Follow this blog
  A Tale of 2 Boobies
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Breast Cancer
  • Skin Cancer
  • My Travels

My Surgery For Capsular Contractor to Revise Reconstructed Breasts

5/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
When I learned that I was going to need surgery to repair the reconstructed breast that was exposed to the radiation, I think I lasted about 10 minutes (which was the time it took to get from the dr office to my truck in the parking lot) before I googled looking for breast cancer survivors who had gone through something similar.

There's plenty of medical information on all the typical breast cancer sites but I always look for real survivor stories because I want first-hand information, not someone's theory based on statistics.

That being said, this is exactly why I am writing this blog post. Truth be told, my doctor told me the surgery would be similarly as invasive as the expander-to-implant surgery so I re-read my own blog to find out what I could expect for recovery time.  Should this happen to me again (which is not so uncommon), I can take a look back and know exactly how things will play out.

So lets get down to it. This was my 4th surgery due to breast cancer.
1. Double Mastectomy - 12/9/13
2. Chemo Port installation surgery - 12/31/13
3. Expander to Implant surgery - 6/6/14
4. Capsular Contracture - Implant replacement surgery - 5/19/16

On Thursday, May 19, 2016 (2 years and 5 months into my "survivorship"), I had surgery to repair the implant that radiation contracted. (so to speak).  To read the blog post I wrote when I learned all about capsular contracture, click here -->  http://www.ataleof2boobies.com/breast-cancer/capsular-contracture
Picture
Patiently waiting.... cuz we are so patient...
Picture
Goin under the knife at 5:50pm
The surgery was meant to last an hour and I was told I would be given the mask with oxygen, but since the surgery lasted over 2 hours I had to be intubated with the tube. And of course this left me with a very sore throat for 3 days and a fat bottom lip but by Monday all is well again. 

Just after surgery, my doctor came out to talk to Lucia in the waiting room and she writes his words to family and friends waiting to hear:
"So surgery is complete. Doctor said it was the worst he has ever seen in her right breast. She will be in a lot of pain due to the extent of what he had to remove. She is in recovery now and I am still waiting to see her. More updates to follow. - 8:50pm."

I was home by 11:30pm.  I don't do hospital stays and all those drugs make me so sick, I wake up and instantly start begging to go home.
Picture
Beautiful velcro bra and doctor markings all over.
Summary:
After just 2 days, I am on straight motrin for pain. I have 2 incisions underneath the breasts, the  one on the right side is obviously much larger (the trouble side). It throbs a bit and I wonder if there was some nerve damage because I feel the random sharp pains but for the most part, the only major uncomfortability is having to wear the tight sports bra for 2 weeks. Thankfully I was able to remove the velcro bra and shower after 48 hours.  The first pic in this post is just after my first shower. You can see the incision under the right breast, along with the marker lines that my doctor drew on before the surgery, and of course, my chemo port scar located above the left breast.

The worst of all this was Day 2 when I had enough of the CIPRO in my system to make me really nauseous. Thankfully, a call to the doctor and a pop of Zofran and that was over!

I will post before and after pics when I get the 'inside surgery' photos that my awesome doctor took for me. But I can tell you that what you are seeing in this photo is a HUGE improvement from what I looked like just a few days ago.

Thank you Dr. Upadhyaya! When I told you I loved you (about a dozen times) just after I woke from surgery, yes I was very drugged - but I meant it. Thanks for taking such wonderful care of me.

DRUGS FOR RECOVERY:
NOTE TO SELF: Never take Cipro again - side effects are nausea and bad headache - BELIEVE IT.
5-19-16 - 1:00am 4 hours after surgery, took 1 percocet and 800 mg motrin
5-20-16 - 5:40am 800 mg motrin
5-20-16 - 7:00am 1 percocet
5-20-16 - 11:55am 2 percocet
5-20-16 - 1:00pm - 1 AMOX/1 CIPRO
5-20-16 - 5:15pm - 1 percocet and 800 mg motrin
5-20-16 - 9:00pm - 1 AMOX/1 CIPRO
5-20-16 - 10:00pm - 600 mg motrin
5-21-16 - 5:00am - 1 percocet and 800 mg motrin
5-21-16 - 8:00am - 1 AMOX/1 CIPRO
5-21-16 - 3:30pm - 1 ZOFRAN
5-21-16 - 5:00pm - 600 mg motrin
5-22-16 - 2:30am - 600 mg motrin
5-22-16 - 7:30am - 1 AMOX
5-22-16 - 4:00pm - 1 AMOX
5-22-16 - 5:20pm - 600 mg motrin
5-23-16 - 7:30am - 600 mg motrin/1 AMOX
5-23-16 - 1:40pm - 800 mg motrin

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Been There Survived That

    CANCER RESOURCES

    CANCER CALENDAR

    RSS Feed

    POSTS IN ORDER

    All
    001 Feeling A Lump
    002 Biopsy
    003 - Get Organized
    004 Google Before Surgery
    005 Fear Before Surgery
    006 Fundraisers
    007 Photos For You
    008 Hospital Packing List
    009 Mastectomy Surgery
    010 Pain Management
    011 Drains
    012 After Surgery
    013 Girl With Cancer
    014 Chemo Port Surgery
    015 Breast Cancer Benefit
    016 AC Chemo
    017 Hair Loss
    018 3rd Chemo
    019-wig-or-not
    020-chemo-depression
    021-chemo-walker
    022-taxol-anxiety
    023-silent-warrior
    024-health-insurance
    025 Chemo Long Process
    026 Chemo Products
    027 Pamper Yourself
    028 40 Going On 90
    029 Walk With Me
    030 Last Chemo
    031 Expanders Went Flat
    032 Hudson River
    033 My Tractor
    034 Hair Grows
    035 Exchange Surgery
    036 Port Removal
    037 Heaven Can Wait
    038 CureDiva
    039 Radiation Mapping
    040 First Radiation
    041 Radiation #8
    042 Radiation Bell
    043 Radiation Fatigue
    044 New Normal
    045 Radiation #27
    046 Radiation Ends
    047 Last Radiation
    048 Radiation Burns
    049 Final Rad Burn
    050-be-real
    051-ptsd
    052 Weight Gain
    053 MRI Brain
    054 Dear Cancer
    055 CNY Walk
    056 Golf Benefit
    057 Tamoxifen
    058 All About Cancer
    059 Awareness Month
    060 WhatGivesMeStrength
    061 Tamoxifen & Hair
    062 Hair Obsessed
    063 - Cording
    064 Hair Growth
    065 Cancerversary
    066 Connecting With Cancer
    067 Reflecting
    068 Scanxiety
    069 Survivors Guilt
    070 Cancer Photos
    071 Tamoxifen Again
    072 Basket Deliveries
    074 Group Therapy
    075 Capsular Contracture
    076 Reconstruction Repair
    077 Implant Surgery Photos
    078 Magazine Cover
    2014 CNY Events
    2015 Events
    2016 CALENDARS
    2016 Events
    5 Years Later
    BadassBBQ
    Before After Photos
    BOOK OneYearWithCancer
    BOOK - OneYearWithCancer
    CANCER FACTS
    CANCER SONGS
    Chemo Jokes
    CNY Cancer Book
    CNY Resources
    Early Detection
    General Blogs
    Heart Card Campaign
    Inspiration
    Komen 3Day
    New Normal
    Radiation
    Radio Interview 2015
    Reduce Stress
    Statistics
    Tamoxifen

I prefer not to be defined by cancer, but my life has certainly changed because of it.
Today, the simplicity of life and small moments of joy is what drives me.
Thanks for following my journey!