Rexi - If u are concerned keep phoning as i didnt get to the sloshing bit as i never had a boob , lol , but with the seroma i actually began leaking fluid threw the scar , which then got infected and has only just healed. It sounds good that u have normal arm movement , good on u…xx
Pam - U sound like me soo much , i too am an emotional wreck .Lets see how i cope with a month of rads. !!! Keep the pretend smile plastered on…
Katie - I hope u are having a ball/ “Wish upon a star” for us all in the magical kingdom !!!
Oor Sandytoes - I hope u have a smile plastered to ure face…well done.xxxx
BB - Hope the op goes well and u get clear margins , thinking of u.xxx
Pam, so sorry you have to worry about kids being cruel to your son. Kids can be horrible sometimes! My mum had cancer when I was at school and kids used to tease me about my mum not having any hair etc. Not nice.
Rexi - I didn’t have drains, so can’t help, but if I were you I’d get it looked at as you want to be all healed up for Christmas. And sit down and take it easy!!!
Yup rads done, and I was feeling really perky and happy - and then my sister (only close relative left) really upset me by cancelling coming to spend Christmas with me and also cancelling our dinner we had planned to celebrate the end of my treatment. 2 of the things I’d really been looking forward to and had put a spring in my step. Feeling really rejected and upset - but trying not to dwell on it and get back into my perky Christmas spirit again!
Sandytoes - Aw , that sucks . I have a sister and she is the one who i have struggled with through this , she doesn’t understand or is scared so is simply quite dismissive with me at times, pretending its not happening. It does hurt , i hope her reasons are sincere for letting u down . I know u will bounce back though !!!
No, it feels like she’s out to punish me and hurt me as much as she can - and I don’t know why.
The ONLY time I asked her for any help during my treatment was for a lift one day. I asked her a week in advance - she said yes. Then I got a text the morning she was meant to collect me saying she’d been out until 2 in the morning and was too hungover to come and help. No apology nothing. What hurts the most is that I would drop EVERYTHING for her if the situations were reversed. For years I did put her first and looked after her and out for her when my mum died but she kept pushing me away. I guess I assumed that a cancer diagnosis might have brought us closer together again. But no…
Hey ho. Like I said on another thread I had a moan on. Silly sisters.
Whilst on losing friends - I have two sisters, both live far away in Germany, so I don’t know really how they would have dealt with the dirty details on a more regular basis.
However, I have a closer bond with my younger sister and she’s been great - normal, straight forward, supportive, she has been here and was great in that week. The other one is more air heady and doesn’t seem to get it sometimes. I have a neutral ish relationship with her anyway- would generally not talk greatly about feelings etc - we are on a different wavelengths.
But, she got closer to my BFF of 30years, they live in the same area in Germany. Since June my BFF became more and more distant and disinterested and after a weird email exchange in Nov, when the tension got to me totally, I received a lot of ridiculous accusations: the way I behave towards my sister was unacceptable (seriously nothing had happened, but yes, I didn’t want her suddenly as my new best friend, there is history and I don’t trust her - and so? - its MY relationship with MY sister, what’s it got to do with my relationship with my BFF?), my need to get attention and demands to be pitied by everyone? - which apparently is the only reason why I am going to work?!, publicising my ‘situation’ on Facebook should be rethought?! – Accusations based on mails and text message contact since dx, since she has not actually seen me or talked to me on the phone (another story) since before the dx!
I really couldn’t believe that after 30 years she would think of me that way. I am not that person she portraits. I did even start to self doubt and checked with my closest friends here, and hubby and no, absolutely not - it’s not the way I am seen or there is nothing I have done wrong in the way I am dealing with everything. I decided I don’t need a person like that around me - not now when I am quite vulnerable or ever.
So - I am no longer in contact with her. I feel better than second guessing for months what the problem is, which was making me sad and upset in the process, but I still can’t believe the circumstances…
Pam - Sorry to hear your down, I have Rads to come. I am just impatient to get them started !! Not sure how I will feel when I get to this point.
Rexi - So good to hear your good news on the margins… your under arm is sending you a message … rest please…!!!
Sandytoes - Rads done - fab … try not to let anothers behaviour upset you, get out there and enjoy yourself, perky and happy you should be, don’t hang around with people who make you feel otherwise.
Totally agree with BB - re surround yourself with supportive people.
Sandytoes, your sister - uncalled for behaviour
Aaah - I was waiting to get my whinge of my chest.
Another loss due to BC - but maybe bc was just the catalyst to the divorce of a relationship already in jeopardy.
In the end I am extremely happy and grateful to my husband and how fantastically he has been dealing with everything, and to have his love and support. And that of Other family members, old friends and new friends that have unexpectedly turned up due to bc. Feel blessed to have all of them :).
Sorry to read that some of us are having family/friend issues. Nothing I can really add to this other than to say it’s not our fault. I have an older brother that I wasn’t particularly close to until my dx - which has led to us communicating more. My only other relative (apart from my children and grandchildren) is an Aunt who is 97 - I haven’t told her about my bc and I won’t until I get told I have NED.
