Hi everyone,
I am appealing to any ladies that have had a tramflap double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
I am due to have this carried out 24th November, I just wanted any advice on what to take, so far I have packed ermmmm nothing !!!
Also any neoadjuvant ladies,did you have any pain in the lymph nodes and neck from chemo ?? Mine appears to be getting worse ! not long to go now !
Thanks in advance
Sharon
hugs,strength and positivity
xxxxxxxxxxxx
hi Sharon, sorry cant help you with what to take to hospital, but I will send you hugs strength and positivity back xx
wishing you well for your op
take care
love
Carol xxx
Good luck with your op. Had bi-lateral without reconstruction three weeks ago. Will be thinking of you. Hope all goes well. x
A lot of this will apply to anyone going into hospital.
FOOD You need lots of extra food to compensate for the cheap nasty food provided in an NHS hospital. If you have had any kind of surgery, you clearly need a high protein diet to help you repair. Most hospitals will agree to you taking in a small quantity of yogurts, cheese etc. which can be kept in their fridge. You can almost rely upon it being the middle of the night and there being little available apart from white toast, when you stop being “nil by mouth” after your operation.
TOILETRIES lots of very gentle products to wash with when you get the chance such as Baby "Top to Toe"wash which can be used as shower gel, bath foam, hand soap, shampoo etc. You will probably need a friend or relative to sponge you because the nurses won’t find the time and you won’t be able to do much by yourself initially. Dry shampoo is useful for freshening up if a normal shampoo is difficult.
CLOTHES I had much less surgery than you when I had my primary cancer treatment (Lumectomy and removal of lymph glands under one armpit where I had had a tumour before chemotherapy zapped it)but am someone who has a lot of experience of surgical wards since. Even with my limited primary surgery, putting on clothes was difficult and I was glad I took someon’s advice to buy some soft,very stretchy, seamless, step in bras that are pulled up into place. ou don’t lnow in advance where you will be sore and swollen, so any normal bras you bring in are bound to be wrong. A few of your own nice soft towels so you don’t have to use rough washed up NHS towels would also help. When your skin is sore and sensitive, you will notice the difference.
MOBILE PHONE AND RECHARGER Check if these are allowed.
READING MATERIAL Lots of hospitals have recently thrown out all books and magazines as part of their MSRA deep clean, so don’t rely on there being much in the hospital.
STATIONERY Make sure you have stationery to write a few letters you’ve been meaning to send for a while. A pad of thank yous for any big presents or special help you get while in hospital. Formal paper to note names of anyone rude and uncooperative, examples of contract cleaners failing to abide by proper procedures to avoid cross infection, anything said about your treatment that you might want to recall precisely at some point in the future.etc. Your address book!
Hi Sharon,
A few tips for hospital.
Front opening PJs so the nurses can easily check your wounds without too much trouble.Maybe a size bigger to be really comfy.
Wet wipes for a quick freshen up when in bed.
Usual toiletries ,small travel sizes are ideal.The nurses will help you get washed in the early days.
Lip salve.
Maybe one of those cooling sprays.
Tissues (hospital ones are so rough!)
MP3 player.
Ear plugs!
Mobile phone.
Teddy bear…OK so thats not for everyone! I collect teddies and by the time I got out there was hardly any room fo me in the bed!
I wish you well with the op and look forward to hearing from you when its all over!
Love n hugs
Dot
xxx
Thank u all so much
I’m not sure i need bras as the plastic surgeon wants me to wear a special scaffolding like one for 6 wks ! matched with the girdle its very fetching! also wont need shampoo as i am bald as a babys bum.
this list will be ver useful thanku
scareyyyyyyyyyy!!!
xxxxxxxx
Hi Sharon,
I just got home from mast (single)and LD flap recon on Weds. Not the same op as you, but similar things apply. Mine went absolutely fine.
I would agree with all the ladies’ comments above, and I also took a couple of essantial oils (I like lavender and sage) and put a few drops on a tissue or hankie. I find they have a calming effect and I feel the smell makes things less clinical.
