Breast Reduction: Stories

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Breast Reduction Post Surgery Problems - Mississauga, ON

NanaLyn
posted 10 months ago
updated 9 months ago

Worth It
Cost: $1,800
Mississauga, ON

Well, I didn't find this site until after my...

17 Jul 2012

well, I didn't find this site until after my surgery. I wish I had known about it beforehand but better late than never I guess!!
I started posting under someone's else's review not knowing otherwise, so some of you already know about me.

I am 65 years old and wondered whether I was too old to do this now after putting it off for years. To be honest......I love to travel and when I worked I didn't want to use my vacation time for recovery!!! So when I retired this was my gift to myself I had my surgery on June 19th, the whole thing , from seeing my GP for a referral to getting an appointment with a PS to getting the okay from OHIP to pay for it to my surgery day took eight weeks. So I didn't have much time to fret too much about it.

My problem now is that I am not healing very well, so many different people at the hospital asked me beforehand if I was a fast healer....I said as far as I know I am, if I get a cut on my finger it's started healing by the next day!!!........what I wanted to say was "how the bloody hell do I know I have never timed myself"....lol

As of today I am at the four week mark and I have to have three holes in my wounds packed every other day and when I woke up this morning one part of my left breast was so sore, when I took my dressing off there is an open sore on my areola, the nurse at the clinic didn't know why it had suddenly appeared and today was very painful getting my wounds dressed. I saw my GP yesterday and among other things she gave me a different antibiotic and took two swabs off my left breast ( which is the worst one). I see my PS again on Friday.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has had similar problems. I do not regret having the surgery, my right boob seems to be healing now and I love the size of it.

Saturday July 28th I am feeling so much better,...

28 Jul 2012

Saturday July 28th
I am feeling so much better, just because I went to see my PS yesterday and he at last agreed to let the nurses pack 3 holes with the silver product they have. I started this morning and I will go alternate days for packing. I asked him to take a look because he had never really looked at it before, he also took a swab of the one hole. I go back to see him in ten days.
He told me that it will take four weeks and then I will be back to normal (6 weeks post op on Tues). So here's looking forward to four weeks from now......

61/2 weeks and before I went to the home care...

5 Aug 2012

61/2 weeks and before I went to the home care (CCAC) this morning I took my dressings off to shower and the silver tape that they pack with came right out with the dressing. The nurse at home care confirmed my suspicions..............the holes must be healing inside and pushing the tape out.......hooray, hope we're both right. Hubby who always inspects carefully with the nurse said everything is looking better. I go to see the surgeon again on Tuesday and I will let you know what he says.
On the way home I stopped and bought some Mederma (sp) for the scars. I want to start using it as soon as I have healed.

Went to see my PS today and I am healing at long...

7 Aug 2012

Went to see my PS today and I am healing at long last, they took some measurements and the holes are NOT as deep as they were. He thinks that in two weeks when I see him again, I will be all healed......Yaaaayyyy
To celebrate I bought myself some sexy low cut pj's, which hubby loves. Still cannot try on bras but it wont be long now. :):):)

Hi,....Well, I am still not healed yet. For some...

18 Aug 2012

Hi,....Well, I am still not healed yet. For some reason after my last visit to my PS and he told me that everything would be healed in two weeks, my healing stopped and the holes started getting deeper again. They are the deepest they have been right now...3cm and 31/2cm. I am determined to not let it get to me, I have no pain at all but I have a couple of hard lumps on my leftie, the one the holes are on. I do have an open sore underneath my right breast but it is just surface and the nurse dresses it.
I am sitting out on my deck (in the shade) topless hoping the air will help and I go back to see my PS on Monday.

Great review?

Comments (33)

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suzanne55 20 Sep 2012

Hi...Nanalyn,I'm from Mississauga and I'm having a breast reduction and lift oct 25th.
I'm so nervous and scared. After reading about the problems you had I am freaking out we may have the same PS.Mine is kind of cold and doesn't have a great bedside manner. He does do it out of the hospital which makes me feel better. Hope you are feeling better.

