Mastectomy Recovery: What to Expect and How to Regain Strength

[@roselucht4583]

Two weeks ago I had my double mastectomy with 13 lymph nodes removed 7 of them had carcinoma within them. Thank you for adding if you’ve had the start of reconstruction, you’ll have more pain, I definitely have more pain. I have the expanders in.I still have my drains hope to have them out by early next week ( after two consecutive days of having less than 25 mls of fluid in my drains. I love listening to you on you tube as the information you share is vitally important and useful. Thank you!

[@RoseGarden86]

Wish you the best of luck on your remaining treatment 🙏

[@yerbba]

Thank you for taking the time to write. Yes, indeed. More surgery leads to more pain. We are wishing you the best for the removal of your drains and the next steps.

[@justcomment8516]

Thank you, Dr. Griggs, for this informative video. I had single mastectomy with lymph node removal from the breast area and the armpit, 11 lymph nodes, 5 positive. Had a physiotherapist show me some exercises I can do already a few days after surgery and a breast care nurse highly recommended nordic walking to get the heart rate up and train my arm and shoulder, and running. Started yoga and weight lifting 6 weeks after surgery. It took me several months to regain full range of motion and a bit over a year to also get rid of all the discomfort in armpit and shoulder. Still full numbness in the areas where lymph nodes were removed, but I'm used to the thought that it might be forever and it doesn't bother me at all as I am the only one knowing about it🙂

[@yerbba]

It’s great to hear that you’re staying active and taking steps to regain your range of motion after your single mastectomy and lymph node removal. Walking, yoga, and weight lifting are excellent choices for recovery. Full numbness in the areas where lymph nodes were removed is common. Thank you for sharing your experience and tips with the Yerbba community.

[@naththomas9946]

Thank you, Dr Griggs, for supporting breast cancer and medical advice about mastectomy.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching. We hope you found this video helpful.

[@CarolynHeldon-fl3to]

Very good video. I had bilateral mastectomy just over a year ago and have no lymph nodes under my right arm from previous surgery 6 months before. I was strong before my cancer diagnosis with lots of weight and cardio training and I am glad as my first surgery was super quick. I ended up being allergic to silicone so the drains gave me horrendous hives and the right drain was in for 19 days. I’m was doing ok until about 6 weeks ago when my left clavicle has been painful so now CT scan led to PET scan which led to an MRI. Still not sure exactly what is happening, cancer may have moved to the bone, but my arm mobility has been impacted so I am super vigilant for lymphoedema signs.

[@yerbba]

You’ve been through a lot, and it’s impressive how tough you've been. Allergic reactions and extended drain times sound really hard. We hope the scans provide clear answers about your shoulder pain soon. Thank you for being part of the Yerbba community!

[@CarolynHeldon-fl3to]

@@yerbba Thanks, it’s been a tough 19 months. Hoping for more clarity on the clavicle pain on Fri when I see my oncologist.

[@mctaylor8465]

Thank you Dr. Griggs..i had a a bilateral flat(no reconstruction)mastectomy..pain was manageable..drains were another story..they kept getting clogged with loose tissue..then needed a lymph node dissection, another drain,, it was removed and saroma developed feeling like a squishy baseball, aspirations for month resolved..PT..encouragement to do exercises you recommended..then 2 yrs later it was determined additional surgery to remove all tissue to chest wall, cording develped saroma develped lasted 5 months, aspirations, drains..exercising limited..unfortunately the exercising was difficult to do..fortuantely i was able to stretch arm 7/8 of the way straight..able to play golf!!🙂..unfortunately i now have a shoulder bone spur, partially torn rotator cuff, some lymphodema, much more painful to sleep, still have cording, but i still play golf..which i think helps !!❤ your encouragement to exercise is right on!!🙂🙂🙂 note: 14 yrs ago they did not indicate lifting, stretching, for 8 weeks..maybe due to dissections 3 wks after initiall surgery. Thank you for reading!!

