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Posted 4/29/2005 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Jan S, 66 in Mobile, Al. Married 40 years May 19,2005, had 10 wonderfull children (his, mine & ours). Just dx...& after having delays because of the heart Dr. have an appointment Tues. with the surgeon to "get this show on the road". Have no idea what's ahead of me......

Post Edited By Moderator (Admin) : 5/24/2005 1:48:16 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/29/2005 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
We will walk the road with you, Jan. No matter what is ahead, you have friends and support here. Don't hesitate to come here with your questions, concerns, frustrations and of course, good news, too. Feel free to jump into any conversation. This is a friendly group of gals, but you have probably already figured that out. :-) Warm hugs, Lauri

Posted 4/30/2005 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jan, welcome! Wow, 10 kids! BC will be a breeze compared to that! Seriously though, as Lauri said, we're here for you. There are so many different stories here that one may be similar to yours. Or take bits and pieces from our experiences to help you make sense out of yours. I am 36 and had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads, now finishing my 5 years of Tamoxifen. This is a frightening time, and the fear of the unknown can be worse than the actual treatments....ask whatever you want and tell us whatever you can, we'll be here for you!
Lori
Posted 4/30/2005 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jan,

I am a 7 year survivor this May. You have an adventure ahead. Try to stay positive. Keep people around you that make you smiile. Take a tape recorder or someone who can help hear all the info to drs appointments. It's hard to take it all in.

Visit here as often as you need. These ladies are so knowledgeable and loving. And someone has been right where you are at anytime during this adventure.

Hugs,
Angela
Posted 5/2/2005 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
I am thinking about your appointment tomorrow with the heart doctor. You have a lot on your plate right now and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs MK
Posted 5/3/2005 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
Jan, we will all be here for you for as long as you need us. You might want to check the "Roll Call" at the top of the home page for stats about the rest of us, if you haven't already. 10 kids! Wow! I always wanted a huge family. Anyway, We're here for you. I'm sending prayers your way.

Hugs,
Rita
Posted 5/4/2005 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
mnlady, tavish, ADula, gma, Thanks for your replies & good wishes ! ardee..lol, I thought I was posting on the "roll call" board but instead made another post. I already made a post "just found out I have breast cancer" earlier. Trying to keep my head on straight is taxing these days...lol...but I know I'm not the only one here that is struggling. This is a GREAT bunch of people with problems too. I found out today that I will have the mastectomy on my right breast Tuesday May 10 at noon. I have to get off Plavix for 6-7 days & I have an appointment with the heart Dr. Friday for more tests, then hopefully get it over & done with. Wish everyone else good luck in what they are going through.....Jan
Posted 5/4/2005 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
OK So you are cleared for surgery on the 10th? We will all be there in spirit, flying on the PCE. Expect us with our boas and pink clothes and feathers flying. We will support you in any way we can. Hugs MK
Posted 5/23/2005 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
ok girls, I can now join the club...lol. Had my right mast. done on the 10th & can now relate to some words here...drains, sore arms, etc. Do most people go home the next day ? I had it done Tuesday, & was discharged Wednesday. I would not have thought anything about this except Thursday night I had a heart attack & was admitted back in the hopital on the heart floor & the nurses there could not believe that I had had a mastectomy 2 days before & had gone home. The heart attack was cause by me being very low on blood, so after 5 more days in the hospital for that, I am now home dreading (but wanting) to get the staples out Wednesday.
Best Wishes to Everyone !

Jan
Posted 5/23/2005 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, Jan! What a nightmare! Soooo glad you are on the mend again, but sorry you had such troubles! I did not have a mast, but I think it is common to go home that quickly.

Thanks for coming back here to tell us how you are doing...
Lori
Posted 5/23/2005 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
The State of Texas mandates a minimum 48-hour stay in the hospital. Then, you would be surprised how many people have problems with the anesthetic and end up having to stay 4-6 additional days. (My surgeon told me that I would have this problem.)

My insurance company considers it outpatient surgery but not here in Texas. I have had bilateral mastectomies and even after the time I spent in the hospital, I still had drainage tubes when they sent me home. I could have done without those.

My personal opinion is that they did send you home far too soon but even if you had been in the hospital, would they have caught the low blood sugar? Are you also a diabetic?

