Thanks for that reassurance Christine. It actually wasn’t the morphine that made me sick, they took me off that two days ago and started giving me codeine so I think it was that. I’m just taking paracetamol now. I feel a lot better this morning and am going to be discharged later today so I hope I still feel ok when I get home. They said if I don’t go home today I won’t be able to go until Tuesday!
Glad you are feeling better Linda. I was also really nervous about going home but actually felt so much better for being here.
I am 8 days post op now and actually stating to feel more like me. The movement in my arm is still restricted. I’m not lifting anything heavy but I’m able to do normal stuff albeit slower than my usual pace. I even went for 3 mile walk this morning with friends. We usually meet everyday and walk our dogs together and I have really missed them this last week. I think walking and talking really helps my recovery.
How are you doing Christine? Hope your appointment went well and you haven’t had anymore problems. Hopefully now the drains are all out you are starting to feel better, although I think it is normal to worry about every pain and think it might be something we have caused. I started to wonder about a pain in my arm yesterday then realised it was the wrong side!
How are you finding it being back home and away from your lovely nurses Jane? I hope you are also recovering well.
Quaggie sorry to hear your wound is still weeping but I guess we have to trust the professionals when they say all is ok. It must be difficult building yourself up again to go under the knife, I hope you are doing ok.
Happy healing to everyone xx
Hi all
So good to hear of everyone’s progress. Don’t worry about going home - you will feel much better in your own bed with your own things around you - and it won’t matter being in your pyjamas all day and/or glued to Netflix… none of those middle of the night interruptions for blood pressure either!
For those worried about chemo - the anticipation is usually far worse than the reality. I had 8 sessions of two different drugs over 6 months to try to shrink my 10cm tumour and although pretty heavy duty, it honestly wasn’t that bad. I used tthe cold cap and lost about half my hair, my fair ie invisible eyebrows and my eyelashes; 3 days after each session I had to have a really quiet couple of days to avoid feeling utterly without energy. But the rest of the time I was OK if I paced things gently. I’d avoid going into germy places if you can - schools, cinemas, theatres, public transport at rush hour etc - as if you get a cold it tends to hang around. I had one for 6 weeks that I couldn’t shrug off but it went eventually, and my treatment never had to be rescheduled.
Good also to hear everyone’s scars are healing. I got rid of my last drain after 2.5 weeks and it made me feel almost normal - the entry point is still a bit bruised but it’s getting better every day. My scar’s OK too, not a thing of beauty but quite neat and already fading after just 3 weeks… and I have some feeling coming back in my upper arm too (I’m giving it a daily massage and being superkeen on the exercises, which seems to be making a difference).
The only odd thing - I thought at first it was just swelling but it’s not - is that my Foob is definitely larger than my real one and feels much heavier, especially at night. If I’m tired it starts to feel ‘tight’, a bit like my pregnancy bump did after a day at work for those of you who’ve experienced this! Is anyone else having this experience? I have visions of my consultant having to let it down a bit and me whizzing round the room like a loose balloon!!
Keep cheerful everyone and have a lovely BH!
BRx
Hi all
I’m now back at home and you were all right - it was nice to sleep in my own bed! Although this morning I did miss having a moving bed as I had trouble pulling myself up. I came home with one of my drains still in which is a bit of a pain but there doesn’t seem to be a real lot coming out now so hopefully I will be able to have it removed in a few days.
BR - my Foob is also bigger than my real boob but I was told by my consultant that they do make it slightly bigger because it does shrink a bit over time - you did make me giggle though x
Thank you all for updating the forum with your progress and post-surgery experiences! I, for one, have found it reassuring knowing a bit more about what to expect immediately after surgery. I had a mastectomy and SNB with immediate implant recon on the 22nd, which apparently went well. The drain has been a lot easier to manage than I had feared; thank you all for the reassurance on that front!
I knew that I had several foci of DCIS going into the surgery (hence the need for a mastectomy), but the consultant informed me that there were micrometastases in my sentinel node. He also said they didn’t get clear margins. I asked about follow up treatment, and was fobbed off a bit, with the consultant being very vague and saying that I will need radiotherapy but that we can discuss the additional treatment required when the full pathology results are in. I was still a bit out of it when I met with the consultant post-surgery, and am now wondering whether the presence of (albeit very small number) cancer cells in my sentinel node means that there is an invasive cancer that was hiding somewhere?.. I’m not really sure what I’m asking, but is anyone else in a similar position? I know that many (if not all) of you are dealing with far scarier diagnoses than just DCIS, but I had thought that surgery would be the beginning and the end of treatment for me so I’m now getting a bit worried about things (and have the rest of the bank holiday weekend to think about it)! Xox
Hi Elliesmum. Please don’t worry - I know it is easier to say than do - can you call your BCN ? The reason they will be waiting for pathology before planning any further treatment will be to see the hormone status I believe. I have had a WLE and SNB and will begin radiotherapy to blast any remaining cells in a few weeks. And I am going to start an aromatase inhibitor because my lump was highly oestrogen positive. Perhaps call the nurse helpline or Macmillan tomorrow to help settle any concerns. … hugs to you xx
Hi Elliesmum, sorry I don’t have any answers for you but also think a call to macmillan could be a good idea. I rang them once because I didn’t understand my diagnosis and spoke to a nurse there who was really helpful. I would definitely give them a try. Glad you have got on ok with the drain x
Thanks Wombat Woo and Michelle! I have a lovely breast care nurse and can give her a call on Tuesday, I just had a bit of a wobble yesterday and Tuesday seemed like a long way away! Waiting is the worst part of this process!
