Just had my mastectomy and axilliary clearance on the 11/5 , last night i could hear a strange sloshing sound coming from my chest sounded so strange ,apparently this is normal and if not painful needs no treatment .Has anyone else had this and how long did it take to clear ? thanks in advance x
Hi Tracey
I had MX and ANC on the 11th May too and can hear the sloshing too, im not sure how long it’ll take to go and like you I am not finding it painful but I wanted you to know you aren’t alone with the sloshing
Jen x
Its very weird i keep trying not to move the noise goea through me
Hope you are doing OK xx
Hi Tracey x
Im still sloshing away I sound like im smuggling a load of booze into a gig down my top hee hee.
Im not doing too bad for pain thankfully the odd twinge and uncomfortable feeling but managed with no painkillers yesterday. im crossing my fingers for this Friday when I get my results I had neoadjuvant chemo so im hoping they show it worked as best it could. I hope your results are OK too x
Im off for my herceptin jab today so I decided to get dressed nice and look good as I have been dossing in a baggy shirt and leggings since Thursday I do feel loads better for looking more like me.
Rest up , take the painkillers if you need them
Jen x
Hi Tracey
How are you getting on ? Hope you are doing well :)x
I got my results yesterday which were fantastic and chemo really did its job :)the whole team were smiling when I got my results and they couldnt wait for the consultant to get down to clinic from a meeting so they told me then said he will tell you later too.
The BCN said my wound is healing really well, they decided to drain my seroma in the end and got just over 450mls out!! It didnt hurt at all having it done so dont worry if you end up needing it done.
The area she popped the needle in was numb I had to lean a few ways to get the last bits out so was singing in my head im a little teapot ! I had my arm resting on my hip for most of it so I looked like I was doing the dance too 
It really didnt feel as achy once it had been done though hurt a tiny bit more last night than it had been , but woke up today and its fine again.
Hope you are OK and hope results go OK for you, rest up
Jen x
They said they were going to discuss at MDT but the plan from diagnosis was rads so im expecting them and the surgeon said to expect them too, though he said decision is obviously down to a clinical oncologist . I had all 3 levels of nodes cleared and they showed as clear but I originally had a little friend to my main tumour in them so I have said if its borderline and of a decision to be made my answer would be yes anyway.
How are you?
Hugs xx
Jen
Sloshing again too in clinic on Friday so I guess they may drain again if they need too. Will cross my fingers for you re results xx
Hi Tracey x
Hope the results went well
Jen x
Im really well thank Jen, great news about all your nodes being clear!! Rads will seem a walk in park after chemo, they tend to do them as an added precaution but im sure you just want to be at the end now! XxJo
Ha ha I think I may have withdrawn from comp now as no sloshing so I think im done with seroma and pain, unless you count the pain I just felt at spending £100+ on 2 bras and a weighted foam foob. But it looks fab so im also
Glad you made a decision xx if your going with your gut instinct its probably the best one.
Take care and will send good vibes on Weds for you x
Jen x
Hello all
Had MX and ANC a week ago and have seroma connecting from under arm and on chest. Was keen not to have aspiration at post-op clinic yesterday as I know it increases risk of infection plus it only comes back so felt I would like it to resolve itself so they have left me. Last night (in the grim wee small hours) was not sure it was the right decision as I feel a bit tender and there is more discomfort. dont think the seroma has got any bigger just think it is because I had to make yet another hard decision and I don’t know if it was the right one. Know I can ring up and go back to clinic but don’t know what is right - stick with the less invasive approach or get it drained? What will speed my recovery quickest (as my main aim is to get to chemo asap)? Been looking for research evidence but can’t find anything conclusive.
So this this is my personal theory - while you have a void space it will fill with fluid - While you are filled with fluid it will prevent the void closing - and so on. If you have a lot of fluid, which will take ages to reabsorb, you will delay closure of the void space… or am I overthinking it?
Please can you let me know how you both are getting on now - has it settled? How many aspirations did you need?
Thanks so much
Pat
Hi Pat
Im 4 weeks post op today, about 10 days post op I had just under 500mls drained then 7 days later a further 300mls. I went for a check yesterday and although a little fluid not enough to need draining . My nurse drained the first couple of times as she & I agreed it was too much for my body to reabsorb but we both agreed yesterday that now there is very little it appears its figured out what it needs to do.
Personally I knew the risk of having it aspirated but decided that id take the risk as I was in pain, I kept the area covered for 48hrs afterwards though so the tiny hole had chance to start healing, its a personal decison but I was a lot comfier once it had been drained
Hope your recovery goes well
Jen x
They got another 500mls out of me today 
it had been fine and going down then decided to fill up over weekend . Feeling better now
I seem to be a slosher too!
It’s 12 days since my lumpectomy and I noticed ‘glup-glup’ noises coming from my breast 4 days ago. It’s not visibly swollen or red and it’s not painful as such, but I really hate the sound!
I spoke to the BCN this morning and she’d never heard of the sloshing, so I guess it’s not that common! But she did say if it wasn’t painful then to leave it, not to aspirate, for the reasons people have mentioned here (risk of infection, could just re-fill etc).
I asked about the arm exercises, which I’m finding quite easy and feel better for doing, but the surgeon apparently suggests leaving off from the exercises if there’s a seroma, because it ‘just moves the fluid around’. I’m a bit concerned about not doing the exercises as I don’t want to stiffen up.
I haven’t yet had the results of the biopsy (won’t hear till next Tuesday) so I don’t know what’s coming up, but they’ve said it will be radiotherapy at a minimum.
Anyway, just wondering how the sloshers are getting on and if anyone has had it come and go without having to have it aspirated.
Cheers all. x
Im no longer sloshing but I am still fluid filled and had 600mls drained yesterday. Thats now a total of 2ltrs since my op 6 weeks ago. I have been in serious pain when it needs draining so havent really had the chance to leave alone and have had 300mls plus drained each time. We are waiting now for it to just be a bit less then we are going to leave it to do its own thing and reabsorb.
My physio and BCN are certain that doing my exercises help keep the fluid where it should be and out of my arm so im continuing to do them including some new slightly harder ones.
Hope the biopsy results are “just” radiotherapy x I know that sounds weird but what I mean is hope you dont need chemo
Jen x
I think I am coming out the other side of sloshing. Had 400ml drained ten days ago and slowly it filled to about halfway but seems to have settled now. Hoping it in now reabsorbing. My scar is lumpy - there is a ridge all along it but also a couple of lumpy areas. Planning to get bio-oiling it when fully healed (and when I can face the feeling and sensation!).
Had first appointment in oncology yesterday found it all rather overwhelming. Apart from facing the reality of phase 2 I found the (specialist renowned fancy glitzy research buildings) hospital outpatients overcrowded, dingy, depressing and, most distressing, very impersonal. My first contact was with a guy who took my blood who hardly spoke to me nor even look at me. Had to wait ages to be seen. Had to ask to see consultant. Have had such good care from the surgery team, in a lovely setting, it was a shock. Guess the only way is up!
Hi Pat
I am under Christie its fantastic treatmemt wise the doctors and nurses are fab but even the new shiny bits are too full and overcrowded.
I have already had my chemo and am due to start RT so thankfully in a few weeks I wont have to go near there for a while till check up my clinical oncologists sees patients at my local hospital