Two nights till surgery - anxiety hitting now.

[mavit1]

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

[delly]

Hi again Sarah,
How are you doing now? How did you go on result wise? Am hoping you're well, and everything's settling down.
Lotsa love to you and everyone else on here, Delly xxxxxx

[delly]

Hi Sarah - Great to hear you doing so well. Hope it's still the same these couple of days later. Yeh, aren't drains weird. Keep your before bed pain meds up for a while longer, even if not uncomfey when you "settle down". You can bet if you don't take, unconscious nightime contortions may be likely to wake you up with the pain of. Speedy healing wishes to you. Sending my love to everyone xxxxxx 

P.s. - Must get Helena to provide some "daintier" looking big knicks!! ( to you H, my dear friend X)

[mustardandgrey]

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.

Sarah xx

[BizzyLizzy]

Hi mustardandGrey 

i had to have axillary nodes removed and a second surgery to remove 9 more only one showed cancer 

it was a bigger op than the first and I wasn't prepared for how painful it would be and still is 

I am such an anxious person anyway but 1 month later all healed and 100% movement but with much pain.

we are all different and health different mentally and physically.

i am hoping you are coping ok.

i hope you are less anxious about it all now x 

liz 

[amanda9165]

Hi

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

[Evie-S]

Sarah - I'd just echo what Helena has said and my own experience. It wasn't clear how long I was supposed to continue with painkillers when I got home, so after a few days I stopped them all. That was a bad idea and not what I should have done - I should have eased off them slowly over a number of days. So do check with your team about how to take your pain relief.

All the best to you for your recovery.

Evie xx

[ladybowler]

Sarah

Yay, great to hear that you are at home.  Good that you are not in pain, but just be careful that you dont let yourself go too long before taking any more as you are probably still having the benefit of the pain relief and the aneasthetic which will wear off soon.

Good to hear that you have good arm movement, are you starting your exercises tomorrow?

Helena xxx

[mustardandgrey]

Thank you!

Home now, and pleasantly surprised by the lack of pain and swelling,

The drain bag will take a bit of getting used to, and I'must terrified of dislodging it, but my arm movement is good.

Sarah  xx

[ladybowler]

Sarah

Tough pants on the way to you and we are all there with you mate.

Sending you hugs

Helena xxx

[mustardandgrey]

Thank you, Delly!

I'm last on the list so going down about 4, I was expecting it to be first thing this morning so nerves kicking in now xx

[delly]

Good luck for your op today Sarah.
I had all my nodes removed as standard procedure with mastectomies back in 2006/07. Why were you dreading it so?? Anyway,with no wish to frighten you, you will have to take extra care on/with a no. of things to avoid possible lymphoedema, but they'll give you all the info. I've coped all these years without probs. It all becomes 2nd nature.
Much love xxxx

[ladybowler]

Sarah

I was fortunate in that I only had a sentinel node biopsy and all was clear, but I am sure that if I was in your position I would make the same decision, I would want to make absolutely sure that it had all gone.

Good luck for Thursday, always here if you need to talk xxx

[mustardandgrey]

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

[ladybowler]

Sarah

I can understand that, it is a lot to take but just take your time over the next few days, I am sure you will make the right decision for you. 

How do you feel about the trial?  I suppose depending on the decision you make that will then govern your treatment plan going forward

Sending you hugs

Helena xxx

[mustardandgrey]

A bit numb really.

I'm back in surgery on Thursday to get clear margins.

Ironically the margins are clear, but only by half a millimeter on one side.

And of the three lymph nodes removed there was cancer in one, although the other two were clear.

So on Monday I sign up for a medical trial.

If I don't join the trial surgery on Thursday will include all auxillary nodes removed.

On the trial I will randomly be allocated either no nodes removed and extra monitoring or all nodes removed as they would be normally.

It's a lot to take in.

[ladybowler]

Sarah

Sending you loads of hugs, let us know how you get on xxx

[mustardandgrey]

Results tomorrow!

On Monday I was told it would probably be another week at least, so the phonecall yesterday was a shock.

And today I've thought of nothing else....

[Ali49]

Well done Sarah. Lots of rest now xx

[ladybowler]

Sarah

Yay great to hear that you are the other side of the op, rest up now and take things easy for a few days xxx

[mustardandgrey]

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.

Sarah xx

[Ali49]

Good luck today Sarah. Hope it all goes smoothly xx

[BizzyLizzy]

hi there I really feel for you and I had my lumpectomy abs sentinal node removal three weeks ago 

like you I was so very very anxious until the actual,morning where I woke and thought to myself well this it !! 

I was so busy with the wire insertion - 

The radioactive die injection 

consent forms etc I had no time to even sit and wait.

it was not as bad as I had imagined and nor did I feel too dreadful afterwards 

was kept in over night as I had a weird migraine but had one before it wasn't an effect of the op 

good luck it will soon be over 

[mustardandgrey]

Thank you so much, Ali!

I hope you're recovering well...I think it's fear of the unknown and knowing that surgery marks the start of a journey..

Sarah xxx

[Ali49]

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

[ladybowler]

Sarah

I think the difference is to do with the length of the op, the shorter the op the lighter the aneasthetic required.

Nightie, slippers, dressing gown, something to read, mobile phone, any medication you normally take oh and normal toiletries.

I am assuming that you are having the blue dye as part of your op, so urine and motions will be blue for a few days but nothing to worry about.

I am very well thank you.  I had my op nearly 18 months ago, had 20 sessions of radiotherapy and am on tamoxifen for 10 years.  I finished rads in Jan last year and I am living a very normal life xxx

[mustardandgrey]

Thank you, Helena!

The pre op nurse said it would probably be a light general anaesthetic, is there much difference to a light general and a general?

I'm booked for surgery for the afternoon, and they've told me to bring an overnight bag just incase, which is expanding by the hour with things I probably won't use!

I hope you're recovering well,

Sarah xx

[ladybowler]

Mustardandgrey

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.

Sending you hugs

Helena xxx

[mustardandgrey]

Hello!

I'm a newbie,  about to have surgery on Monday.

A lumpectomy with SNB and wire insertion.

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?