Day 4 after my bilateral MX with immediate free TRAM reconstruction. First couple of days were tough in getting pain meds sorted out and nausea under control. These next couple of days have been all about getting mobile. Started off with 4 breast drains and 2 abdominal ones. As of this afternoon all breast ones are out. Hoping that both abdo ones will go by Friday when I leave hospital. If I have to go home with 1 it will only be if they have been able to organise the community nurse to come and deal with the drain. I had lumpectomy back in December and have done chemo FEC and Taxol (Paclitaxel) and Herceptin since then. I had a positive node back then and no ALND based on new research. Was supposed to do rads but only did 12 days before the risks started outweighing the benefits for me (pneumonitis). So the plan changed to doing this BMX and I am so glad I made sure there was no delay. My BS has said that during surgery they found a node that looked "bigger than expected" so they removed it and it has gone to pathology with everything else. I will find out on Thursday if there were any active cancer cells in the node and if so we might have to revisit rads or other treatments. At least we will now know if all my treatments have worked since January... Jenn

Hi Jenn Glad to hear you're on the mend - what a brave lady you are! I do hope you're not in too much pain. I wish you good luck for the results on Thursday. Just remember we're all there with you. luv H

Thanks Helen :-) Pain meds are good. Feel like I've been to the gym and worked a million muscles that hadn't been worked recently - ow, ow, ow. Jennt28

Hi Jenn I think you and all ladies who have reconstruction are amazing! Not sure I could do it.Its great that we have access to life saving treatment.I hope your results tomorrow are good. I am having ultrasound/mammogram on Monday. (was diagnosed Oct 2011) so I feel fearful. Im praying for good results so I can focus on recovery. God bless, Anna-Marie

Hi Anna-marie I was diagnosed last Oct too. I'm going through all the tests at the moment - CT, MRI, ultrasound, Mammogram and see my surgeon in a couple of weeks. So far results have been good. I did have a scare a month or so ago which resulted in a gastrophy and colonscopy but all seemed ok when they got in there. Only have a Pet Scan and Dexa Scan to go - they seem to want me to do the full gammit, maybe because I had a really long chemo treatment - who knows? I just go to the appointments, get them done and forget about them. Hard as this may sound, try to relax about Monday and think positively that the results are going to be great. You'll be able to then move on to the next part of the journey - recovery. Good luck for Monday! I'll be thinking of you. cheers Helen anne

Day 4 after surgery and reconstruction

14 Replies

helen_anne
Member
13 years ago
Hi Anna-Marie

I think the reason why I had all these tests is because I was so very ill during chemo and got so many and unusual complications. Alot of that has to do with the fact that I was born with a rare genetic skin condition called EB (for short) or "Cotton Wool Syndrome". It's an auto immune condition which meant long before I got cancer I was always quite sickly because my immune system was so low all the time. You can imagine what it was like for chemo!

I've now finished all the tests and I go to see the surgeon and GP tomorrow with the hope that all is ok.

Hope all is well with you and I'm so very glad the cysts were ok.

cheers

Luv Helen
Anna-Marie
Member
13 years ago
Thanks Jenn for your encouragement. The results were fine! So very thankful.

Now to get stronger...

Anna-Marie
Anna-Marie
Member
13 years ago
Thanks Helen anne. The results were all clear save some oil cysts around scar tissue. Apparently common. So yay! very thankful. I see the surgeon on Friday. Why have you had all the other scans ? I just had mammogram and ultrasound. How long was chemo for you? I had 6 months followed by 30 days of radiation.

Anna-Marie
Dancing_with_Ne
Member
13 years ago
Gentle hugs Jenn...all the best tomorrow:)
Jennt28
Member
13 years ago
Definitely going home tomorrow - with the 2 abdominal drains. They are both just hovering a bit too far above the required amount for removal unfortunately :-( Had visitors this morning and a very quiet afternoon snoozing. Looking forward to my own bed (I think) tomorrow night. Jenn
Jennt28
Member
13 years ago
Still 2 drains so not home until Sunday now... Def not doing stuff around the house! Jenn
Dancing_with_Ne
Member
13 years ago
Hi Jenn, glad to hear you are going well and looking at going home soon. Make sure you take it easy but and don't do any jobs around the place:)

Love and gentle hug Sharon

All the best to all the others going through tests.
Jennt28
Member
13 years ago
Good luck Anna Marie :-) For over 85% of woen it wont come back - those are good odds... Jenn
helen_anne
Member
13 years ago
Hi again

Good luck with everything and your recovery.

Will be thinking of you.

cheers

H
helen_anne
Member
13 years ago
Hi Anna-marie

I was diagnosed last Oct too. I'm going through all the tests at the moment - CT, MRI, ultrasound, Mammogram and see my surgeon in a couple of weeks. So far results have been good.

I did have a scare a month or so ago which resulted in a gastrophy and colonscopy but all seemed ok when they got in there.

Only have a Pet Scan and Dexa Scan to go - they seem to want me to do the full gammit, maybe because I had a really long chemo treatment - who knows? I just go to the appointments, get them done and forget about them.

Hard as this may sound, try to relax about Monday and think positively that the results are going to be great. You'll be able to then move on to the next part of the journey - recovery.

Good luck for Monday! I'll be thinking of you.

cheers Helen anne