I had my lumpectomy at 6:30 in the morning and was home by 2 in the afternoon. I really cannot remember being laid up that much. My surgery was on a Thursday and I actually moved into another house on Saturday. Of course my kids did most of the moving but I directed rather well. Once the steri-strips came off of my incision it was much better. I am told most incisions for a lumpectomy are usually only 3 inches long. My was 6 inches across the whole top of my right breast. Needless to say that was when I decided to go into Northwestern in Chicago. Was not happy at all with what was done in our local hospital.

Like Maria, I had two surgeries, a lumpectomy and the redo. After the first lumpectomy I was ready to go within hours. I went out for sushi that night, and the next day had my bridal shower. Recovery time after the second surgery was much slower, about a week, because along with margins, my doctor took more nodes, 18 total, because from the sentinel node biopsy one was .2mm positive for cancer, and due to my age he didn't want to run the risk of a cell gone rogue, everything was clean.

I had two- second because the margins weren't clear. The first one took me a good 3-4 days to feel okay and get around- couldn't drive for a while- I have a stick shift. But the second one I was up and about in a day or two.

@A MyBCTeam Member I was able to completely rest and take time off right after the surgery. I was in bed and slept on and off for a few days. Did nothing except eat, & use the bathroom. I didn't even read. I watched TV a bit. I didn't want to walk much, but was able to sit at my computer and talk on the phone with people asking how I was. The draining takes quite a while afterwards, many, many days but my surgeon said that each patient is different so you should ask you surgeon because it depends on a lot of factors. I didn't mind emptying the drains at all. Will you have lymphnodes removed at the same time? I had them in a separate surgery later. The pain killers worked well. I was told that the more a patient can bed rest 100% for the first few days the easier it makes the rest of the recovery. I had twilight sleep and not general anesthesia for my lympectomy and sat up on the operating table after the procedure and got off the table with little assistance and into the wheelchair. I was very happy in the recovery room afterwards. I highly recommend twilight sleep. They don't do it for lymph node removal, however, my doctor told me. And that was true for the second surgery. Though that surgery went very well for me too, and that recovery too.

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A MyBCTea...

Thank you ladies!!! I havent had my lymph nodes tested yet but will schedule for all that next week....will keep ya posted.