My positive single mastectomy experience (though I miss my boob already)
Two weeks ago, my right breast and some lymph nodes had to be evicted! I had a skin sparing mastectomy, with nipple removal and expander placement, so I thought I'd share my experience, which has been surprisingly good.
On day 1, I had minimal pain - around 3-4 out of 10. On day 2, it was maybe a 2 out of 10. I was walking and moving around from the day of the surgery itself. A physiotherapist came by on day 2 to show me some light exercises to do to prevent lymph build-up. The drain was annoying but not painful.
I spent two nights in hospital, though I was pretty ok to leave after one night.
Once I was home, I had to empty my drain and record the output twice a day. I had little to no pain overall. My sister stayed with me for a few days to help with chores and stuff, and within just a few days in I was able to do dishes, light cleaning and cooking (even with a drain).
My surgeon ended up removing the drain after a week. The removal was painless but was a SUPER weird sensation. As if the drain was removed from my very soul lmao.
Eight days after surgery, I resumed work (work from home). Today, I started driving again, which I am very happy about. I'm so glad my experience has been relatively smooth and pain-free, even though I miss my boob terribly and wish I never had to go through this.
The thing I'm most grateful for is that my pathology came back clear!! And that I've had THE best medical care - from my oncologist to my breast surgeon to the nurses. Everyone has been so amazing.
Now, radiation will follow, along with the gradual filling of the expander and then I'll get an implant put in. Fingers crossed for the journey ahead. Happy to answer any questions.
A short history: Stage 2B, triple positive, BRCA negative. No family history. Diagnosed end of October 2025. Finished chemo April 3, 2026.