Waiting is the hardest part!

Hi, Nessieanne,

Have you been told if they will do a sentinel node test?  They generally do this to see if it has got out of your breast via the lymph nodes.  I would ring and ask.  I've had two lumpectomies and finally a right breast mastectomy over February and March.  The surgeon did the first four nodes during the first operation, and thank God, they were clear.  However, the pain in the armpit area was considerable afterwards.  In your flurry of keeping yourself busy leading up to the operation, gather yourself the pillows necessary to sleep on your back for some weeks.  Sleeping on your side is incredibly painful and impossible.  I had just got to the stage of trying it in time for my mastectomy, so have slept on my side for one night since the first operation on twelfth of February.  It will be weeks before I can attempt it again, sadly.  A tri-pillow is an excellent aid to keeping you on your back.

Secondly, I found, as have many ladies, that sleep can be very broken, and like them I am still spending part of most nights in a recliner rocker, after I fail to return to sleep in my bed.  In fact this is being typed from my rocker in a warm dim room with my feet up, and I will soon put the chair back down and try to drift off again.  If you don't possess one, see if you can borrow one for a few weeks, as it is supportive, holds you comfortably in place semi-flat on your back, and gives you arm rests. With a low wattage bulb on, a rug over your knees and a heater going, it provides a warm, dim little cave to drift off in for two or three hours on a bad night.

Finally, you will you find that the seatbelt hurts your breast like hell on your way home from hospital.  Your husband will have to drive very carefully and avoid bumps, and you will need some sort of small, very soft cushion between you and the seatbelt, particularly if it is your right breast.  A friend who had gone through this told me to go and get a cheap and VERY soft teddy bear, as facing inwards to your body, it curves protectively around the breast.  I thought at first that she was kidding, but Winifred has turned out to be a godsend.  It gives me the giggles to be inserting my bear under the seatbelt, and I feel like a little kid, but you can clutch it to you to immobilise the breast going over railway lines and potholes that can't be avoided, and believe me, it helps a lot!  A small pillow will do the same job, but may be more inclined to slip.  I have grown very fond of Winifred over the past two months, as she helps me so much!

The best of lunch with the operation.  ??????