Hugs to all xox
Hi ElliesMum. The waiting is the worst part for sure and knowing what happens next gives us something to focus on. I binge watched American TV to try to take my mind off it… then I tried reading books and even made a blooming cake !! Only 2 more sleeps till Tuesday. ??
Waiting really is the worst part Elliesmum, I’m full of admiration for you Wombat Woo for reading and making a cake, are we going to see you on bake off next week?!
I had my clips out today, I was really nervous but all went well and scars pretty neat. Just got to wait until 13th now for the results, maybe I should get baking…?! X
Hi Michelle. I didnt say the cake was efible???
Quaggie we definitely need a bake off thread- you can post pics of your results and we can all drool ?
Many thanks, Quaggie, Michelle and Feenix, for sharing your stories and reassuring me! You are all such lovely supportive women on this thread 
I am now inspired to do some baking; my previous plans for a gentle walk have been thwarted by the pouring rain outside!
Xox
Hi Feenix yes big relief to get the clips out but think i’d Really built it up because after I had them out we went out for a celebratory brunch and when we got back I was totally shattered! Had to have a snooze in front of the tele!
Hi Delly and welcome! Sorry to hear you have had BC in both sides. Have you had both implants now or are you waiting on that now? When they showed me how much the tumours had shrank was a great day! I think I still had to have full node clearance because when diagnosed it was grade 3 so pretty aggressive and I guess they couldn’t guarantee that it had all gone from the node, although they only saw one originally infected. I don’t know I guess I just trust that they know best. I admire those who take more control over their treatment but I’ve been like that all the way through and just handed myself over to the experts. It seems to be going ok so far I think!
Quaggie I love your idea of doing the technical challenge I might join you! And you know what they say Wombat Woo? Practice makes perfect! Elliesmum you’ve started baking already? You really are getting ahead of the game! Well I’m looking forward to our baking thread! Xx
Hi everyone (welcome Delly)
It’s now exactly one week since my surgery and I do feel a lot better than I did then although still in quite a bit of pain, I realise it is a slow process. I had my drain taken out yesterday which was quite a relief and I’m glad that I don’t have to drag it around with me any more.
Jane - would love to hear from you as you had exactly the same surgery as me. I’m a bit worried about you as your last post was on the 22nd and you said you were being discharged. Hope you’re ok.
Oh my goodness, Jane. Your experience with the removal of your 3rd drain sounds horrible! I hope there aren’t any more explosions of liquid and that it’s all healing well. Good to hear that your drain is out too now, Linda. I will be glad to get rid of mine!
I’m planning on calling my breast care nurse tomorrow (thanks Delly), as I need to tell her how much liquid has been draining over the past several days anyway. I was left a little alone, being discharged from hospital with a drain the day before the long weekend, but it hasn’t been too bad. I may have overdone things a little yesterday though (finding it sooo hard not to pick up and cuddle my little girl when she is sad)!
Does anyone know if I need to have less than, say, 30 mL of liquid draining each day before I can get the drain out? I’m still having 50+ mL/day removed by the drain, but I am keen to get it out as soon as possible! Any suggestions/experiences would be most appreciated.
Love and hugs to all xox
I was told less than 40ml for 2 consecutive days and mine was out after 4 days. I was worried about seroma’s but have been fine. It really seems to vary from person to person. It must be tough not to cuddle your little one when sad, I find that hard and mine are 19 & 20! They are always our babies!
Good to hear you are doing well Linda, things felt easier for me the day after my drain was taken out.
Jane your drain experience sounds awful, good to hear you are being spoilt at home. My OH had been off all week, but I am ready for him to go back to work tomorrow!
Hope all recoveries are going well x
Thanks, Michelle and Loolarch. Good to know! I’ll keep an eye on things and try to take it easy.
Swift healing and hugs to all xox
Hello ladies. I had a seroma that I used to measure in egg size !! When it felt like Ostrich I rang my BCN she explained they really prefer to let the body absorb them rather than drain them. Well it eventually went down to a goose egg then a duck egg and finally to a hens egg and I woke up one morning 2 weeks post surgery and it had gone … I realise I was very lucky not to need drains ! Good healing to you all. Love and hugs xxx
Hello I’ve just joined and this is my first post.
I had WLE and SNB on 9/8/18 I was coping really well but have developed an infection and now on antibiotics.
I’m a little depressed at moment and weepy. I also have an ovetactive thyroid otherwise was in good health.
I get my results on the 29/8/2018
Diagnosed with ductal 4cm grade 2 eastrogen positive.
Hugs to everyone.