Hi I’m 42 have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, I live in Surrey. My emotions are exactly the same as everyone else on this site. On 7th July I had a lumpectomy and my lymph nodes removed. Have been told there were 18 nodes removed and only 1 affected with cancer cells and the lump, approx half an inch removed with good margins. The cancer feeds on oestrogen. Therefore, I am due chemo, radio and tablets for 5 years.
My main problem at the moment is that for 1 week after the surgery everything was fine, doing my arm exercises etc. Felt ok to drive etc. Day 8 after the op, under my arm has swollen bigger than a tennis ball and is so uncomfortable. I’m taking so many pain killers. The BCN said it’s nothing to worry about it may get to the size of a ‘grapefruit’!! So long as I don’t feel unwell or it becomes red/sore (infected). This can’t be right surely. I’ve been fairly Ok since the op but now, I feel useless as I can’t do anything, feel totally depressed and tearful all the time. Will my body actually absorb this build up of fluid? It is so bad; I can hardly type properly and cannot hold my arm down straight. The BCN said they don’t like to drain unless absolutely necessary as this can invite infection. I am now panicking even more as we are due to go on holiday to Cyprus for 2 wks on 31st July. Will this swelling be sorted by then? Any advice on this would be appreciated. I am only looking at each stage at a time and not dwelling on the future of the chemo etc yet. Am due to see the Chemo Dr next week to find out what my programme/drugs are for when I return from holiday.
Hi Roully and welcome to the forums,
I am sure that you will receive lots of support from your fellow users, in addition, here’s the link to the BCC publication ‘Your operation and recovery’ which you may find helpful to read as it contains information about the symptoms you are experiencing:
Please also feel free to call our helpline for further support and information on 0808 800 6000, it’s open weekdays 9-5 and Sat 9-2.
Take care
Lucy
Hi, so sorry to hear this as you were doing so well, unfortunately this happened the same to me… I had my op in dec and to be honest the swelling is right down my arm now, it’s called lymphdemia, you probably already know this or it can be Seroma, which is another swelling I had, this they put me on a drain…
You must, must, rest your arm, no ironing, lifting, whipping or beating, lol… in a food sense, yorkshires, creams, etc.
Try and elevate your arm as much as possible and only gently exersise…
I know this sounds awful but mine has been one of the worse case scenarious, but if it doesn’t improve with your holiday pending you must go back to your BC nurse…
I hope you do improve.
Take care Teresa x
If it’s a seroma which is a collection of fluid that is produced due to the op, then you need to have it drained. I had one for 3 weeks and had to have it drained 6 times. In the end as it was approaching my time for chemo, the doc injected a steroid into it and it cleared up instantly. A syringe is inserted into the seroma and aspirated off. It doesn’t hurt as it’s all numb under there anyway, and it gives instant relief.
I think they hope that the body will absorb it but sometimes it doesn’t. Your BCN sounds a bit crap.
Roully
As the others have said, this is quite common. My surgeon didn’t drain mine either and it was absorbed. You say you live in Surrey, so do I. Are you being treated that the Marsden?
Julia xx
Hi Roully,
I had a seroma too, I’m 4 weeks post op and had mine drained twice so far, both times by bc nurse, she did say they don’t like to do it if they don’t have to - but it can be painful till its drained, first time they got 600mls outta mine but as soon as it started draining it was soooo much better, the last time - a week after only 300mls and will be going back again this week for it doing again as its still filling up with fluid. (I felt like I had a 3rd boob but it was under my arm!)
Ring your bc nurse or the ward you were on and ask if you can pop in and let them have a look at it - tell them its painful, if it is a seroma then they will sort it out for you - only takes a few mins, if its not then they will tell you what to do for the best (but to be honest it sounds like mine was - a seroma).
I start chemo on the 26th of this month, I had a lumpectomy,snb and then a full clearance - 3 out of 20 nodes affected so chemo, rads and prob tamoxfen as I am 47 and pre menopausal.
