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August 2011 Surgery Group

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  • dixiebell
    dixiebell Member Posts: 170
    edited August 2011
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    Hi Scilla: I was told 2 nights and I am home. Wow was not ready for that but I guess its good. Good luck, I will be thinking about all you ladies.

  • dixiebell
    dixiebell Member Posts: 170
    edited August 2011
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    Well ladies this is one club I would have not voluntarily signed up for but someone decided to elect me to it - as all of you as well  -so now that we are here it is so nice having this forum. I have learned a lot and I will be thinking of each and every one of you this week and month "The August Girls". Lets try to share our progress if you feel good enough to post!!! My name is Jamie by the way!

  • Scilla
    Scilla Member Posts: 8
    edited August 2011
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    Wow, I've just looked at the list. August really is a popular month for surgery. Like dixiebell, I will be thinking of all of you over the next few weeks. I hope that our surgery goes well and that there are few problems and excellent outcomes.

    Jamie, we may not have signed up for BC, but it has given me the opportunity to join this forum and get to know you all - a definite bonus

    Good luck to everyone.

    Scilla

  • blondelawyer
    blondelawyer Member Posts: 104
    edited August 2011
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    I had a good visit with my oncologist this morning.  My hemotocrit is still low, so I am getting 2 units of blood tomorrow.  It will be a long infusion (they said around 6 hours), but I want to be as healthy as I can be for surgery next week.  

    I also bought my post-MX cami today and a couple of button-down shirts for post-surgery.  I'm feeling a bit emotional and overwhelmed about everything.  I really miss my husband right now and am scared to go through this without him.  But, I am trying to keep positive.

    Big hugs to everyone! 

  • bobeena
    bobeena Member Posts: 46
    edited August 2011
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    You are not alone blondelawyer. Hugs to you, and keep on keeping positive.

  • FLwarrior
    FLwarrior Member Posts: 614
    edited August 2011
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    Dixiebell, Scilla and Rockym,  (((HUGS))) to the three of you!  I am sending you well wishes for Wednesday! 

  • chulita
    chulita Member Posts: 16
    edited August 2011
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    Hello Ladies..Two days before surgery and I feel surprisingly calm! I was able to sleep last night without the aid of any sleeping meds. What a journey this has been for all of us. Thank you all for your willingness and openness. True Godsends. I received a care package from the american cancer society with an insert and a bra. That was wierd. Nice for them to send it but wierd having to look at it and know that it is for me. I'll be in the hospital for 2 days and then I get to go home. I won't find out until the evening of the 10th what my showtime is and that has me a little anxious. Yes, it is a small detail but just one more thing to add to my list of "I don't know".

  • tkdmomyn
    tkdmomyn Member Posts: 5
    edited August 2011
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    Hi girls. Well my surgery was sucessful. I was pretty out of it during the day yesterday but woke up last night. I am up walking around and doing ok. My chest is sore but not agonizing. All in all it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. Has anyone heard how lilylady and Rocky M. I hope they are doing well. Hi to our new sisters it is gonna be ok. Well gonna go for now I will check in later.

  • dixiebell
    dixiebell Member Posts: 170
    edited August 2011
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    blondelawyer a big hug!!! tkdmomyn I am glad your doing well, Scilla good luck tomorrow. Im at 10am how about you? . Deep breath. Praying for everyone to be a pain free as possible and mentally able to cope with what is to come!!!!

  • chulita
    chulita Member Posts: 16
    edited August 2011
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    tkdmomyn - good to hear that everything went fine and are as comfortable as can be. May you have a speedy recovery

  • susanwmcg
    susanwmcg Member Posts: 36
    edited August 2011
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    Hi August Girls!

    We went to Canada for a five day break....actually helped to be "unplugged". I couldn't get on the computer to see all of your posts though, so I missed a bunch! Welcome to you newbies and I hope surgery went well for all of you this week so far. I am still plowing through my very long To-Do list. Have to take our triplets back to college this weekend so lots of shopping and packing yet to do.

    I don't know the specifics about my tumor. It made me nervous at first but I decided to have a BMX anyway. My BS says that all the typing and hormone issues are "second tier" information and that I will know all of that with final path report. I haven't met with a MO either...again they said it depends on final path. So many of you know all about this before your surgery or have even had chemo already.

