Anxiety Plus

@arpie, thanks for that. 

Sorry to hear that @CeeCee ..... It is probably more fluid buildup - tho you say it is 'hard'?  Did the previous Seroma feel 'hard' before the surgeon drained it?   It does come back sometimes.   

Hmmm - shouldn't the Breast Care Nurse be available from tomorrow?  Can you just message her with what you've told us & see if she gets back to you.

I reckon you should ring the surgeon's office first thing tomorrow morning & see if you can see him earlier - cos you'll just be worrying about it anyway :(  .....  

take care & all the best - I hope it is dealt with sooner than later xx

Can anyone help me with this please?
I had a Mastectomy RS 2 weeks ago. Along the incision close to the under arm I have a large, hard lump. It is not painful or inflamed. My surgeon drained fluid out a week ago and I have another build up now, not as much as before.
Being Easter, my McGrath nurse not available until Thursday this week and my surgeon 2 hours away, can anyone advise if this lump is normal and also how long I can leave the swelling for. I have an appointment with my surgeon in 2 weeks.
Thanks.

@Afraser thank you for taking to time to reply. You have made me feel better. As we all know it’s a shock to hear these things but as we process and hear a plan, I’m sure days will get better. Thank you xo

Dear @CeeCee

I had one malignant lymph node - and no, I did not have metastatic cancer. Even though the node was HER positive and my tumour wasn’t. Metastatic means when cancer is present in other organs or significant parts. One node means that the cancer has moved a little, and so chemo to eradicate any cancer cells still around somewhere. The good news is there was only one malignant node. That may be all there was. 

Chemo is always a frightening option too but it’s been a successful treatment, many people find cold cap protects their hair and some don’t have too many side effects. I’m no stoic and I kept working throughout with little trouble. For me, it was just the best I could do to avoid a recurrence (11 years clear). 

Try taking one thing at a time. The what ifs can swamp you and many may never happen. Best wishes. 

I’ve just come from getting my Histopathology report and I am scared. There was some good news, like Mastectomy went well with clear margins. The bad news is the 6 lymph nodes were removed, one showed a 2.3mm cancer cell. This will mean Chemo, waiting to hear from an Oncologist. Does this mean I now have Metastatic cancer? I never wanted to hear that word, I know so many of you have. Are there any good news stories out there. I just cried all the way home on a 2 hour trip. I was feeling so positive, what a let down. The new norm ………. I guess I haven’t got my head around it yet.

@CeeCee hands down K mart post op bras ! Best  
good luck with everything x

Can anyone recommend the perfect bra/cami/strapless bra after a single Mastectomy?

I too experienced little or no pain after a mastectomy. I also lost 17 lymph nodes and while my underarm belonged to someone else for a while, where there’s no feeling, there’s no pain! My mobility in the affected arm was very good. I did wear a bra, my original one as nothing impinged on the wound and I am large breasted. With a soft pad, I looked perfectly normal and was out and about in a matter of days. But wise to take it slowly, there’s a bit of body adjustment to make. Best wishes.