NanaLyn 24 Aug 2012

Hi, just thought I would let everyone know how I am doing. went to see my PS last Monday and he discharged me from home care he said he wants no more packing and for me to just put ointment on everyday for ten days and then nothing for ten days and then go and see him. He said it will be all healed by then.....
The nurse at the hospital said she wasn't sure he was doing the right thing and if I had any problems to contact him and the nurses at home care were saying the same..... But guess what?
They are healing, the holes are almost closed and everything feels good. I am looking at this in a positive way and I am determined I will be healed when I see him again in just over two weeks. Hubby took me shopping and bought me the most beautiful watch as a celebration!

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 25 Aug 2012

YAY! Progress!

Piggles70 19 Aug 2012

NanaLyn:

You're in the right hands, you're doing all the right things, inuding letting some air get at these wounds. You are miles and MILES ahead of where you were several weeks ago. Thus IS another setback, but because you've got so many people looking after you, this will NOT last as long as it did the first (few!) times. THIS WILL GET BETTER. You won't be writing these updates at Halloween; just remember that :)

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 18 Aug 2012

Darn it, Nana! I'm so sorry that you are having these problems! I'm confident that this will pass quickly for you. My hugs and prayers are being sent for you!

NanaLyn 18 Aug 2012

Thankyou Iowa71 appreciate the hugs and prayers. I will let you know what the PS says on Monday.

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 7 Aug 2012

WooHoo, Nana! I'm thrilled that you are seeing such drastic improvement! I can't wait until you are able to really appreciate the gift of reduction!

Piggles70 7 Aug 2012

Yay NanaLyn! Now you have to be very careful these next 2 weeks! We're not allowing ANY setbacks!!

NanaLyn 5 Aug 2012

Thank you Self love and Iowa71, for your kind words.....YES, at long last I feel good, I even changed my comment from "not sure" to "worth it" on my review this morning.
I honestly dont think I would have gotten through these six weeks and remained 'SANE' without the support and laughs I got from this site. xx

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 5 Aug 2012

Hip-Hip-Hooray! You are on the right track now, Nana!

Se1f 1ove 5 Aug 2012

NanaLyn, it's been too long since I checked into your story! Sounds you have had a real rollercoaster and one jerky PS. Thank goodness for those awesome nurses and your loving husband. Everything heals eventually and you are hanging in there like a champ. Sending you big cyber hugs and lots of encouragement!

Piggles70 1 Aug 2012

NanaLyn:

Talk to us! You can't go 3 days without letting us know how you are - lol!! Any progress with your nasty spots?

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 28 Jul 2012

Whew! So glad you finally got some cooperation from your PS. Sounds like you did the right thing by insisting that he take a good look at you and give you the attention you deserve!

Piggles70 28 Jul 2012

FINALLY, the entire team is on the same page! You can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel now NanaLyn! Yay!!!!!!!!! Very, very relieved and happy for you. Soon you can actually start ENJOYING those bad boys!!

Piggles70 28 Jul 2012

Update us when you can NanaLyn! How are those nasty areas doing?

NanaLyn 24 Jul 2012

Hi Piggles, well when the nurse took my dressings off this morning both she and hubby decided the hole in the right one is a lot better. She took a measurement of the left one and the top hole is now 2cm deep and she thinks it is tunneling towards the one on the bottom.....she said "now don't freak out" which of course is exactly what I am doing. Once again she is going to write a note to my PS lets hope he's in a better mood this Friday.
I hope all goes well with you tomorrow and look forward to hearing how you feel about your new little boobies. xo

Piggles70 24 Jul 2012

Well NanaLyn, 50% positive update from you then! We'll take it! The good news is that you're obviously in good hands with the nurses, so hang in there. This WILL resolve with time, rest and patience. It's tough to keep that in mind though, I'm sure. :)

Piggles70 24 Jul 2012

Hi NanaLyn! Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing and, as importantly, how you're feeling? Hope things are getting better bit by bit :)

