Nonnie, I heard that I will have trouble even lifting my arms after the surgery. My plastic surgeon doesn't even want me working from home while I have the drains in. I didn't realize the flap reconstruction was that involved either. I didn't have too many options as far as reconstruction went. I'm athletic and have a pretty small frame (size XS if I can find it for tops). My plastic surgeon said that I would have enough tissue to shape one breast, forget about both. They recommended silicone over saline and after some research, that's what I think I'm going to do, but I'll have time while the temporary expanders are in to make a final decision.
I'm just trying to get as prepared as possible for the surgery and when I get home. I want things to be as easy and as smooth as possible with the all the chaos that I can't control.
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Julie99 wrote on copland16's wall
scrolling through questions I saw an answer you gave. I'm local to you and at the S.Shore Dana Farber for both my surgical and medical oncologists. I LOVE them. The resources and support they offer are incredible. I'm still insanely overwhelmed by everything, being diagnosed on Oct 29th. What advice could you share about your experiences? I'm BRCA2 positive and having a bilateral mastectomy on Jan 10th at Faulker with immediate reconstuction. I'm reaching out for as much support as I can and have mostly good days but some bad tossed in. Having a plan is helpful, but I just don't know what to expect with surgery and the recovery.
4 Comments-
Julie99
5 months ago -
Nonnie917
5 months agoJulie: I don't know why your surgeon is limiting your arm movement and I would check into that. My surgeon told me after the mastectomy and after the reconstruction to move my arms as much as possible because the shoulders can freeze up from lack of movement and then you have some real problems. So I would double check on that and make sure you get a good enough explanation as to why the lack of movement and make sure it makes sense to you. I know that saline implants are a little harder than the silicone ones, but the silicone leaks are danerous. They can cause cancer. I had decided that if I was to do implants I would have done saline. So do your research thoroughly on those two implants and make sure you make the decision that is right for you and not what the doctor wants. I am a tall, large framed women who had extra belly fat and that is why I chose the flap reconstruction. It did reduce my tummy size a little and I am happy about that. Diabetics have a tendency towards large stomachs and I had one. It's smaller now, but not small enough. I am trying to lose weight and have had some success. Certain medications I was taking was causing the weight gain. Once I stopped them I started losing weight. I am severly bi-polar and the one medication that was really working were samples given to me by my counselor and it was helping with my appitite control and it was lowering my blood sugar. Really working great only problem was it is a new med on the maket and it cost $584 to fill it for a month and my share of the cost would have been $284. Needless to say I can't affored it and my counselor has been out of samples for almost 3 weeks now. In the mean time I got put on Lyrica to which I am allergic to so the next best thing was Gabebentin and it caused me to pig out so I had to quit taking it. That med is for my fibromyalgia. So I not only deal with the pain of fibromyalgia, incision pain (not completely healed yet on the lower belly) and now a bummed out knee, I feel completely down about everything including my final reconstruction surgery. So you are really blessed and try to remember that when you have some pain from the surgery. Be thankful that they will get all the cancer and I hope you have not had to have chemo or radiation. I didn't so I was blessed in that respect. Caught so early I didn't have to worry about those issues. Please feel free to write anytime you want. I don't know if I was any help to you or not, but I would like to thing I have been some help. I'm here for you so don't orget that. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers during your operation.
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Nonnie917
5 months agoJulie, I don't know if I am BARCA2 positive or not, but I am HER2/neu, PR and ER positive. Which means my daughter and granddaughters are going to have to be extra careful with their lives. My daughter already has a couple of spots the doctors are watching now and my granddaughters will have to start their mammograms at age 20 instead of age 40. Surgery is never fun so do expect some pain and if I was you I would not have moraphine as a pain killer for you to self administer after surgery. It makes me throw up violently so if you have never had it before I would suggest something like Diloten (sp?). Also, talk to your anastic doctor to use the anastectic that has the soy base to it. Works great and very little side affects after you come out of it. I hope this additional information helps you?
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copland16 asked a questionBreast Cancer
As a survivor are you involved in fighting back? Do you volunteer if you are post treatment?
9 answers-
Queen_Tatiana
6 months agoMy husband is the cancer patient and has been fighting cancer for 8 years now. In the past we have volunteered along with our hound dog with a search group here in WA. We also do Relay for Life. This board/forum has been very good for both of us as it offers us a way to help while he is still battling active cancer.
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Ydnar2xer
6 months agoI am still getting chemo but figure I "volunteer" by trying to help others learn about cancer & cancer patients. I've had some friends who know exactly what to say, while others say the )#(*)%est things...like telling me about other friends they had who died from the type of cancer I had! I think lots of people don't know what to say and are nervous, so then they start off on the wrong foot & it gets worse from there! If I can tell my friends about the emotions I feel, what symptoms I'm going through and how they can really help me (if they want), I will. Most of my friends are thankful for the information. I also run a non profit scholarship organization and do Relay for Life every summer I can.
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Daytonagal
6 months agoI have always been active with the ACS first by doing the Bikeathon and now the Relay for Life. I have a team and am on the committee but I am not the Survivor/Caretaker Chair. I am still too close too losing my sister last year and then my dx to be able to speak without breaking down. However I do find being on the committee, I can give a survivor POV.
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copland16 posted an update
I need to stop procrastinating. I am speaking at an event on October 18th...it shouldn't be so hard to tell your story but sometimes it is. This event is for Art beCAUSE Breast Cancer Foundation, they are a non-profit that funds research to eradicate breast cancer. When I was diagnosed I never thought why me or how did this happen; I was too busy dealing with it. But now, almost 2 years out, I want to know why! I want to reduce the impact the environment has on me and my son. I want to eliminate anything that can raise estrogen levels. So many things we consume or use on a daily basis can mimic hormones, estrogen in particular. It makes me mad! Is this why I had breast cancer? Is it because I was pregnant, didn't know/care about BPA, ate food out of canned goods, work in a job that uses thermal receipt tape...so crazy...all of those things can raise your estrogen levels...I had ER/PR positive breast cancer. And while I know I will never know the cause and none of those may be the cause; they certainly didn't help my situation.
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daisygirl wrote on copland16's wall
I had DCIS also. Had lumpectomy, 28 radiation treatments. Now Oncologist wants me to take Tamoxifen. Did you take this drug? Any side effects?
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