Hi all
I had my surgery yesterday which was a lumpectomy and my lump nodes sentinel biopsy. I’d been so scared but actually on the day felt more calm which was good.
I did wet myself during surgery and wondered how common that was. I’d not drunk since 6am and surgery was 3pm plus I’d been to the toilet.
Secondly I woke up with what I can only describe as something resembling caster sugar on my face and in my hair. What was that? I did ask the nurse but she didn’t know.
Finally my surgeon told me I’d have two scars but she actually only went though my lymph nodes so only one incision and went through to the mass that way - she specialises in on plastics (sorry if I’ve got that name wrong!) which is phenomenal but now I’m worried that the cancer was so close that it’s more likely to also be in lymph nodes. Has anyone else had it done this way before and one scar but only in the lymph nodes as I’ve read about it being one incision through the breast and going to the lump nodes that way but not the other way around. I think she’s amazing but it does make me wonder as it was never discussed as an option - it was only ever two incisions. Obviously when she saw it all she decided that was the best route which as I say is incredible.
This is my first post and know I’m hopefully really lucky so I don’t want this to come across badly to anyone.
Spoke with DD (nurse who specialises in burns, trauma and plastics) she is of the opnion that general breast surgeons are less able to provide as good a scar as those who have also added in plastics. a plastics surgeon will try to work out how to give the best scar result. hence why you may have one scar rather than the two a general surgeon would have used. My recent flat closure SMX and lymph node clearance was done by a lead plastics breast surgeon. It is a big scar with an upturned tick to provide ALNC (28cm) but carefully placed to be below most clothes. You have no idea how relieved I was to have that done by a plastics lead its three weeks on but looks better than my other surgical scars over the years.
Try not worry about your body function whilst under, the theatre staff will have seen and dealt with far worse when muscles relax and you were unconscious! If it is bothering you talk with your BCN who can access your notes and explain more.
I’ve wee’d myself twice under anesthetic both when I was having my breast operations. First of all , for my mastectomy in January 2021 and then just two weeks ago, when I had my puppy ear removed. I didn’t with spinals for a new hip and knee.
I could wee for England at the best of times and do get “If I don’t get to a loo now, I’m going to go now” urgent feelings now since I’ve been on Anastrozole.
Both times I went for a wee just as they came to take me to theatre. The other week, I woke up in recovery not 90 minutes later and had been nil my mouth since midnight for both.
I can only assume both as I was as relaxed as anything when under and pumped full of IV fluid with no bladder to brain signals. It’s not uncommon.
When I had my mastectomy, the lymph nodes were taken out through the same incision.
All the best for your recovery and any further treatment.
I work in Theatre Recovery and can answer some of these questions .
Firstly in regard to the bladder issue - you are laid down during surgery meaning that it’s much easier for fluid to return to the circulation from the extremities - mainly legs so this results in your bladder filling up . Also the Anaesthetist might have put you on an intravenous drip while you were in surgery to prevent you getting dehydrated / electrolyte imbalance which can be an unwanted complication of fasting and could slow your recovery or cause other problems . You may not remember having a drip but if you did then it would probably have been connected after you went to sleep and may have been taken away again just before you woke .
Obviously I don’t know what drugs you received but they all cause the muscles to relax to an extent which can lead to your bladder emptying itself - particularly if you then cough on waking as many people do. I’ve been doing my job for a long time and though it didn’t happen to me I know it can happen to anybody and where I work we just accept that it happens and get on with making our patients feel dry and clean and comfortable again - please don’t be embarrassed .
Though it didn’t happen to me both times I’ve had surgery I’ve been absolutely desperate for a wee just afterwards - in one case I had to convince a nurse that I really did need to wee , that it wasn’t just a sensation caused by my Gynae surgery . That time she wouldn’t let me walk to the toilet as I was still too wobbly - I had to use a commode and I practically filled it despite the fact that a male visitor had snuck into the bay to visit the patient in the next bed ( he was swiftly ejected again by the ward sister ).
The stuff on your forehead / in your hair . The Anaesthetist sometimes puts little sticky tabs onto your forehead attached to a little machine that helps to measure your sedation level . It does leave a bit of a grainy / sugary residue as you describe.
As to your wound - I know they can sometimes find the nodes using the same incision that they have already made to remove the tumour - I don’t know about the other way around . If you have more questions write them down to ask your surgeon at your appointment - it’s very difficult to remember everything after an anaesthetic and it’s best to lay any doubts you have to rest as otherwise they can continue to niggle at you.
Hope your recovery goes well and best wishes for your results xx
Wow thank you so much for all of that. That was so useful! I actually remember her saying something about putting something on my head but I’d forgotten it until you said that!! It’s, as you say, a bit of a blur when you are in it all!
Hi I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. Due to the position of my tumour they used the same incision for both and I have a very neat scar tucked under my arm. My lymph nodes were clear. (Lump was 16mm IDC/DCIS ER+ PR+ HER=)
I hope that reassures and you get similarly positive news.
Please don’t worry, your post didn’t come across badly at all Feeling scared beforehand and then calm on the day is so common, well done for getting through it. Surgery can do some strange things to us and I’m sure others here will relate to the after effects, your breast care nurse would be a good person to ask about those too. And it’s completely natural to wonder about the scar and the lymph nodes, it might be worth asking your team about it at your follow up, they hear those questions all the time. Hope the recovery has been gentle on you since
Feeling scared beforehand and then calm on the day is so common, well done for getting through it. Surgery can do some strange things to us and I’m sure others here will relate to the after effects, your breast care nurse would be a good person to ask about those too. And it’s completely natural to wonder about the scar and the lymph nodes, it might be worth asking your team about it at your follow up, they hear those questions all the time. Hope the recovery has been gentle on you since