NanaLyn 23 Jul 2012

Ladies, thank you all for your concern. I went to the clinic this morning for a new dressing and the head nurse who I hadn't seen since Thursday thought that my wounds looked a little better and there was not as much seepage as there had been.
This afternoon my GP said that another surgeon would not take on someone else's problems. She did not have the results back from the swabs she took last week but she said that the odour had gone and she also thought it looked better than it did a week ago.
She had been concerned about my depression but was glad to see I was better in that aspect this week and she said that she was happy that I was seeing the nurses everyday because she said they would say if there was any change. So she said because she wasn't a wound specialist and she would not be able to get another surgeon to take me on she thinks I should just stay where I am for now and see how it goes in the next week or so. She also said if I needed her to go back at any time, but she felt good leaving me in the hands of the nurses.......I must admit I do feel better today and thank you all again for your concerns. I will keep you updated.

wilsongt 23 Jul 2012

Hi Nanalyn, I just found your posts through Piggles page. I am so sorry you have been through such a rough recovery. I am 50 and today marks my 6th week post op. I have had my share of hiccups as well. Just when you think you have gotten over the hump, another issue seems to pop up, or open up, as it were. Hope you get good advice from your GP. I concur that a new PS may be the answer. Keep us updated.

WestCoastgirlinPA 23 Jul 2012

NanaLyn: I have been keeping up on your recovery from Piggles page. You poor thing. :( "Hiccups" in recovery can be so frustrating..causing a whole bunch of rollercoaster emotions! I would DEF seek out a new PS. He really has left you no choice in the matter. And the fact that a nurse is also telling you to get a new one..is something else! Just keep your head up, and know that you WILL get better. (((HUGS)))
XOXO WC

NanaLyn 21 Jul 2012

The appointment with my PS yesterday was disappointing, he seemed angry that the nurses at the clinic has asked him to change the product he wanted them to use. I told him that my GP had given me different antibiotics and he said I did not have an infection and there was no need to take antibiotics!! He said yes, I would be in pain and it would take probably another month to heal!!! He did change my meds from Tylenol 3 to Percocet. All this after looking at my wound for perhaps ten seconds at the most, in four and a half weeks since surgery he's probably looked at it for a total of 30 seconds!!!
He sent a note back to the nurses to dress my wounds with just Flamazine everyday for the left one and every other day for the right. When the nurse at the hospital was dressing my wound after he left, she did a measurement of the holes and she said the one hole was very deep and needed packing she went to ask him if it was okay to pack it and he said.....no, just put the cream on,....she was amazed.
At the clinic this morning the nurse held my hand and made me promise I would go and talk to my GP about him and see if she could get me changed to another PS. she said it is my body he is messing around with.........and shes right.
I see my GP on Monday and I will chat with her about him, but I dont want to delay my healing by waiting for another PS....what to do?....what to do?

Piggles70 21 Jul 2012

NanaLyn:

I'm sure if you GP recommends and refers you to another PS, you'll be seen next to immediately. You won't have to wait weeks or anything like that. In the meantime, between your GP and the lovely nurses, I'm sure they can keep your wounds stable, if not start them healing. Tell your GP EVERYTHING...including the T3 changreto Percocet AND how confused you are at the moment about how many different instructions etc. you are getting.

She'll get you all sorted out, I bet. :) Let us know what hapens at Monday's appointment. :)

Iowa71 (RealFriend) 21 Jul 2012

Oh, Nana, I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this. I think it is a good idea to check with your GP. If you are uncomfortable with what the PS is telling you then there is no reason to go back to him. You certainly deserve a second opinion and I'm sure if your GP agrees with the Home Health Nurse that you could get an order from the GP that they could follow for your treatment. Wishing you the very best of luck!

Piggles70 19 Jul 2012

NanaLyn:

Don't hesitate to also ask him for more pain meds if you're out or if the ones you have aren't doing the trick. You'll heal faster if you're not in pain and able to get some good sleep. Let us know how your appointment goes tomorrow. Thinking of you.