Don’t be alarmed by dye. Mine was there for about 14 months, albeit faintly but it has gone now.
Love to all
Debbie
Having come home from hospital yesterday feeling pretty good - just a bit sore, bruised and tired as you would expect - I am a bit concerned this evening. My boob has started swelling more under the dressing and it is painful now and throbbing slightly. I am wondering whether this is the start of an infection or does it swell more in the early days before it starts to get better? Or perhaps this happens if you do too much with the affected side (?) - I have been chopping up two big bowls of fruit salad. I thought it was all going too smoothly! Any comments gratefully received!
Could be a seroma, eg fluid build up after the surgery, it’s very common but I would check it with your breast care nurse in the morning.
Yes working the affected side does aggravate things a bit in the early days, you have to listen to the complaints it gives you and build it up a bit at a time.
Hi Looby,
Boob swelling - mine did too and by the end of the week I had to get a bigger bra, It throbbed too but I put this down to it being put under the knife and sorted out. Just look out for redness and heat. Mine got hot and bigger but no redness, so I thought no infection. I was right on that one, it was just the healing process. However just get checked by a medic tomorrow if you’re still concerned. Remember you are very early after surgery.
Hope you sleep well and speak to you tomorrow.
Jo
Thanks Jo and Vertangie - we’ll see what tomorrow brings!
hi Looby,
How are things today. Are you anymore comfortable?
Jo
Thanks Jo,
I’m a lot better - the boob swelling went down to just the normal post-op swollen state (!) overnight. I was actually worried by my finger too but didn’t want to sound paranoid! My index finger was swollen (and still is slightly) but I only had two lymph nodes removed so was a bit puzzled. My finger and hand was also a bit numb and pins and needly. I gather from leaflets sent to me from BCC (thank you so much) that there can be a bit of post-op nerve damage which will hopefully settle down. Have you had anything like this? I think I’m doing really well on the whole but I do tend to be a bit impatient!
How are you doing? How many rads are you having and how are you finding it?
Hi Looby,
I haven’t had a problem with numbness in fingers but I do get some discomfort on the inside of my arm and armpit to the point that it can be difficult laying on that side. I use a pillow doubled up to rest my arm on when laying on my good side.
I’m seeing a phyiso at the moment for this problem. I’m 8wks down the line.
I’m having minimal rads as no nodes invloved 15 blsts and 5 boosters. 4 down and 16 to go.I’ve been told to get rid of my bra today as I’m marking so I’ve got warn the family!! Not sleeping as well as I was but maybe that will improve again. It’s the journey thats the pain, 1hr each way for 1min blast. Anyway it’s for my own good so I’ll just get on.
Glad to hear you’re a bit better. Don’t rush things as it can take a bit longer than the medics say. Try and enjoy your time of.
Jo
I had pins and needles in my hand, it lasted 2 weeks, but I just kept on with the exercises and it was ok.
B
Thanks Jo and Bridie - it is good to hear that we all have similar experiences. I’ll learn to chill …eventually.
Sorry to hear you’re not sleeping well Jo - I’ve been through that and it’s annoying. Are you driving yourself to rads - don’t like to think of you driving if you’re not sleeping well - mind you I’m terrible in the car - if OH is driving then I’m asleep in minutes. Maybe that is what I should do at night - get him to take me out for a drive!!! Actually I’ve have two full nights sleep over the weekend - the first for about six or seven months.
The journey does sound a pain - is it really just for a one minute blast?!! I might have a 75 minute trip each way but there is a new centre opening at the end of August only about 35 mins away - but I’m guessing that I might have started before then. I don’t really know anything until I get results I suppose so will just have to wait … grrr
Maybe its not the radiotherapy that’s tiring - just all the damn driving!!!
Keep well everyone.
Looby
Hi Looby,
Glad your surgery went well and you’re recovering…well done!!
Have you got a date to get your results yet? I’ve just had mine after my re-excision and am exceedingly happy to say that it’s all out this time!! I’ve got a holiday coming up and then I come back to the delights of chemo…
Love 'n hugs to all,
Sarahxx
Hi looby,
Glad everything went ok. As Sarah asked when do you get the results? Sleep for me comes and goes but I do have a nap during the day after rads.
Yes I’m only there for rads for such a short time but they can’t give it to us in bigger longer doses as it would affect us quite badly. I’m very lucky if the fact a host of friends, old and new are coming out of the woodwork to come with me hospital so it makes the journey easier.
Hope the weekend is good. Chin up.
Jo
Hi Sarah - sorry to hear your starting chemo soon, but better to make sure with the treatment - you enjoy that holiday. Best of luck with the chemo - do you have rads after too?
Jo, Glad to hear you’ve got company on your trips - you’ll be finished before you know it. Did you get offered any complementary therapies?
I’m going for my results on Monday… I’ll be back and let you know how it goes.
Looby x
Heya Looby.
Good luck with the results. I ws told about the nerve damage and I had 2 mastectomies at once so it was wierd seeing how different each side felt for a while. Still get the occasional twinge but getting less and less (gettng stressed is wise to avoid I learnt today) but the main thing is your brain has to learn how to map new information from nerves. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of phantom limbs but it felt like that for me. If someone tapped me on the back I felt it on the front. Not painful, just odd… that’s gone mostly now.
I found I got really stressed and angry the night before results day and then very very drunk the night after 
Oh drunk because it was good news for me BTW, hope the same is true for you.
Hi Looby
I too had WLE and SNB 5 weeks ago and still have blue boob! Bcn assured me it will go eventually. Am going back in tomorrow for Re excision on Monday morning no blue dye this time thankfully.
Hope the results are good on monday for you will have fingers crossed.
Heen xx
Vertangie - gosh mine is nothing like a phantom limb! Just a bit of numbnes and tingling - nothing more! Glad you had good news - well if I’m not celebrating on Monday then I guess I’ll be drowning my sorrows!
Helen - sorry you have to go for re-excision - someone was having it done when I was in last week and it semed very straighforward - they were in and out in a few hours. I’ll try to think about you on Monday morning instead of worrying about getting my results! Hope all goes well.
Scary thought - this time tomorrow I’ll know!
Hi Looby,
Good luck tomorrow. I still have some pain in armpit and on the inside of my arm. I just have to keep remembering to keep that arm exercised to loosen it a bit. In fact I was told off last week as I was doing too much! Still I have a physio now to keep me in tow. Yes I have been offered complimentary therapies and I have 2 aromatherapy massages booked at the centre. My own beauty salon won’t touch me until after treament is completed. Why do you ask?
I do so hope all goes well tomorrow. Will be thinking of you.
Jo
Hi Jo
I like the sound of having complementary therapies - but was interested to know if it actually happens anywhere - I just feel it would be good to have a bit of ‘therapy’ after all that our bodies are having to deal with - but I would prefer it was done in association with the hospital because I don’t want to compromise any treatment we having.
Looby
Hey Looby.
Ask your BCN they’ll know if there’s anything available at your hospital, quite a few do have.