Severe complications, following bilateral mastectomy/tissue expander
I recently had a bilateral mastectomy with the start of reconstruction on my other breast that was removed prior. Since the surgery the day after to be exact, I developed an infection, but because it was the weekend and I went to the emergency room it was untreated. Then when I went to my appointment, my surgeon said that my breasts “ looks great” regardless of the fact that I had just had a mastectomy and shouldn’t of had a breast at all on one side. In addition to that, my breasts had swollen to the point to where my incision burst open and I had 4 inch long clots 3 inches wide projecting from the incision hole that had developed. being that it was the weekend there was nobody I could contact that would respond. The emergency room refused to treat me because I had a surgeon so I was sent home again when I went to my next appointment with my surgeon, I begged him to aspirate the fluid off my breast and was told that he didn’t think that he was going to get any…after 175 cc of blood that was removed, I asked him to reevaluate the side with the tissue expander, and he got an attitude with me and said you saw that I tried to remove some, and I didn’t get any, and was told you knew the risks of the surgery before you agreed to it, this is not an emergency situation and the emergency room is not the place for you to go .So I left. Two days later, I was back in the emergency room. Because the breast with the tissue expander turned red across the whole breast. at the emergency room I was given a prescription for an anabiotic and told to go see my doctor at this point I didn’t even want to see that surgeon again. I drove to a different facility and they wouldn’t deal with me because I had a surgeon already because I didn’t go to my surgeons office where I had already been three times and told nothing was wrong with me. They scheduled me for a week from that day. I finally go in for my appointment and he extracts 100 cc of fluid from the side with the tissue expander and tells me that he’s gonna send it into the lab to test it for infection. The next day was Friday. I just so happened to have my phone in the house and miss the two phone calls and the text message from them low and behold, I have an infection in the fluid surrounding the tissue expander after all my research that I’ve done the anabiotic I was prescribed is not on any list that I’ve looked up on any medical information referring to the bacterial infection that I have. The medication that is suggested on every list on every site is five different IV administered antibiotics with the suggestion to use a pill form in addition to the IV antibiotics because of the resistance this particular bacteria is capable of. It is in the family of MRSA. And is considered a hospital acquired infection.(HAI) and it is the end of the day Friday. I responded to the message and when I went to go pick up my other medication, there was a refill of the same anabiotic that the emergency room doctor prescribed for me. There was no instructions in the message. There was no further contact by anybody from the specialty clinic nor was any other communication attempted by the office because it was the weekend once again in any instance that this bacteria is detected in a patient they are quarantine in the hospital. I live with two auto immune compromised family members I as well auto immune compromise. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer in October and I have had four surgeries because I broke my leg three weeks after my first mastectomy had two surgeries on my leg and now the other mastectomy on the other side with the tissue expander place on the other side that I had the mastectomy on already now this is is four surgeries that I have had within a year and now tested positive for the strain of bacteria, which “Serratia marcescens”. When I looked up the antibiotics that I have been on for two weeks now it is a skin infection antibiotic, and I have at this point had this infection since the day after my surgery a month ago. This bacteria causes sepsis and Mersa and it is the weekend once again so when the surgeon goes home if you don’t make it until he comes back in the office on Monday, you die.
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@genetteg23 my surgeon was wrong on so many levels, and because I retained my personal injury lawyers to file for litigation, he botched my surgery.
@genetteg23 these photos are painful to look at. I’m finding that many people, including myself before now don’t know how much a woman needs to go through with any breast cancer diagnosis. It’s wonderful to know that there’s a group of strong, beautiful women all praying for one another. And thank you for posting the pictures. I would encourage more of us to do that because it is helpful to see what different stages look like and different ways surgery can be done well or messed up.
@jjjw thank you so much for your interaction. I started this mission off on the trajectory of me venting and complaining about something that I should be more appreciative of, and the fact that I’m alive. In that regard, I am absolutely astounded/humbled and beyond grateful and appreciative.
Tthe fact that I am a walking testimony to His abilities. I have had an amazing life. It has been full of trials and tribulations that I have always persevered through and with every ounce of Assistance that I am blessed to receive made it to the next set of roadblocks there to hurdle over..
I used to ask God why. why is this happening when I’m as smart as I am or why is this happening when I don’t deserve it and it’s unnecessary I don’t ask those questions anymore. I live with the understanding that every complication that life throws in my path is an opportunity to have a conversation with somebody who without me going through what I have wouldn’t be able to experience, and I would gladly do it all over again if I meant, I would be able to have this conversation with you. You are the reason I fight. YOU are the reason I live… you didn’t have to take the time to look outside of yourself to show compassion to a person that you don’t even know, and then to have the empathy and desire to comfort me when I’m sure there are 100 things you could be paying attention to in your own life that you probably wish just one person would notice and say that you’re doing an amazing job!!! life is Lucky and blessed that you exist because without beautiful people like you, this world would be devoid of love because just by the way you care about me, you stopped me in my negative trajectory and smacked me with a hug and made my day happy and positive, thank you so much for being you. Because without realizing it, it was what I absolutely needed desperately to make it through my day.
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