Having single mastectomy in the morning. Not quite sure what to expect in terms off pain levels, recovery time (been told 3-4 days hospital, then take another 2-3weeks off work).I know I'll have drain tube for aweek, some lymph glands to go as well. How long til arm movement is ok again?Anyone been through the same?No recon for now.

I had single mastectomy with node clearance on a Monday and was home on the Wednesday afternoon. Nurses came round each day to check my wound and the drain and that came out on Saturday. Was off work for 3 weeks but I have quite a physical job. Took awhile to get the stretching back in my arm but back to normal now a year later. Keep an eye out for lymphodema and cording. I didn’t find it that painful. Like others I found it hard to get comfortable to sleep as I was worried about the drain and where the cat was but the little zonta pillow was great. Used it in the car when I went out to put between wound and the seatbelt too. Good luck and big hugs xoxoox

Hi Skinnylatte - I had a masectomy and lymph nodes removed at 4pm and was home by 1pm the next day. I spent about the next five days in bed being deliciously pampered by sisters and friends. I found the curved Zonta pillow excellent for sleeping and I took pain killers (prescription) for about a week. I followed the physio instructions to the letter and as I recall I had pretty good movement 7-10 days after op. I had a nurse visit home for about four days to check my drainage and once the tubes were removed I felt a little more 'human'. Make sure you have the name and phone number of your breast care nurse - they are invaluable throughout recovery. If you feel unwell tell her, she will know what to do/say. I'd say at least two weeks off work, again be advised by your BC Nurse. Hope all goes well. xxxxx Beryl

Hi @Skinnylatte . Good luck for tomorrow sorry you find yourself here.i had a single mastectomy and recon in 2017 its all a bit of a blur tbh because life is now so normal and the stress and panic of that time are now behind me. I hope it goes well for you , everyone recovers differently and apparently it is more straightforward without the recon. Its all very doable. Personally I found the emotional side of it harder than physical recovery. Hopefully you have a breast nurse that will help negotiate recovery and acess to a physio and so on. They will give u exercises to do to make the recovery easier. All the best. Xx

Hi there. I had a single mastectomy, axillary clearance, no reconstruction. Out of hospital the 4th day, drains had already stopped draining so were removed before I left. Staff were solicitous to a fault about pain relief, but I had really none. Took no painkillers after the first night. I had excellent mobility and very little discomfort - apart from getting used to a soft pad with a tendency to rise every time I bent over! I was advised to expect two weeks off work, but went back after one week additional to the days in hospital. Here's wishing you an equally straightforward and painless procedure. Best wishes.

Hey there I had single mastectomy and node biopsy in November. Went home day 3 and was just on panadol by then, the worst part was getting comfortable to sleep. As the other ladies have suggested keep on top of the pain and do the exercises to the later. Once I had the drain out after a week I really had no issues at all other than the mental exhaustion. Hope all goes well for you tomorrow xx

Recovering from mastectomy - what should I expect?

12 Replies

Vallerina
Member
7 years ago
Hi @Skinnylatte . Good luck for tomorrow sorry you find yourself here.i had a single mastectomy and recon in 2017 its all a bit of a blur tbh because life is now so normal and the stress and panic of that time are now behind me. I hope it goes well for you , everyone recovers differently and apparently it is more straightforward without the recon. Its all very doable. Personally I found the emotional side of it harder than physical recovery. Hopefully you have a breast nurse that will help negotiate recovery and acess to a physio and so on. They will give u exercises to do to make the recovery easier. All the best. Xx
Beryl_C_
Member
7 years ago
Hi Skinnylatte - I had a masectomy and lymph nodes removed at 4pm and was home by 1pm the next day. I spent about the next five days in bed being deliciously pampered by sisters and friends. I found the curved Zonta pillow excellent for sleeping and I took pain killers (prescription) for about a week. I followed the physio instructions to the letter and as I recall I had pretty good movement 7-10 days after op. I had a nurse visit home for about four days to check my drainage and once the tubes were removed I felt a little more 'human'. Make sure you have the name and phone number of your breast care nurse - they are invaluable throughout recovery. If you feel unwell tell her, she will know what to do/say. I'd say at least two weeks off work, again be advised by your BC Nurse. Hope all goes well. xxxxx Beryl

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Recovering from mastectomy - what should I expect?

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