Surgery Preparation

I personally recommend Chunyi Lin's CD "Small Universe". It's a CD from Spring Forest QiGong. Google It. It's a very powerful CD for balancing and healing the entire body.

Hope that helps Yes, there are CDs with guided meditations that are extremely helpful. Comprehensive pain management approaches including pre-emptive analgesia with nerve blocks and the use of pain pumps is also very beneficial.

A woman confronting mastectomy can do several things to prepare for the emotional loss of her breast. Losing one's breast will have an impact on body-image, self-esteem, and sexuality.

To help with body-image the woman can educate herself regarding options post-mastectomy such as reconstructive surgery or the prostheses and bras that are available. If the woman is prepared for one of these options prior to mastectomy she will feel more empowered and less vulnerable than the woman who waits until she has already lost her breast. Investigating reconstructive options can take place prior to surgery and reconstruction can even take place at the time of surgery, dependent upon the type of surgery and the reconstruction chosen. For a woman who does not choose reconstruction it would also be helpful to learn about available prostheses and bras prior to surgery. Although it isn't advised to wear a prosthesis until the chest wound has healed, educating oneself about the options available can help prepare the woman for body image changes.

Reaching out to other women who have had mastectomy can be very valuable emotionally. Many hospitals or private practice settings have arranged for cancer survivors to be available to talk to others who are in a similar position; much like the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program. Talking to someone else who has survived mastectomy can provide hope for emotional healing.

Losing one's breast can be an assault on a woman's sense of femininity and wholeness both of which play an important part in self-esteem. Expressing one's feelings about the impending loss of one's breast is very important. This should begin at the time the decision of mastectomy is made. Sharing with a partner, a friend or confidant can begin the process of grief. Grieving the loss of the breast is normal and should be encouraged so that healthy psychological recovery can take place. Losing a body part is devastating and the emotions associated with the loss require a healthy outlet. If a woman cannot confide in a partner or friend then therapeutic intervention in the form of counseling is advised.

Mastectomy affects the total being, including the sexual aspect's of one's self. The breast plays an important role in our sexuality. Sexuality not only refers to intercourse but also to intimate body language, hugging, kissing, and touching. Mastectomy can alter a person's sexuality but it cannot take away a woman's sense of her sexual self. If a woman can express the role that her breasts play in her sexual being, this is a first step in identifying how the loss will be translated emotionally.

Empowerment occurs when the necessary insight takes place for the individual to successfully meet the challenges faced with mastectomy. Preparing emotionally for losing a breast depends upon grieving the loss and gaining insight into the meaning of that loss for the woman. A woman confronting mastectomy can do several things to prepare for the emotional loss of her breast. Losing one's breast will have an impact on body-image, self-esteem, and sexuality.

To help with body-image the woman can educate herself regarding options post-mastectomy such as reconstructive surgery or the prostheses and bras that are available. If the woman is prepared for one of these options prior to mastectomy she will feel more empowered and less vulnerable than the woman who waits until she has already lost her breast. Investigating reconstructive options can take place prior to surgery and reconstruction can even take place at the time of surgery, dependent upon the type of surgery and the reconstruction chosen. For a woman who does not choose reconstruction it would also be helpful to learn about available prostheses and bras prior to surgery. Although it isn't advised to wear a prosthesis until the chest wound has healed, educating oneself about the options available can help prepare the woman for body image changes.

Reaching out to other women who have had mastectomy can be very valuable emotionally. Many hospitals or private practice settings have arranged for cancer survivors to be available to talk to others who are in a similar position; much like the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program. Talking to someone else who has survived mastectomy can provide hope for emotional healing.

Losing one's breast can be an assault on a woman's sense of femininity and wholeness both of which play an important part in self-esteem. Expressing one's feelings about the impending loss of one's breast is very important. This should begin at the time the decision of mastectomy is made. Sharing with a partner, a friend or confidant can begin the process of grief. Grieving the loss of the breast is normal and should be encouraged so that healthy psychological recovery can take place. Losing a body part is devastating and the emotions associated with the loss require a healthy outlet. If a woman cannot confide in a partner or friend then therapeutic intervention in the form of counseling is advised.

