Case of the sads before mastectomy

Thank you for responding and giving me all this info. I am late to the party and have asked to join the reconstruction group late today but will be at hospital at 6 am tomorrow!!! 

@ellendorf sorry I'm a bit late to the party (Vic teacher, so been busy returning to normal school!). I had a mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction 4 months ago. It was on my right (dominant) side and I had 2 lymph nodes removed for biopsy.

Have they already biopsied any lymph nodes with your other surgeries. That scar and area has definitely been the most sensitive. However not just because of the lymph node, also because breast tissue extends towards your armpit, plus my titanium mesh (that holds the impant in place) is stitched onto the muscle there (and all around, but lots there).

I have put photos into into Choosing Reconstruction group and shared my story while it was fresh in my mind.

I ended up with skin thick enough to have my implant put over the muscle, not under as I'd expected. This has meant my recovery has been a little easier.

As it was my dominant hand, I had to adjust the way I do a lot of things. However by 3 weeks I could do the basics with my normal hand (wiping my bum took a bit longer as reaching either squished my armpit or my foob, lol). I am still sleeping with a soft pillow under my armpit - not essential, but better still. I did my exercises 4x a day and by 3 weeks had my full range of movement back. I was ready to get back to trying modified yoga when lockdown hit.

Once your plastic surgeon says you can (maybe 4 weeks?) I'd recommend investing in some silicone scar gel. A tiny tube is about $45 but 100% worth it. I saw my oncologist yesterday and she commented on how faded the scar already looked.

I was so scared before surgery. Honestly, I think I've had every emotion and probably some new ones since the day I was diagnosed! The pain was what is was. Take the drugs. If they make you feel bad, ask for different drugs. Definitely take the panadol they give you along with the hard stuff, it helps. You'll have drain(s) and maybe a negative pressure dressing with a tube attached to a pump - so there's a bit to carry into the toilet!

I had surgery on Tuesday, went to stay at my mum's where Hospital in The Home checked on my each day on Friday. Saw my PS on Monday, who took my drain out and discharged me from the hospital care. I thought I would stay longer in hospital, but my roommates were too noisy and my mum's place is so quiet! I went home (noisy, busy, kids etc) on the Monday. As someone else mentioned, you sort of go into autopilot for a lot of it, especially the morning of surgery.

I've had a super smooth recovery, have been perfectly happy with my medical team (the ward nurses are legends! They work so hard!). Happy with the aesthetic and performance of my implant. I'm getting more nerves reactivating, but the armpit side of rhe actual boob is still quite numb, so if I lean on it with my arm my arm does not realise it's my boob. It feels like when you have your handbag under your arm (except on your front). I haven't felt the implant as feeling cold. Maybe because I haven't got a huge one (small C cup?).

Anyhow, sorry for the long ramble. Just tried to write anything I remembered that may help. Best wishes for the surgery tomorrow!!

You may want to look at joining the breast reconstruction Group on here , there are many helpful photos and stories of both types of reconstruction , implant and the type I will be having , using your own tissue.

So glad I joined the network. Originally thought it wouldn’t be for me but realised I needed a group who would know what I was going through. So anyone out there had a mastectomy with implant reconstruction at the same time? What were your experiences? Does it feel really alien? Painful? Appreciate any advice. No lymph node removal so hopefully that will mean quicker movement in my arm. Thank you for welcoming me to the group ❤️

Hi there @ellendorf, I had both off in mid 2017. I also had chemo first and so had already had time to wrap my head around it all. I found the pain after surgery to be surprisingly little and I have no regrets. As Zoffiel mentions above, these previously rather nice boobs had turned feral, and were trying their best to kill me, so my choice was easy...they had to go. I hope all goes smoothly for you and I'm sure it will. Ally.

Totally normal to have a case of the sads before mastectomy.
I am not a cry baby but never cried so much in my life as I did after my diagnosis.
You have come to the right place here as we have all been on the “journey.”
I had a left mastectomy in October last year and it was a whirlwind from initially feeling the lump to going under the knife.
I was an E cup so had a lot of boob to lose, I had a reduction in the other breast but have now decided to have a prophylactic mastectomy of the other one and and having DIEP flap surgery in a couple of weeks and will be a C cup.
amongst all the doom and gloom and emotion ( in my case hysteria) there is a lot of good stuff too , we are in a medical system not overrun by Covid 19, you will get great care whether you are in the public or private system, and breast cancer has a really good prognosis compared to many other cancers.
There a lot of good resources on this website and on this forum NO question is ever deemed” silly”.

Hi @ellendorf It's a pretty miserable time. I had my chemo before a double mastectomy so had a loooonnnngg time to stress about it.

In the end, it wasn't so bad. Your brain sort of goes into neutral as you trudge in the hospital door. That's probably not much comfort to you now, but maybe keep in mind those puppies are trying to kill you. Mxx

Take Deep breaths  @ellendorf ..... keep busy between now & Fri ....  accept any assistance that is offered .....  and take any pain meds offered!!  ;) 

take care xx

Thank you both. Yes not a club I wanted to be part of but here I am. Feeling pretty sorry for myself today and scared shitless. Mourning the loss of my breast and not wanting to be the girl with cancer…I am sure none of us wants to be that girl…
I don’t feel like I can be that much of a whinger as so many others have it worse than me. Be in touch as I go forward. Xx

I am so sorry that you have to join our club but welcome anyway @ellendorf .  You are feeling exactly as we have all felt as we approach mastectomy.  We mourn the loss of the breast who has let us down but we are also glad to say goodbye to the beast within.  The tears come and go at the silliest of moments, don't they ?  You are ahead of some as reconstruction is in your plan.  You will be OK, take care and chat here when you need to.