Hi everyone, I don’t normally post anything on forums but wasn’t sure who or where else to go. So I was diagnosed with breast cancer on 30th March (a day after my 40th birthday). A whirlwind of a couple of weeks and I had a lumpectomy and partial sentinel node removal on 15th April. Obviously due to this lovely virus that we are all dealing with my husband wasn’t allowed with me at any point so there are questions which I didn’t as or cant remember what they told me. So.………
I changed my dressings 3 days after the operation and have wore a bra day and night since. When would you recommend to remove all dressings and be able to not sleep in a bra.
I am still really sore a week later and still struggling to complete daily tasks such as hoovering etc, I keep getting a sharp pain in the breast like I’m being stabbed with a knitting needle. Are these normal?
Lastly my emotions are all over the place, I’m normally the one to be the support and run around after everyone so I’m really struggling to ask or accept help. One minute I’m ok the next I feel like crying and feel useless then angry at why me?
Sorry for the long message but just want to make sure these are all normal and I’m not losing the plot. My family/friends and work are all really supportive but wrapping me in bubble wrap.
Thank you all in advance for any help you can give xx
Hi lam
First of all, anyone undergoing surgery finds their emotions all over the place - partly the fact that you need surgery, partly the experience; for some the general anaesthetic (which can take a long time to wear off). Add to that a cancer diagnosis and all the fears and uncertainties of that; add on top the pandemic and you’d have to be superhuman to not find your emotions all over the place - so don’t fret about that. As for the bubble wrap, maybe you’d benefit from letting go of those reins and allowing those who want to take care of you, just for a while. Emotional recovery is a big part of the process.
To be frank, I’m shocked that you’ve had so little guidance. I can understand their wanting you to change your own dressings rather than visit hospital again but you probably don’t even know if the stitches have dissolved yet. If you’re experiencing pain, then you shouldn’t be doing tasks like hoovering. A lot of women are still struggling to get their clothes on, let alone do chores, particularly when you’ve had the sentinel node removed! The only movements that are essential are the arm/breast muscle exercises. Do you have a breast care nurse assigned to you? The hospital should be your source of advice regarding the timing/pain issue - they know precisely what surgery you’ve had and what the healing process is. So I’d advise you to ring them
I had a full mastectomy so I can’t advise you regarding your bras. Personally I needed to wear a tight sports bra 24/7 for several months before my breast muscle/underarm stopped feeling so sore it would wake me in the night if I rolled off my back! However, you might get round it by sleeping with a pillow under your arm to stop you rolling onto the painful side.
Everyone reacts differently to a cancer diagnosis. You go from feeling absolutely fine to knowing something is going badly wrong inside. Yet you don’t feel ill. It’s confusing, frustrating, unfair but it can’t be changed. I don’t know if further treatments lie ahead, but they aren’t always a walk in the park and you may well need all the help and support you can get. Try and get used to it. It’s not weakness; it’s pragmatism. So take good care of yourself and let others do the same?
Jan x
Hi
I’m nearly three weeks post lumpectomy/sentinel node removal. I was advised to leave my dressing on for 14 days which I did. And I was KNACKERED, all the time for ages. I’m still sleeping lots (although not, apparently at half two in the morning!!!) I tried to do with fewer pain meds after about a week and my GP was like “you’ve had part of your boob and your armpit removed. What do you want from yourself?” So I took the pain meds I needed which made a huge difference. I hoovered for the first time yesterday which still felt like a pretty big deal! Altered sensation (tingling, shooting, stabbing, numbing etc) is part of the whole bag as far as I can make out. Even after 3 weeks, I’ve still got one end of the stitches still there. You most certainly are not losing the plot!
I’d recommend calling the breast cancer now nurses? They can give advice, and if you are in pain, contact your GP and/or breast care nurse team.
For future appointments in coronanightmare ask the nurse or doctor, whoever is there with you to write down notes/summary for you AND take your own notes too. You’ll know the things that stick in your mind that you want to remember and a health professional will know the important health stuff that you need to remember.
As for the being wrapped up in bubble wrap…I think I know what you mean. I’ve had a couple of really angry days when folk say “you need to be selfish and focus on yourself…” but then it seems to be followed up by “oh, but not like that! You should do…xyz and try abc.” I ended up wanting to scream leave me the F alone!
You do you…ask for help, advice (good job in doing so!) and tell folk when to back off for a bit. This is a huge thing to process. All that crying/anger/coping/freaking out? That is TIRING! And you’ve had a general anaesthetic and major surgery too.
Hope you get some good advice and start feeling a wee bit better. Early days still, slow and easy will get us there. X
Hi Larn,
Very good advice and support from others who have posted here.
Are you trying for a super-woman competition? I thought I was mad trying to get on an exercise bike the day after my lumpectomy - crazy looking back, I could only hold on with one hand due to the sentinel arm being painful, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that I didn’t end up in a mangled heap on the floor, peddles and all! Not to be recommended or repeated!
Re the bra question - I’d strongly recommend wearing it day and night for a few weeks since it helps keep everything in place and avoid any pulling on the area which is in the process of healing.
The bra also helps reduce any swelling (I had lumpectomy, then after quite a gap a reduction the other side, then another to remove more…and can honestly say a good firm seam free (or seam free in the location of the op) sports bra does reduce swelling!
Re dressings - best to keep applying until well healed. Even when it starts looking a tad scabby the dressing helps prevent the scabs getting knocked or dragged off. That’s the approach I took with the breast care nurse and I healed well each time.
I hope the pain is easing. If not contact the breast care nurse or have a conversation with your GP.
Quick sharp shooting pains (like a quick nano second zap) are often the nerves repairing - can happen after op and after radio - so I guess in a way that’s a positive indicator.
Wishing you good healing.
X Seabreeze