Rhandom Schittshowe Cancer Journey : 2025-05-21 : Seroma Debridment

Activity
Type Name Description Service Provider Cost Kms To Date Total Notes Actions
Other Debridement of the left lateral chest wall Sturgeon Community Hospital $0.00


Trip Log

Notes Actions
Brent and I were surprised when this surgery was booked that it would require general anesthesia. We thought it would be simpler than that.

My surgery was booked for 2:45 but I had to be there by 12:45. I had to fast (including no water) after midnight, so I was pretty hungry and thirsty when I got there. They gave me a saline drip to help with that - yay!

For my poke they were able to access my port instead of giving me an IV. BEST SURGERY DEPARTMENT EVER.

I was also surprised (and yeah, I know, I shouldn't have been) that I ended up with a drain afterwards. I'm having to rearrange some Red Deer plans as a result of that, but if we're looking for a silver lining, I guess having the drain will be a good reminder that I need to be on "light duty" for a while after the surgery.

Wish me luck in finally getting rid of this seroma. It developed after my mastectomy, and was very persistent. I had it drained several times. Then, at one point my surgeon put a drain back in me to encourage it to heal up, which it did to an extent, but I still had a small seroma. This surgery (debridement) is intended to, essentially, re-injure the "capsule" that has formed between my flesh and my torso so that my flesh can heal back on to my torso.
Case Report:

Final Diagnosis
A. Soft tissue, left chest, excision:
-Fragments of fibrous fatty tissue, benign.
-Negative for malignancy.

Gross Description
A. Specimen container is labelled Rhonda Joy Scheurer and SOFT TISSUE; SEROMA CAVITY FROM LEFT CHEST. Received in formalin is a rubbery, pale-tan, ragged, open sac of membranous tissue (6.1 x 3.9 x 0.7 cm). The outer surface is diffusely roughened with scant adherent adipose tissue to a maximum depth of 0.5 cm. The inner lining is smooth, pale-tan and glistening. Representative sections in cassettes A1–A2.


Photos