Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Picturing your trip to Scotland, with all the wonderful visual and aroma details, sounds like a wonderful way to help get through treatments. I hope your wish comes true, sounds to me as if you well deserve it. Relax in that recliner and think of next year, when you'll be healthy and enjoying the countryside. Will it be cold in Scotland in February? Those Gypsy Vanners are very striking to look at!
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I'm picturing it cool and crisp with the smell of snow in the air; my long chestnut locks flowing like the mane of my steed. Geez, I love that image! Oh, and I'm thin.
FYI, New Orleans has two seasons of weather: Humidity and Mosquito. I often daydream of snow.
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I think you'll find plenty of white stuff in Scotland in February. They've really gotten hit this year. Those Gypsy Vanners are exquisite looking. I'd love to ride one. In the summer! SweetHope, I have a spare bedroom. You're quite welcome to come visit and see all the snow you want.
Kay, one of my favorite bareback riding scenes is from Bolero starring Bo Derek (a rather risque film that I adore). She rides an Andalusian, bareback, NAKED (though she does wear a hat), in a bull ring (no bull). Bo Derek actually owns Andalusians. Anyway, it is a wonderful scene in the movie. (I would not do it).
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I've been concerned about Shaz but have been out of the country and out of time to check on folks. I'm going to send her a message.
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Kay, I started radiation on 2/5. When did you say you were going to start?0 -
Scotland, U.K? February? Must be somewhere else as it is grey, dull and cold.
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All the talk about horseback riding makes me miss it more. I grew up in MN with horses. Taking a horse out for a run sounds wonderful. Haven't done in a couple of years. Maybe that will be one of my treats to myself.
Just did my 1st radiation -29 to go. The did tell me to stop using deodorant, but several articles I have read indicate this is not necessary. Any thoughts or experience to share?
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Mm68, you shouldn't use deodorant with aluminum in it. That eliminates virtually all of them except Tom's of Maine (which I was allergic to). I went without for the course of my radiation treatment.
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Peggy, do you understand what the aluminum does? Just curious about the nuts and bolts of the situation. Thanks for any insights.
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Hopeful, I don't remember what the aluminum does. I think it can cause negative skin reactions. You can use it on your "good" underarm if you want.
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Peggy, I would not do it either
But I do know an Andalusian.0 -
DakotaGirl, I think I start rads on 3/2. My simulation is 2/16, and they told me 2 weeks after that will be the "dry run," and then the next day the first real treatment (I think), so maybe that would make the first actual treatment 3/3, but I'll know for sure after the simulation appointment. How many weeks do you have?
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gemmafromlondon, sounds like Pennsylvania in February!
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The ROs at my treatment center said it was okay to use deodorant. Just don't apply it right before treatment because they want your skin to be dry.
Here's a link to information regarding deodorant use during rads: http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20101101
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Mm68, you should definitely plan that ride! I've been told, too, to avoid deodorant with aluminum, though I don't really know what it does. Maybe interferes with the radiation beams since it's technically metal? I swore off aluminum-containing deodorants awhile ago because my underarm skin doesn't like them. Tom's of Maine is the easiest-to-find option, but there are others. For example, Arm & Hammer "Essentials Deodorant with Natural Deodorizers," which I've been using. Or I have another one: Alba Botanica Clear Enzyme Deodorant Stick, which has tea tree oil, baking soda, and lichen (lichen? like, moss???). Just read the label to make sure it's aluminum-free. The Arm & Hammer one clearly says, "no aluminum, no parabens." Anything called an anti-perspirent probably has aluminum, whereas "deodorants" don't.
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Thanks, PoppyK! Guess it's a myth, then. But since I'm already using non-aluminum for other reasons, I'm sticking to that.
