It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions since being diagnosed, three and a half weeks ago.
For the first 10 days or so I was completely numb - scared, in disbelief, tearful, emotional and extreme anxiety.
Then came acceptance, and after all the tests and results were completed I’ve been feeling relatively upbeat.
However, nerves are kicking in and the anxiety is back today as surgery is now so close.
Suddenly, everything is worrying me, but most of all the anaesthetic.
How did you all cope with anxiety and nerves before the op, particularly on the day when parhed from nil by mouth from 7am onwards, through the trauma of wire insertion and the wait for afternoon surgery?
Hello and a very warn welcome to the forum where you will get loads of help and support from the wonderful ladies on here.
To be honest I found on the day of my surgery, I had exactly the same wle and snb, the time went very quickly because they are preparing you for the surgery, paperwork to be completed etc., the time went very quickly and all of a sudden I was on my way down to theatre. the nursing staff are wonderful and they are very aware of how scared people are, they will do everything they can to make you feel at ease.
When my wire was being inserted I had a lovely nurse holding my hand and talking to me, I did not even realise that they had done it until they told me I could go back to the waiting area.
The aneasthetic is ok, you will probably have a little canula put in your hand into which they will administer it, that does not hurt at all, my aneathetist was asking me what my favourite tipple was and the next thing I was waking up in the recovery ward. I stayed there for a short time and then was taken back to the ward. After a few hours I was discharged home.
I tell you though that cup of tea and sandwich I had back in the ward was the best thing I had had Because my surgery was in the late morning I could not eat or drink after midnight.
Hi Sarah. I have had the same procedures as you and when i was having my WLE i was really frightened as i had never had surgery or a general anaesthetic before.
The night before was the worst time for me but on the day itself the nurses, surgeon and anaesthetist were so reassuring and i was ok. If you are anxious tell them and tbey will help.
You will have the wire and the dye first so you wont just be sitting around waiting.
When you go in for your op, as ladybowler says,everyone will chat to you while they put your cannulla in and get you ready, then as you go asleep you will then wake up in recovery!! That is it - thats how quick it will seem to you! Take it from me - a total scaredy cat - it will be fine. Sending you lots of love and prayers xxx
Thank you!
Well, the op went well, and, like bizzyLizzy says, all the things before the op were so hectic it came around really fast!
In fact, it was so fast I’d barely got my bag on the bed before the porter arrived to wheel me down to theatre, and ended up flinging my socks off whilst a nurse bustled me into a gown and onto the trolley!
I have no pain after the op, but had to stay in longer due to nausea from the anaesthetic.
Thankfully that has passed and I am home.
I am so grateful for the wonderful ladies on this forum.
Hi, Helena!
I had a bad night emotionally weighing up options about the trial…it’s the Posnoc trial.
However, tbis morning I decided I don’t want to take any chances so I’m not going to do the trial and have all the lymph nodes removed as a precaution.
Ly.mph node removal was my biggest dread so far in this journey, but it’s the right decision for me, for peace of mind. xx
I went through the same procedure in july 2017 from scan to biopsy to surgery 3 weeks Numb at first and then just taking day by day. I found talking to the other women who were waiting along side helped keep my anxiety in check if only the need to put on my brave face. i had the wire too from my own experience it wasn’t that painful though my nerves kicked in and i don’t think i drew breath through the whole of the insertion so maybe talking 10 to the dozen helped distract me… I arrived at hospital around 7 and surgery in the afternoon and home by around 6.30 to 7. I know everyone is different but believe me it won;t be as bad as you expect and the staff at least in my case were fantastic. I don’t know whether this will help but either way i hope things go well for you
Thank you so much for all the replies.
I have taken on board the advice about continuing pain relief.
It’s very easy to get lulled into thinking it’s fine when there’s still hospital medication doing its job!
Liz, I hope your pain lessons soon.
The exercises will hopefully distract me the next stage of waiting for results.
Hello everyone
How we all doing ? I am new to this forum
Those that had full node clearance how did it go and what was the results
I was diagnosed having one of sentinel nodes with 3 mm met and now on the waiting list for full auxiliary nodes clearance . I don’t know if I made the right decision however it was that or underarm radiotherapy or partaking in posnoc study where the computer would decide what treatments I receive going forward x
Because my surgery was in the late morning I could not eat or drink after midnight.