Breast Cancer Treatment: Coping with a Mastectomy

As women, especially American women, much of our femininity centers on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are photos, billboards, commercials, TV shows and movies featuring women with these beautiful breasts and wide cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts to breast cancer can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there is rebuilding, but will it ever look the same again? Even if you have a rebuild, you will never have a feeling there again, and for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.

I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, even though I wanted to have both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told me it was not necessary. They later found out that she did, as she had the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect and how to get back on track after a breast cancer mastectomy.

The first thing to keep in mind is that, in addition to the emotional aspect of this operation, it is a simple surgery. The breast is mostly made up of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. Removing this breast tissue is much easier than operating an organ, but it has a much greater emotional impact for most of us. Most surgeons will remove as much breast tissue as possible to help ease the chance that breast cancer will recur. You will usually end up with a horizontal scar that is about four inches long. The scar can be reddened for quite some time, but ultimately it should fade to where it can hardly be seen anymore.

Make sure to wear loose, buttoned shirts (raiding your husband’s closet helps) to the hospital, as you won’t be able to raise your arms above your head for a while. You will also need a sports bra and I highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put it on you after surgery. Usually you should be able to stay in the hospital overnight. If your lymph nodes are being removed, a small pillow under your arm will help you feel more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society, as they may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, it can help keep your incision from hurting.

When you wake up, you will have a pair of drainage tubes for each side you have made. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid that your body will make to drain. If you didn’t have them, you would have to aspirate the fluid with a needle. Drains, while not fun, are better than that. These drains will need to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will need to write down the amount of fluid that drains so the doctor knows when you have slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. I clip mine to the sports bra and that way, they didn’t pull when I moved.

When you get home, plan to have someone there to help you for the first few days. You will not be allowed to reach into your cabinets and you will definitely not be able to clean the house or pick up your children, if you have little ones. They will send you home with pain relievers and you will definitely take them if you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you are not in pain, so don’t be afraid to take them as prescribed.

If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom, as you won’t be able to lie down for a while. You will need to sleep in a partially seated position. If you don’t have one, or don’t have room for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work too. That is what I used. Just make sure you have enough pillows to keep you comfortable propped up.

If you want someone who has been there before you visit, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer. This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you up with one of their volunteers who has a similar experience to what you are facing. This woman will come to visit you and will bring you all kinds of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring you a list of exercises that you can start doing to regain your mobility and range of motion.

This is very important. It hurts to stretch your arm up after surgery, but if you haven’t had a reconstruction and it doesn’t start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to lift your arm gently and slowly … letting your body be your guide … the day after surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had a rebuild. If so, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push a little toward where it hurts, but don’t overdo it. Little by little, you will be able to stretch a little more every other day.

Above all, allow yourself to heal both emotionally and physically. Some of us just can’t look at that incision right away. It’s okay. Take all the time you need. I know I felt like some kind of monster without breasts, and even six years later, I still do sometimes. But remember these scars are your battle scars. They don’t make you less of a woman. They make you a warrior.