BRIGHT IDEAS

What are Some Helpful Tips as I Get Ready For and Recover From a Prophylactic Mastectomy?

Bright Idea provided by The Bright Pink Forum Girls

So often, our Bright Pink girls who are preparing for surgery want to hear helpful tips from others who have already gone through the process. So we gathered a lot of the advice that has been shared on the Forum to include it in an easy-to-read Bright Idea here. However, it is important to note that everyone is different and has different experiences as they relate to surgery. What works for one Bright Pink girl may not work for another.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION BELOW REFLECTS INDIVIDUAL’S EXPERIENCES AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ON ANY CARE-RELATED QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

Preparation Pre-Mastectomy
A Few Months-A Few Weeks Before Surgery: Expect to feel lots of ups and downs in the weeks leading up to surgery. At times you may feel comforted and content, at others you may feel anxious and uncertain, and at others, you may feel sad or angry. The key is to let yourself feel. Many girls say that talking to a professional psychologist was invaluable at helping them prepare for the big day. One girl mentioned that now is the time to really take care of yourself, as you would take care of a good girlfriend who was going through a rough time. Another girl said that she “trained” for surgery. She said that leading up to the date, she worked out a little harder and did extra sit-ups to ensure her stomach muscles were strong and ready to stand in for the chest muscles when necessary. “Getting my body strong and ready to go into surgery was very empowering, and kept my mind occupied,” she said. Some days you may have lots of energy and want to move around, socialize, and workout, while others you may feel totally wiped out, lazy, lethargic and unsocial. Don’t push yourself or get mad at yourself. Instead, give yourself permission to truly feel and cope and remember to be good to yourself.

A Few Days Before Surgery: Many girls mention feeling a sense of calm in the days leading up to surgery. Others are still quite anxious and feel restless. In order to prepare for anesthesia, some girls say that cutting or limiting salt and carbonated drinks from their diets really them feel less bloated. Another common piece of advice is to increase the amount of water you consume leading to surgery to ensure your body is hydrated, less bloated and ready for the anesthesia.

The Morning Of Surgery: The night before, be sure to lay out a few key items to bring to the hospital. Some ideas of must-have’s include: comfy socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, a small, soft blanket, and lipstick  Be sure to leave anything expensive that you want to ensure doesn’t get lost or stolen at home. Many girls say that waking up and washing/blowdrying their hair before leaving for surgery made them feel extra ready and clean for the day. Also, many say to remember to also ask your doctor for anti-nausea medicine before you go into the operating room.

Recovery Post-Mastectomy
Overall Healing: Allow yourself as much time as you need to heal. The time it takes one to feel “back to normal” is totally individual. If you experience any complications, don’t beat yourself up, it is just your body adjusting to a big operation. On average, most Bright Pink girls are able to return back to work after 3-4 weeks. Many advise that if able, it is great to go back part-time initially and ease yourself back into things.

Clothing: Soft tops that either zip or button up in front are great. Many girls will go to Target or Kohl’s and buy a few pair of cheap pajamas that if necessary, can be thrown away after recovery. This extra set ensures that if the drain fluid leaks, you won’t ruin your favorite pair of pj’s. Be sure one is sleeveless and one has short or long sleeves. Buy tops over-sized as you will have drains under them and not want anything tight fitting. For bottoms, many girls recommend leggings or loose, draw-string pants.

Drains: Your surgeon will make the call as to the length of time that the drains stay in. For some it is only a week and for others it can be more than two. You will most likely need to empty the drains one to two times a day and record the output for your surgeon. This is a good job for your sister, mom or boyfriend to help with.

Hiding drains: Some people pin them to their sports bra or mastectomy bra, mastectomy belt, or place them in inside pockets. Some Nike hoodies have pockets on the inside, presumably for mp3 players or keys, big enough to fit drains. One girl made drain sized “pockets” out of scrap fabric and sewed Velcro strips onto them and into a few zip-down tops.

Showering: You will most likely need assistance for the first week or so. Some girls recommend having your hair washed and dried at a hair salon for the first few weeks. If your doctor allows you to shower while the drains are in (some do not), one trick a Bright Pink girl discovered is to pin drains to a shoelace around your neck. If you are unable to shower, consider standing in the bathtub and using a cereal bowl to wash yourself “down there.” Some girls are able to gently sit in the tub and take a sponge bath with soap and water or baby wipes.

Sleeping: Expect sleeping to be a bit more difficult- you most likely won’t be able to sleep on your stomach or sides for a while. Some girls have recommended buying a body pillow (e.g. a “Back and Belly” Pillow) or a wedge pillow. Others suggest slipping a pillow under your knees to make sure your back is adequately supported. When getting up from bed, one girl said that she would roll on her side and then, with both hands on the bed next to her, push herself up, so she wasn’t relying on her chest muscles, which were sore.

Eating: A great tip is to make a bunch of food ahead and freeze it. If you feel like eating a lot or not at all, listen to your body. Now is not the time to start that no-carb diet!

Going #2: Do not be surprised if you feel constipated post-surgery. The anesthesia is notorious for slowing everything down. Some girls say that before leaving the hospital, requesting a suppository was helpful in making sure they went home feeling comfortable. Others asked their doctors, or purchased over-the-counter stool softeners to keep everything working as it should. Be careful with laxatives. Often the bloating that they can cause can make you extra uncomfortable.

Entertainment: Stock up on your favorite magazines, break out that stack of books you have been intending to read, rent a bunch of chick flicks, and use the time to re-acquaint yourself to the morning talk-show circuit. But don’t get frustrated, some girls find it hard to get through a book as they can dose on and off, especially in the beginning as the anesthesia is wearing off.

Getting Back to Everyday Things
Recovery times seem to vary widely as do ability to drive, do back to the gym, etc… Ask your surgeon before you start back on an exercise regimen, lift weights, etc… For those who are more active, be sure to not push yourself at the gym. You should start off walking on the treadmill and make sure you are not bouncing at all (elliptical, running) until your doctor allows you to. Additionally, take your doctor’s “lifting” restrictions very seriously. Some Bright Pink girls who have decided to “push it” and lift up a box or their daughter sooner than allowed, were later sorry they did.

Other Helpful Tips
One Bright Pink girl recommended renting a hospital bed. Also, do the post-mastectomy stretches as soon as your surgeon says you can start them as they really help with the soreness. Some ideas can be found at:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_Exercises_After_Breast_Surgery.asp You will feel like a child all over again as you “itsy bitsy spider” crawl your fingers up the wall! Finally, don’t be afraid to limit visitors, especially in the beginning. Even carrying on a 20-minute conversation can be tough, so don’t feel obligated to see everyone immediately after.