Hi everyone
I had my mastectomy with immediate recon and ld flap on the 13th of Nov.
Surgery was a success but I am still very tired and crying alot. I am stiff across chest and breast bone very sore.
Lots of other things going on as my sister is very ill with sec bone cancer. We are gene carries and I already have a sister who has died from breast cancer.
I can not sleep at night as I cant get comfortable. Any ideas on how to sleep, I think If I got a few good night sleeps I might feel better.
I used one of those V shaped pillows for a while and found sleeping half upright was the most comfortable position. So sorry to hear of your sisters - difficult enough dealing with cancer as it is but more so when it is in the family.
Gentle hug for you - and hope you manage a good nights sleep soon.
To supertrouper
Thanks for your reply. I have the V shape pillow but not having much joy with this. I had the same op 2years ago on my right side, so I was able to sleep on my left side. This time can’t sleep on my back,rightside,leftside or stomach. I do know it’s early days but just feel so down. Thanks for the hug!
Hello bellakate,
So sorry to read about your difficulty sleeping. I was interested in your post as probably having bilateral Mx with LD Flap recon next month and wondering how on earth you get comfortable. Have been told lots of pillows, and am thinking propped up in chair with multiple pillows. They had one in Lidl last week that looked interesting. It has back support and flaps that come round the side. They might possibly have some left near you? I didn’t buy and wished I had.
I do wonder, however, whether it’s less that you can’t sleep because you can’t get comfortable, and more that you can’t get comfortable because you can’t sleep? I’m sure your body is sore (I am dreading my forthcoming surgery), but you have such a lot of stress at present. Not only have you had the surgery to deal with, but you have lost one sister and are having to support another with secondaries. I can not even begin to imagine how difficult it must be for you.
Do you live anywhere near a Haven or Maggies Centre? Or anywhere else that offers alternative therapies for cancer patients? Perhaps it might be worth seeing if you can arrange a reflexology session, or similar? I would imagine you are unable to relax because you are working so hard just to hold everything together and keep yourself strong.
Sending you an enormous cyberhug, and keeping all my numb fingers and toes crossed in the hope that you manage to get a reasonable night’s sleep before too long,
Margaret XXX
Hi Margaret. Thankyou for your reply, sometimes just talking makes you feel better. I just want to say good luck with surgery. I have to say that even though I am struggling at the minute, I don’t regret the surgery. The results are very good and I am pleased with how my boobs look now, but I do know it realy does take time. I’m just having a bad time at the minute with all that is going on.
I think it is trying to be comfortable but when you are lying late on at night and trying to sleep, your mind goes over everything and then you get past yourself and sleep.
I live in Antrim, so maybe I should give my breast care nurse a call and she could give me some ideas on what I could do.
Kathleen
I do think that not getting a good nights sleep makes everything seem worse, I know it does for me anyway.
I had a double mx with immediate DIEP recon back in June last year so can really sympathise with the challenge of getting comfy in bed and sleeping. Plenty of pillows help for sure, but, even now, more than six months post surgery changing positions in the night still wakes me up as things ‘stretch and pull’ and feel weird.
And of course there is something about the middle of the night that makes me dwell on the horrors of bc, and I would imagine it’s worse for you with your family history.
Sue
Hi all
Went to doc on Thursday and she give me sleeping pills for a week. I have taken them but I dont want to be relient on sleeping tablets but do feel a lot better these last few days from getting a good night sleep.
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
so pleased you’ve managed to get some good quality sleep at last. Hopefully, once you have had a few good nights’ rest you’ll be ready to ease back on the tablets and still manage to sleep properly. Thanks for letting us know how things are going.
hugs,
Margaret