Hi, first day here, I’m 51, dx 8 Feb with 3cm grade 2 invasive tumour central on left, mastectomy will follow.
I go in for SLN biopsy on Weds and have been told to take night things in case I am kept in until next morning. Can anyone suggest how mobile I can expect to be afterwards? I don’t work Fridays anyway but was expecting to be driving the day after the SLN, and back to work on the Monday (unless the mastectomy is scheduled for this coming Saturday). I see the plastic surgeon again tomorrow evening but I don’t suppose he’ll know, and as I am telling my boss and colleagues tomorrow - nobody outside the family knows yet - I need to indicate when I can and can’t work!
In the US they do sentinel node biopsy under local anaesthetic but I had mine at the same time I had segmental mastectomy. All they do with sentinel node biopsy is inject some blue dye and some slightly radioactive stuff in the vicinity of the nipple / tumour. This is then moved by the lymph system to the lymph nodes which are near the bottom of the armpit. These first nodes or the first node if there’s only one are called the sentinel nodes.
The dye plus the radioactive tracer identifies the node about 99.8% of the time. The nodes are taken out (not a huge bit of surgery) and then send for cell analysis. I would think that unless you react badly to the anaesthetic you would go out the same day, and should be fit enough to work from Monday. however, everyone is different so I would see how you feel
I was diagnosed on 29 jan and had SNB on 2 Feb - it really didn’t trouble me much at all, but I guess we’re all different. Just watch what you’re lifting for a day or two (although I was picking up my 18 month old ok next day, just tried to use other side, and limit the no of times). I had radioactive injections on Fri aftn; had to limit contact with the wee one for 24hrs after that, then in for SNB on Sat morn. General anaesthetic at 8am, home by 2pm. I’m usually really sick with general, but they gave me anti-sickness stuff with it, so it was ok. Bit tender under the arm, but not much more. I was at work on the Monday. Small neat wound now.
Think there’s a time limit after general anaesthetic before you can drive - not sure how long, but worth checking incase it impacts your insurance. Hope this helps; good luck. PS Check out your bright blue wee afterwards!
I have been told to go in at 08.30 Weds morning and be prepared to stay overnight, and not to drive for 24 hours after the general, though I don’t know what time it will be done. Nobody has mentioned radioactive injections preceding the SNB so I assume it will all be done on Weds. Did you actually have nodes removed, or just tissue samples taken from them? Did you have stitches or just steri-strips? The ‘blue flush’ in the loo should disguise all evidence!
Hi palomine
i hope you get on ok maybe a bit late to answer some of your questions.
I think it depends on whether you just have the dye put in or some glands removed as to how quickly you recover.
I had the SNB but they did the dye and sampling which meant 4 lymph glands taken.
I am going to be honest i found that worse than my lumpectomy which i had at the same time and then my mastectomy a month later.
It was very painful and i had to do the arm exercises for about 6 weeks after.
Nobody’s said anything about arm exercises either! I suppose there’ll be a different set of exercises after the mastectomy and DIEP recon. Liverbird, I assume you had general anaesthetic - what pain relief did you use afterwards?
Breast Cancer Care have written a booklet called ‘Your operation and recovery’ which you may find hepful to read as it contains information about what to expect following surgery, you can read it via the following link:
If you have any further queries or concerns or wish to speak to someone in confidence, please call our helpline on 0808 800 6000 which opens Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
I had SNB done (just one node taken out) and it was far less painful than I had anticipated, just co-codamol for 24 hours then the odd paracetamol. But they do encourage you to do the exercises, you will get a leaflet about this, it is just stuff like shoulder-shrugging to start with, the circling the shoulders. Not sure about the driivng, you need to make sure your arm and shoulder are mobile enough to be safe.
By the way, it is not just your wee that goes blue!
Hi, i had a SNB in Jan 08 i found out via this site that afterwards the snb arm should not be used for blood taking , blood pressure etc as there is a risk of lymphodema, swelling of the arm etc. All my chemo now has to be done via left arm so it is in t=for a battering.
As for the SNB op was ok had to stay in overnight as i did not have it done till 3pm was sick after the anaethetic but felt ok a few days later. Need to be careful driving and lifting etc as wound was tender? how deep they cut, also needed some padding on wound as it rubbed on bra !!
I had bilateral SNB last Monday (I have cancer in both breasts) and stayed in overnight. Feeling OK now although a bit sore and still haven’t managed to wear a bra yet. They removed 2 nodes from the right and 1 from the left.
I was warned that I may be a strange colour following the op due to the dye but wasn’t prepared to be green -looked like a female shrek. Absolutely hilarious - couldn’t stop laughing when I looked in the mirror and gave the ward and husband a good laugh too. Don’t think my dramatic colour change is usual though, think it was due to the amount of dye I had with having it done both sides. It had faded by lunchtime the next day. The ‘loo’ colour is a novelty too.
I was signed off for a week and went back to driving by Friday. Hope that helps.
I had snb on 16th Dec. Went in at 07.30am and had surgery at 3. As I had surgery after lunch i had to stay in overnight and went home at 11 the next day. Was a little restricted in movement. Not pain more uncomfortable. No drains were involved. in fact no stitches just had steristrips. Was told to be careful getting it wet and obviously no deoderants or shavings for a while. I was told that I couldnt’ drive for 10 days after this. Yes go do do blue wees and green poos too!!!
Thank you all so much, I know everyone’s different but real experiences can be quite different from what the literature suggests and it helps to know what NOT to be surprised about! Good tip about avoiding bloods etc on that arm, I wouldn’t have given it a thought.
I was told I couldn’t drive home after the general anaesthetic, obviously, but nothing has been said about avoiding driving for any length of time. Oh dear. Will ring them.
I now have a date for mastectomy + recon, a week on Saturday. I have some holiday entitlement which has to be used by 31 March so I may take next week off as hol and get things sorted out in anticipation of not driving for weeks… well, 6 weeks, according to the surgeon, which feels like an eternity.
I am determined to look anywhere but down when I use the loo after SLN and will drape something over all the mirrors too, I feel green enough already… was going to see my mother on Saturday, who is 87 and 2 hours drive away, but may just leave it a bit…
Quick update, SLN at 10.00 and now home, feeling great! Wonderful anaesthetist who will be doing me for the big op as well, no sickness (a first for me, after a general), I didn’t even feel the cannula. The surgeon said he removed “Two or three” nodes and results back next Weds in advance of surgery on Sat 1 March.
Sent home with diclofenac and co-dydramol to take when the local anaesthetic wears off - I guess it hasn’t yet, as the only thing I can feel is the adhesive film dressing pulling a tiny bit when I lift my arm. Steri-strips underneath and the dressing can come off on Friday.