     The other issue I want to do more research on is the SNB. When I asked at the BS office they said "he takes the one and then takes more if they look bad". Well I don't know that taking them based on looks is a good idea? Sounds like more women are having less invasive node surgery and getting same results. I am totally freaked out about getting LE. And I did have an MRI and it didn't show any node issues on that.

    Well a little less than two weeks now to figure it all out. Pre-op physical is this Friday.

    Hugs and prayers to everyone,

    Susan

  • RangerMom
    RangerMom Member Posts: 205
    edited August 2011
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    Hugs to all having sugery tomorrow! Wow I can't believe it the time has flown by from when i first joined this group and here it is so many have had surgery already and more this week. I know it will be such a relief to have it over. I went to the PS office today after my preop testing to have my boobs marked up so the BS will leave skin for him when he does my reconstruction 9 mos after radiation. I thought I'd be proactive and talk to him before the surgery and I'm glad I did. Thanks to all who have taken the time to post after surgery to let us know how you are doing and how the surgery feels. I'll post when I get home from sugery. God Bless everyone on this forum - we are all amazing women.

  • rockym
    rockym Member Posts: 357
    edited August 2011
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    tkdmomyn, glad to hear all went well.  I'm up tomorrow.  My day will start at 8:00a with a wire localization and then I am off to Nuclear Med.  After that I will have my surgery.   Last time someone cut me open I was 12 years old.  We're talking 35 years ago.

    I'm starting to get a little scared.  I've been joking and deal with this pretty well for 2 months.  All of a sudden today I could feel my eyes tearing up on and off all day.  Looks like my emotions are finally catching up :-).

    dixiebell and Scilla, good luck tomorrow!  Wishing you both an uneventful day with positive results (or maybe I should say negative results :-)).  I'm crossing my fingers for Stage I with no nodes.  Actually, I'm kinda wishing when he cuts me open, he finds out that the first crazy radiologist and pathologist were wrong and that the mass in there is really B9.  I know I'm kinda weird about this, but there's always a slim chance that someone made a mistake.  Either way... I'm ready!
  • rjbaby69
    rjbaby69 Member Posts: 6
    edited August 2011
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    Hello Ladies!  Just wanted to give a little update.  Lumpectomy went really well today.  The doctor told my family that he didn't find any evidence of lymph node involvement, but he would know for sure tomorrow.  He also told me that he should have all the reports back by tomorrow and would be calling me as soon as he knew something.  I have a follow up appointment with him on August 16.  I was out of surgery and recovery about 9:00 a.m.  Went over to the hospital for scans.  Wasn't supposed to be there until 11:30, but they went ahead and fit me in.  How nice!!!  It really wasn't that bad.  It was an all day adventure.  I fell asleep while the bone scan was going on.  It was a nice 23 minute rest.  The CAT scan wasn't bad either.  The hardest part was trying to put my arm up out of the way.  Little painful.  Other than that, I'm fine.

    So far the pain isn't bad at all.  I have not had to take any of my pain meds.  I think I will take one tonight before bed so I can sleep.

    Want to wish all the ladies with upcoming surgery lots of luck and little pain.  All the ladies that have already been through surgery, I hope you are all doing well too.

    Talk to you soon.

    HUGS!!  And big ones at that!!

  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 478
    edited August 2011
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    Dear Ladies,

      . I had my BMX with no-recon  or nodes on Monday. Stayed overnight but really could have went on home. The next day we stopped for Chinese at my favorite place and  a short trip to Lowes also. Got home and took a nap them made myself some scrambled eggs for dinner. Stayed up and watched a little TV then went to bed with an Ambien.

      I have needed no pain pills so far. I am wearing a ON-Q pain ball til friday and i thimk that is why I am feeling so good. It hangs from my waist with a belt. It is about half the size of a bowling ball. It has 2 tiny tubes threaded up thru the incisions. I will pull them when I remove my dressings on Friday.She wrote a scip for Vicodin but I haven't needed 1 yet. The drains are annoying but I have a wardrobe of short sleeved hoodies-we cut a hole in the back of the pocket and fish the drains in from the back. That way they aren't swaying all over the place.

    I bought the wedge pillow from Bed Bath  and Beyond but I think I will return it. It was $29 plus an aditional $10 for an extra cover. I slept fine in my own bed with lots of extra pillows to prop me and my arms up.Not having re-con probably made my case lots easier.

