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01-27-2012, 08:30 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: El Paso ,Tx
Posts: 436
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5 weeks still have drains in.
Its been 5 weeks since my recontruction surgery and I still have the drain in. The fluid ranges from 20 ml to 25 ml in 24 hour. Tried to kink the line but the pressure build up was too uncomfortable. I'm thinking the expander is just irratating the skin(which I had radiation on) and hoping that when PC puts the silicone in that it won't irriate it so much and it can heal up. I have one more expansion next week, then should be able to do the exchanged in March when I'm off for spring break. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to the drain until then and hope it stops when the exchange is done.
Suzanne
__________________
 dx: DCIS 6/8/10, HER 2+ 7/26/10; Stage I Age 41
Double mast w reconstruction
6 TCH w 1yr herceptin
Tamox.
25 radiation tx
Removal of expander on L due to infection. Tried to save it had 3 bouts of antibiotics and went to see plastic surgeon 2-3x wk to get drained. Saving it was my idea not his. But lost it anyway.
Reconstruction set for December 21st,2011
Finished chemo 12/2010
Finished Herceptin 8/26/11
Reconstruction 12/21/11
Expanders exchanged for silicon 3/19/12
Nipple reconstruction 5/18/12
Nipple tatooing- 7/9/12- All done yay!
11/22/12-Went back to get scar tissue stretched to even the outside of breast, didn't work due to it being radiated skin.
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01-27-2012, 07:05 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
Snolan,
I feel for you. I didn't have recon, but had drains in for several weeks and then had to go every three days to have fluid drawn for a total of 8 weeks after my mast.
Hang in there and hoping you have relief soon.
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14 YEARS NED!
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01-27-2012, 08:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Lovington, New Mexico
Posts: 100
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
Wow.....that's a bit rough having those drains in for a while. I hope they can come out as soon as possible. I am in expansion now too and look forward to getting rid of these things soon to get the implants put in over spring break...so I won't miss very much work. Surely, there won't be drains with the implants, will there??
__________________
7/25/2011 Diagnosed DCIS and IDC on left from biopsy.
8/9/2011 Bilateral mastectomy
7mm clear margins Stage 1b, grade 3, 0/4 SLN ER- PR+ Her-2/neu +
9/19/2011 Started TCH every 3 weeks, TC for six cycles, Herceptin for 1 year
May all of your dreams bloom like daisies in the sun....
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01-28-2012, 01:45 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 585
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
I was under the impression that you do have drains after the swap, but I could be wrong.
Im so sorry you still have those darn drains in, even after the fills! I got mine out two weeks after the expanders went in. I had three, and I know what a pain those things are. It seems like your totals are close to the point where they remove them..Hang in there!
__________________
Diagnosed in October 2011 Stage IV with metastasis to liver.
January 2012 after double mastectomy, started taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin.
Clear.
December 2012 was diagnosed with five brain mets, and had whole brain radiation.
Around July 2014 two mets in brain, one a residual spot and one new one growing in size. Received Cyberknife on both areas
Clear/NED
April 2015 remain NED
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01-30-2012, 10:40 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 403
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
I don't think you have drains with the exchange surgery but i guess it all depends. There is a whole thread about "implant exchange" on www.breastcancer.org. My last drain came out 3 weeks after the surgery. I had 6 of them. It was in Summer and not fun. I remember hiding those drains under a long skirt so i could go out eat and shopping
__________________
1/11 age 36 DX
ER/PR-, Her2 +
TCH*6, Herceptin
BMX with immediate recontruction 5/2011 Lattismus Flap- Dx stage 3c 10/23 nodes
9/11 Radiation
3/12 Local recurrence to skin stage IV
Whole body scan CLEAR
4/12 Tykerb & Xeolda Skin mets slowly regressing
8/12 PET & Brain CT Clear
5/13 Skin mets progressing
6/13 PET scan chestwall recurrence in contralateral anxillary,internal mammary and ipsilateral subpectoral nodes
6/13 kadcyla
10/13 whole body scan -clear NED. previously resolved skin rash gone but 3 new lesions. Biopsy confirmed for skin recurrence
11/13 to 02/14 tykerb & herceptin
02/14 add abraxane/gemzar, 2 weeks on 1 week off at reduced dose
05/14 whole body PET clear/ brain CT clear but skin mets are getting worse, ready for new chemo
05/14 navelbine perjeta herceptin
07/14 skin mets progressing red rash worse
08/14 wide local excision with diep flap to close wound. Final path shows 2 positive margins showing inflammatory carcinoma Going back to surgery in 2 weeks
09/01/14 resection- clear margins
3 weeks after 2nd surgery, a new nodular rash found near drain incision with 2 small red spots behind the chest wall biopsy on 10/1. Positive for breast cancer
Radiation 11/2014 with xeloda then weekly cisplatin
11/14 brain MRI clean
12/14 finished 33 radiations burnt and very painful. Bedridden for 1 week
12/14 t current Herceptin and perjeta only
02/15 rash on upper back right side skin mets radiation planned
02/15 staring electron radiation *35
Stopped at 30 due to severe skin burn, resumed 10 days later
05/15 red patches appeared in between previously radiated area, skin mets. Ct and brain Mri clear. Simulation planned, radiation to start after trip to Alaska.
05/24 new spot identified in scar line on previously radiated reconstructed breast- electron on both side chest wall area and scar line
07/15 multiple skin and lung recurrence begin halaven
11/15 cough much better but very tired on halaven and starting to see some new red skin blotches-suspicious
11/15 heading to China for immune therapy
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01-30-2012, 10:13 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,173
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
Just my two cents... I did have drains all four surgeries they told me it was standard care. Gods blessings to you.
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01-30-2012, 10:22 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Lovington, New Mexico
Posts: 100
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Re: 5 weeks still have drains in.
I guess I'll find out for sure at my next visit with the PS. I had drains with the mastectomy, only two, and they pulled them out after 10days. I hope the exchange goes as smoothly as the mastectomy. Certainly not fun, but endurable. I had some cording too, but most of that is gone now, and I have almost full range of motion. It gets better, right? And we learn to live with whatever reconstruction or not we decide upon.
__________________
7/25/2011 Diagnosed DCIS and IDC on left from biopsy.
8/9/2011 Bilateral mastectomy
7mm clear margins Stage 1b, grade 3, 0/4 SLN ER- PR+ Her-2/neu +
9/19/2011 Started TCH every 3 weeks, TC for six cycles, Herceptin for 1 year
May all of your dreams bloom like daisies in the sun....
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