Bosom_Buddy
12 years agoMember
Just had the worst week so far.
After having flown through my first operation on May 1st which was a lumpectomy and Sentinel Node Biopsy of which was clear I went back to work after 3 weeks.I ended up catching the Noravirus which ripped through the hospital I work in as a Nurse. I then was informed that I needed a second surgery as my margin was too close as they found DCIS in my pathology and the Oncologist was wanting a wider margin.I again went in on June 12th and woke up with a drain this time and in a lot more pain! This op really affected me emotionally unlike the last as the drain and pain were not part of the first one. By this time I had been dealing with a fair bit and to be back in hospital was difficult.The worst was yet to come little beknown to me who trotted off home with the drain insitu and another very sore left breast with a bigger chunk out of it!Day 6 the drain was removed and by day 8 I had landed a dose of cellulitis in the breast caused by a staph infection and a very large haematoma of blood and pus.Off to hospital I went again and admitted on IV antibiotics four times a day. My veins went on holiday and they had a bugger of a time getting cannulas in and keeping them from tissuing with each one becoming red and swollen. I was also apparently quite dehydrated when admitted and they painfully pushed 2L of fluid through an already painful vein.I was to start Chemo the week I was admitted and of course that was cancelled and by the 3rd cannulla tissuing I could not take another one being pushed into my hand or arm. They commenced oral antibiotics but as the days went by the infection was not just budging. It was decided by my surgeon the a Portacath was needed and I fasted for surgery but again because of the infection being to great still it was too risky to put one in! By day 6 it was decided I needed the breast drained of all the gunk that was now fluidy enough to aspirate. Under an ultrasound and local anaesetic they pushed on my hardened, red, sore breast to insert a drain. This was not a very pleasant experience and one I would not wish to do again in a hurry. They sucked out 60ml of pus and blood which relieved the pressure a bit I must say. However it was back to my room for some Endone and some quiet time as I just absorbed this horrible experience and at some small reflection wished they had just chopped off this bloody breast of mine!After a week I am at home now and still on the oral antibiotics and my blood results are still high so meant that chemo was again cancelled. My wound is still oozing but slowing down now and hoping that I can get ontop of this infection so that I can get on with the rest of my treatment or I will be heading into Christmas before all treatments are finished.Oh the good news is that my margins from the second surgery were clear! At least there is some good in all this.If your wondering why I am having chemo even tough my nodes were clear, I did have some lymphovascular invasion in my breast and so my Oncologist has recommended it. The cancer was on the way to the lymph nodes and because of my age has suggested it as a precaution and so I am going ahead with it.