Looks like, all considered, you had a good experience with the surgery etc. It does make a big difference when one clicks with other patients, I think a bit of the blitz spirit comes out in these circumstances. Your incision is the same as mine and has healed brilliantly, it’s great that I can still wear the same clothes and not be aware of my scars - makes me feel whole again.

Looks like you’re getting some well deserved TLC :)

best of luck with the recovery.

take care x

You go girl ... so glad it's over ... and like you had so many good memories from the 4 days I spent on ward .. everyone thought I'd lost it saying about how funny the time was in there ... so I'm so glad I'm not the only one .. 

Take care now and don't rush things .. your under arm minus lymph nodes may ache for a good while .. so keep to the exercises and you'll be fine ...  so we'll done you ...

Be lovely to see you back, now you've given cancer a boot up the jacksey ... Chrissie 

Hi Twin Two,

I'm glad to hear that you are back home after surgery. It sounds as if you had a blast with the other patients.

All the falderal in infection control sounds like an interesting experience and, I'm glad to see that none of you contracted any infections as a result of your night-time visitor - what a numpty!

You're lucky that your surgeon has left you with a fantastic job. My first op didn't look good at all. The second was ok in the good breast, but not so clever in the one that underwent the lumpectomy the previous year. I was fortunate enough to find a nurse who specialised in myofascial tissue release and this has greatly improved the appearance.

It sounds as if your family has rallied around and, I hope that you are being well and truly pampered. I hope that this helps to pass the waiting time this week.

Fingers crossed for the results!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thanks [@Magpiemaggie]‍ [@Chriss]‍ and [@Jolamine]‍ for your replies.

Ended up having a bit of a down day today, was feeling unusually sorry for myself.  Woke up with excessive pain down my left arm which feels like the swelling is probably impinging a nerve.  Saw my breast nurse but she said there isn't enough fluid to drain, it's just unfortunate that the location of the fluid I do have, coupled with the compression of the bra and belt, seems to be affecting a nerve.  So I've had to go without the compression belt til tomorrow (feels a lot better) and am seeing the surgeon midday to see what he wants to do.

I've had to chuck the Ibuprofen as I kept throwing up when taking it so I'm just on paracetamol whcich isn't great.  The pain down my arm into my shoulder has been triggering migraines but Migraleve has been out of production for months so I've got nothing I can take and ended up going dizzy and collapsing in a clothes shop in town today.  All a bit dramatic as essentially I'm fine, I just have really bad experiences with medication.  Cut me open, all good, give me the simplest of tablets and I'll be incredibly ill!!!!!!

Seeing GP tomorrow to see if there is some barely used, almost forgotten painkiller still in production that is stronger than paracetamol and that my body can actually cope with.  And going to see what can be prescribed for migraines until Migraleve is back in production.  Bad timing the Migraleve crisis!

Oh, the nurse did look to see if my results were in yet, they're not, but she thinks they might be in by tomorrow.  Have to admit, having been generally okay with the cancer thing since it all started until now, I don't think I'm ready for the post-surgery results just yet.  Would rather have the weekend and get them next week.

Will wake up in a better mood I'm sure :-)

Love, LJxx

Sorry to hear you’ve had a crap day today. I had pain running down both arms post op - lasted a fortnight. Was advised by a nurse friend to go to local Haven centre to get them massaged but the thought of anyone touching them made me shudder. I was given Dihydrocodeine which took the edge off the pain and made it more manageable. With regards to migraines have you tried 4head? Works for me.

I understand where your coming from with regards to results, sometimes one just needs a break from the cycle. I think it cathartic to wallow sometimes, a good cry is sometimes needed to release all that built up tension. Be kind to yourself and keep in touch x

Hi Twin Two,

It sounds as if you have had a particularly rubbish day - we all have them from time to time. I hope that your surgeon can be of some help to you tomorrow. Like you, there is a lot of medication that I cannot take, as it either disagrees with me or reacts with the drugs that I am already taking.

Two years ago I started taking fits. It took a year and a half to discover that this was caused by medication. I was taken off 5 of my tablets, then gradually built up to 4. For almost a year I had no further fits. My cardiologist then decided that he had to introduce another tablet as my blood pressure was sky high. He prescribed a tablet, which he believed had the fewest side-effects and within 2 weeks I had another fit. My GP then had to increase this again, as my blood pressure was still dangerously high. The fits have become more regular again and I am waiting to see the cardiologist again to see if he can suggest anything else.

