Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
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Havel, so sorry to hear about your pain and difficulty after surgery. I guess we are all different. They super glued my incisions and other than fluid buildup for a month or two, no real pain. I had a lump of fluid the size of a baseball under my arm that I had drained twice in the doctors office. She said it would go away and absorb into the body and each time she drained it there was an increased risk of infection so I dealt with it. She said it was caused by the removal of the 3 sentinel nodes which would normally drain the fluid so there was an overload on the other nodes.
Wave, thanks for the info about the tenderness. I have massaged the scar tissue only recently and not sure if it is too late for that. I see my onc again in June.
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schoolmom: according to my physical therapist, it is never too late to start massaging the scar tissue.
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Hey schoolmom:
(School marm here, too, LOL) I have an Occupational Therapist that is GREAT at helping work the fluid out. She is a lymphedema specialist and it is amazing what she does. With very light manual work she is reteaching my body to move the fluid from the right side (surgery, 4 node removal, clean thank God!) to the left. Sometimes the left gets overwhelmed and needs a little extra work, but honestly, it's unbelievably simple and it works. My advice is to have your doc recommend one and work with her to teach you how to do it. Seriously, after an infection because of fluid build up, I feel much more in control of how to deal with it. I hope this helps.
Murph0 -
Steph:
May I ask why you had a lumpectomy then a mastectomy within a year? Same breast? Did it come back? If you had radiation, how did you get the breast reconstructed? Thanks
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Last year (May, 2012) I was diagnosed with ILC, stage 1, grade 2, left breast. I had done alot of research before meeting with my surgeon, so when he recommended a lumpectomy followed by radiation, I was completely on-board. I still believe that a lumpectomy, given what I knew at the time, was the right choice.
Fast forward to April this year: my one-year mammo showed something "suspicious" in the right (other!) breast. I have now been diagnosed with IDC in the right. (So, not a recurrence, this is a second cancer.) Until I have surgery, I am working off the premise that it is also stage 1. It took me a couple of weeks to decide between masectomy vs. another lumpectomy. The decision to go for a masectomy is based largely on timing: since it's been less than a year, and I've been on tamoxifen, I decided I want to be more agressive in treatment this time around. It was a VERY VERY difficult decision, but I am ok with it now.
As for reconstruction, my plastic surgeon says that it will be challenging, as the skin on the left hasn't completely healed yet (still tight, and tan-looking), but that he can do it. I've talked to many people about him, all with positive feedback, so I'm assuming that he knows what he's talking about! My masectomy/reconstruction is scheduled for June 13, and I will be having the TRAM flap procedure done.
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LauireParr -
Wishing you a laughter filled Holiday Weekend! Your lumpectomy is scheduled for Tuesday 5/28 and we will all be in your pocket (((squeeze)))!
Sending you calm confident thoughts knowing you are held up in prayer!
Singing God of Angles Armies and Remind Me Who I Am...His Beloved:)))
Stand strong!
(((Hugs)))
Cindy0 -
Thank you my dear Cindy!
I have positive thoughts and lots of love and support. Will be in touch!
Xoxoxo
Hugs!!
laurie0 -
wavewhisperer-no I don't need any chemo, thanks.
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Laurieparr..I will be with you on the 28th. Stay positive and enjoy the holiday weekend.
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LaurieParr: Thinking of you. All WILL be well.
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LaurieParr, sending calming, loving positive thoughts for you-you beat that C!!
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Havel???How is it going?
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Oh my dear friends, thank you for the nice notes.
I SO appreciate all of you.I have a question and I know you ladies can help. I am getting the guided wire localization and the radiated dye before the surgery. I am nervous about this. A friend suggested that I take a valium before I leave for the hospital. Is that a good idea? I have never taken one and I wasn't sure if it would screw things up as we are not supposed to ingest anything prior to surgery.
Any tips for me? Thanks ladies. I really don't know what I would do without the support here.
XOXOXOXO
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LaurieParr...Don't take anything before surgery...It doesn't hurt, the mammogram before insertion hurt more than the wire placement. Good Luck, you will be fine.
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LaurieParr, I am the biggest wimp, I tried to be brave for initial biopsy-cried, then clip placement-cried, then picc line insertion (which had to be done twice) -cried. So I asked my surgeon if there was anything I could take for the exact procedures your having and she gave me an rx for lorazepam 1 mg. and said to take it about an hour before dye injection. Maybe ask your Dr. For something. My surgery is on the 7th, so I cannot report if this helps or not, but I figure it's better than nothing.
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I had the biopsy and wire placement and I did not find it to be unpleasant. The tiny clip was in place from two weeks prior and the wire placement, with local anes. was just pressure. The dye injections hurt like HHHH. It was four injections and they got progressively more painful. If you can get something I say go for it. I actually had twilight sleep for my port picc placement and I felt nothing and did not have the after effects of the general. When I go to get it removed in July I plan to do the same.....not a general.