Hope you get it sorted out soon hun - try not to worry
Tracey xxxxx
I had my seroma drained twice a week for about a month - and would have been extremely uncomfortable otherwise. If it is a seroma I think you should definitely go back to your bcn and arrange for it to be drained - in my case the surgeon did it each time under ultrasound guidance.
Hi Roully
There seems to be different ideas about this at different hospitals. I have had 3 ops resulting in seratoma and each time they have been drained regularly as soon as it got uncomfortable. I would defiantly phone the bc nurse tomorrow. At my hospital it is a routine procedure by the bc nurse and take just a few minutes to drain – no pain and such a relief to get rid of the fluid. I would contact bc nurse tomorrow to see if you can get this done.
All the best Anne x
Hi Roully
I also have a seroma and posted recently with a similar cry for help! I’ll be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow and, like you, felt fine at first then the seroma started and I felt grim - too painful to wear a bra or do any exercises.
I have had mine drained once and it was a great relief, although the doctor only got 200ml out of it and apparently that’s small. I’m going back tomorrow to have it drained again. Someone replied to me to say their seroma kept filling up until they had a pressure bandage on it, and then it healed very quickly.
Don’t worry too much about lymphoedema yet - a seroma doesn’t necessarily lead to lymphoedema.
I have also been told they don’t like to drain seromas because they simply fill up again and if it’s left, it should be absorbed. But if it’s painful, which mine was, I would insist. xxxx
Hi Roully,
sorry you have been having problems, i remember this well, it really felt uncomfortable and i felt very worried the whole time.
agreeing with everyone else here, i got seroma after my mx and then after lymph nodes out. the problem with leaving it is it makes the arm exercises impossible, which in itself is not good. i had mine drained every other day for about 10 days, then it finally started to absorb. however, they are right about the possibility of infection, i got one about 5 days after the last needle. i phoned the BCN who told me to go to my GP - big mistake ! he didn’t prescribe a high enough dose of antibiotics, i ended up back in hospital on a drip and my surgeon quite annoyed i think that i wasn’t brought in.
if you do get it drained be sure to keep an eye out for any signs of infection, temp, flu like symptoms, redness etc and if any turn up go back and insist on seeing a Dr from your team.
i do hope you get it sorted out soon. xx
Hi
Can i just add to this thread. The seroma you describe is different from lymphodema, its a collection of serous fluid maybe tinged pink with blood. I had a seroma and like you found it very painful. I had to have it drained a couple of times and it drained itself a couple of times after that. Such a relief when it goes down. I got so fed up with it that I tried a pressure bandage applied just after it had drained down. This helped enormously, allowing the separated layers of tissue to stick themselves back together and i healed very quickly after that, in fact in just a matter of days. I don’t know if this would help in your case, but it might be worth asking about.
Lymphodema of the arm occurs when there is more lymph fluid in the arm than the body can deal with following removal of lymph nodes. It is best to get this sort of swelling assessed by a lymphodema clinic who are excellent at advising and treating it. Hope this helps.
Hi All - Thank you so much for your advice and comments. I have just returned from the Marsden in Sutton and yes, the Ultrasound revealed a LOT of clear fluid which was drained off (about 340ml?). I now feel Sooooo much better.
I am just a bit worried it will return. Horray I can put my arm down by my side. It’s amazing, such a small thing has cheered me up! (for now).
I have been reading some other posts and seeing things like ‘vascular invasion’ OMG there is so much else to worry about.
Can someone suggest where you can meet up or speak to other ladies in your area that are going through the same thing or have been through it? I think this may help me.
Hi Roully,
I had similar surgery to you, and had 2 nodes infected, i had surgery at the end of march, i had my node site drained approx 4 times over 4 weeks, the site is still badly bruised today, 3 months on and although i had had many other surgeries,(not breast related), i felt after 4 weeks that i was never going to be pain free, but after 4 weeks i felt fine, well as fine as you can with a bc dx.