I have had an infection in my mouth since last Christmas. My GP prescribed 3 courses of an anti-fungal agent that did nothing for me. She then referred me to oral medicine, who agreed that there was definitely an infection present, but then told me that it had been caused by my dry mouth (the result of medication). I believe that there is a tablet which should be able to sort this, but there is a strong possibility that it could have an averse effect on 5 of the other tablets I take. They are now talking about referring me to microbiology to see if any of the rarer drugs might help.

I am told that my eye drops, which I have to take every night, have added to this problem and they want to stop these as well, but my opthamologist is not happy about this and wants me to attend the optician weekly to get my eye pressures measured. The result is that I am no further forward now - 11 months down the line. It is so frustrating!

Ibuprofen is one of the drugs that I cannot take, but I doubt that it will have sufficient effect to reduce your pain in any case. It can frequently cause tummy upsets. There are more effective drugs on the market, so ask your surgeon about them tomorrow. I was given Oramorph after my lumpecttomy. the nurses doubled the dose the second night and, I believe that I entertained the other ladies in the ward all night. This was totally out of character for me, but I was mortified.

I can understand your reluctance to get your results tomorrow if they are back, but this is just prolonging the agony that is involved in wating for the results if you don't get them then.

I sincerely hope that your pathology results are good. Remember that we are always here for you.

Here's hoping that tomorrow's a better day!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi ya ...

Oh bless ... sometimes when things go so we'll, something goes *** up ... I didn't go out for a fare while after ... lots of t.v catch up .. and knowing even when I felt good, not to push it to hard or I'd be in trouble with the body telling me off ... so sit back and give yourself time .. I had 2 drainings after op ... the first looked like my boob was growing back ... 

So go with the flow .. and know it's o.k to have down days ... it's only nateral, as your body has been through a trauma. .. hope you get something for that migraine soon ... big vertual hug ... Chrissie

Yikes Jolamine, you have it way worse than me in the med stakes!

It seems that lymphatic cording has developed very quickly post-surgery (axillary web syndrome) and this morning in the bath I could actually feel a tough cord in my under arm that was stopping me moving it much.  So they have asked for my standard post-surgery physio follow-up to be made urgent to get massage on it as soon as possible.  Otherwise I can't physically do the exercises I need to do to help the mastectomy area heal without the skin going too tight and causing problems further down the line.

I am friends with the superintendent of physio so if all else fails I'll bribe her with wine I think!

Saw my GP today, which delighted him as he got to wrack his brain for his knowledge of drugs, and he had a student in so it was a good case study for the student too.  It was a good laugh.  He's basically put together a combination of drugs that essentially make up Migraleve.  But if that isn't strong enough to also help with the web syndrome then he has a drug in mind that he hasn't prescribed in over a decade :-D

Thankfully no results were back yet!

Like you I have some serious interaction issues with hypertension meds which adds to the list of antibiotics I can't take, but I have nowhere near the hideous bucketload of meds issues you have, that sounds awful! :-(

LJxx

Thanks Chriss,

Had fun at the GP today and seeing the breast nurse was informative and she's trying to move up my physio appointment to get what appears to be axillary web syndrome fixed asap.

Got myself a new skirt too but, of course, pinafore style dresses (which I love) are finally back in fashion and I couldn't try any on as I don't have enough mobility in my left arm, grrrrrrr.  Saw 3 that I would have bought straight out and they won't be there by the time I can try them on, but never mind.  Only annoys me cause I hate shopping, and to have actually seen a few items that I really loved (i.e. would wear to death) and not be able to buy them was stupidly annoying.  Will just have to buy some cord and go for sewing lessons I think, I'm not quite at the clothes making level.

Results weren't back, and I'll be more prepared for them come next week, so happy to just have a lovely weekend with my mum and my husband and get all Christmassy.

Hope you have a good weekend too.

LJxx

Hi twin two ...

What happened to taking it easy lol ... it can't keep you down for long ... bless ya .. but please take it a little easier ... but it's lovely to see you back on the threads ... you've been missed ...

Chrissie  xx