Just wanted to say hi to all you amazing women … I’ve been reading your posts leading up to my surgery - left breast mastectomy and axillary clearance… day 2 at home recovering … 
I’ve been in good humour managed to look at my flatness but not taken my bra off to look properly yet - hopefully tomorrow I will begin to edge towards with courage. I have been given meds the 30 mg Dihydrocodeine I’m wondering when to ease off it as I don’t want to get reliant on it. I’m wondering how others got on with meds? I’ve got left breast multifocal node positive IDC ER 8 PR 8 her2 + 1 … I have been doing the BCN exercise leaflet Am and Pm I do 5 reps of each individual one. I’ve been sleeping well … I feel overwhelmed when anyone wants to spend more than half an hour with me! Hopefully that will pass 
Hi, it sounds as though you are doing well! I am exactly one month post surgery, also left breast mastectomy and axiliary clearance. I only came home with paracetamol and ibuprofen and a bottle of oramorph in case I needed it - which I didn’t. I actually stopped taking the pain killers after a couple of days because I really didn’t need them. I found the biggest problem with pain was when the nerves started to wake up in my arm and armpit. It was never unbearable but it is weird - pins and needles, stabbing pains, feeling of cold water trickling down my arm… That has lessened as time has gone on but my arm and armpit are still partially numb with pins and needles. I have had some problems with a seroma, it’s been drained once but is now going down gradually. As far as looking at your chest goes, I was dreading it but it’s OK. I call my scar my smile because it saved my life 
I barely had pain for at least a week post op and then the seroma swelling kicked in, then the nerve endings waking up. I call it needles and knives instead of pins and needles 
I’ve just been taking codeine when I needed it, mostly when I realise I’ve been doing too much. I’m nearly 5 weeks post op with very sore skin and a leaking scar. Keep up with the exercises they definitely help with the seroma build up, i definitely laxed on mine at one point and shouldn’t have! x
I love the smile idea - also that you didnt need as much pain meds - yes wierd feelings rather than pain hey. Did you find you could drives soon after - i do get a pain when i move my arm in some ways, i’m wondering if i can move enough to drive … thankyou so much for sharing 
Thanks and yes the codeine is a good idea just incase. i hope you get some relief from the sore skin and leaking! Amazing how it effects us in all sorts of ways hey. Thanks for sharing your experience and encouragement with me - i really appreciate it
I haven’t driven but I haven’t needed to - my husband has been around to drive me! Also, my seroma has made it difficult to wear a seatbelt, as a passenger I can control where it sits across my chest more easily. I still don’t have full movement in my arm. I have some cording which makes movement painful. I have been very good at doing my exercises but have now been told to stop temporarily as they think the level 2 exercises are making the swelling around my side worse
Needles and knives - definitely a better description than pins and needles! Are you also getting wasp stings across your chest? 
My seroma has come back after draining and the nurse has now advised me to stop the exercises temporarily as they think they are irritating the fluid build up around my side. They are very reluctant to drain it again but we have agreed we will review it later this week. It’s been so uncomfortable but I think it may be easing off now…
I had a left mastectomy at the beginning of April. I took Paracetamol and ibuprofen at the regular intervals initially, even if I didn’t think I needed it. (First time around I came off the meds too soon and then had additional issues with reduced arm mobility).
Do you have a heart-shaped cushion? I loved mine and found the gentle pressure very supportive.
Good luck with your recovery
Hello @angelc
It sounds as if you are doing very well. Try not to overdo it; I know there is can be an urge to get on and do things.
As for your painkiller, I can’t take anything stronger than paracetamol, and I did my mastectomy with just paracetamol. I didn’t need them after a few days because it really didn’t hurt that much. I was a little bit sore from being moved about during the op. but apart from that, it wasn’t really painful at all - more uncomfortable than anything. Perhaps try taking one tomorrow morning and then see how you manage during the rest of the day - even move on to paracetamol during the day after that first one. It’s probably a case of trial and error.
As for feeling overwhelmed from seeing people who visit for more than half an hour - you’ve had a major operation. You are going to be tired just from having an anaesthetic without actually having anything done, let alone an actual operation. So be kind to yourself and please don’t let people overstay their welcome. Short and sweet is best. Pre-warn them and say that you are doing your best dormouse impression at the moment so that they don’t get the hump if you start giving time-to-go-home signals.
Good luck with your recovery and whatever treatment you have next.
Love
AnGELa x
hello, day six post SMX and lymph node clearance for me. I did take one codiene so I could sleep the first two nights then swapped it for ibuprofen at night for a couple of nights. been using paracetamol and it’s been okay pain wise. TRy taking over counter parectemol and seeing how you go. IF you really need to it will buddy up with codeine to amplify the pain relief. You can call your GP and ask if they can prescribe a teeny amount of 15mg and 8 mg tablets to step down to if you find you need it for more than 72 hours.
Codiene is a useful acute pain med but take it for longer than three days and your body can easily and unintentionally get hooked on it making the pain seem worse so you take more and thus step into a viscous circle. Its a useful drug but one you have to respect. I would try and titrate the dose down asap and seek advice from your BCN if the pain is not manageable by day 3. BTW I did find under my arm where the lymph node clearance had been far more sore and ow. made the ‘wing Ìt’ exercises really tricky to get going.
