Trail Map Notes & Packing List

I had a bit of a set back this past week. I developed a seroma in my right breast, which is basically a fluid filled sack. Fluid build up is the reason why you get drain tubes when you have a mastectomy. Last Wed my left drain tube output was quite low and the right was on it's way down, just not as low as the left. My very compassionate PS, didn't want me to have to suffer with the drain tubes for one more whole week. Especially since I have one week left till I return to work. So he removed both and gave me a fill.

Thursday afternoon came and I felt sharp stabbing pains in what I thought was the drain tube site. Just a teensy little hole but it's probably been the most painful part of this whole surgery. Keep in mind my surgery was less invasive than the average "partial under the muscle surgery". It was excruciating pain. The Norco and ibuprofin weren't touching my pain. I couldn't believe this small little blip of a hole was causing such pain. By Friday morning I had a low grade fever. Which meany there was an infection of some sort. At this point, because it hurt to make any motions on my right side, I had been cradling my right arm. My shoulder and muscles became stiff and I lost a lot of range of motion. I was miserable. I called the nurse and they had me come in for an appt that same day. My mom came and picked me up from my house, as my husband was in a meeting. I was crying the entire time while I waited for her. That's how painful and desperate I felt. Long story short, they discovered with an ultrasound that I had fluid build up around my right expander and that's what was causing all this pain. With the fever, they suspected it might be infected. My drain site was clean as a whistle so it wasn't that. I guess there are a few things I want others, who are or will be going through this situation, to take out of this. These are things no one told me and I didn't really get a feel for from other blogs. Not that it's anyone's fault. It's just different for each person but I'm going to put my knowledge out there in case there's some one else that can use this info:

1. Expectations
1. This is not always a "you only get better every day" battle. Sometimes you take 3 steps forward and then you take 2 backwards. This is huge. You'll get there eventually just as I will but don't worry if 2 days after your surgery you felt like you could do cartwheels and then a week later you want to curl into a ball and die. It'll get better, just be prepared to take some detours.
2. Seromas - Do not push your doctor to remove your drain tubes before they are ready. I know drain tubes are painful and annoying. But you know whats worse? An infected seroma. That fluid has to go somewhere if there's large build ups of it. If it's not going out of your tubes, where's it going? No where, it just hangs out in your breast.
3. The hyper sensitivity- for me it's my upper chest, for my friend J it's her armpits. It is very weird. Feels almost like a sunburn. It's totally normal though. Ask your doctor on how to work on this.
4. Nipple Saving Mastectomies- even though they told you your nipple will survive after surgery, there's always the chance that it MAY NOT. However, if it turns black and feels sort of scaley, don't panic. In my case that black dead skin peeled off. Same thing for my friend J. No one told me that. I was pretty sure my nips were goners. Keep your PS in the loop. And DO NOT PEEL THE SKIN. Since women rarely have any sensation in their nipples right after surgery, you won't know when you're peeling too far. The blackened skin will peel off on its own when its ready and you should have pretty pink new skin under there. If you peel, it'll bleed or ooze and you'll scab again.
5. I don't know if this is just a "me" case but...I had hot and cold flashes after my surgery. I'd randomly get hot flashes in the beginning. Now I'm getting this feeling of deep coldness in my chest. Its a cold I can't touch. I put on layers and I just get sweaty but I still feel cold deep in my chest bones. It goes away but no one told me that might happen!
2. Surgery Bag Packing
1. Tube top dress- Number one necessity for recovering in the hospital. Makes it easy to pull down for the doc to check out your incisions, and pull up to pee. Seriously. You NEED one of these. Forget PJs. Forget the hospital gown. Tube top dress (You can find them in the swimsuit cover up section)
2. Sleep mask & earplugs- ESSENTIAL! 'Nuff said.
3. Lip balm- your lips are parched after not drinking water and having that tube in your mouth
4. Natural deodorant- this isn't for everyone but since I couldnt wear any to surgery I begged my husband to be prepared to swipe me with some the minute I got out of surgery.
5. Face wipes- they're nice to wipe your face, clean off surgical tape gunk, wipe off iodine, etc
6. Slippers & socks- get hard sole slippers that you can slip on to trudge to the bathroom. As for socks, I'd rather have my own socks than the ones they give you in the hospital
7. Undies- I put them on but many women preferred to go commando. This is for you to decide
8. Yoga hair ties and a brush- pigtail braids were the most comfortable for me
9. Snacks- By the time I got out of surgery and they deemed me eligible for solid foods, dinner time was long gone. My best friend's saintly wonderful mother baked me and my husby THE BEST COOKIES ever!!! They had oatmeal and flax in them so they were almost like energy bars. Especially since I had not eaten for 8 hours, they tasted like mana from the gods. (They're mana from the gods even when you're full though fyi)
10. Toothbrush and toothpaste
11. Phone charger and phone ( I also brought my kindle, which probably wasn't necessary because I just slept a lot)

Next post I'll focus on preparing your home and yourself for home recovery.

<3 Rosanna