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Original poster

is anyone awake? I'm going to have surgery for a breast abscess in the morning and I'm terrified

21 replies

oranges · 15/10/2012 03:10

A month ago I was fine, then I had this huge, really huge lump in my breast. I'm not breastfeeding and don't smoke. The doctor was baffled as to what it was. I had a biopsy and its not cancer, thankfully, but it turned into an abscess. And now there are several of them and the only way to get rid of them involves surgery. But I'm terrified its going to be awfully painful. And now I can't sleep.

OP posts:

DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved · 15/10/2012 03:14

on my way to bed but couldn't read and run - poor you. they'll put you under general anaesthetic surely? and pain meds after? sounds scary but its great its not cancer and you get to get rid of them tomorrow... but basically, poor you, try to get some sleep xxx

Original poster

oranges · 15/10/2012 03:21

I'm just so scared that its caused by something sinister. And I've had to organise so much sodding childcare. I just wanted someone to take over the whole thing and promise me that everything would be taken care off. I think that if I were on my deathbed my family would stand there asking me to organise my own funeral (can you tell this is turning into a mini rant?0
But thank you for your kind words.

OP posts:

ripsishere · 15/10/2012 03:23

Sounds awful. I suppose the bright side to this is you'll be pain free. Abcess' in my experience are painful.
Try to get to sleep, tomorrow will come soon enough.

amillionyears · 15/10/2012 03:26

I am here.Not ususally,but I am tonight.
Have you had any operations before?
Sorry about your proposed op. And sorry that your family are like that.

shufflebum · 15/10/2012 03:27

Poor you, I had abscesses from breast feeding (not at all successfully but that's another story!) and they were horrible. I didn't have to have them removed just drained. Hope it all goes okay.

Pepa · 15/10/2012 03:28

Oranges - I'll be thinking of you tommorrow, hang in there, in a couple of weeks this will all be behind you and everything (family and all) will seem better :) In times of stress everything feels worse, which seems like a major design flaw in my book :)

Hope you get some sleep xx

Original poster

oranges · 15/10/2012 03:36

Thank you for holding my hand. I've had ops related to pregnancy -one d&c after a miscarriage and a c-section but nothing else. This abscess has been more painful than anything related to childbirth, and I'ma wimp I know but I'm scared the post-op pain will be horrendous.
so sorry to everyone who has had an abscess - its awful.
And my family are lovely and rally round but only when I ORGANISE it. My mum has stayed and worked her socks off but she needs to go back now and my dad and brother said they would help. When I asked they said - is it an emergency, can you get anyone else?
well define emergency and I could ask someone else, but I had hoped my family would do. grrrr. and dh is well meaning but cannot find a single thing in the house or make a sensible decision.

In a way I'm glad of the surgery as means an overnight stay with someone looking after me and taking decision. s

OP posts:

noteventhebestdrummer · 15/10/2012 03:49

Pain relief will be excellent in my experience, sure all will go well. Families? MEH.

MrsShrek3 · 15/10/2012 04:12

Good luck - will be thinking of you

MrsHelsBels74 · 15/10/2012 04:15

Poor you, hope your surgery isn't as awful as you are no doubt imagining it will be & hope you have a speedy recovery.

justbogoffnow · 15/10/2012 04:21

If for any reason you do find you are in pain post-op, make sure you say you need further pain relief. It should be fine, but if there's a problem, ask for more. I remember a lovely sister coming and giving me a superb top up of morphine after an op when I said I was still in pain. She said, ' right let's get you comfy so you can have a proper rest'.
I had a lovely rest and slept like a baby for 6 hours. Bliss!

Will be thinking of you xx

EugenesAxe · 15/10/2012 04:36

I'm awake... freak nightmare in which DS fell to the bottom of a pond... I think bogoff is right. They will probably advise how to tend any wound - ask if they don't. It recovery could be painful they should also send you away with pain relief really, cocodamol/ibuprofen or something. I had an operation to pin my wrist and got them; they worked nicely.

People always find a way to cope when forced to; asking you is just route of least resistance. Try not to worry about that.

ripsishere · 15/10/2012 06:42

This is the day OP.
Good luck.

DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved · 15/10/2012 19:13

Hope it went ok OP.

Sounds like you need to practise being incapable. What a good thing to do whilst you are recovering? Good luck & hope they be got the pain under control

MrsShrek3 · 16/10/2012 07:31

Hope you're ok and learn how to concentrate on your recovery and leave the rest of them to it

Original poster

oranges · 16/10/2012 17:16

Thank you for the hand holding. The op went well. I was quite sore when I came to and demanded morphine, which I got, but have managed on paracetamol since then. I slept much better the night after surgery than the one before.

The surgeon said it was all quite large, and icky and would take weeks to heal. warned that I would be sore but so far, touch wood, it feels ok - better than the abscess was. I've had to stay in hospital two nights, but just staying in bed, having cups of tea and meals brought to me are bliss.

OP posts:

MrsShrek3 · 16/10/2012 22:12

keep it up :)

Dawndonna · 17/10/2012 14:22

I'm glad you're okay. Wish I'd seen this before, I've had two ops for breast abcesses!

PrincessSymbian · 17/10/2012 14:29

Hope it heals quickly!

Original poster

oranges · 18/10/2012 13:58

dawndonna - how were they? why two??I'm home now- ended up staying in hospital for 3 days. COme home with an open wound that I still have to dress each day and the lump is still there, though doc says most of the pus is out.

OP posts:

Dawndonna · 18/10/2012 14:36

It was 25 years ago! I'm fine! .
Try to keep the wound open as long as you can, it helps it to drain.
I had my first one done at four in the morning, but because they didn't keep it open I had to have the same op, 2 months to the day, later! Nightmare!

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