Tissues - yes (I was a bit weepy a couple of times) and I agree with wet wipes for when you can’t get washed/showered. (I got some of the femfresh, intimate wipe types).
I agree with Holeybones about taking some food with you if you can (or get someone to bring bits in). Space can be limited in the fridge but staff do try to accommodate. I also kept a few nibbles in my bedside cupboard (fruit, rice cakes). I was also trying to be mindful of ‘foods to avoid if you have ES cancer’, but I think it is probably more important at this stage to get enough decent food to eat.
Regarding bras and things, it seems different consultants have different ideas, so it is probably best to be guided by him/her. Mine didn’t want me to wear anything supportive while I was in. For coming home I found that the (expensive) post op bra I had bought was too small (my recon is a bit bigger due to swelling) and I ended up just wearing a simple stretchy vest for a day or two, then just put on a ‘secret support’ type yesterday. I am quite small busted, anyway.
What I have found is that I need to have all the things I am likely to want close to hand by my bed, before having the op. I hate having to buzz the nurses for things because I can’t sit up easiy or reach them, eg drink of water, tissues, lip salve, book, the controls to move the bed up and down, etc.
Sharon, I know it is scarey, but please try to relax about it as much as you can. I think I have been lucky in that the consultant and all the staff have been lovely, and that helps. I hope you are as fortunate.
Gosh - sorry - I have rambled on and on! Didn’t mean to. I am just trying to think of what might be helpful to you and want to wish you all the best for the 24th. If I think of anything else I will let you know. Any other questions, just shout. (I am sorry I can’t help re adjuvant treatment).
With love,
Yes, front opening PJs or nightdress is a good idea. Forgot about that one! Also make sure the sleeves are roomy for feeding drips through them, access for testing blood pressure, taking blood samples etc.
Femfresh wipes are gentle and might be useful but less sure about most other wet wipes and cooling sprays because these often include alcohol which is drying anyway and certainly shouldn’t go near a wound. Check the label before buying.
Another thing that ocurred to me later, was the dreadful smell from all the bedpans being used in a shared bay. Many painkillers make people constipated and then when they can empty their bowels, the smell is…
Spraying air freshener isn’t tactful and the nurses would probably. quite rightly, tell you off if there is anyone astmatic in the bay. Consider bringing in some pot pourri or some light toilet water (which of course you are only spraying on yourself).
Sorry to hear you are without hair as well. How did you nails cope with chemotherapy and radiotherapy? If these suffered as well, consider bringing in some manicure products and give them some TLC.
Good luck in hospital.
Hi,
I had a MX with immeidate TRAMflap reconstruction to the right breast 5 weeks ago. Things that helped me in hosp included:
-
Mobile phone - kept it on silent and asked friends to text rather than ring so that I could choose when to respond.
-
My computer - with a mobile wireless connecter to keep connected to the outside world
-
Travel sized toiletries
-
Front opening PJs - but to be honest, I kept my hospital gown on for the first few days as it was more convenient for the multiple drains that I had coming out of breast and abdomen (2 in each)
-
Nibbles and books and mags
-
And to add to what someone else said - yes - get something that smells nice as the woman next to me had the runs and had to be changed 5 times one night! Not pleasant.
As for pain/movement/washing etc - it’s a big op - mine was 10 and a half hours - so you’ll be immobile for at least two days - but if you can, try to get up and get moving as soon as you possibly can as it really, really helps (even if it does hurt!) I shuffled around like a very old lady holding onto the nurse - but I got to the sit-down shower on day 3 which was a joy.
I found that it was the drains that hurt the most - make sure that they give you a plastic bag to pop them in so that you can carry them around without too much effort. I hung my bag next to my bed at night to take any pressure off me too. It was a pain not being able to sleep on my side for a while - but that’s over now.
Wear the corset they give you - it really helps and find a decent sports bra. And the very best of luck - the end result is fantastic - my new boob wobbles beautifully and looks just like the real thing (albeit without the nipple).
x
Thank you very much for these posts,The big day is getting closer and closer with just 9 days to go! My plastic surgeon has asked me to take arnica anti bruising tablets which i started yesterday.
