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Chelee · 12-17-2010, 03:28 AM

Pam,
I looked thru my notes and see it took 31 days post-op before I was taking my 1st baby steps without my walker. I used crutches instead of my walker at times too...I could get around much faster that way. Especially to my appts. I know you have to deal with lymphedema so I'm not sure that's an option for you? Then I graduated to a cane and that was great getting away from the crutches and walker.

I recieved no PT for some reason? I might have been off the walker a little sooner had I had PT...who knows? So I can tell you it was a month I had to use my walker--and continued using my cane for another month. Total two months before I was walking on my own with little to no hip pain by that time.

Like I told you in my PM...same thing michka is saying. Don't be shy about the pain medication. When you leave the hospital you will think the pain isn't too bad...but that's because the morphine is still working. It's once you get home and the morphine wears off you want to be prepared and have some good pain meds handy. The trick is to stay ahead of your pain...don't wait till it starts getting bad. So be very pro-active and adamant that you want a script for some strong pain meds before you leave! (Your going to need them, I found out the hard way.) I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Chelee

12-17-2010, 03:28 AM	#7
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Re: new development surgery on Saturday Pam, I looked thru my notes and see it took 31 days post-op before I was taking my 1st baby steps without my walker. I used crutches instead of my walker at times too...I could get around much faster that way. Especially to my appts. I know you have to deal with lymphedema so I'm not sure that's an option for you? Then I graduated to a cane and that was great getting away from the crutches and walker. I recieved no PT for some reason? I might have been off the walker a little sooner had I had PT...who knows? So I can tell you it was a month I had to use my walker--and continued using my cane for another month. Total two months before I was walking on my own with little to no hip pain by that time. Like I told you in my PM...same thing michka is saying. Don't be shy about the pain medication. When you leave the hospital you will think the pain isn't too bad...but that's because the morphine is still working. It's once you get home and the morphine wears off you want to be prepared and have some good pain meds handy. The trick is to stay ahead of your pain...don't wait till it starts getting bad. So be very pro-active and adamant that you want a script for some strong pain meds before you leave! (Your going to need them, I found out the hard way.) I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.