Having a Mastectomy? 10 Insider Tips

6) The longer you’re in surgery, the longer the recovery. That’s because the longer you’re under general anesthetic, the longer it takes for your body to get back to normal. I’ve heard that for every hour under anesthetic, it takes your body a full day to recover. So keep that in mind, if you’re still feeling kind of woozy and tired 5 days after your 8-hour reconstruction. 

7) If you had a positive sentinel node and you need further lymph-node surgery (a.k.a. axillary dissection), you could be left with a fairly major, looping scar in your armpit. But hey, if you’re going to have a scar anywhere, might as well be there, right? I mean, who ever considers their armpit a key part of the package, cosmetically speaking?

8) When you leave the hospital and they tell you not to drive for 2 weeks, or 6 weeks, or whatever they tell you, it’s not because they feel you’re unable to handle driving. It’s because a sudden stop in the car could cause that seatbelt across your chest to do some serious damage to your incision or, worse, your reconstruction. 

9) Get physical therapy to restore your shoulder mobility, no matter what. The surgeon may not refer you to PT. If (s)he doesn’t, ask for a referral. If (s)he says you don’t need it, disagree. You may need to advocate pretty strongly for yourself here. But I’ve never yet met a woman who didn’t say PT was a HUGE help after a mastectomy. Take it from me, someone who DIDN’T have PT and 7 years later has permanent shoulder damage; GET PHYSICAL THERAPY.

10) If your group insurance policy or HMO is covering your mastectomy, they also have to pay for reconstruction, and cosmetic surgery on the other breast to make them match—by law. Don’t let the insurance company tell you they won’t pay. It’s part of the federal Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, as follows: “Under WHCRA, group health plans, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) offering mastectomy coverage must also provide coverage for reconstructive surgery in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient.  Coverage includes reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy was performed, surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance, and prostheses and treatment of physical complications at all stages of the mastectomy, including lymphedemas.”

OK, all of you survivors out there who’ve had a mastectomy—what can you add to this list?  Please post a comment with your own insider tips. And, read some thoughtful advice from Sue Dyer, "Down Under" in Australia.