Hugs, Jo-Ann
Posted 5/23/2005 5:21 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Jan! It is good to hear from you. I am so sorry that you had all of those problems. Sounds to me like your heart specialist and surgeon and the rest of your medical team weren't communicating w/ each other on your behalf. When I had my mastectomy, I was discharged before 24 hrs. We call if "drive thru surgery". There are bills in Washington D.C. to stop drs from discharging women in less than 24 hrs, but so far hasn't passed. grrrrrrrr   Unfortunately, Mo is not as smart as Tex, when it comes to caring about women's health. I believe that I would have a "talk" w/ my surgeon and other medical team members and make sure that they don't let this happen to another woman they are caring for. As for the staples, that will be the easiest procedure yet. Nothing to it! Maybe a little pull or tug here or there but really a piece of cake.

Let us know how you did. Hope that your healing is going well.

Gentle hugs...Deb

Posted 5/23/2005 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jo-Ann, oh I was ready to go home when they discharged me (in my mind). The problem that sent me back was that I was anemic & my my blood pressure was extremely low. They ordered 4 units of blood, but because of my blood type (o-negative) could only get 2, so they gave me that...which helped. The good thing was I was back in the hospital..with the 2 drains, that slowed to nothing. The heart Drs. got the surgeon to remove them so they could do a heart cath, so I didn't have too much trouble with the drains. I do have diabetes & we were upset because it kept being over 300. I could not eat much ( in fact, had dropped to 101 lbs.) We were still trying to get them to get the insulin dosages right when I got discharged the second time. I "think" if you are not sick when you go in a hospital, it's a good chance you will be when you get out. All in all, I'm so very glad just to be home......Jan
Posted 5/23/2005 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
I am just sick that this happened to you. What is wrong with a doctor who would send a patient home who has a heart condition? I remember you had to even get approval from the heart doctor to have the mastectomy in the first place. I am boiling mad, ready to come down there and give someone a real piece of my mind, what is left of it. LOL. darn I am angry. And I am so sorry for you to have to deal with this. We should have been there in the hospital with you watching over you. I am sending prayers that you suffer no ill effects from this stupid doctor's negligence. Sounds like potential lawsuit material to me. Please take care of yourself and rest all you can. Big gentle hugs and lots of prayers, MK
Posted 5/24/2005 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Jan,

 

WOW, what a thing to have happen.  I went home the same day of my mast.  That was 3 weeks after I had had a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed.  The first time I stayed overnight only because I asked for pain meds and the surgeon thought I should stay.  I was lucky not to have any complications.  Having the staples removed isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Take care.

 

L & H,

Posted 5/25/2005 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
You know, I've been thinking about this thread for 2 days. I can't understand why the hospital would even consider sending a patient home before 48 hrs. In my mind discharging 48 hrs. after major surgery and a mast. surely is MAJOR, is ridiculous, but sending someone home the next day is barbaric. The 1998 Women's Health Care Act is a national law. Doesn't that mean that every state has to follow it? That law guarantees at least a 48 hr hospital stay AND mandates that reconstruction be covered by health insurors.

Jan, that fact that you had a pre-existing, dx'd heart situation even more clearly indicates the need for at least the 48 hr stay. What's happened to you is cruel and disrespectful of you. I'd think real hard about pursuing this further when you're feeling up to it. Sounds like someone read your chart with both eyes wide-SHUT.

about your O-negative blood: with a blood type like yours, why didn't the hospital send out an SOS to area blood banks BEFORE your surgery? All right, they didn't know you were going to need add'l blood, but whatever happened to being prepared??? Gosh, do we have to think of everything ourselves???

I'm so disgusted with the medical profession in general, but this story literally makes me sick to my stomach. I'm sending you my prayers and gentle hugs. Hoping you start to feel better soon. Hugs, Luci
Posted 5/25/2005 4:31 PM (GMT 0)

Luci: I agree with you. Here is something that happened to a member of a diff bc bd that I hosted. She was in her late 20's. Had just had a bilateral mast and was on her way from the east coast to MD Anderson for reconstructive surgery. She still had the drains in. When she got to the airport, she informed the tkt agent of her surgery, showed letters from her surgeon as well as MD Anderson. This was suppose to help her get thru the checkpts and onto the plane easier. NOT! An agent at the checkpt kept questioning and doubting her story. She finally took her aside (not in a private area) and demanded to see for herself that my friend had had surgery. She was ordered to unbutton her blouse. This gal begged the agent to please read the letters and/or look at her scans. They refused. So, she had no option but to do as they said. She was humiliated, furious, ashamed, etc. The last that I heard the airline never did apologize. She had an attorney but wasn't sure that she had the strength to go thru a trial. Now, do you think that if it had been a man he would have had to go thru the same humilitation?

Deb

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