Yey I can finally say post surgery as I had mine yesterday.
Long long tiring day and got home at 1am.
All good I think so far. Pain is bearable and taking paracetamol.
Can I ask do any of you use deodorant after your surgery?
If so which one is best to use? I’ve just been washing as best I can and using gentle wet wipes.
Another question, did any of you use a cold pack on the area to keep things cool? Having to wear a bra 24/7 is making me warm so don’t want to make things worse.
So glad to hear your surgery went OK I was thinking of you! Glad to hear you got home to sleep in your own bed (I thought I had a long day arriving home at 11.30 after a lovely nurse “sprung” me from the ward: one of the more junior nurses assumed I was staying in, my saviour had had BC herself and sorted my discharge at 10.30!)
I honestly can’t remember what I did about deodorant (I probably did but I use a stick rather than a spray). I didn’t use any cold packs either and my surgery was in July it was very hot the day of my op but it soon cooled down
I would anticipate your BCN nurse will call you and she will take you through after care and answer any questions. You should be OK to shower carefully, as the dressings should be waterproof.
You should also get a call from the physio to check you are doing your shoulder exercises: do them do them do them! They may feel “easy” but as you heal things will tighten up so you must continue to keep movement in your shoulder.
During my healing period I took a dose of Vitamin C every day (it’s something my mum has always told me to do as it is supposed to help the body heal) no idea if it made a difference but the quality of the healing of my scars was noted at a follow up appointment
I avoided using deodorant for several months under operated armpit. There is one out there that BCN told me about, can’t remember the name but it was like water spraying out! Plus the fact, I’d had all lymph nodes removed so the area was numb and you couldn’t feel it!!
if your wound doesn’t extend as far as your armpit, it’s safe to use deodorant/antiperspirant. If it does, then no deodorant!
I can strongly recommend the crystal deodorant, which you can buy from Holland & Barrett, health shops and Amazon. One will last you forever (literally) and they aren’t expensive. You dampen the end and then rub it under your arms. It has no smell but it acts as a deodorant and antiperspirant and has no harmful ingredients - it’s just a crystal. I had full axillary clearance and had no problem using this.
It’s only a fiver if you don’t like it but if you do, you’ll never need to waste money on antiperspirants that are known to have some link to breast cancer, through the aluminium or the parabens (though the jury is out on whether this is anecdotal or proven - my friend was obsessive about avoiding parabens on the advice of her oncologist; my breast care nurse at the same hospital said it’s nonsense - make what you will of that!).