Try and build up the physio as it does help with both the stiffness and mobility. I started with the simple shoulder circles and shrugs on the day I had the op and then moved to three time the basics per day and have built that up to five times. ȚHe shoulder shrugs and circling seem to help if I make a mistake and overstretch. The weird bit is sounding like I have a hot water bottle in my chest. (Surgeon prefers to avoid chest drains esp if you have allergy to antibiotics which I do) Did speak to BCN who said it sounded normal post SMX and lymph node clearance and I do have a wound check booked for tomorrow which will let me know If I can start the second set of physio.
Listen to your body if you can, Ìt will tell you if you need to stop and rest or sleep so let it. ditto others advise for visitors. DO what you can for yourself.
I have been trying to get out and do something a bit fun each day since I got out. A walk to a local coffee shop for a nice coffee, tat round local shops, garden centre (got to spend money on carnivorous plants without DH wincing this time) local small knitting group that have been very supportive and kind, that kind of thing. that way I still feel tired but feel tired for having done something that brings me some joy.
AS I was knocked for six by chemo pre surgery (her+) I get easily shattered if I do anything so I build in do something then rest then see if you feel like doing something else. Hope you find the right something that brings joy/ rest/ physio/ do what you can balance for you.
Yes I have the cushion it’s great as you say. Day four and I’ve started to ease off the meds but not totally as you say I do t want to cause any problems. I have elbow numbness and at the back of my arm and feeling some strange sensations … it’s a lot hey! Thanks so much for sharing your experience
Yes I think you’re right about tapering down … it’s day 4 and I’ve only had one today and some paracetamol at times but nothing much really … I just feel weird sensations - I was wondering what the burning sensation was and I think that was after the exercises - I thought I was being really good for doing them twice a day and then I read it needs to be three times! Doh! Need to up my game on those. And yes the winging it ones bother my underarm too … I’m going to look at myself for the first time tonight 
Oh thank you Angela x i will take the visitor info on board for sure! Less meds today so I’m pleased I’m not as reliant … but yes I hadn’t thought about the side effects of the GA and being moved about during … so much to consider … thanks so much for sharing this with me 
I think I’m starting to get a seroma I can feel it but haven’t looked yet - tonight’s the night!
I get a kind of pulling burn on the side of my incision closest to my armpit, looking at basic muscle anatomy everything links into everything else there. Take the excercises to the point of stretchy hurt but not to mortal agony, day by day they will get a little easier and if not call your BCN for advice to help you gently mobilise. I cheated and did a lot of strengthening arm physio between Chemotheraphy and before surgery to help me regain mobility. If you did not get chance or time to do that or if you have had any previous issues with your shoulders and surrounds it may take you a little longer to mobilise. The important thing is to keep trying to do the excercises. My first few days I did not imagine icould raise my elbows. It hurt and pulled my incision to do. Six days on l can and it’s a lot easier. Still working on winging it as that was my most restricted movement.
Keep going you will slowly get there step by step.
Ooh, did you have a look? I think a certain amount of fluid is a completely normal healing process. In my case, it got a bit much and they drained off 650 ml. They don’t like draining it unless it gets too uncomfortable. It isn’t painful if they do need to do it, you can’t feel anything. It’s a relief - like having a long wee when you couldn’t find a loo 
(My husband who was in the room, said it sounded like someone having a very long wee!)
Here is a list of sensations I have had over the last month - not necessarily all at the same time! Burning sensations, pins and needles, stabbing pains, wasp sting type pains, aches, cold water trickling, tugging sensations, numbness. I think that’s it! The back of my arm and elbow is numb but also burns and gets pins and needles. I think most of these sensations are due to the nerves waking and reconnecting. The uncomfortable tugging pains in my chest are due to the fluid build-up ‘pulling’ on the unhealed inside of my chest. None of it is unbearable although the constant discomfort does get me down, particularly if I am tired
Yes I get a similar sensation too … I think I will look up the anatomy I think that could help. Thanks for sharing appreciate your experience … I’m day 5 drain wasn’t taken out today but hopefully Friday now I think they will help too
Quick caveat, my pain threshold is rather high. this was pointed out to me by the BCN yesterday as they drained my seroma and removed dressings. MOst woman still need pain relief for the first two weeks.
AS I am a few days ahead, had my first go at the advanced physio excercises and BOY even I have reached for ibuprofen and paracetamol. The wing Ìt style where you go the other way was a * . Will do it even though it really hurt but starting from one or two per time and build them up slowly till by body has the hang of it.
Hope the exercises are becoming a little easier for you and you feel a little more flexible. Keep going.
Hello Angelc…I think I was told not to drive for 2 weeks following the op in order to completely clear the effects of the anaesthetic from a safety/reaction point of view. Otherwise as long as it is not painful and you can control the car comfortably, you should be fine. My op was a lumpectomy in my right boob and as my car is left hand drive, I change gear with my right hand, so I was very keen that the surgeon did not remove any more lymph nodes than necessary. I’d had the same op 25 years ago taking 11 nodes then. Nowadays they do the sentinel node, which means they only take the first few which get highlighted , initially using blue dye but nowadays with a radio active isotope. If the nodes are clear they don’t take any more. I was petrified of developing lymphoedema, so was relieved when he only took a very small area of tissue this time as all the sentinel nodes had been removed first time round. Don’t overdo your exercises…increase gently but do them. I’msure you’ll be fine…good luck. 
