My mother was diagnosed w/type II BC in Oct 2010 & had a double mastectomy w/lymph node removal under each arm along with expanders put in during same surgery in Nov 2010. Due to poor circulation she had to have 2nd surgery 1 month later to excise dead skin around incisions. One week later had 3rd surgery & expanders removed due to infection. Now we're 3 weeks postop 3rd surgery & one side has open wound about 3 in long, 1 to 1&1/2 in wide and 1 in ? deep that we have to pack w/gauze 2x daily. Breast surgeon & plastic surgeon say it should close from the inside out in a couple of weeks but we see no signs of this happening. I am no where near being a nurse (other that being a mother) and this whole thing is honestly freaking me out. Now we may have to see a wound specialist and we still havent even seen the chemo dr yet and the radiation dr said that will have to wait til after chemo. And chemo might have to wait til the wound is closed. Is this normal??? I realize that a lot of her complications can be due to her weight & age (66yrs, 5'6" & 250lbs) but I'm starting to get worried all over again. Has anyone else gone through something similar with the open incision? In addition there is now small white pimple like looking bumps around the open incision site. No smell of infection but what are these???
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My mother was diagnosed w/type II BC in Oct 2010 & had a double mastectomy w/lymph node removal under each arm along with expanders put in during same surgery in Nov 2010. Due to poor circulation she had to have 2nd surgery 1 month later to excise dead skin around incisions. One week later had 3rd surgery & expanders removed due to infection. Now we're 3 weeks postop 3rd surgery & one side has open wound about 3 in long, 1 to 1&1/2 in wide and 1 in ? deep that we have to pack w/gauze 2x daily. Breast surgeon & plastic surgeon say it should close from the inside out in a couple of weeks but we see no signs of this happening. I am no where near being a nurse (other that being a mother) and this whole thing is honestly freaking me out. Now we may have to see a wound specialist and we still havent even seen the chemo dr yet and the radiation dr said that will have to wait til after chemo. And chemo might have to wait til the wound is closed. Is this normal??? I realize that a lot of her complications can be due to her weight & age (66yrs, 5'6" & 250lbs) but I'm starting to get worried all over again. Has anyone else gone through something similar with the open incision? In addition there is now small white pimple like looking bumps around the open incision site. No smell of infection but what are these???
January 6, 2011 - 12:40pmThis Comment
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