I am with Rexi when she talks about her husband and his love and support. I too have an amazing OH who is my rock and been by my side every step of the way.
Hi Ladies,
Sorry to butt in (again), I always find your information and advice much better than anyone else’s, including the hospital! I had my first mastectomy and lymph clearance before I started chemo in June, I finished rads in Nov. I have now had my ‘good’ boob removed as I wanted to be balanced and couldn’t face recon. My question is about seroma, I think some of you had problems with it but I can’t remember. I didn’t have any seroma with my bad boob op but I seem to have a sloshing bit round the bit they pulled out my drain. My op was 4 days ago, did anyone else have this? When did they drain it, or did it go by itself? Does draining it hurt!
Thanks for your answers, balanced and boobless in Carlisle! X
Hi Nooshka - It doesn’t hurt getting it drained , they take a fine needle with a syringe attached and drain it out , i never felt a thing. I never had the sloshing but did have the seromas. If it doesnt get any worse they will leave it. The rule of thumb seems to be that if it causes you extreme discomfort they drain it. However mine was drained at scheduled appointments , they never caused me discomfort
Hi,
I can also add to post op comments now
They removed my drains after 4 days ( op on Mon, drain removal on Fri). The drainage bottle was getting still way more than they wanted to see.
After 8 days I heard sloshing / water in hot water bottle sound. Checked with bcn, who said if it causes lots of discomfort, come in they ll sort it, but if it’s not uncomfortable, it won’t be a problem ( - I suppose unless it leaks and then gets infected, as experienced by Lorna).
I came of all painkillers on day 9 - the sloshing continued and it was more uncomfortable, but no definite bulging spot as such. Phoned bcn again, same answer and she reiterated, that the body can reabsorb the fluids, also that by removing it, the body will continue producing it - of course if it hurts/ is uncomfortable, do get it removed. I don’t like the idea of more needles either, but the surgeon said that that area is still numb from the op and that helps.
Today, day 10 - the sloshing continues, but still no one definite spot and it doesn’t seem to be as sore overall as yesterday.
That’s where I am at - not sure what the next days bring, but I really hope it will go away by itself…
Nooshka, it must have been a hard decision to have another operation! Good luck with the recovery!
Day 11 of Seroma watch: Now I do know where the water has collected. It looks huge.
Unfortunately it’s Fri evening and a whole weekend is now ahead of me.
Why did it wait till now to show itself. I am still hoping it will stop and go down by itself. Can it burst the scar still or do we think it’s healed up well enough after 11 days?
Ninja and lorna, resident seroma experts, wha tdo you think?
BB - are you out of hospital yet? How did the op go?
Rexi- Dont think it can burst the scar. Mine burst as it was infected . Oh its typical that it waits till a Friday night !!My ward said i could contact them in an emergency , Oh what to do ?? Hopefully by the time you are reading this its better.
I got out of hospial yesterday but was not realy with it until today !
2nd op over. Bit more painful this time but they said it may be. Results on 22nd, all I want for Christmas is no more ops !!!
Nooshka --I’ll leave the others chat about sloshing
My Husband has been fab as well, 2 young kids, own business to run, he has been to every appointment with me, dealt with my needle Phobia. I have found a superman card for his birthday in Feb… can not wait to give it to him.
Still sloshing! To get it sucked out or not? That is the question!
Its not causing pain but it is horrible, I left my last lot of sloshing on the other side and now have a weird tissue like mound to the side of my scar, just above where the drain was taken out, I am now wondering if that was because I didn’t get it sucked out? anybody else have a strange mound above the drain scar? Any advice on whether to have the slosh removed on my new scar side? I know the bc nurse will say to leave it but that’s because it’s not her body!
My sloshing has turned into a huge bulge ( i cant cover it by my whole hand) above my breast and towards the arm crease. That showed up on Friday night. It has not turned red, or hot, nor is it strictly speaking painful - but doesnt feel nice at all, quite annoying and it makes me feel vulnerable ( and even more useless, since it really handicaps me - sorting things in the new house and I have handed over Xmas dinner coking to OH and daughter). I am moving my arm gingerly and it feels it would hurt if I am not careful. The physio exercises are not comfortable at all - when I do them - not as often as I should, I am sure .
The surgeon and the bcn had a look at it today and they both agreed - it doesn’t look infected and if I can cope, then they rather leave it be. Apparently, if they remove fluids, my body will just produce more and refill. There is always an added infection risk of sticking a needle inside - and eventually my body should get the message…
however, if I don’t cope, I can come any time and they ll take some out - which after what they said earlier, I don’t see the point of.
I feel much better now, that the professionals have had a look. For me it looked massive and weird, but they were not impressed at all I will just stick with it and hope it doesn’t get worse.
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I will just stick with it and hope it doesn’t get worse.