Surgery 30th November - Bilateral Mastectomy with Node Clearance

@Mrs_H the very best of luck with your surgery on Thursday.
I have had two lots of surgery.
1st was a lumpectomy with bilateral reduction, sentinel node removal on right side.
2nd was right side mastectomy with complete node clearance on right side.

I was actually surprised how little pain I was in especially the first few days.
The sentinel node area and the areas of node clearance were the most painful areas, but nothing that needed strong pain killers.
On both occasions I was hooked up to a PCA when I came out of surgery, I used it during the night for the reduction surgery, but not at all for the mastectomy surgery and as long as I took the Panadol at the right time, 4 times a day I had little pain.

There was very little pain in the breast area, it was mostly numb.
Under my arm and behind on my back near my underarm was a mixture of numb and tender, if you can be both, it was a weird feeling for a couple of weeks.
It is still numb there, and doesn't feel nice when I touch it but it is not so tender.
Bras still rub under the arm and in the area just in front of my shoulder on the breast area where the top lot of nodes were removed.
I have a piece of the White padding used in the hospital to put under that area of the bra if I need to. Hopefully that will settle down soon.

I too wondered how much flexibility I would have after surgery.
After the mastectomy I had two drains in but I could still use my right arm to wash myself, just reaching up to the shower rose was not possible. And reaching across my body to my left side was not comfortable for quite some time.
Washing had to be done gently and wearing a bra was out for me after the mastectomy until about week 4 then I was in the soft form fake boob and soft zip up Best and Less bras ( they have pockets for the soft forms)
I could not lie on my right side until about a month after surgery, and even now (surgery was 3rd August) it takes some manoeuvring to get comfortable on that side. I did have 25 sessions of radiation there though and burned badly, so that could have affected it too.
If you are not having radiation, healing will be quicker.

Getting used to being flat?
well, I am only flat on one side.
It was very confronting for the first month, then it became gradually better.
I still go to cup that breast when washing in the shower and it is a slight jolt to realise again that it isn't there.
I found showering was when I dissolved into tears, sometimes to my surprise because I thought I was doing okay.
Clothes sit differently, so that is something to get used to, and not having breasts makes your stomach stick out more obviously ( if that is your shape) and that takes getting used to.
Personally I think I might find it easier to adjust if I had both off, because getting used to the prosthesis and the unevenness is my problem at the moment.

Psychologically for me, seeing the lack of breast hit home that I had cancer and it was the first time I really accepted that it was real, which was strange considering the changes and impact of chemo on my appearance and abilities.(I had chemo before the second surgery)

It will be hard to predict when and how you will be after the surgery.
Anger, denial, frustration, more anger, tantrums, tears and periods of calm acceptance are all normal and to be expected. It is not a smooth transition.

You should find a good lymphodema physio in case you get cording or swelling on either side.
Some public hospitals have a clinic you can attend so ask your surgeon about it.

When I got miserable about having the breast removed I reminded myself it meant the cancer was gone, that worked for me most of the time, hopefully it will work for you too.

Good luck, enjoy the best sleep you have had in a long time, and just take the time to rest and recover. Jennie

Hi

im 41. Triple positive. Left mastectomy with node clearance and elective right at same time.

I was physically fit prior to surgery. I had minimal discomfort post op. I took panadol occasionally. No restrictions on movement. My exercise physiologist said I’m the best double mastectomy he has ever seen. I guess that’s a compliment. I can do everything I used to do. 

Numbness is transient. I don’t notice it and would not say it impacts on me.

For me, I have slight mounds left. I was an f cup. I love my new shape. 

Good luck.

hi there @Mrs_H I had triple neg last year aged 43  in L boob, stage 2a grade 3 - 3cm tumor, all nodes and scans clear, 8 rounds of chemo then took the other boob off as a preventative 6 months later, post surgery pain for me was minimal had some limited movement to begin with but was still able to shower dress and feed myself, only had lymph nodes taken from the left side (8), you will be given physio exercises to begin with which will help you heaps, the first week i think it was i wasn't allowed to put my arm above 45 degrees,  but as i said I still managed and I still go just monthly to physio now for follow up and its great, I had some nerve pain under the left armpit for a while but it was now and again not all the time and I managed it ok with Panadol and nurofen I knew what to expect post op as I'm a nurse and I've seen plenty of mastectomy's so mentally I was ok to be honest I started to think my boobs as a hinderance and just wanted to get them off and I felt better after that knowing that id given myself the best chance at a long healthy life, I'm on the waiting list in Brisbane for my recon wont see the surgeon til at least mid next year and then at least 18 months after that til I get the surgery, I did see a private surgeon Dr Alys saylor in the valley just for her opinion and implants are the option for me as she told me I don't have enough skin for the flap surgery (god bless her)! You've been through the hardest part already I reckon with the chemo, Be uplifted is a charity that can give you some crocheted boobies and help with the upfront costs of prosthetics if you prefer too, where are you having your surgery??? Margie x

All the best. I'm due to having a single mastectomy too sometime soon. Worried about the pain and don't know whether I should get implants after reading about all the side effects and illness people experience!! 

Good luck for Thursday. Hope it all goes well. 

Hi @Mrs_H, firstly I want to wish you good luck for surgery. Can't help much with double mastectomy but I had single right mastectomy and all nodes removed. I was pleasantly surprised by how little pain I had. I was sore if I moved the wrong way but I didn't need pain relief and only took it to shut the nurses up. I was quite numb in places including my armpit which still is and my op was 23rd August. It does feel like you have a concrete block attached to your chest as everything is tight. I could touch my face, hold a coffee cup and brush my teeth carefully. They don't recommend raising the arm above shoulder height. I couldn't anyway as muscles too tight to get that far. All in all I found it the easiest part of this whole shit experience.
Lisa xo