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Hi Laurie
NO do not take! My team called prior to procedure and wanted to know if I was taking anything...I said should I be. Team said that taking drug would impact whether or not they would be able to inject a dye during procedure to help identify the area near tumor. I wanted to ensure the C was marked so BS would see and get it out. C doesnt wear a back hat!
So no Xanax or anything...I wanted that C to be clearly ID.
I was so grateful for the peace I had going through each procedure...I squeezed the tech's hand during nuclear dye injection, which was just a bee sting or 3.
Our minds are so powerful...and it's so easy to make the unknown bigger and badder than the reality and rehearse it over and over when we only have to walk that way once.
Laurie, you will be fine...stand confident...your BC team will help you...they will ensure that you are comfortable and pain free...trust...one step at a time:).
We will all be in your pocket(((squeeze)))
You will be amazed at the peace you will have and the overwhelming relief when you cross over:))). Make sure you know when and how you will receive results on nodes and margins!
Cindy0 -
Wow, that's a totally different view, so much so, that I am going to phone and double check on taking lorazepam and specifically ask if it will interfere with marking sentinel nodes. Thank you.
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Slv58 - do call and check.
Wire localization team did not want any meds prior to procedure. A dye was added to aide BS in lx. No black hat on Tumor so dye to help ID the bad guy.
SND Another nuclear dye was administered in the shots received into NUMBED nipple. Felt like bee stings.
I received 2 dyes...each facility may do procedures differently. So ask.
Hope this helps:)0 -
Havel - hope you are having a good day and feeling much better!
Sending speedy pain free thoughts (((hugs)))
Your Lumpie Warriors!0 -
I had no anesthetics. Just the shots
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LaurieParr:
I was petrified and my doc gave me either a pain pill or a type of sedative before nearly every procedure because he made me sleepy and calmer. I didn't have any problem and not a person involved from the surgeon to the oncologists to the techs doing the MRI's ever had a negative thing to say about it. If it makes you feel better, do it. I'm still put out at my Lamaze coach who just told me to "breathe, just breathe." Right! So I suffered needlessly before I finally had an epidural. You do what makes YOU feel right and helps you get through this. It's HARD and it's nerve wracking. If you trust your doc, then do it. I wish you the best. I was going through this similar situation when I was diagnosed August 23, 2012. May an angel be at your side to comfort you. Murph
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Steph01,
Thanks. I had a lumpectomy in Sept, with rads following. I can't take Tamox or any estrogen blocker so that bugs me. I was told that I couldn't have my radiated breast reconstructed. So I am glad that I asked. I wish you all the best. Peace
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Laurie Parr, I was scared to death when I found out I had to have the wire placement and dye injection, mostly because I'd read about some bad experiences. However, wimpy as I am, I personally found both to be very easy and non-painful. I had the radiologist give me extra lidocaine for the wire placement and, honestly, the lidocaine injection was worse than the wire and that wasn't much of anything but a tiny sting. As for the dye, I actually had a nuclear tracer injection around the nipple, rather than dye (though the radiologist also inserted some dye around the wire when she placed that). Hardly felt it at all, in fact I didn't even know that the Dr. had even done it yet when I was told he was finished. My surgeon later injected more dye during surgery, but I was already anesthetized by then.
But as others have said, you need to do what's right for you. I'd have taken medication if it was offered, but it wasn't. I'm happy that it turned out I didn't need it.
Best of luck to you Tuesday. You'll be SO happy to have this part of the journey behind you.
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Ladies,
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE AND LOVE! I will just wait until I check in at the hospital and then I will ask if I can have something. I would prefer something even prior to the IV because they can never get it and it's like it's against my bone once it's in.
Again...thank you all. Your advice was very helpful and comforting.
Murph...your message touched my heart. Thank you.
Cindy...I will update all of you. I promise. XOXOXOX
slv58...I will be praying for your surgery to go well on the 7th.
Nyama....thank you! XOXOXOXO
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Sending out prayers to Laurie today for clear margins and no nodes!
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Amen!
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Laurie, sending loving positive prayers and hugs and hoping for no discomfort.
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Hi schoolmom and RMlulu, I'm doing much better. I still have some pain and numbness in my arm but I guess that is to be expected. I spoke to BS and she said that everything is clear. I don't think I need anymore treatments (BS didn't say anything about further treatment) so I can close this chapter of my life for the second and hopefully the final time. I have to see BS in a few days and then I will know for sure.
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Havel - Yippee! Happy Dancing:))) Ooo whoo clear margins and nodes!
So happy for you...sending healing thoughts for a speedy recovery!
Sweet Dreams (((hugs)))
Cindy0