    I will remove the dressing and bra on friday and I can shower on Saturday. YAY. The whole thing was so much easier than I had thought. The last thing I can remember is the surgeon putting the sign of the cross on my foehead and then kissing the same spot and then I was out!!

    BS called last night to say all margins were clear. She found extensive scar tissue on my my chest wall but it was just that-scar tissue. My tumor was attached there to start with. I will not see her until the drains are ready to come out.

      The one thing I wish is that the rest of you up for this week have a good experience also. I plan on being up and active as possible today-probably with some power naps worked in.

  • Tiger_Blood
    Tiger_Blood Member Posts: 83
    edited August 2011
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    Lillylady- I am so happy that your surgery went well! I have been praying hard for you. Now, what is next for you?

    I get my drain out on Friday. For those of you who have had theirs taken out, please tell me your xperience.

    I have had a rough time since Monday and not from my surgery. I was having severe chest pain and upper back pain and burping. The pain was so severe that I had to go to the er. They did some heart tests, lung scans, and chest xray and those turned out good. Looks like I have esphogusitis. It happens to chemo kids because of the rapid cell division. It is terrible and it is hard for me to eat or drink. They say it should resolve itself in a week or so. This was NOT the way I planned on shedding those extra pounds.

    Good luck to all facing surgery this week. Prayers for everyone.s

  • jgal
    jgal Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2011
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    Hi everyone, I'm Joyce and am fairly new to this place. I hope I hope I write this in the right spot. I've been doing alot of reading on this forum in support of my sister who was recently diagnosed and we are awaiting the next steps. She is also visually impaired so we do what we can for her.Looking forward to finding more information and hoping you all can find peace during you're trying times. Joyce

  • dogeyed
    dogeyed Member Posts: 84
    edited August 2011
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    ALL, well, I FINALLY got my two drains out, and when I got home, I just cried and cried from relief of no more pain and pulling and bleeding from those places.  They put a little gauze with tape over my two wounds, the nurse said the one REALLY looked like it should come out, it was all red and looked bad.  If you'll remember, I hurt myself when I had to get in my bed, the nurses SHOULD have moved me, and even when I told them I had done something to my surgical area and drains, they said I was okay.  Finally got my room nurse to get someone in there to check my wound.  Sure enough, it was all screwed up and all the dressings had to be changed because they were blood-soaked.  So, I feel like NOW I am finally over my surgery.

    DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE that their suture area had skin that was kind of pooping out in a couple places, and also a little fold of skin pulled towards the stitches area?  Is it supposed to look kind of wonky?  Does anybody know if it will settle down to a normal even place with a scar running thru it?  I suppose if it doesn't clear up right, I could have a plastic surgeon down the road fix it to look nicer, and while he's at it, get rid of some of my larger moles on my body sort of near my breast.  It turned out a mole on my breast was indeed a melanoma, I noticed it changing as my breast swolled up and was diagnosed with cancer, and told the surgeon to be sure the get that mole, which he did.

    Bye for now, I'm so glad my drains are out!  GG

  • nanadeb
    nanadeb Member Posts: 19
    edited August 2011
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    Well tomorrow is the day
     
    Blondelawyer...My prayers are with you and everyone else
    I wish I had the time to answer every post .
    I'm glad to see some of your surgeries are over with and some even have drains out already.
    I bet that feels so much better.
    Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers that have given me strength and lifted me up these past few weeks..
    My surgery is tomorrow.
    So this will be the last time I will find the time to post
    I ask that you pray for me again...
    Pray for my Drs and nurses tomorrow.
    Pray for my dear family and friends who are so worried.

    I also want to say...
    Ladies...
    The times are so bad...so many out of work.

    And even those that are working dont have good INS. or such high deductibles they put a mammogram on the back burner. 

      Tell all your friends and family members to get checked. It's better to know early

    There are programs out there for people who can't afford it.

    I was so afraid to go check, How was I going to pay for treatment even if I got that free mammogram?

    I didn't want to lose my house....Too late I found out that doesnt matter.

    There ARE programs out there that will help you even if you own your home , as long as you are not over their income requirements.
    Tom hasn't been able to work since his triple bypass this Jan. And I havent been able to work neither.

