arm was swollen as I had a haematoma and whilst that’s going down under my arm is a lovely colour. Most pain was caused by the dressing that covered the cut under my arm as I had a reaction to it!! Take all the pain relief they offer you, you’ll get more rest and recover quicker.
I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow and hope it all goes well - be strong and take care
(((hug))) x Katie
Good luck tomorrow I am in Friday for mx after first op as further DCIS- will pack last thing tomorrow - let the denial continue a bit longer. Now I want to be first on the list too!!Last time I had to wait while they ‘cleaned’ the theatre. Had CSI scenes in my head as I went under.
Denise x
BIG HUG Karen, will be thinking of you all day
and you for Friday Denise
love Rhian xxxxxxx
Thank you all so much for your best wishes. Starting to feel nervous now and I must admit, scared. Wouldnt be so bad if I had made my decision on whether to have the MX or the WLE. I hate the thought of going back in 2 weeks and them saying, sorry karen you have to have a mastectomy after all OR, you were right to have the WLE, we got it all!
Could somebody tell me what DCIS is. I have seen it written on some of the posts but I dont know what it stands for.
Thanks again. Will let you know how it all goes. Take care everyone. Karen xx
DCIS is Ductal Carcinoma in Situ - it’s still within the duct, no spread. They won’t actually say the word cure, but getting it at that stage means you have virtually 100% chance of a full recovery. Also, 80% of WLEs are successful so your odds are good there, too. Of course, all the positive statistics in the world don’t stop you feeling scared, but hope to “see” you back in a couple of days, well on the mend!
Hi Susanne
Thank you for the info. I havent been diagnosed with DCIS but I have seen it a few times on certain posts and I didnt know what it stood for. There are so many abreviations which I know doubt will become accustomed to. Karen
Well, hope your prognosis is good anyway, Karen. The odds for all of us are getting better all the time.
Karen, just to say I’m thinking of you.
Good Luck
(((Hug))) Katie
Sorry meant to say all the best to Denise for Friday as well. Yes the waiting is the worst, you have to have the patience of a saint sometimes.
Take care
Veggie
That’s why they call us “patients” !!!
Hi all
Hope you are all ok. Had my WLE last Thursday and complete lymph node clearance, came out on Friday with the oh so lovely drain in situ. Had a lovely outreach nurse come out to visit me since discharge to change dressings and drain etc. Thankfully the drain was removed today which I was so pleased about. The nurse said the hole where the drain had been put in was starting to look inflamed and thought it best to remove it (I wasnt going to put up a fight about that one!) Is it normal to have a burning sensation under the armpit and numbness at the top of the arm and underneath it. The scar isnt infected (stitches due out on Thursday) I have all these weired sensations and pains which I suppose is understandable after surgery. I keep panicking that I will get a swelling then have to have that drained or lymphodema. Any advice please? I go next Thursday for my results and will find out if I need further surgery and what the next step is.
Take care. Karen
Hi Wills
Numbness and strange prickly burning feelings all normal after clearance - had clearnace and lumpectomy 5 weeks ago and mx on friday and those feelings have come back. Must have cracked my arm on table though as now have full movement back. I did do exercises they give you every day and played badminton when its not raining!
Also had drain out today but have blisters as allergic reaction to dressings. I sleep with my arm on a pillow not sure if it helps but
so far so good. Good luck with results on Thursday.
Denise x
Hi Karen glad to hear your op went ok.
The sensations you describe are as mentioned normal but very distressing.I asked nurse about 12 hours after op why my arm was numb and she couldn’t answer which worried me.When surgeon came to discharge me next day I asked him.His reply was ‘Oh did i not mention that this may happen it’s due to cutting nerves it may get better in time but it may not.’ I am sure his bedside manner is legendary.I am now six months post op and while it is more bearable it is still uncomfortable and weird. Do try to do the exercises but don’t overdo it. take care kittyx
Hi Kitty
Thank you for the info. Does this mean I will always have this awful burning sensation? I have also got pains in my shoulder blades tonight. I suppose every pain and ache I experience will worry me now. How often should I be doing my excercises?
Hi Momo
Hope you dont mind me asking but why did you have to have the mastectomy after having the WLE?. Was it because the results showed that they hadnt got all the cancer or, was it something you chose to do for peace of mind? Did your results show any lymph node involvement?
Hi Karen
Glad you doing ok. Your body has just gone through massive surgery, some aches and soreness are associated with this, Lymph node clearance does involve touching/cutting/disturbing nerves so for a few weeks you will get lots of soreness and aching. Try and do the excersises about 3 times a day, it really is worth keeping at them helps against ‘cording’ but cording does happen. I was pretty lucky and got my physio to massage my arm on a weekly basis, which i found helped with pain and stiffness.
rxxxx
Hi Karen
i had WLE but also had bilateral reduction from e/f to b cup as size eight and had bad back. Because the reduction was quite severe my surgeon took extra segments from the bc side. The margins around the lump were clear but the extra segments showed DCIS so were found purely by coincidence. They then really didnt give me too much choice about mx. Had sentinel node tested with first op found cells there so had clearance at the same time. Have numb armpit from that and a bit of numb sensation at the back of my arm but really dont notice it most of the time. 4/23 nodes were cancerous so chemo to follow - have discovered today I am allergic to something in the dressing I’m covered in blisters - bugger!!Had subpectoral implant so hope I’m not allergic to that - that really would be a sod!! On the up side i havent had a back ache since! and CT and bone scans were clear.