Forum Discussion
side effects after mastectomy
Hi everyone. I am 2 weeks post bi-lateral mastectomy. Everything seemed to go well while in hospital. Today went to GP has I heard crackling noise while breathing. GP sending me for an XRay. Has anyone else had any type of chest infections or lung infections after a mastectomy. Thanks ...Christina
12 Replies
- Oh ..that makes sense I thought they had taken armpit ones as well.
- Hi PrimeK, No I had 2 cancers in the right breast, but after a lumpectomy, re-excision and still not clear. It was suggested that I have further re-excisions or mastectomy. I decided not to take any further chances and had both removed. I only had 1 sental node removed from Right breast during lumpectomy. But Surgeon said that when they remove the breasts, there are always 5 lymph nodes attached to the breast and they are removed with the breasts. No more appointments with Surgeon until Port has to be removed. Going for 3 weekly Herceptins until November. So now its just healing time.
- Did you have cancer in both breasts?. I had a bilateral but only sentinal nodes taken from the cancer side. I had a breast MRI pre surgery to look for anything suspicious though in tbe other breast and the breast tissue was checked ...if anything found I would have had to go back for further surgery I guess.
Thanks everyone. Yesterday had my dressings removed from bi-lateral mastectomy. Twice had seroma removed. One was 65ml and yesterdays they drained 245mls. Took 5 lymph nodes from each underarm. Managing alright. No pain.
Crackling has stopped. Get a few niggles during the night but that all. Surgeon said there was no more cancer in either breast they removed. So thrilled about that. Still got to have Herceptin for until November.
Thanks. Christina xx
- hi.. i did not have any issues after surgery last July but I did get pneumonia on the 28th Dec whilst having Radiotherapy...cough has finally gone.. only a few little coughs every now and then..
antibiotics so it doesnt get worse - I vaguely remember something like at as well, the crackling. I wasn't sick, and it didn't hurt to breathe in or out so I just put up with it and it went away. Figured it was something with anaesthetic as I did have the gas one on the first op which made me puke a heap afterwards.
Thanks everyone. I don't have cold like symptoms and I am sleeping upright in bed, sitting upright and was doing all the exercises I was told to do including the breathing exercise. My ribs in the front of my body hurts but not when I breath. I seem to think that when they pulled the drains out on my left side (which is not the cancer side), the pain was absolutely unbearable and the nurse did tug really hard. but never even felt the drains come out of the right side. I feel like my rib is sore, but does not hurt breathing. still crackling at night. Well I'm use to waiting for results, a couple more days and I'll know whats going on.
So once again, thank you all. Christina x
- Hi Christine - sorry, nothing further to add from me but my best wishes to you on your recovery post surgery.
Regards
Sheryl xx - Common issue after surgery. So yes..chest Xray is a good thing. What can you do to help? Ensure you walk around at least every hour and sit upright when you can. You might find you cough more after you just get up but that is good. Take some really deep breaths and blow out hard 2 to 3 times every hour. Helps to shift fluid. It used to be standard practise to teach these exercises in hospital after surgery but doesn't seem to happen much these days.
If it hurts to taje a deep breath, hold a pillow across your wounds...and have adequate pain relief. Hope you improve soon. Kath x
http://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=patcar-prep-cough - It's a big operation; chest infections and fluid collections are a major risk after any lenghty surgery. If you are otherwise well--which is hard to judge sometimes when you take into account the anaesthetic, the surgery, pain meds and the huge stress both mental and physical--they will keep an eye on you and maybe prescribe antibiotics. I've had a similar thing happen, antibiotics, some coughing exercises and gentle stretching sorted it in a few days.
