I was wondering if any of you were bothered by seromas just before your rads started? I had my first one drained (over 1 litre) 5 weeks after surgery because the rads ladies werent happy to do the tattoos with the swelling as it was. The area got infected on Monday so I’m on antibees but the seroma is coming back, not quite as bad as before, but there nontheless.
How did you get on and were your rads delayed?
I think that’s my greatest fear, that everything will get delayed - oh, and the chance of getting another infection.
I didn’t have this problem but I did have a recurring seroma after my mx and LD recon. After three weeks I was prescrbied a steroid injection by my surgeon which she referred to as “the magic injection” which fixed it once and for all. The rads people won’t like a seroma as it may muck up the targetting because your shape will possibly change from day to day due to filling/draining. it might be worth asked whoever does your draining if they do the injection (don’t know what it’s called) and if so whether it’d be suitable for you. I know I had to be seroma free before i began my rads.
I have a seroma which keeps leaking out of a small bit of scar that hasnt healed up yet. It fills up and then suddenly leaks out lots of yellowish fluid. Yesterday I went for my Rads planning session. As I was queueing for the hospital car park it started to leak all over my best blouse. When I got in the rads dept they helped me clean myself up and called the oncologist to see if they could go ahead with the planning- I really wanted them to as I have booked a trip to see my parents in Australia at Christmas. Anyway my planning was able to go ahead as the leak had stopped. Now I am a bit worried that the seroma will fill up again and I wont be able to have the rads- I have 2 and a half weeks before they start.So I understand totally how you feel Flapjack. Let me know how you get on.
Hi
Just to say I had seroma, drained 3 times and then an infection treated with antibiotics. When I went for my planning meeting I was still red on my scar but they agreed to do it. I am now 5 days into 15 sessions. I can’t say it’s the best experience but very necessary so I will cope and keep smiling. Good luck
I’ve had a phone call with a date to start Rads - Tuesday next week. I mentioned to the Rads lady about the seroma and she just said I should go along for my appointment, she will take a look and decide what needs to be doing. Now I’m in the Rads system things will move quite quickly if I need draining etc.
Fingers crossed there wont be a delay of much more than a day or two. I just want to get this next part of my treatment started.
Hi Flapjack,
Good luck with the Rads, glad you are starting soon. I have been finding the waiting around for appointments is starting to affect me a bit. Glad all that over for you soon. Like you say, just get it started.
Flapjack. I’m glad you have got a date to start. I am hoping that , if my seroma is filled up they will just drain it and then do the rads as it was empty when I had the planning.I guess that would be what they could do for you.I hope it goes well for you.
Sue
Well, it wasn’t as simple as I thought. My seroma was looking red and was sore yesterday so rang the clinic and the BC nurse arranged for a drain in the afternoon, which was a relief.
I went along to the rads clinic today for my first appointment but, because my scar is looking like a mountain range, all lumpy and bumpy, it doesn’t bear any resemblance to the images they have when I had my preassessment CT scan. So they treated the shoulder,neck area but I had to have another CT scan so they can replan my treatment for the chest area. Hopefully it will all be ready when I go again tomorrow afternoon.
What a performance.
They also gave me a (small) tube of aqueaus cream to use twice a day. I see from a previous thread here that it can thin the skin but the radiologist had never heard of that before.