Freaking out about Mastectomy

13

Comments

  • brightspace
    brightspace Member Posts: 457 ✭
    Hi vallerina all the best for continued recovery. I dont think many will be camping unless its to clean up the flood disaster 
  • Vallerina
    Vallerina Member Posts: 183 ✭
    Yep the flooding has been awful. The old saying... it never rains but it pours. I think we can all relate to that. 
  • Bon Bon
    Bon Bon Member Posts: 37 ✭
    Hi all,
    im so jealous. After double mastectomy and air expander put in, I then needed to go back get nodes out. Went home. expanders  got a bug. I got terribly sick. Operation to wash them and put them back in. Plastic surgeon not happy. Next day back to theatre to get them out.
  • Bon Bon
    Bon Bon Member Posts: 37 ✭

    Bon Bon said:

    Hi all,
    im so jealous. After double mastectomy and air expander put in, I then needed to go back get nodes out. Went home. expanders  got a bug. I got terribly sick. Operation to wash them and put them back in. Plastic surgeon not happy. Next day back to theatre to get them out.

  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,429 ✭
    @Bon Bon oh that is dreadful  are you a member of the reconstruction group ? 
    http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/1-choosing-breast-reconstruction I am sure the ladies in there will be able to help you with what is going on..... 
    @mum2jj
    I have no experience of expanders etc as I have chosen no reconstruction.... I hope that things settle down quickly for you and that you are not in pain with these things happening. 
    Soldier Crab 
    xoxo 

  • primek
    primek Member Posts: 5,392 ✭
    @Bon Bon So sorry about the infection but know your plastic surgeon has done the right thing. An infection in the pocket can lead to capsular contraction and lots of issues....so best removed, infection sorted and try again when it's sorted. I hope you are feeling much better. Kath x
  • Bon Bon
    Bon Bon Member Posts: 37 ✭
    Yes thanks Kath, if I had my time again I would say no to any reconstruction until I am over chemo and well, including expanders. 
  • melclarity
    melclarity Member Posts: 3,528 ✭
    Bon Bon I am so sorry to hear of whats happened, it only adds to what is already a difficult thing you are going through. I guess we make decisions at the time that we feel are best for us, so I just hope you heal really quickly now. Hugs Melinda xo
  • mum2jj
    mum2jj Member Posts: 4,315 ✭
    So sorry to hear this @Bon Bon. You are welcome to join the group as Kath suggested. Your surgeon as I'm sure you know did the right thing. For now it is time to heal and get well and then discuss your options at a later date. It took me a while to get over my 2nd lot of chemo in 18mths and my reconstruction was cancelled a few times because of it. At the time I was so frustrated and low. However when I was well and went ahead with successful surgery I knew it was the right thing. It's a bitter pill to swallow at the time though. 
    Huge hugs. 
    Paula x
  • Bon Bon
    Bon Bon Member Posts: 37 ✭
    Oh Paula 2nd round? You poor thing. I went into this thinking this happens then that then it's over. No I was very naive. 4 ops in 4 weeks. 11 nodes taken. So sick.   It's a little like when you have a baby and your birth plan goes out the window and nothing goes to plan
  • nikkid
    nikkid Member Posts: 1,766 ✭
    Yes, great analogy @Bon Bon! Both my birth plans focussed on natural, drug-free deliveries with me visualising everything blossoming and opening up like a Georgia O'Keefe flower! But ah no....first was induced then an emergency Caesar and the second ended up being an elective Caesar because he never descended and his head was so big!!!! Turned out that whilst I (externally) appear to have great child-bearing hips, the internal part of my pelvis is small! Wtf?!

    Anyway, back to the analogy - I recall attending a physio class at the hospital just after my first son was born and there was a woman in there who was so devastated that she'd had a caesarean and wasn't walking or doing anything other than just being terribly sad. I wished I could help her with her sorrow, but I couldn't. The only person I could help was ME and whilst I couldn't control what had happened (let's face it, if I'd tried to give birth in the Middle Ages, both my son and I would be dead!) but I could control how I responded to what had happened....so I got moving, I accepted that mine was a 'failed labour'(!) and embraced the beauty of being a new mum with a beautiful son.

    I am so sorry to hear about what has happened over the past weeks to you but I know you will get through this and look back on it as part of your journey, with all the bumps and roadblocks - sending you big hugs, lots of positivity.

    Nikki x
  • socoda
    socoda Member Posts: 1,767 ✭
    @Bon Bon, sending you a big hug. Xx
  • Amazonia
    Amazonia Member Posts: 40 ✭
    @Bon Bon, that is the short stick in the pile !! :-E
    i too had mastectomy (L) and expander, started chemo and then got a bug.
    Raging fever, emergency admit. IV anti's and plastic surgeon decided on surgery with washout with hope of keeping expander.
    Prior to theatre we discussed that it may have to come out and try again later.
    I left the final decision at time of surgery to him. Ended up losing it.
    He was very disappointed but bottom line for him was, don't risk disrupting chemo and compromise first priority....cure and wellness.
    Am happy to have put my trust in him. Now finished 6 months of chemo and returning to surgery in 2 weeks for expander (L) and prophylactic (R) mastectomy with straight to implant.
    This time, knowing that not everything goes to plan but hoping it does..
    Hope you're back on track soon. :)
    A.
  • Chorsell
    Chorsell Member Posts: 462 ✭
    Hoping that things are settling for you and you are enjoying a nice relaxing Easter break.

    sending hugs

    chris

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