Bitty Step Backwards

Well, for all the forward steps I’ve been making, I suppose it’s time for a backwards one. And this isn’t too serious (I don’t think). But I did definitely pull something in my incision. It’s on the left side (opposite of the leaking side) – it is very painful and I can’t really walk now – the skin is pulled very tightly and it looks like there are veins sort of popping out – I can feel something hard under there. I mean, I can walk, but I have to hunch over enough so that I’m not pulling on the incision. The skin looks fine – it’s something underneath there that’s pulling. I spent most of the day in bed except for my doctor’s appt. I might have to do that tomorrow too, although I’m hoping to Skype into a meeting at work. I suppose I could actually do that from bed (ah, the miracles of modern technology). I guess like I said, even though it feels like I’m doing nothing, I’m probably doing too much.

The doctor’s appt at the breast surgeon went well. She said everything looks great and that it is completely normal that I have no pain or soreness in my breasts, but that I do have pain and soreness in my abdominal incision – she says that’s what tends to bother most people. In terms of future surveillance – I just go see her once a year for five years, and then they’ll re-evaluate. No mammos or MRIs. She said any tumor that arises would be at the skin level, so I’d definitely feel it or notice some kind of skin change. I guess it will be nice not to have to do the surveillance, although I’ve become somewhat used to it and I’m not quite sold on the idea of not needing it at all. I just find it hard to believe that there’s not some itty bitty cancer cell that didn’t get scraped away in the whole mess. Sad that this surgery was supposed to ease my mind, but it hasn’t. Perhaps it’ll just take some getting used to.

Search Terms and More on Incision (graphic pic)

I had to post this list of search terms that are leading readers to my blog:

brca2+ blogs 3
flat saggy boobs 1
how much does dr gimbel make 1
ct/mri in the er room 1
upmc mammogram results comments 1

I find the second and third to be somewhat hilarious.

In other news, today I woke up again with gauze soaked through in that same spot on my hip incision. But otherwise, most of the incision really looks pretty healed.

2-inch area of hip-hip incision

This is a huge improvement over what it looked like last week.

Today I see Dr Ahrendt’s PA for my post-op visit. I’m sure it won’t be much of anything, since the plastic surgeon is really in charge of monitoring my progress at this point. I do have a few questions though. I’m still not entirely sure about breast surveillance. Am I still supposed to have mammograms or MRIs? I will also want her to look at this spot on the incision that’s leaking. Even though I trust Dr. Gimbel’s nurse, I would like someone to visually confirm that the spot isn’t actually open all the way through.

Important Post from FORCE

Please check out this important post from Sue Friedman on Progress in Hereditary Cancer Treatment Research.

The Itchies

Have I mentioned yet how itchy I am? In the hospital, it was probably a reaction to the morphine; I also had a fever most of the time I was there so I was hot and sweaty. My mom scratched my back when I asked and it was a great relief.

Now I have the itchies in my incisions and in the drain wounds. I know this means things are healing, but it is terribly frustrating not to be able to scratch! Mostly I’m itchy on my sides under my arms where the drains were. I’m also itchy around my hips toward the edges of the hip-hip incision. I can rub on top of the binder and that helps a bit. But mostly I’m just itchy and there’s nothing that can be done.

Incision Resolution and Arm Pain

So, while I waited for the nurse to call me back, I packed the incision with gauze. Once it soaked through, I just put another piece of gauze in there. After two or three pieces of gauze, the area seemed to dry out and it stayed that way the rest of the day. When the nurse finally did call (at around 1pm – not cool), she said that it was normal and I’d done the exact right thing. She said fluid is always better coming out than staying in, and as long as it’s clearish, then it’s fine. Packing it with gauze and keeping it clean is really the only solution. Phew. I’ve definitely read too many articles about incisions being open for months!

Meanwhile, for the last hour, I’ve had a lot of pain in my right arm. This is the arm in which I had the sentinel node biopsy. My cousin who had this done when she had her mastectomy said it was the worst part – her arm was in the most pain after the surgery from the biopsy and node removal. I hadn’t felt any pain until now, and in fact was starting to wonder if they’d even done the SNB. I thought there’d be an incision in my armpit, but there’s not. I guess they go up and under the skin. My bill shows it listed in the pathology, and Dr. Ahrendt told me that it came back clean, so I guess it was done.

Anyway, my suspicion is that I’m probably doing too much, even though it feels like I’m doing nothing. I spent a lot of time at my desk today, catching up on email and regular mail, working a bit on some small projects. My son was home sick all day, so even though my mom was around, I probably did pick him up too much. I have been trying to exercise my reach by pulling things down from the top of the refrigerator, like my cereal and extra k-cups — probably not the best idea. So I might have stained something in there. Good thing I still have Vicodin left – hopefully two of those and a good night’s sleep and I won’t even notice it tomorrow.