Mastectomy affects the total being, including the sexual aspect's of one's self. The breast plays an important role in our sexuality. Sexuality not only refers to intercourse but also to intimate body language, hugging, kissing, and touching. Mastectomy can alter a person's sexuality but it cannot take away a woman's sense of her sexual self. If a woman can express the role that her breasts play in her sexual being, this is a first step in identifying how the loss will be translated emotionally.

Empowerment occurs when the necessary insight takes place for the individual to successfully meet the challenges faced with mastectomy. Preparing emotionally for losing a breast depends upon grieving the loss and gaining insight into the meaning of that loss for the woman.

In no particular order:

Make sure you are comfortable with your surgeons and trust them. If you need to get second and third opinions, do it.

One of the things that helped me deal with my fear when facing a 10-12 hour-long surgery was listening to "Preparing for Surgery" by Martin Rossman MD every day for at least 2 weeks prior to my surgery.... and then for several weeks afterwards:
http://www.thehealingmind.org/products/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11

Another was learning everything I could possibly learn--what to expect, how to prepare for what I'd need at home for my recovery, etc--from my doctors and also from patients who had undergone this type of surgery. My surgeon put me in touch with a couple of his patients and that was very helpful.

Physically, you would need to consult with your doctor so that you get an answer tailored to your particular situation.

Bottom line, make lists of questions and don't be afraid to ask them.

Best of luck to you! Preparing for any type of surgery, let alone a surgery that will alter your physical appearance can be overwhelming. You did not mention the type of surgery you will be having, so I am not sure if my answer will be appropriate for you. I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders. My preparation was simplistic. Picking the right surgeons was of prime importance to me. Once this was done, I communicated to them my anxiety about waking up having a part of me….. for lack of a better word, amputated. I needed to understand exactly what they were going to be doing, and how I would look and feel after the surgery. Fortunately, with a sense of confidence, they were able to explain in detail how the procedures were going to be done which gave me inner strength to put my faith in them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I feel nothing is going to take away the thoughts of fear, but I tried to think of the surgery as a positive, not a negative---the cancer was being TAKEN from my body, and in its place, I would have new and improved parts. Perhaps an odd way to think about surgery, but it worked for me. I am a physically fit person already, so recovery was rather easy for me. I did however, ask the doctors what type of exercises they suggest after the surgery. I made sure that I practiced them before the surgery, so I was better able to do them after the surgery. I do wish you all the best for your surgery and a speedy recovery!

I too was not prepared for this surgery properly. I suffered permanent nerve damage from the doctor cutting the nerves and not being able to repair. It has been 8 yes or so and I still have no feeling in part of my arm, chest and shoulder plus my arm is much weaker and I have constant pain. I did have therapy more than once but was told because of the damage it would likely not get much better. I have also gotten bad Burns with infections because I could not feel the heat that i was putting on the area to try to relieve the pain.

I am curious about the standard protocal for number of nodes to remove when the test is negative. If i remember correctly, my doctor removed 10-15, which seemed unnecessary to me. I do let patients know that while the sentinel node procedure is done through a very small incision (usually 1/2 inch or smaller), it can be the most painful part of the surgery. The lymph nodes are tucked deep in the underarm, below the pectoralis (chest wall) muscle - in order to get to them (especially through a small incision), some retraction on the muscle during surgery is needed.

I always give patients a booklet on exercises prior to surgery (there's a good little one put out by the American Cancer Society) and recommend that they start doing the exercises before surgery - it's good to get your body used to the stretches and other exercises before you're having any discomfort. And I encourage an early return to activity - initially the stretching exercises, followed by more regular exercise. Some patients do require physical therapy and we try to identify this sooner rather than later.