Hey Gillian, I so feel for you today. I will be just the same when it’s my turn. An MX just seems so surreal. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself on the days leading up to surgery, but I guess it’s important to keep occupied with something fun.
Best wishes,
Jennifer x x
Hi jefner
I know what you mean about trying to keep busy, I went out for lunch with my husband and daughter, and spent the rest of the day doing housework trying to keep busy. The waiting is the worst part. It is all surreal, I think going into hospital not feeling poorly knowing I’m having an op that will change my body!!!
Take care
Gillian xx
Hi jefner, I was diagnosed 7th March, had surgery 3rd April, on 4 week wait, feeling a bit better tonight but still sore and really tired, hope everyone else feeling ok, agree with other comments keeping busy is best xx
I go in tomorrow and the MX and node clearance is on wed. They said they keep me in 3-5 days, everyone else seems to just hop in and out within 24 hours, wonder why they think I need to be kept in that long!? I have no underlying illnesses whatsoever, youthful age of 42 LOL. Never mind.
I’m not too anxcious at this moment, I hope I sleep well tonight and tomorrow night when in hospital. Can’t imagine what it looks like to have just one boob, unfortunately soon find out.
Christine xx
Hi Christine, I was in for 4 days after mastectomy and snb, think it might be because you will have a drain in, I had to wait until mine came out before they would let me home, will be thinking of you on wed, keep strong xx
Thinking of you today Gillian xxx
Nice to “meet” you all.
Jefner: My diagnosis was 16th March and operation (WLE/SNB) was 4th April. 19 days - pretty quick?! Athough they are loooooong days!
Laura: Snap! Special hee hee. That’s been said about me many times, usually in a different context 
I agree, great forum, lovely ladies.
Good luck to those ladies still waiting for their ops this month. Have just popped to my practice nurse to have my wounds checked. Bit tender now that the dressings have been taken off. Lots of sticky residue from the dressings which is a bit yuk. The WLE looks really good. Just a thin line about 3 inches long. The SNB looks more messy. For some reason I was expecting 2 dots? Dont know why because they did tell me it would be a line.
Results Friday. Feels like I am ticking things off a list. Next…
Take care all
xxx
Hi to all you lovely ladies, this is my first post as my head was a bit muddled last week, leading up to my mastectomy. Well it’s over and done with now (11pm Mon 2nd Apr) and I just want to reassure anyone who is understandably nervous or anxious…don’t be!!! The op is a breeze from beginning to end and for some reason I haven’t been all that emotionally affected either…only get very weepy when I get that god-awful tiredness that just suddenly hits you. I didn’t want recon (why bother, age 57 and only 34B) my main reason being I’m pretty slim and don’t have the spare flesh. I didn’t even have to think twice about that! No, I’ve been wearing a softie in my M & S post surgery bra since about 18 hours after surgery and it’s very comfortable. Had only one period of “pain”, which was really only inflammation, on the day after, but the nurses quickly had me sorted out as they really want it to be completely painfree for everyone.If what they routinely give you isn’t working for you, just tell them and they will up the dose or try something stronger.The best advice I got was, remember it’s your pain and you are the only one who knows how that feels, so don’t be scared to ask for more pain relief.I think it’s being in pain that scares the hell out of most of us, but trust me, you do not suffer.Best of luck to everyone waiting and hope you all have a good outcome.Christine, I am posting this a bit late, sorry, but you know you are in my thoughts today and tomorrow…you will be just fine xxx Ann xxx
Ann, that’s such an encouraging post. thank you! I shall keep reading it, and the others which say the surgery is a breeze, on the lead up to my op.
I"m changing my mind about an implant and think I won’t bother with recon either (although I’m a bit younger, 43, and a bit bigger 34C). I want to keep things simple for my body and my surgeon promises he can give me a smooth, non-lumpy look so I shall have to trust him on that!
