Hurry Up and Wait

March 4, 2026

I started out researching if prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed for partial/mastectomy and learned “recent studies show they may not reduce infection rates and should be limited to 24 hours post-surgery to avoid unnecessary risk”. This comes from the Artificial Intelligence summary on Google. Some facilities prescribe them automatically despite evidence to the contrary. Be sure to ask your surgeon if they prescribe them and if they do, if you can pick them up before your surgery. The last thing I want is to have to stop at the pharmacy on the way home after discharge or send my caregiver to the pharmacy during the time when I’m most likely to need them.

From there several other prompts came up in the Google search and I ended up clicking on “How to Sleep After Mastectomy or Breast Surgery” at https://www.intimaterose.com/blogs/womens-health/how-to-sleep-after-mastectomy-or-breast-surgery?_pos=1&_sid=fa2395640&_ss=r

While I had been searching for some inexpensive button down shirts, this site brought up satin nightshirts so they don’t pull when you are ready to sleep in your own bed. My Amazon wish list also has a wedge pillow also mentioned in the above site’s blog.

As for undergarments, men’s boxer briefs are comfortable and come in silkier material or 100% cotton and don’t ride up! When my son was hospitalized long-term in 2020, I discovered that some boxer briefs even have pockets on each side that are big enough to fit an oversized cell phone. I snapped up a package of 10 for Dylan at that time, but I also got a pack for me. Seems like an appropriate use during recovery.  

Being that Mel is in the upper inner quadrant, I have concerns that, since I’m right handed, I will be very limited in what I will be able to do for longer than those who have surgery on their non-dominant side. This got me thinking about having something like a bolster pillow for when I go back to work. My job is computer input heavy and I switch between the mouse and keyboard often. As the tumor is already rubbing on my arm as I type, I wonder if this would help. Having worked in orthopedics, I’m curious about a shoulder positioner pillow and if that could be adapted for use for mastectomy patients. I guess more research for another day.

In an earlier post I had mentioned that the axilla pillows weren’t particularly helpful after biopsy but that likely would be after partial mastectomy/lumpectomy. I’ve already purchased the mastectomy pillow that has pockets to hold ice packs on the inside and outside pockets for your phone and/or remote control. It has suspenders to hold it over your shoulders and also protects your sensitive breasts from the seat belt. Not that I’ll be driving anytime soon, but I do need to get home. Hopefully between the axilla pillows and the mastectomy pillow (https://amzn.to/4rMzPO3 & https://amzn.to/40EqXxR **I may receive a commission if you order from these links), I won’t need anything more but I suppose it will depend on how well I heal. I can always go to just about any homegoods store and get a bolster pillow to use at my desk if I’m still uncomfortable when I return to work. 

My stomach is still “icky” and I’m having wintergreen LIfe Savers hoping to calm it down. Breakfast is what was for dinner so I’m not sure why my stomach isn’t happy.

The recliner I ordered is scheduled to arrive today – a day early! I’m very glad that I stayed up Saturday and was able to arrange the room for recovery. I got to thinking yesterday that I need to find some high-fiber snacks to have close at hand. Undergoing general anesthesia and not moving around much for the first week or two will likely cause some constipation. I won’t likely have pain meds, but if I do, those cause constipation as well. None of us need to be in pain in multiple body systems. 

MyChart has added my surgery appointment along with two others that will be done before the surgery itself. I may have mentioned before that my surgeon excises three lymph nodes though there doesn’t appear to be any infiltration. So I have appointments with the same interventional radiology doc who did the biopsy. They will insert the wires showing the surgeon where the nodes are as well as needle localization of “non-palpable abnormal tissue” before the surgery itself. I’m thinking of these as “X marks the spot” for the surgeon and it seems like this will save time in the operating room and cut down on my time under general anesthesia.

Dylan was the primary cook and grocery getter for many years so I’m not worried about eating “well”, but it will likely be soups and sandwiches as he’s going to need downtime after caring for me. I suggest that if you have a group of friends, an organization that you belong to, or close family that ask what they can do to help, ask for restaurant gift cards – or delivery service cards like Door Dash or Uber Eats (though you pay a premium for items ordered through them). Your caregiver should be firm with people who drop by, even with food, to be sure you’re not overexerting yourself trying to entertain guests. Your immune system will also be working overtime so having people over should be avoided. 

I want to make a “master grocery list” on my preferred grocery store sites so as we run out of things during my recovery I can order them for pick-up or delivery. Yet another thing to add to the list of things to do “before”. 

I know I sound like a mother hen and that some of what I’m writing is common sense but remember that not everyone has the same life experiences, had present and attentive parents, or have previous medical issues. The diagnosis and the process of getting to the next step are different for everyone. If you’re comfortable in preplanning, skip over what I write.

The nurse from the breast surgeon’s office just called. She took the blood for genetic testing and called me with the results. I’m absolutely floored that this is a genetic mutation of the PALB2 gene. Google summarizes this as “a tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 16 that produces a protein essential for DNA damage repair”. I’m glad that they suggested genetic testing as there is a “35%–58% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. It also increases risks for pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Females with the variant have up to a 5% lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. Males and females with the variant have up to a 5% risk for pancreatic cancer”. More so, my son has a “10% lifetime risk for breast cancer”. 

Of course, I may be getting ahead of myself, and causing fear unnecessarily, but it’s so hard to not look further. Not to mention my need for no surprises.

I’m waiting for the geneticist office to call to schedule an appointment next week and it looks like my desire for a complete bilateral mastectomy may actually now be recommended. The nurse said that what the geneticist lays out could alter my surgical plan moving forward. So … more waiting.