Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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congratulations Mariebernard. I bet you are so happy. I start on Jan 27th it looks like.
Nancy
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Enjoy your month off, Nancy. Too bad it's January - such a dreary, dismal month, I always think! But having a month without treatment will probably ensure that even January flies by!
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I can't wait to have about 3 weeks of no chemo and no doctors. Maybe I can feel semi normal again lol
Thanks Hopeful
Nancy
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MarieBernice...so glad you hung in there. I had internal radiation and thought I would escape the sunburned skin. It showed up about 3 weeks after I finished radiation. I used aquaphor cream and covered it with gauze....took a couple of weeks but it's almost healed. We started this journey about the same time....I feel like I'm finally moving on. Just taking Femara now and feeling good. Now I need to start exercising regularly. My daily walks were really helpful. With the weather turning colder and I've gotten out of my routine.
Wishing you happy holidays!!!
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Thank you Nash - yes it seems that we did start our journey about the same time. Towards the end of January, I will be going back to my medical oncologist to talk about the next phase, which for me will be Tamoxifen. I was hoping for the Femara,
MarieBernice6234
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MarieBernice - I'm puzzled as to why any MO would prefer tamoxifen over Femara, other than menopausal status? from everything I've read, Femara has the better track record.
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Hi Hopefull -
Yes, I was hoping for the Femara as well but I still have not gone through menopause. I actually thought I had - because of the Tamoxifen, I have to switch my Zoloft to Effexor. Oh well, at some point, I will be switched because of the premature menopause.It has only two days since the rads, stopped but some of the burned areas are already peeling. I have a multiple color scheme going on here.
Supposedly the dead skin shedding off will only take about two weeks. My energy drain is another thing. Sometimes out of the clear blue it will hit me! Other times, I am not too bad. Is this common?
MarieBernice6234
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MarieBernice, it's been 2 months since I ended my rads. I was totally exhausted going into my rads and the fatigue that came with them didn't help much. However, I can now see where I will actually have my normal energy back in a month or so. Like you, I have those instant need of rest moments. The one area where I had discoloration (around my nipple) is almost back to normal color. I thought it would take longer. But we all get through it because we must
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Hi!
I just got a lumpectomy two days ago and finally had the courage to open up my bandages today. It looks like the surgeon did a good job and I don't have an indentation or shape issues, however due to the sizable chunk removed (4cm from. 34C) my lumpectomy breast does look smaller than the other one
, like a full cup smaller. I've been told that for indentations that the body in fact fills them back up in time, but if I have no indentation will I still get something closer to the old size again?I will have to get radiation too which I heard may further shrink the breast from these boards so I got a bit worried, especially since I read that radiated breasts may not have many options for reconstruction.
Any input is appreciated!
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hi wind girl, I'll be in the same boat. The plastic surgeon said they could do a lift on both sides for me since I need one, and I may have the non CA breast reduced a bit to match. He can do it during the lumpectomy, or after ( like 4 weeks after) but recommends doing it before rads. He has enough recon experience that the size he makes the breast to be radiated takes into consideration contracture after rads is finished.
I'm hoping to get both done at the same time, but since I'm preg now, and I think my lump is in 3 weeks, it may be better to let my boobs shrink a bit before recon.
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hi Gatomal! Nice to see you here as well
well considering I guess. I hope that you are doing well.Will your PS do fat grafting on your lumpectomy side before rads or just a reduction on the other side to match? I wasn't clear on this part. I would imagine my radiation would be starting in 3 weeks or so as well so I need to get on this if it needs to be done before rads.
My BS told me that he would do the lumpectomy I would get the rads wait a year and then only after that if I feel like I need reconstruction I would do it at that time. I had kept hearing from those family and friends who had excisional biopsies that their bodies filled up any gaps, and was hoping that could be the case for us too.
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I think that fat grafting could be done after rads, but I would ask your BS surg at your post-op appt about this and recon before rads. If you need or want to delay rads it can be done according to my team and they actually prefer recon before rads, not a year after for both tissue and vascular reasons.
The rads is the insurance policy in my mind. The chemo kills it, the surgery gets rid of it, the rads is insurance. Along with Drugs for five years and ovarian suppression in my case. That may be incorrect, but it's how I think of it.
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windgirl, I am about a cup size or so smaller on the lumpy side. I am very large (44DDD) and the tumor was 3 cm plus they took a little over 1 cm margins. That is a lot to take out of one breast. At this point, I've decided not to do anything. The shape of the lumpy breast is great other than some hard scar tissue by the incision. My nipples now go 2 different directions but again, right now I can live with that. Who knows in a few years, maybe I will go ahead and make them match.
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Windgirl, I'm very small - 36A. The amount of tissue removed from the underside of my breast was 5 x 3 x 2.5cm. My nipples also point different directions. My lumpy nipple points down. So far there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in the size of my breasts. Right now I'm not interested in recon. I'm 69 and, who knows, I might change my mind down the road.
