Whirlwind

Michelle16

Hi,

Thanks to all of you who wished me all the best for my bi lateral masectomy.

Well its been hell since the day of surgery !!!

When I came out into recovery the pain drugs were not working and had to be changed over. Than I get to the ward and my goodness they were horrible to me !! I was in sooooo much pain and was made get up only like 2hrs out of surgery and go to the loo etc by myself dragging a heavy drip pole.  Finally I had a lovely nurse who said no way was the pain I was in being managed and I was set up with an self pain reliver button thingo (name slips my mind atm) It work well thank goodness. I had a horrible time in the wards had horrible nurses and was shipped from one ward to another and it was in no way a help to keep pain in control.

Oh the drains OMG arent they just disgusting things !!!  I had 4 in and when they went to take one of mine out it had tissue starting to attach to it inside so it hurt like heck coming out !

I had constant pain on my left side which I was told all the time was normal.

Well 11 days later I was finally free to go home (still in lots of pain) but gee it felt good walking out the those hospital doors and to be with my children again ! We did a little cake etc for my daughters firts bday in the patient lounge room but still not the same but oh well we will make it up to her !

I came home and went in to see my gp for a check up as I was still in so much pain on my left side and was worried about infection. She took all my bandages etc off and said no you are fine.

A week later I was back for a plastics check up and they said all was okay and put in 50cc. Man that small amount even made my chect feel ever so tight and painful. But a few days past and my body adjusted okay to it.

A few days later I was back to my gp as I had redness on my left side and yep she said looks like an infection and I was started on keflex. A week pasted and it seemed to clear a little. No more keflex. I had to go back again a few weeks later as it flared up really bad and was sent straight to Brisbane hospital again and put in for a week on IV antibiotics and mind you told get to Bris which is a 4 hour trip for us straight away they have a bed waiting well get there and no bed so sat til 2am in the morning waitng to be seen and for a bed in a mock up ward in the patient travel lounge area !!!!! Was there in that area for a week.

Sent home on augmentin duo forte and it seemed to control the infection if it flares up.

Have been back yet again to the plastic surgeons who have now said leave it 6 weeks which is around 12th May to see what this infection / redness is doing.

It flares up all the time but not as bad as originally and I have to take the duo forte regular if it looks like flaring up bad. I hav had to have another course of it just over a week ago finished it.

Now can you lovely ladies give me any insight to if you have had this before ????

Every morning the redness is gone and if I get to active it pinkies up. I have let direct sunlight on it a few days to see also if that helps. I still get pain near the port hole on the expander on the side the redness is on but the redness isnt anywhere near the port.  I am not sure what this redness is ??? Some of the plastic dr's are saying it will need surgery and the expander out yet some of the others are saying if I can stay on the antibiotics so they can get some fills in ..... Im just so not sure what is going to happen and just wish I could get on top of what ever this is with out yet more surgery and hospital stays !!! I miss my kids and fiance terribly when in hospital and it is so hard on my 2 little kids being away from me.

Any help / suggestions from you guys would be great !!!!!

Also can anyone suggest a really good multi vitamin to start on. I am on inner helath plus due to all the antibiotics I am taking but I am still feeling really tired etc.

Finally some good news - They got all my cancer out and it was all ductal carcinoma with micro invasion. The lump was way bigger than they expected however though all gone now !!!!

Sorry this is a huge blog but I have so much to tell lol

Oh and trying to sleep on my side is just mission impossible it hurts way to much with these expandres in !!

Please anyone who has been through this horrible process let me know your story as well as I am feeling a little down that things just havent gone well from the start !

Thanks ladies !!!!

Sorry for prob the million typos in there .......

louiseg

It sounds like you've had a really bad run Michelle!  I was lucky enough to avoid the infection so can't give you any help on that I'm afraid....Those nurses and your hospital experience sounds awful!  That is the last thing that you need when you are dealing with breast cancer!!  Hopefully if you have to go back into hospital they will be nicer to you next time....

I did find that I had to lie on my back for about a month after I had my op though because of the expander.  It was really painful lying on my side so I know what you are going through there!  I found that if I hugged a pillow on my front it helped a lot.  Maybe you could give it a go and see if it helps you??

I hope your infection clears up soon - its sounds really nasty!

Take care and try to get some rest,

Louise x