Good morning. I am in my hospital bed having had a mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy yesterday afternoon. Walked to theatre at 1pm, came round about 3.20 and was given some morphine.
Felt rough as - well, the worst I have ever felt while awake, not going to lie to you - for few hours after. Vision was blurry at periphery, kept dropping off, isomfort at drain site and IV. Given paracetamol and ibuprofen maybe 7.30pm and yet I have no pain!!
Due to high levels of anxiety shown at all stages! - as I was being anaesthetised I was crying and saying 'I'm not brave' and that's just one example! - i had morphine prescribed every 2 hours if needed.
It wasn't needed!! So pleased. So relieved. That was me of my biggest fears. I'm not sure if there is pain that is masked by pain killers but don't think so.
My nurse mentioned a lady who had immediate rconstruction following mx who is still in pain and draining lots and this is some days after. Now it is absolutely irrefutable that everyone journey is unique. I had to learn this, from my own treatment plan not being what I wanted initially. I wanted immediate reconstruction and I finally understood and accepted the difficulties associated with that path. It took a lot of conversations with different cancer nurses and surgeons oh and Macmillan for me to accept the proposed treatment plan.
I really hope this helps someone out there.
Heartfelt good wishes to you all xx
Written by
Debster2016
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I am so glad that this were "better" 🙄 Than you expected . I like you Only had the morphine they gave me straight out of surgery (double mastectomy) I only had paracetamol. I decided I must have a high pain threshold 😄.. There was discomfort but never real pain . I think we all cope in different ways , you are coping , being strong and positive .. Well done you 💞.. Good luck in the rest of your treatment .. X
My diagnosis was in 2010 .just weeks before my 60th birthday. Double mastectomy 2 primary tumours 3+in left breast and a tiny one in the right . Total lymph node removal in the left I had 28 the cancer was in 27 !! So I am a lucky woman !! Had chemo and radiotherapy.. Finished my treatment in October of that year .. Since then I have taken a deep breath. Grabbed life with both hands and am living it to the fullest degree !! .. We have to be on a journey .. We cope the best we can and you will too ! This is a brilliant group of people lots of love & support . 💞
Mandy, if I am truly honest, it is stories like yours that are the only ones pushing me forward, my journey with this is new - but it's so nice, so inspiring to see folks with very old " souvenirs" of this trip - it gives me hope!! X
Hi Penny, my motto was and still is ...Onwards & upwards .. You are on a journey .. We have everything taken out of our hands , we have to remember that it's a journey we have to take , let people help .. They don't know what else to do !! Ask questions .. Keep a notebook ! And Look forward not backwards ... Good luck ? 💞
Wow, you are one amazing lady (there's a lot of you out there), I wish you well for the rest of your journey, do you know yet if you're having chemo and/or radiotherapy? xxxx
Hey Jenny no that comes at my appt next week after the path report on my bad boob. I'm calm 😊. What will be will be. Hope ur good xx
So glad your not in pain,my experience was very much like yours. Just be mindful of the drains.i was in no pain at any time,until I inflicted it on myself, I got up started walking,and left the drains (which were in a small shoulder bag ) behind,so I blew the seal.
When your home,rest,do your exercises,and take each day as it comes,you are now on the way to being cancer FREE.
Some days will be better than others, I just felt so relived,it was operated on.
I had my mastectomy in Oct 15,and reconstruction in April 16. I've had my 1st checkup(mammogram) and don't need to see my consultant until Oct 17,I've already got the appointment.
Good luck with your recovery,big hugs and kisses.xxx
Gosh sorry to hear of the drain incident! Trying to take good care of 'the bag'. So far so good.
Doing the exercises very gently. Crying when I feel like it and yes, I feel enormous relief now that the physical part has begun and the initial thinking / info gathering is done.
It sounds like you are in a good position now! That's terrific.
Thank you xxx
Morning Debster2016
I'm so pleased your surgery is over & it wasn't as bad as you feared.
I talked everyone's head off before my anaesthetic & constantly reminded them I need Steroid Cover in theatre! I was delayed returning to the ward as I had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic & couldn't stop vomiting but absolutely no pain. I did have a pain block done in theatre & high doses of hydrocortisone overnight so I was really quite bright the following day!