i too go in this month 19th of april im now on countdown it is good to read that the thought is worse than the outcome i to have been told i will be in for at least three days before they will consider letting me come home i have opted to have a expander put immediately in incase i need further treatment i can’t believe that some have come out almost imediately so it can’t be all bad i have just looked in on comments as been having hard time in last two weeks emotionally and physically got an infection after snb but feel loads better today still nervous but no where near as scared about waking up after reading everyones comments xxx thanks and sorry for gatecrashing
Hi everyone, feeling a bit tender today, got dressings off yesterday, bit of sticky residue , wound looks good, snb wound a bit sticky but will just have to keep an eye on it, don’t get results until next Friday so playing the waiting game again, seem to be ok then a wave of tiredness suddenly hits me, does anyone else feel like that?? babes367 welcome and join in anytime xxx
yes had tiredness. the first few days nearly a week after mx was ok, then it caught up with me all of a sudden and was always tired by afternoon and ended up having couple of hours sleep every day. still get tired now if i have been out doing something or been somewhere then when i get back i am wacked. told GP last week and he says completely normal can take upto 12 weeks to physically get over a mx? i thought 4 weeks was nearer mark but he disagreed. i suppose its mental and emotionally exhaustion as well. i am just 6 weeks on from op.
if you are tired then have a snooze, like everyone says so often on here listen to you body.
sending lots hugs to everyone having surgery this month.
TTM xxx
Hi Girls,
Hope you are all struggling on. Afetr being on a high after the mx, I now have a bacterial wound infection which ended up in me having to go back to hospital. On strong anti biotics 4 times a day now, honestly feel the op was nothing compared to this, i felt so ill, but i have had 2 days anti biotics now and I am feeling myself starting to get better. Really felt like giving up the other night but this is just the beginning, had a wee cry and pulled myself together. Was moving about really really well until this infection and now I have to start again…typical!!!
Hope you are all keeping your spirits up, we can do this!!!
Take care all,
Laura xxx
Poor Laura, just when it was all going so well. Hope you are on the mend now. I’m paranoid that I am going to get an infection. Touch wood and all that nonsense. Hugs to you x
Results day for me tomorrow. Not really feeling anything about that. (Already know that SNB was alright). People keep asking if I am nervous. Should I be?
I too have been tired, and i only had a WLE. I think the anesthetic takes it out of you. Sleep has also been a little tricky - keep wanting to lie on my front! I’m still sticky ginger1 not the best look.
Good luck to those going in x
Laura hope you are feeling better, snb wound still a bit sticky but not red or inflamed, went on to second lot of exercises but finding them quite difficult to do, still no feeling in upper arm hoping it comes back soon, hope everyone is doing ok xx
Hiya All
Back today after spending three days in hospital for MX / ANC and have to say upper arm and armpit feel butchered, tender, raw, swollen, thick, bruised and uncomfy. I have a burning shooting sensation in my upper arm when doing some movements which stop me in my tracks. They let me out today and say it is a bit puffy (feels like having a rugby ball under the arm but nurse laughed and said it’s only a tennis ball LOL), like when you had an injection from the dentist and lip feels really thick and numb, that’s how the upper am and the arm pit feels. They are happy with the little wound swelling there is and i go back on tuesday to see the BCN, she’ll have a look at it then again. i had two drains in, one was pulled out yesterday the other one this morning. I do the exercises the physio assistant has given me, but i’m somewhat careful. I feel quite insecure of how much I can do. It’s early days yet. But I’m really glad to be back home and just wish I could fast froeward the time by at least two weeks, where I expect to feel a lot better!
Love Christine xx
Hi Christine, have all the same sensations in my arm was told this is normal , still pretty sore and numb, i too am finding the exercises a bit tough, hoping too get more movement soon xx
Hi Christine, loveley to see you back!
You will be amazed how much better you will feel in one week, never mind two. Just take all the rest you need, have naps when you feel like it, and tears when you feel like it too…it’s all your body’s way of healing.
Deal with each day as it comes and the ups and downs which are normal.
Big hug to you and hope you heal well xxxAnnxxx
i had similiar experience after my snb nearly four weeks ago only just started getting feeling back in top of arm and armpit must say its a strange experience well only four days now till i go for mx getting pretty nervous now though just hoping i can cope as well as all you ladies seem to have been my kids are coping better than i am with it all lol
xxkaren
I have just found this group. My mx and snb are on 24th April. I have found all your comments very useful. Don’t know what to expect but do appreciate the idea of keeping busy beforehand. I am going to a wedding on 21st April and staying over from Thursday to Monday 23rd. Hopefully this will keep my mind off the op. as no one there will know.
I can’t have recon at the time as I am expected to have chemo and radiotherapy. Any one know roughly how long the op. takes?
I am on the afternoon list and expected to leave hospital the next day.