How long were you all in hospital for ??
sharonx
Hi, just one thing to add to the list to take, i would take earplugs in for nighttime ward actitivy. I was in the old nightingale ward , curtains round beds ,high ceilings, and got no sleep at all , in addition to this , the medical teams seem to think that once a curtain is drawn , you cannot hear discussions outside. ~Well I could and did and as a result was privy to info, I did not want to know , which brought me crashing down.
I an due in again next year for reconn to be finished ,and will place them in as soon as I hit the ward.
The medical care and the op went fine, no probs , no pain Ist class nursing, great aftercare.
take care xx
Hi Sharon
I had a left mastectomy and a right breast reduction in may 2007 with a tram flap reconstruction. I had this done on a Thursday and was out by Tuesday lunchtime. I have friends that stayed in for the full ten days. I think the consultant let me go home early as he needed the bed for someone else.
I have never spoken to anyone that has regreted having the tram flap.
Wil be thinking of you take care.
Doreen
MP3 player and charger with some soothing music or heavy duty ear plugs. The noise at night was unbelievable!
I didn’t get very hungry as I was quite well fed (the food was fine)but got really constipated from the morphine so found those little pots of stewed prunes and apricots really useful.
Bottle of water or other soft drinks.
Boiled sweets helped my sore throat where they had put the tube down.
Credit card details to buy the TV Patient Line service if your hospital offers it. I took loads of books to read but found it difficult to concentrate on them with everything going on around me. Mobile and charger.
Perfume, to counter any unpleasant smells - I used Angel because it’s really overpowering.
I took pyjamas, but didn’t actually use them - I just stayed in the hospital gown and got a clean one every day - it was easier to put on than the nightie or pyjamas.
Dressing gown and slippers which slip on easily - you may not be able to bend.
All in one shower gel / shampoo, leave in conditioner.
Soft tissues
Good luck
I’m back in to be ‘finished’ some time in December but This will not be such a big op. Still not looking forward to it.
thank u,
slightly alarmed at the ‘tube down’ ??? what the hecks that in aid of ??? xxx
I believe they put a tube down your throat whenever you are under a GA to keep your airways clear. They’ll ask whether you have any false teeth for instance, in case they knock them with the tube (my front top two are veneers). They put it in when you are under, and take it out just before you wake up (I think), so you aren’t that aware of it. Not everyone gets a sore throat (I didn’t, but I’ve only had a GA for max of 2 hours).
I’d also take an eye mask as it is not complete darkness in a hospital at night. The lights in your side ward may be off, but the door to the corridor will be ajar with light outside and noise from the nurses.
Otherwise, I’d agree with the others. My iPhone was perfect for entertainment - internet, email, text, phone and mp3 all in one. I also needed snacks and some people take squash to flavour the water they give you. I wish I could have had a super dooper huge mug of tea while there too, instead of piddly little cups with too much milk in… Headphones are helpful even if you don’t use the TV or listen to music - it depends if they people you are next to are people you want to talk to or not! Good to be able to shut them out for a while anyway.
Good luck with it. xxxx
I just want to suggest re perfume that it might be best not to take your favourite perfume as you may always be reminded of hospital when you wear it.
Also my “wardmate” was a real tea-aholic and brought in a mug for her tea.Better than those pidly cups although I always find hospital tea too strong.
Re the tube as Flora says its used during a GA to keep your airways open.Its very soft and you WILL NOT BE AWARE OF IT ,its put in after you are asleep and taken out before you come round.It can sometimes leave you with a dry throat,at least you will know why!
Good luck
Dot
x
Sorry, didn’t mean to scare anyone with my tales of tubes down the throat. I think they do it once you’re out for the count so you are not aware of it. It is your oxygen supply I suppose. I’ve had a sore throat after every op. but maybe I’ve just got a sensitive throat!
Just a quick note to say that I did the same as Laika re wearing the hospital gown. I also took a selection of PJs and nighties, all of which were too uncomfortable to wear to sleep in. I just put on baggy PJ and dressing gown for the daytime if I was up and about.