Remember you've had a major surgery & take it easy when you go home, you'll probably find the drain is the biggest nuisance but if you get any pain take your prescribed Meds & sooner rather than later.
Hi, well, that's all over for you now. A big thing to have behind you. I didn't need any painkillers once the anaesthetic had worn off and never did. It surprised me. I went home thirteen hours after the op. I wasn't in hospital 24 hours even. But I did have the drain in for a fortnight! I became a dab hand at draping a scarf around to make it look part of my outfit for when I went out! I wore a cotton belt loosely around my waist, tied the drain bag to it and tucked a scarf around the bag ( tube scarves are brilliant for that) and secured it onto the belt. No one noticed. Hope that helps. Good luck, I wish you all the best. ❤️🌺
Hi Jac so for 2 days now I've taken to draping the one scarf I have that's big enough all over the drain and bag and me and felt much much better - today I even went to the pub for lunch wearing it! Thank you many times over 😁Xxx
I'm so pleased you gave it a go. We Need all the liberating we can get!
I had my op 10 weeks ago and had virtually no pain. I had few days of nerve discomfort once home but that soon cleared. Ive been good at doing my exercises so thats a good idea. Hope you have a speedy recovery and back to good health soon. X
Great that you're over the op and it wasn't too bad. I had a single mastectomy in March and I felt pretty good after it. Apart from the damn drains!! I have some nerve pain or something right up to this day where it was.
Had my implants put in yesterday- yay!! And a bit of a lift on the good side. Definitely in more pain than the mastectomy but it's bearable and I'm just so happy that I can ride through it.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!! Sounds like you're well on the way.
Hey Arlene I did reply to this before but as I don't see my reply here just wanted to say thank you for asking it was kind of you. It's peaks and troughs for me! Am positive most of the time and when I 'dip' I'll let myself cry a bit but talk myself out of it straight away.
Your story sounds exactly like I want mine to go! Is it's good to hear.
Thank you and best wishes for your own speedy recovery! 🤒🙂😃
Oh I still have days when I just need to cry. I'm moving Christmas but I get a bit upset when I think of last year. I was mid chemo with a 3 month old baby and terrified of not seeing the next Christmas.
But here I am, all treatment over, no cancer and with boobs like a 20 year old I look forward to seeing a similar post from you soon
Looks like we had similar at the same time. I am week 8 now. no reconstruction.
I have come to the conclusion that mastectomy is similar to childbirth we all. experience differently. with varying degrees of pain.hope you are recovering well.
Well done Debster, I was anaesthetised crying and saying I was scared, I am normally really brave, I also wriggled and tried to negotiate not having mastectomy but no choices either. I am on 3rd day post op, taking some paracetamol but very few but honestly pain is perfectly manageable, hug you little pillow, do gentle small range movements initially and be glad cancer gone. I do wish you a speedy recovery xx ps had tearful day 2nd day but much better now, don't worry if you have the same.
All I can say is WOW!!! You women all impress me. I started off with bilateral mastectomies and expanders in the same day. I always thought I had a high pain tolerance but the pain from this was like nothing I have ever felt. I stayed in the hospital 2 nights. That first night I couldn't even move my arms enough to take a drink. My one surgeon had me on the restrictions that I had to use "dinosaur arms". I think this made it take longer for the pain to go away. I hope this isn't TMI but it was weeks before I could even wipe my backside without extreme pain. I don't know if I have become a huge baby in my old age or if it was the difference in meds or possibly the surgeons but I definitely think it was the worst pain ever. Glad for all of you that it wasn't as horrible as you thought it would be. Stay strong.
I am glad to find this sight. I am Blessed62 who had IIC and oped for a double mastectomy on Nov 13, 2018, with immediate ex pander implants. I am doing well and not in much pain at all. I have a lot of numbness under my arms, but and the nipples are looking ago, but time will tell. I have drains they are pretty slow putting out now, so I am hopping on my next post op visit they will remove at least 2 of them. Unlike your experience with anesthesia I don't even remember leaving the pre-op room. I woke up many hours later looking at wall to wall family I am feeling well, pathology came back that all the cancer was removed and 1 lymph-node but still have to have chemo But I am OK with that I have a lot of life to live. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
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I look forward to seeing a similar post from you soon 
But I am OK with that I have a lot of life to live. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
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