Hopefully you will feel alot better in a few days, my advice would be, wear a soft, well supportive bra, i got a post breast surgery bra from George at ASDA, it only cost £6.00, it was quite comfy,and i my bc nurse said to try a hot blanket or similar on the outside of your clothes whilst you are resting, it helped me.
I hope you start to feel better asap, i have just had my 4th FEC chemo, like you i was offered it because of my age, the node affected, also my mum, grandmother and aunt all had bc before they were 45.Sh*t bad luck!
Take care, Sandrae x x x
Hi Roully
Glad you got it sorted and the relief I remember well! It is such a simple proceedure that when I was going on holiday shortly after an op the bc nurse gave my oh the necessary equipment so we could do it ourselves it need be. Thankfully I didn’t need it but it shows how easy it is if they would trust us to do it ourselves.
So please you have some relief now.
Anne x x
Hi Roully
Your journey is sounds parallel to mine.
I live in Surrey and am under the Marsden. I had lumpectomy on 24.6.10 and all lymph nodes removed with 2 affected. The lump was 8cm not the 2cm planned for and I’m going back next week to have more tissue removed as margin not large enough in one corner!This means that I can have the Summer hols with my 5 and 8 year old boys as I won’t start chemo- FEC until Sept.I am also going to Spain for two weeks next month!
I too felt ok until 6 days post op when all the nerve endings decided to play up. My swelling was my whole boob! I couldn’t move without holding it and needed to get a whopping G cup bra to sling it into!Thankfully 10 days down the road it is less swollen and less painful.
Oh the joys!
Will sent you a pm.
Andi
Hi Andi
Just sent you an email asking questions that you have already answered here; sorry should have checked here first.
We must meet up I really need some friends who understand as no matter how much your friends send you flowers, cards, pressies, call you up etc etc…they just don’t really know what you are going through!
After tomorrow, seeing the Onc, I hope to know what’s happening. My immediate worry is this bl**dy fluid is building up again and I’m going to Cyprus on 31 July.
I was telling my husband and mum about this forum and they are so pleased that I can read up on things ‘real life’ stuff not just loads of scary internet searches.
I bought a scarf today in Sutton and put it on when my son (14) came home from school. He is adamant I won’t lose my hair for some reason(!!). It didn’t look too bad, considering I do not have a wee pixie face (looked more like a gypsy!!). No doubt will be a different story with no eyebrows and eyelashes. Oh, what I have to look forward to… Was also thinking of having my hair cropped short/spikey in preparation. I definately want to try the cold cap. Currently I have a dark bob to the neck - not sure if I should crop the hair before my hol or just have it done nearer the time!! Saw a lovely sales assistant in Next who had a fantastic short hair cut today; it was sort of aysemmetrical. I spoke to her and she text me the no of her mobile hairdresser - how sweet! Then again the girl was about 20 with model features and about a size 8. Probably wouldn’t look the same on me…42 and a size 16!! 
OMG I’m rambling…feel slightly good today for some reason! bizzare! tomorrow may be different.
Maroulla XXXXX
Hi Roully
Sent you a pm.
Andi
Thank you to all the lovely ladies that replied with advice. Most of you that had their seroma drained several times, well…same for me too. Just had it drained again for the third time.
I call the Marsden in Sutton my ‘second home’ as I’m always there!
Expecting to have a build up of fluid for my holiday (Sat) as it is sods law it will fill up again but the worst that can happen is that I need it drained abroad. I have the antibiotics as a precaution if it becomes infected whilst we’re away.
I am getting so much information, advice and support from this site and am thankful that it will help me get through my forthcoming journey. Starting FEC on 16th August.
Kind regards to all
Maroulla X
Hi everyone,
I had my surgery last year and had 3 nodes removed, none infected however I was told by someone I met that I need to be quite careful with lifting things etc. Also it was my understanding that the radiotherapy also contributes to the swelling of the arm. I asked my oncologist if I can return to my normal exercise regime who said that she couldn’t see why not. But does anyone know if it’s safe to do so? Many Thanks.