So I’m 2 days post WLE lumpectomy and I had 2 sentinel nodes removed. Feeling quite well, and not too sore. Today I walked upstairs and I could hear a sloshing noise. Is this a seroma? It sounds like a hot water bottle. My boob is swollen but apart fro remnants of blue dye, bruising and the 2 dressings, it looks ok. I did ring nurse and she said to monitor it over weekend. Anyone else had this? Do they get bigger? Can I do anything to minimise it?
Thanks all.
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Hi
I had one after my axillary clearance, wasn’t sloshing but felt like I had a tennis ball under my arm. I used to put a warm hot water bottle on it, my nurse told me to massage the area and to continue to do the exercises, I also slept with a small cushion under it. Mine took a few weeks to go down and luckily I didn’t have it drained, I know there have been ladies on here recently who had to have it drained.
Hope yours goes down soon
Take care
Jackie xx
Hi again Jackie @chillout365. I’ll try massaging it and use a hot water bottle, see if that helps. The noise it makes is goving my kids the ick! Thanks again for the advice and solidarity!
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Hi I had surgery just before Xmas mastectomy and axilla node clearance . What you are describing sounds like normal post surgery swelling and will hopefully settle down. If it gets worse or really painful or red speak to the nurses . As if it may be a Seroma it can be drained. Mine was so painful I made it to day 12 post op and had to have it drained by the nurses. It filled up again but not as much and has now resolved itself completely after a few more weeks. Be vigilant with your exercises and I hope it settles for you.
All the best
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@carpediem23 thank you for advice. Hopefully you’re right and it’s just normal swelling but nurse said about 50% of people did get seroma and that sloshing sound and the swelling sounds like it. It’s no worse today but my dressing has come unstuck so I’m back at hospital for a redressing. Hope you are all healed up now and that everything is going well with your treatment x
I had that sloshing after mastectomy, its better if the body naturally absorb it back according to my surgeon. Nurse said to monitor, do the excercises 3 times a day and slight massage. I also raise my arms and shake them every time Im on the loo 
(google Liz O’Riordan lymphodoema and there’s a video with an expert that mentions it). If it affected my ability to do the excercises / my movement, if skin was red / hot they said to come back. At my 2 week post op check it was still there but they said it wasnt bad enough to drain. It went after another week. Phone them if worried. I liked what my oncologist said “If you’re thinking ‘should I ring them?’…you need to ring them”
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Thanks @nodyn. Good advice. It isnt affecting movement but my arm, neck and shoulder aches. That could be just due to surgery though. I will watch the video thanks. Hope you are well. X
Not too bad thanks, the mountain of chemo to face from the 5th feb 
. I have chording thats developed in armpit so Im going to ring for advice as its painful and very visible in case they can refer to physio - shaving with electric shaver hard even due to it. Just got to accept, deal with it, do what I can.
@nodyn - good luck with the chemo. I hope it goes well and quickly! It’ll be 5 weeks until i find out my next step as thats when I’m getting my slnb results and lumpectomy results. Hoping its all clear and then onto radio and anti hormone tablets. It’s in the back of my mind that i might need further surgery or chemo but I will have to wait patiently. Hope it all goes well. X
I had this ‘sloshing’ after my mastectomy two years ago and went on to develop quite a large seroma that looked like a boob and felt like a tight water balloon! My BC nurse drained it twice with a huge syringe and it was shocking how much fluid came out. In the end they gave me a Kenalog injection which is a steroid and it went after that.
They say if you keep pressure on the area with a softie and keep doing your exercises it will be reabsorbed eventually but it takes time. It really is a strange sensation, not pleasant. Get your nurse to keep an eye on it. Good luck x
Thanks @Frances55. It sounds grim but I know it is relatively harmless. Mine seems to be small but its hard to tell if it’s getting bigger. Tomorrow I’m taking my dressings off so maybe I will be able to see more. Glad you got it sorted and I will definitely keep an eye on it. Thanks
Hi, i had mastectomy 3 weeks ago and have had to have seroma aspirated twice - 900ml each time. Mine felt like it was going to burst, very swollen & painful. Persist with wearing the bra & softee 24/7 as this compresses it & do the exercises. I used one of those microwave hotties for 20 mins twice a day & that helps too. Mine came back a third time but is much smaller and is gradually disappearing.
Hope this helps you
Thank you @jpl67. What is a softee? I only had a lumpectomy and 2 sentinel lymph nodes removed but I have 2 incision sites. No idea where the sloshing is from and it hasn’t shown on my skin. I just sound like a hot water bottle sloshing when i move about. My left breast is very swollen but i think 8 days on it has reduced. Could the seroma be internal?
Hope you are recovering well and that the seroma continues to reduce. X
Sorry if I conused you - I got my replies in a muddle!
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A softee is a temporary breast form that they give you after mastectomy which you didn’t have - nor did I . I didn’t get a seroma though I was worried about it and made sure I had 2 or 3 layers of compression on all the time. I stuck with regular Paracetamol but the BCN said that NSAIDS like Ibuprofen can help to reduce a seroma - not sure if you’re able to take it , I know not everyone can .
Joanne x
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Hi @JoanneN - thank you! Really helpful info. I think my seroma is going already but that is good preventative ideas in case anyone reading this is about to have surgery or needs lymph nodes removing. Thank you