    Cleveland Clinic here in Cleveland Ohio (one of the best) is doing all my office visits, tests, Drs , surgery and chemo for free.
    Tell your family and friends to check in to it ladies...I beg you...
      We love them to much NOT to tell them!
    .
    Oh and pray for just a stage one !!!
    I am in Gods hands.....I feel safe.
    Debbi ~
    New blog post today~ http://atoosassygal.blogspot.com/
    __________________
  • RangerMom
    RangerMom Member Posts: 205
    edited August 2011
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    debbie - YOu are in my prayers tonight! 

    Lillylady-thanks for the update on your BMX and so glad you've got that behind you now. Please keep us posted. I liked your idea of cutting out the inside of the pockets of your zip up hoodie. I'll have 3 drains and I think that might work for me too.

     Love to all..... 

  • Natters
    Natters Member Posts: 19
    edited August 2011
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    Add me to the list - lump only on Aug 18. I had an MRI and a BRACA test before to make sure that I'd probably only need the lump. Poatponed the surgery until I got some other stuff accomplished and now its just time to get the little bugger out of me! Fingers crossed for clean margins the first time around. I know my surgery is so tiny compared to most of you, but I'm still pretty nervous because I've never had any surgery before. I've never given birth, either, and just led a really charmed, healthy and pain free existence.



    The BS gave me a prescription for Ativan to help me calm down for the wire placement and not being able to have any food or caffeine all morning. I may have to sit around with a wire sticking out of me from 8am until noon or 1pm, depending on when the BS gets around to my surgery. Not looking forward to it at all, but I am looking forward to moving on to the next step in my treatment and being able to put this all behind me sooner rather than later.

  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 478
    edited August 2011
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    I walked a mile today, dead-headed in the flower garden, made my own dinner-but also needed  major power nap in the afternoon. This has been so much easier than I thought. the only discomfort is where thw drains are stitched in and the dang velco on the bra. My drains are putting out way lighter stuff now and even being that active they aren't putting out lots.

    The no recon and no nodes is probably why I am able to move my arms so well. Going furniture shopping with my mom tomorrow also. I can hide the drains but this pain ball thing is so dang bid it is hard to do anything with it.

      Praying for the rest of our surgical friends this week. The BS made the sign of the cross onmy forehead and then kissed the spot and the nurses were holding my hands and then I was asleep. Hope you all have that same kindness!! The rest of the hospital visit sucked!!!

  • blondelawyer
    blondelawyer Member Posts: 104
    edited August 2011
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    Glad to hear that you are doing well lilylady! 

  • maggiestatas
    maggiestatas Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2011
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    Hi my name is Maggie I am 52 yrs old and am scheduled to have BMX with TE 8/31. My ultrasound showed a 1cm mass my MRI shows I have a satellite mass 3 of those darn guys stacked on top of each other. Top guy is 1cm next guy is 2.2 cm and the bigguy hiding in there 6.8 cm.Prayers to everyone who has joined this August club.

  • rowan47
    rowan47 Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2011
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    Please add me to the list....My name is Rowan, New Zealand, and I am having BMX - without recon on August 18th (invasive papillary carcinoma, grade 3). Am feeling nervous, but after reading these posts it is comforing to know others understand and feel the same. Love to you all, brave women.

  • rockym
    rockym Member Posts: 357
    edited August 2011
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    Surgery was yesterday and all went well!  I am up and around today and back to my usual work, errands, etc.  My left breast looks a bit like a D cup from the swelling while my other is a C.  I feel like I'm back nursing my kids again :-).  They only nursed on the left side and it was a DD while the right remained a C.

    My left arm hurts a little above the bicep.  I hope this has nothing to do with the nodes and just part of the poking and probing the BS did.  I took 3 Advil (600mg) a few minutes ago and will see if that helps.  They gave me pills for pain, constipation and nausea.  I used one nausea pill last night as I was way sick when I got home.  Luckily I got home around 7:00p and then just went to sleep until 6:00a today when I had to get the kids up and off to school.

    So, far my BS said that the SNB was negative and the mass looked about the same size as the pathology said.  BS thinks I may have final pathology by Monday.  I'm hoping for all good news from here on out.  My appointment with my RO is next week and I will find out if I'm a candidate for brachytherapy or not.  I think 5 days of RADS would be better than 6 weeks.  My RO is a little far from my home.  She was considered the best in my state, so I felt a bit of driving would be worth it.  I also have a follow-up with the BS next week too.  I don't have an MO yet, but I'll look into that with my BS.  I didn't feel there was a need until the surgery showed what was up.

