Daisydi - the time beforehand is hard as the mind can work overtime, I know mine did (and still continues to). I’ll see if I can help at all. First of all the drain won’t come out, they are hard to get out when the time comes. You may find that you don’t move so much in your sleep after the operation as subconsciously your body probably won’t want to roll onto the site. There doesn’t seem to be any answer as to who gets lymphoedema and who doesn’t, so you just need to take reasonable precautions but also live life as normally as you can. Keeping active is supposed to help, moving the arm around to help the lymph fluid circulate. I have a friend who has lymphoedema and you wouldn’t know she has it, she lives a very full and active life and it doesn’t stop her doing anything. As to the fear of spread, you are not alone with that worry. At the most difficult times I was advised to take one day at a time, or even one hour at a time, and not think too far ahead. That really helped me. Focus on treating yourself with your favourite things, get things prepared at home for when you will be recovering, buy some easy to watch dvds/chocolate. I’ve just re-read your diagnosis post - try to focus too on what your surgeon told you, that they have caught it early and also that only one of the two nodes tested was affected. Have you been offered a CT body scan? From what I’ve read some hospitals routinely offer them and some don’t - maybe you can investigate this to put your mind at rest? I hope that chatting on here will help get you through. Remember the Winnie the Pooh quote “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think”. Hugs, Evie xx
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