A week after my surgery I attended the Breast specialist nurse to have my dressing checked and the second drain removed. Just like the first drain a quick cough and it was out. However there was a large amount of fluid draining out of the drain site. There had been a puffiness around the site of the drain over the previous 24 hours and minimal amounts accumulating in the drain itself. This is apparently quite common, the tubing can become a bit ‘gunged’ up. By removing the tube the build up of fluid now had somewhere to go. The fluid was trickling out and down the side of my ribcage. It took the nurse about 20 minutes of very patiently massaging the area to encourage the remaining fluid to escape. Then just like with a TV remote control, she also replaced the batteries in my PICO dressing! Before anyone asks it can’t act as a substitute for the Sky remote when it goes missing….!!
For the next few days I kept looking for the drain when I went to move or stand up, amazing how quickly it had become a part of me. However, no longer having it gave me a lot more freedom. I wasn’t having to disguise it in my coat when I went out for a walk (I would safety pin it onto my top). I found showering much easier with only the PICO dressing to be careful of.
Several days later I had to contact the Breast Specialist nurse as there was a solid lump about the size of a golf ball forming in my armpit. It wasn’t sore but I was aware it was restricting the movement at my shoulder. The nurse asked me to come down to the Breast clinic the next morning. They performed an ultrasound of the area and confirmed it was a seroma (a seroma is a collection of fluid which can collect under the wound or in the axilla following surgery).
Click on this link for more information about Seroma's post breast surgery
Click on this link for more information about Seroma's post breast surgery
They decided it would need to be drained under ultrasound guidance. A needle was inserted into the seroma and fluid was drained from it. They were able to determine there was no infection from the colour of the fluid aspirated. The area improved immediately, the solid lump was now softer and significantly smaller, the range of movement also improved with much less tightness.
Despite my dedication the seroma reoccurred about 4 days later. I reattended the clinic and they repeated the ultrasound scan of the seroma, it had solidified again and was obstructing my shoulder movement. The Radiologist confirmed he wanted to attempt a second aspiration under ultrasound. Again the fluid removed was clear and uninfected. I was to be reviewed by my Surgeon in a week.
I had an appointment to attend the Breast clinic for my results. (The breast tissue removed had been tested to establish how successful surgery was). My surgeon was unfortunately off so I met another Doctor (with no bedside manner and lots of Dr speak, this was quickly addressed by Craig) who explained the tumours had been removed alongside all of my axillary lymph nodes (11 of 13 had cancerous cells in them).
This was all a bit of a shock to be honest. I was overwhelmed by the extent of the spread, despite the initial sign being only that tiny dried pea. She confirmed that I would have a course of Radiotherapy aimed at mopping up any remaining cancerous cells at the wound margins and in the remaining lymph nodes around my collarbone and breast bone. I would meet my Oncologist in the next few weeks for further details of the Radiotherapy plan.
Click on this link for information about Radiotherapy
Click on this link for information about Radiotherapy
This wasn't a big surprise as all along they had mentioned the possibility of Radiotherapy. Despite this, at times it feels like this journey is never ending. Once a stage is completed there is always another new stage just waiting to start. It is mentally exhausting and sometimes it feels like I have lost Lorna somewhere in the middle of it all.
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