    Scilla and dixiebell, hope your surgeries went well too and good luck to chulita and nanadeb today!

  • stcc
    stcc Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2011
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    It seems everyone is doing fine ....

    I am having trouble to decide about my surgery which is scheduled for next Monday --- August 15th. ( I have to give the confirmation tomorrow!!) ---- In my pre-op tests, my BS ordered a MRI for me, the MRI found two spots they are concerned (although they think they might be benign.) on my RIGHT breast. (My left breast has cancer, it is grade II/III, Her2+++).

    So thursday I went in for an ultrasound to double check, however, the ultrasound cannot find these things (that found on the MRI), instead, ultrasound found something in another postion that they believe it is cyst...... So, all these findings drive me nuts. So many findings in the right breast, and both MRI and ultrasound pick different things and cannot confirm each other... I am so worried what exactly are going on in the right breast...

    I hope to do the bilateral mastectomy, however, my BS told me that the sugery they scheduled for next Monday is only for unilateral mastectomy (NOBODY ever asked my opinion when they book this surgery for me, they just booked it as unilateral without my own opinion and wihtout asking me at all.) So if I want bilateral mastectomy, they have to reschedule the surgery which possibly in September...That means I have to wait longer for my surgery. With such aggressive cancer, how scary it is for me to wait longer...

    I have to make the decision by tomorrow (Friday). what should I do? Should I wait longer and get the bilateral mastectomy? or just do the unilateral mastectomy on Monday and deal with this Cancer thing again if it is ( BS thought these findings in my right breast are all benign. but I am really worried and no much confidence --- it is my body, I take consequences if I make wrong decisions.)

    If you are in my situation, what will you decide? Any suggestions?

    Thank you.

  • blondelawyer
    blondelawyer Member Posts: 104
    edited August 2011
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    Stcc:  Sorry about your dilemma.  I understand your fear.  Though not ideal, could you do one breast on Monday and then the other in September?  Also, if it is in the beginning of September, you are only talking about 2 or 3 weeks, so realistically it shouldn't make much of a difference physically.  Though, I understand that it could be hard for you to be emotionally/mentally.  In the end, go with your gut.  I am choosing to have a BMX even though we haven't see anything in my left breast.  If there were suspicious spots, personally I would definitely go with a BMX.  But again, you have to go with what feels right for you.  

    I wish you the best with your decision! 

  • rowan47
    rowan47 Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2011
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    Stcc, I agree with blondelawyer. The decision has to be yours, and you have to feel comfortable with it. My cancer was in right breast (2.5cm, grade 3). My decision was to have BMX (scheduled for next Thursday, 18th August). Although there is no evidence of anything suspicious in my left breast, I am not prepared to go through the trauma of biopsy/lumpectomy(x2)/chemo again if anything does develop. I have chosen to not reconstruct - again, this is a personal decision and one that I am very comfortable with. I am so sorry you have such a strict timeframe to make a decision...try not to stress. Hugs and best wishes to you xx

  • dogeyed
    dogeyed Member Posts: 84
    edited August 2011
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    STCC, if it were me, I'd have the one taken off as scheduled for Monday.  No question in my mind and I'll tell you why.  When I was first diagnosed, I wanted that breast off right then and there.  But no, they wanted to do five months of chemo first.  I explained to them I didn't want to save my breast, because I didn't want to have to return to hospital several times for reconstruction.  Anyhow, I STILL wish I had made them take that boob off right off the bat, but I went with the wisdom of many doctors before mine, many tests and trials, and tried so hard to be patient.  See, my cancer is threefold:  I have inflammatory, and invasive ductal, and a melanoma in the mix to boot.  The inflammatory scared me half to death, and I knew this mole I had on there looked suspicious, and I just felt what I had there needed to be taken out forthwith and THEN the chemo.  So, as I said STCC, get that one breast off of there, they can fool with the other one another time, IF it is even cancerous.  As it is, not to say a thing against getting BMX, but I have had the surgery finally, and I'm glad I got one boob left on there, despite the chances of it goofing up down the road, which then I would regret not getting it off for sure.  But it is in perfect shape, and I'm glad to have it.  Don't wait to have the sick breast removed, no reason at all to put it off, you can always do the other one later.  It is important to do what the docs scheduled you for ASAP.  But that's just my two cents.  GG

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