It all got on top of me until I joined this forum

[Morwenna]

I had pillows everywhere to start with. About three to sort of prop me up, then I half turned toward my good side and rested my surgery side arm on another. I found I could get quite comfy that way, and gradually turned more to my good side. Now I usually lie on that side and put my arm up in front of me. I can lie on my operated side for short periods now, but don't usually stay there. I had a left total mastectomy December 12.

[Katebil]

Hi Romancegal
I had mx on 21st March and had to have the fluid drained twice, I found the fluid caused more discomfort than the surgery so recommend contacting the hospital to get it drained as that made me feel more comfortable sleeping as well as moving around. As Angie has said, extra pillows help, in fact I used my OH as a 'lump' to rest on when I got fed up of laying flat on my back but couldn't quite lay on my side as I could lean against him and not be either! OH's have their uses it seems!
Hope you feel a little better tomorrow and the next day, once you are on your path through treatment the end point seems to come into sight and days get easier especially if you can keep yourself busy.
Kate
x

[angiepops]

hi
i had mx nad anc on 5th march recon delayed, having chemo now then rads and tamoxifen after that. i had some fluid build up but i had it drained by the macmillan nurse i have looking after me. it took a while to clear and i still get some build up occasionally but movement does seem to help. i was told to lay flat and gently stroke the area , but not to rub, that also helps disperse any fluid..
i found my recliner very comfy to start with, but i dont think you can rest properly in a chair so i have 3 pillows in bed, stepped up so that i'm not too high, but high enough to relieve that pain you get when laying flat. maybe you could try that and bit by bit reduce the pillows so you are in a more restful position. its worth a try. The support under your back and around the neck areas seems to be better with more pillows under the whole body than just the ones you would normally have for your head.
if you get decent sleep at night, you can cope better with all this carry on during the day, i agree, this site is a lifesaver.
give it a try, maybe you can shuffle yourself into a comfy position.
angie xx

[Guest user]

Hi and welcome! This is a great site and I feel a weight lifted when I'm on here..I'm still waiting for my tests which scares me but this forum has helped me focus a lot more.. Positivity is a great thing Hun xx

[Guest user]

The fluid is lymphatic fluid, and walking helps the lymph to move around the body so should help a bit. Just try not to overdo things.

It is disappointing not to get your reconstruction done at the same time as mx, but if you need rads it's probably better to wait as they can damage the reconstruction. Spend the extra time you have asking around so you can decide what sort of a reconstruction you want and who you would like to do it. You are hoping for the best reconstruction you can get, and it's probably worth waiting a while if you need to.

Good luck,
Margaret x

[Guest user]

Hi, I had a lumpectomy on 25th March along with lymph node removal. I found sleeping on my reclining sofa to be more comfy than trying to sleep in bed and there I have stayed! I tried to get back to bed twice but found it to be too sore. I got the path result to discover there had been two tumours, I'm positive for estrogen and HER2. The surgeon decided that as there had been a second tumour it was safest to remove the breast. I was messed about a bit, believing that I would have reconstruction at the same time as the Mx, after chemo, but then the oncologist over-ruled that and said Mx first (no recon), followed by chemo, herceptin, tomoxafen and radiotherapy.
I had the Mx on 1st May and have been home 2 days. Last night it all got on top of me and the tears fell whilst I paced around the room trying to get some relief from the fluid swelling my wound. Does anyone else find that walking relieves the fluid? When I move my arm the fluid gurgles in my chest and I'm finding that quite scary, especially at two in the morning when I'm awake and everyone else is asleep.
I've only read a few posts in this forum but I already feel less overwhelmed. For the first time in 24 hours the emotion has slunk below the surface. To all you brave ladies out there, I thank you.
Like so many of you I never thought I'd have cause to join this forum. I may stay sane throughout all this afterall.