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Jeanelle, Peggy and Gatomal - thanks for the responses. I think the surgeon actually did a good job and if it were not for the rads, I am sure it would also fatten up a bit. Ugh those rads! Wish we did not have to get them. They scare me for all different kinds of reasons.
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Windgirl, the rads or even the thought of them, never bothered me. I was so relieved that chemo wasn't necessary I'd have walked on hot coals, I think. Of course, if chemo had been called for, I'd have done it too and soldiered on. Whatever is in the arsenal to kill my BC, I'm fine with. I also think my BS did a good job. A little fattening up would be just fine with me, too.
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The thought of rads at the beginning did freak me out but like Peggy said, I was so glad that I didn't have to do chemo that I could have taken on anything at that point. It does feel good to be done though. I finally have gotten so I can go back to wearing my regular bras. However, I have discovered that the molded cup ones do not work anymore as there isn't enough on the lumpy side to fill in the cup so I end up with a dent. I guess I'll be tossing/donating those in the very near future.
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Jeanelle, Since I have always been lacking in the bust department (except when nursing), I have a ton of padded bras and they work well for me. The molded ones have never worked - I'm rather "hollow" on top and don't fill them out. So I do not have an excuse to buy more pretty bras
HUGS!
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Jeanelle, it's my understanding that one can purchase little 'fillers' for those post-lx. dents. One woman on here refers to them as her 'chicken fillets' since they look like little, raw, chicken breasts! Maybe one of those would allow you to continue enjoying your molded-cup bras - or have you tried them without success?
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Hi Ladies,
I finished chemo, and had my simulation for rads yesterday. Start rads on Monday.... for 5 weeks.
Can I wash off all of those awful Sharpie lines and squiggles?
I had a lot of tissue removed during my lumpy (cancer and an area of "concern"). I had the good side reduced to match. They look pretty good, my back feels better and I can buy bras.
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PoppyK - I was told it was OK to wash of the "drawings" they did during setup. Did they tattoo you also - those won't wash off. They drew on me almost every day as my tats were so small they had to identify them daily!
Congrats on finishing Chemo :-)
Have a Merry Christmas
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HI Kkay -
Like everyone else is saying, it is okay to wash off the marker squiggles. The tattoos aren't going very far trust me. I am glad that you survived chemotherapy.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
MarieBernice6234
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Merry Christmas ladies! Thanks so much for all the support I received on this board...this is my "home" board. Here's wishing all of us a beautiful new year filled with good tidings and good heath!!!!!
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Thanks everyone. I tried to scrub as much of the lines and squiggles off as I could.... especially the visible ones on my neck.
Merry Christmas!
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Nash, merry Christmas to you and all the best for 2015.
Poppy, congratulations on making it through chemo!! I hope rad is a cake walk by comparison. Most of all, I hope it's thoroughly effective. Have a lovely Christmas!
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Poppy K...yay for finishing chemo! I was on cloud nine for weeks after I finished! Rads went pretty fast...relatively speaking, compared to chemo! Definitely not as many side effects as chemo land!
I always kept the markings on me hoping things would go faster when they set me up...even with tattoos...so not sure if it helped them go faster...some days were faster than others...all in all, my team was efficient...thank God!
Good luck to you! Merry Christmas! Rosie
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Ladies - I posted a while ago about the difference in breast size and I am a large breasted gal. At 67 I was not interested in breast reduction to make them match, but was offered that. Recently I found that insurance will pay for a mastectomy bra fitting and a prosthesis to make the girls match. It makes a world of difference to even them out and get a terrific fitting bra. Medicare/insurance pays for three bras and they are beautiful, not clinical looking. Find a good place near you. Take a look at Decollatage' in Coralville IA (online) and read more about this. I'm glad I checked out this option and fell exactly like I felt before when wearing my new bras.
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Thanks for that very helpful advice, Miminiemi. I'm not there yet, but it's encouraging to know such resources are available if needed. And, as you know, every iota of hope and encouragement counts a TON.
Glad to know you're feeling like yourself with lovely new lingerie!
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Hi,I just had fat grafting in November to even out my lumpectomy dent. I was told I had to wait a year to heal from radiation and for any saromas to disappear before I could do fat grafting. The scar before was at 12 oclock and would rub on the edge of my bra. I had to buy bras that did not have a seam where lace and fabric met. Since my fat grafting he fixed the scar and the pain and rubbing has disappeared. It already looks better but was told 30 percent of the fat wont take so I may have to do it one more time in 3 months.
The PS does not recommend surgery because radiated tissue does not like to heal but fat grafting seems to be ok and several have spoke of the benefits of it.
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Thanks for that info ndgrrl.. I will absolutely be looking into the fat grafting at a later date.
Have a Happy Day :-)
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