[@yerbba]

Thank you for sharing your story here with the Yerbba community. You are super motivated, and we're sure you'll give other people hope. We love it when a research study blows myths out of the water.

[@mishka_bear]

I'm glad you mentioned prehabilitation. Throughout my cancer treatment I was lucky to be able to work with a personal trainer to keep up my conditioning. The two weeks before my double mastectomy, she had me do so much core exercises - bird-dogs, dead bugs, glute bridges, side crunches. That made a huge difference after surgery, because it meant I could get up from the bed or move myself in it without using my arms as support. We also did standing stability exercises and split squats. Those helped me be able to pivot myself and get out of the car without relying too much on my arms for support in the early days post-op.

[@yerbba]

It's wonderful to hear how prehabilitation made such a positive impact on your recovery. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Yerbba community!

[@kellileung6741]

Very useful information. Thank you..

[@yerbba]

We appreciate your positive feedback!

[@rabbitgirl42]

I was diagnosed with an "aggressive" grade 3 ER+ BC with 6 axillary nodes affected. I have had resolution of the cancer in my breast and nodes. My surgeon initially thought I could get by with a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. The hospital Tumor Board, however, has recommended a mastectomy. I will still be able to preserve my lymph nodes d/t radiation treatment. Thank you for this informational video.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for sharing your story. It's great to hear that you've had a resolution of the cancer in your breast and nodes. You highlight the problem of using the word "aggressive" when describing a cancer. To our mind, that term can only be used when we see how the cancer behaves in the body and how well it responds to the treatment rather than what it looks like under a microscope.

[@DarkEagle895]

I have 3 more Abraxane infusions left, then I will get 3-4 weeks rest before my unilateral mastectomy. Even though my surgeon typically takes the sentinel nodes, I am refusing any lymph node removal. Thank you for confirming my thoughts regarding pre-surgery preparation. I intend to take up German Longsword.

[@yerbba]

It sounds like you have a solid plan. German Longsword sounds like an interesting and empowering activity. Best of luck with your surgery and recovery.

[@karenalexander1579]

Thank God I had no pain. The pain medication was very strong. Had a mastectomy on right breast and reconstruction with body tissue. I did start with some light exercises after 2 weeks and increased gradually with

[@yerbba]

It’s great to hear you didn't experience significant pain. Starting light exercises after two weeks and gradually increasing sounds like a good approach. Keep up the good work with your recovery!

[@nayegomez4391]

Is it absolutely necessary to get lymph nodes removed for Stage 1, grade 1 ER/PR positive HER2- that’s only 9mm big? My mom got a mastectomy 4 weeks ago and only got lymph nodes removed on the right breast because they knew she had cancer there. Unfortunately final pathology showed invasive cancer in the left breast as well that they didn’t know about 😢 so no lymph nodes were removed on that side, so we don’t know if there’s lymph node involvement on that side. According to breast surgeon, she can’t get a SLNB anymore since she no longer has breast tissue. I’m so worried 😭 I don’t want her to get an ALND

[@yerbba]

This is really frustrating, and she is fortunate to have you. Some studies have shown that sentinel nodes can be identified by injecting the dye or the radioisotope in the area of the surgical scar. The need for a lymph node assessment will be based on her age and the tumor characteristics (hormone receptor status in particular). We encourage her to visit yerbba.com to learn more about her personalized treatment options.

[@safaalriyami4643]

Can you speak about frozen shoulder from mastectomy years after the surgery

[@yerbba]

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, can occur due to scar tissue formation and restricted movement after surgery. It's important to engage in gentle stretching and physical therapy to maintain shoulder mobility. Working with a physical therapy or occupational therapist can help a great deal. You may find our recent video about mastectomy recovery tips to be helpful, where we provide more details on this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6LXgKN7qbaGqrs.

[@reginajeter9595]

Thank you💖💖💖

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching and being part of the Yerbba community!