Sunday, January 13, 2008

seroma

The miracle breast is really a “seroma” – a not uncommon complication following mastectomy. During the surgery my skin was lifted from my chest wall to remove the breast and the lymph nodes. Then when the skin was laid back down, there was a “space” between the skin and the chest wall, and it filled with fluid. The drains removed this fluid and then the skin was supposed to re-attach to the chest wall. Except sometimes this doesn’t happen right away. I guess the skin is pretty inflamed and needs some time to heal.

I had my 2nd drain in for 2 weeks. Drains can’t stay in forever. There is risk of infection, and they are so damn gross and uncomfortable. So the doctor had to make a judgement call. When my 2nd drain was removed, the serum continued to fill the “space”, resulting in a blister-like swelling that goes from my back, around under my arm to under my non-breast. It tends to be sore and annoying. Last night I woke up with little shooting pains just under my non-breast.

I still cannot wear a bra of any kind. Thank God (or thank you, Sue) for the little mastectomy camisole that I have been wearing every day for 4 weeks now.

Last Friday (10 days ago), Dr. Rimmer said that my body would reabsorb the seroma in a couple of weeks. Hmmmm. I don’t see it getting any smaller.

On Tuesday I go to Dr. Lickstein for my first injection of “new breast”. I wonder what that will be like, and I wonder what he will say about the seroma.