Mastectomy

Hi Milva​ , I'm sorry that you have to go through this, it's such a hard road. I'm maybe a bit late to respond but I'm about 8 weeks out from my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction and I feel like recovery has been better than I expected. It has still been really hard but manageable if that makes sense.

Pain- I didn't really have a lot of pain but I keep on top of pain medication and took Panadol etc for at least 3 weeks. My main discomfort was things feeling like they were pulling as I moved around- not pain just a weird sensation. 

Drains- drains were really frustrating and i felt they really limited my movements til they all came out. I had 5 in total and I think the last one came out 12 days after surgery. 

Tightness and heavy feeling chest- my reconstruction was DTI (direct to implant) and I think this freaked me out the most as they felt so foreign and heavy. I found it really scary having a shower and taking my bra off initially. I definatley wasn't prepared for how the implants would feel. 8 weeks on they still feel foreign but feeling more normal for me.   

Showering and movement- I had waterproof dressings so could shower the day after my surgery. You might just need some hooks to hang up your drain bags in the shower to keep them out of the way. I saw the physio day after surgery and had a list of exercises to do pretty much straight away. They were terrifying initially but became easier as i did them more. I went a bit crazy with button up/zip tops but didn't really need them, i just wore comfy tops and got dressed really slowly.

Sleep- I used a long whole body size 'u' shaped pillow, it was nice having support on each side. I'm still using it now as its nice and cozy! I'm starting to test lying a bit on my sides but quite happy still sleeping on my back (despite being a side and tummy sleeper before). My body obviously knows it's not ready for tummy sleeping yet. 

I hope your surgery goes well and best wishes for your recovery xxx

Thank you.   

So sorry to see you joining us here Milva​  .... we have 2 private groups that you may like to join .... A Triple Negative Group and also a Mastectomy/Reconstruction group.  If you click on the links below, you'll be able to see other posts and chat with others that have had the same diagnoses/surgeries.

Breast Reconstruction:
Group: Choosing breast reconstruction | BCNA Online Network

Triple Negative:
Group: Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) | BCNA Online Network

Everyone recovers at different rates, specially depending on the type of reconstruction that will be done - so being given an actual 'timeline' may be tricky.

Everyone still remembers the shock of hearing 'the diagnosis':  “You've got breast cancer” ..... Causing sadness, distress and even anger.   It really mucks with your brain, sometimes even more than your body!  It can be highly stressful & upsetting in the early days of diagnosis - so if you feel a bit overwhelmed by it all, give the Helpline a bell on 1800 500 258 (Mon-Fri, 9-5) for a confidential chat with one of the Mods xx.

Make sure you take a trusted friend or relative with you to all your meetings from now on (for physical and mental support - and also a 2nd set of ears!) & also consider recording them too, on your phone xx. It is almost impossible to remember everything that is said & this way you can go back over it in the quiet of your home & take notes. xx

Make sure you stay away from “Dr Google’ (difficult tho it is) - as a lot of info there is not only out of date - it probably also isn’t even relative to your own diagnosis.  Going down that rabbit-hole will also muck with your brain.

Also, Consider listening to Charlotte Tottman's Podcasts on her own experience with BC - as she explains it all very well xx  She is a specialist breast cancer Counsellor who had a double mastectomy following her own diagnosis, choosing to stay flat. She was surprised at her own reaction to the news/surgery/treatment, as she'd been counseling others for many years & thought she 'knew it all'!   She has done 2 ‘podcast seasons' ... check out the 1st season, right from her diagnosis onwards and how she coped, then move on to the 2nd season. She is very easy to listen to & you'll probably recognise your own reactions in many of the podcasts. http://www.drcharlottetottman.com.au/my-podcast.html

Check out this thread too - there is a lot of info on the forum & what to take with you to hospital - even 'tick sheets' that you can fill in to take with you to your appointments on your mental & physical health .... this info has been gleaned from many of our members over the years ... I hope it helps you xx
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-new-online-network-members#latest

take care & all the best for your surgery & recovery