Mobility of 85 year old after breast removal surgery?

[philv]

Hi,

My 85 year old mother is due to have a breast removed due to early stage breast cancer .
She is adamant she can come home from hospital after 2 days and take care of herself with help once a day from carers.

She lives in an old town house with 2 flights of stairs from lounge up to bedroom/toilet.
Thats slow going for her at the best of times.

Is she right?

Any experiences of mobility, etc after single breast removal?

Will she be able to use the arm on that side?

Thanks.

[ucb]

It will depend more on what the surgeon is planning to do to the lymph nodes in her armpit. If she is having an axillary clearance (which sounds unlikely if its early stage) then she won't be using the arm post-op for much as its fairly sore.
The biggest worry for me from your post is she's starting from a 'frail' state. The stress response to surgery (even as 'minor' as breast surgery) does funny things when you are teetering on the edge of coping. I suspect she will need more help than she is prepared to admit but I can only base that guess on what you have said.

[sherman]

She will be lucky to be let out in 2 days.
If she cant walk the length of the ward she wont be discharged at that age.

[philv]

Thanks for the replies.

She broke her upper arm last year.
She was in hospital for a week.
Then a 'care home' for 3 weeks.
Then at my sisters for a week or so.
Then went home.

I don't see why this would be very different.
Except that she hated the care home (own nice room, bathroom, comfy arm chair with view out the window and tv).

All she had to do was sit there and relax.

[K77 CTR]

My mum had the same op at the age of 74. She was discharged the same day but had my dad at home to help. She was very tired and uncomfortable. Sometimes they are discharged with drains insitu. She'll struggle to use her arm due to the pain but will have exercises to do pre and post op to gain mobility back.

If she is a fit 85 year old she may cope if the carer provides snacks and flasks of drinks but I think it'll be a bit harder than she envisages.