I had a lumpectomy three weeks ago. Beside the scar there is an ulcer type thing about the size of 5 pence piece that has dried up almost but still weeps a tiny bit but doesn’t seem to want to go. (The doctor at clinic said it was nothing to do with actually opening me up) Also on the scar there is a red bit now that feels soft like a blister is about to form and both hurt. Has anyone experienced anything like this after a lumpectomy. I thought by now three weeks later there would be no pain at all. My sister even said when she saw the ulcer beside the wound but was not part of it I hope you have not got MRSA!!!
I did have a tight dressing on so maybe that could have given me the ulcer by removing some of my skin.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Heya Jules
Get your breast care nurse to look at it on Monday or your GP, unless it’s hurting over the weekend.
As for MRSA I very much doubt it. MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
from the NHS direct website:
“if SA bacteria get into the body through a break in the skin they can cause infections such as boils, abscesses, or impetigo”
Basically any baectrial infection could cause weeping like that it’s not necessarily a superbug 
And it could also be many other not even as bad as an infection kind of things. I’m assuming it can’t just be lymph fluid, ie did you have drains at all?
Re tight dressing. After I had one of my core biopsies the bandage was pulling and this did cause a rather large blister that was yukky.
It did clear up after a few days though but I do heal super quickly apparently.
Hi Jules
It sounds like you’re feeling quite concerned about this, may I suggest you give NHS direct a call to talk this through, the number is 0845 4647. You could also speak with your out of hours GP if you are worried over the weekend.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Sam
BCC Facilitator
Hi there ladies.
I was advised to go to the EMDOCs, and yes there is quite a nasty infection and he has given me ordinary antibiotics, but he has said there is a good chance it good be MRSA, and took a swab. He said once this is back they will see what antibiotics I need for the strain of it. He said he can’t tell me one way or other, but it does look like it could be. I did panick but he said unless I was a really unwell person or old and frail these things are treatable. So feeling better now.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to me, I just panicked as its one thing after another (I also have a sickness and diarrear bug) lol
The ulcer thing has remained there since the dressings were changed on day two and has not really changed much in the last three weeks and does not look like it was going anywhere on its own without treatment.
xxx
jules did the dr take a swab of it? if not get bcn to do it i ended up with an infection with my masectomy called pseudomonas its a hospital aquired infection took ages to clear up had district nurses every day for 5 weeks,…caroleann
Hi there
Yes he did take a swab caroleann. He said he would start me on run of the mill antibiotics, until they knew for sure what it was. Then I will get antibiotics for whatever strain I have. It does really hurt, my breast is sore and tender and the ulcer thing looks vile!!! like a big red circle filled with a scab but with puss seeping through. It has not changed in anyway since I had the first dressing change two days after the operation, three weeks yesterday, so wasn’t planning on going on its own. I also now have a blister thing actually on the scar! I am off to Turkey on Thursday!!!
xxx
Hi Jules.
Glad you got it looked at, hope it’s not MRSA but do remember that the R stands for resistantnot unbeatable.
Sounds like you’re run down to me, totally understandable. I’m at that stage of chemo where my immue system’s low so am feeding up on manuka honey and chicken soup myself. Will be interesting to see what my blood test says.
Chicken soup contains Arginine which has lead me to lots of reading and I’ve just been reading about arginine and lysine and their effect on the herpes simplex virus (cold sores) and I get cold sores at the drop of a hat. So do look after yourself and do whatever you believe works to build yourself back up. Laughter’s good apparently.
Thanks sweetie.
I am really run down, I have sickness and diarrear pretty fed up with the whole business to be honest!!! The doctor and pharmasist told me not to worry and that if it does turn out to be that it will be ok.
I am off to turkey on Thursday which will be nice, apart from I have seen the temp on the BBC website for Thursday and its 108 degrees, omg thats hot!!!
I get cold sores alot too oh and mouth ulcers. What would you recommend to try and prevent those. I also get and its so painful, mouth ulcers but down below occasionally when I am stressed out. (surprised not had any recently and praying I wont get when on holiday). I am under a detmatologist and he swabbed the first time I had one to make sure they weren’t anything yukky (as in sexual)!! But they are just the same as mouth ulcer virus but down below so you can imagine the pain!
xxxx
xxx
Oh god Jules, youch. You seem to have all the side effects the chemo’s giving me! Apart from ulcers down there.
The one thing I can recommend (you’re not on chemo are you? If you are then check these with your onc) is Aloe vera its great in the mouth and smeared onto skin and is fine for delicate areas. In fact I’m prone to thrush and I have to say a good pot of very very live yogurt (check out easiyo, it’s so much more live than the ones in the shops.I eat it rather than apply it. yogurt and aloe together are supposed to look after the digestive tract and that can allow good bacteria to get on with it which in turn takes strain of the immune system etc etc. So boring as it sounds eat a healthy balanced diet yada yada, and grow an aloe plant, they’re dead easy to look after, just don’t water them too much, neglect is fine
I’m not allowed yogurt at the moment and I’m going to get a second and third opinion on that one. I’m really noticing it’s absence from my diet.
Good luck getting back to health. long old road this one isn’t it.
Forgot to say you need to drink aloe juice for it to help the digestive tract, no amount of smearing can make it reach that far in
You can buy the juice and just add it to fruit juice (eg pineapple when mouth is sore, doing that right now myself) Tastes odd but I wouldn’t say bad. Seeign as you’ve got diareah and sickness you might want to start on that after that bits under control with drugs or something. Talk to your GP that won’t be helping you get better.
Big hugs and hope you have a great time in Turkey.
Thanks sweetie, no my lump was benign, I am just having all these problems post surgery. Thank you for taking the time to give me advice. xxx