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I had my lumpectomy on Sept 5, 2014, healed quickly with no problems. Completed 4 cycles of TC in Dec 2014 & started xrt 1st week of January. After 12 xrt, I had a large painful bump pop out of my lumpectomy site. Figured it was just a SE of xrt. Showed my RO the following Monday & she said that XRT didn't cause bumps like that & she had my surgeon look at it. He said it felt like a seroma. Each week I keep asking if this is going to go away, but my Dr's are evasive in their reply. It is still very painful, but starting to harden up, so now I'm wondering if I'm going to end up with a hard lump on my chest that isn't going to go away (it's twice the size of the tumor they removed). I searched through previous blogs for experiences with seromas, but didn't find any reference from somone who had it appear so far post surgery & mid xrt. My 25th & last xrt is tomorrow & I start my 7 boosts next week. Has anyone had a seroma pop out so late post lumpectomy and/or during xrt?
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Kay, absolutely! I wanted to let other's know, too. I think it's interesting that this info and much more is available at breastcancer.org. I've learned a lot by reading my recommended articles, too.
I think it was Peggy who said she didn't sweat that much during rads. I didn't either.... except for the few 80 degree days here in the middle of winter.... while having hot flashes.
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Poppy, thanks for your reply. I already use Tom's but am developing a reaction to it, so appreciated Kay's suggestions of others.
Bamboo, I would refuse to budge from your next appointment until you get some real answers regarding that seroma or whatever it may be. Call NOW and tell your MD you need to know what's going on. Don't let them put you off. Please.
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Hi Bambooangel,
A friend I met while doing my rads had something similar happen to her, I'm not sure if it was a seroma though. She had her lumpy in 9/14 & had a severe reaction to the dye they use to map the SN. The reaction caused an infection & small cyst so she had a 2nd surgery in 11/14 to remove the infection & any necrotic tissue. She started her rads in 12/14 the rads (30 visits) made her very red & blistered. After her 1st booster she developed a large knot, the RO discontinued her rads. About a week after her 1st booster (her final rad tx) the lump burst & drained while she was at home. She's doing better now after d/c the rads & completing a 2 or 3 rounds of antibiotics.
Be well.
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Thanks Jedimom. My lump definitely looks & feels like it wants to burst. I'm thinking the 7 boosts are probably going to cause it to rupture.
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Kay and others--Here's a bco link that talks about the myths and realities of aluminum .. . and other substances:
http://community.breastcancer.org/livegreen/are-antiperspirants-safe/
We probably ingest more aluminum when we eat and drink than we absorb through antiperspirants--unless, of course, we unwisely apply the stuff too soon after shaving. Of equal--perhaps greater--importance is to check labels on cosmetics, including sunscreen, for parabens, which seem to create more risk of b.c. than aluminum in antiperspirants.
During rads, I was told to use nothing, or Tom's of Maine, or pure kitchen cornstarch. And never to put anything in the radiation area less than four hours before treatment.
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Hi All -
The about how soon is the first mammogram after treatment is quite interesting. I have an answer that doesn't fit either model. I had my surgery at the end of September - 6 months from that would be April. If my team went from the end of my rad treatment, it would be June. So my surgeon ordered the first mammogram to be in June. My RO wants it to be done in April. They need to come to some type of compromise because it seems silly to have 2 mammograms ith only one month in between.
The non-affected girl is scheduled for a regular mammogram in August. For about the first year and a half my girls will probably be on different schedules, but so be it I guess.
MarieBernice6234
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I have FINALLY made a decision on my surgery...
I am going ahead with the lumpectomy and reconstruction at the time of surgery...Surgery is next week on the 19th.Can you ladies give me some tips on what recovery is like? I am having it done at MD Anderson in Houston and we do not live there. Have a hotel room in the hotel attached to the hospital for a cpl days before and after. Just wondering what I should wear and if I need a special bra? I have a bunch of sports bras if those will work. I am hoping to be ok enough to make the 5 hr drive home by Sat which would be 2 days post op. I am really hoping to back to my exercise schedule 2 weeks post op
If there is a post with all of this info let me know if no one wants to repeat.
Thanks so much!
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Leighrh, I found a Genie bra quite comfy. I am barely an A cup. I found sports bras uncomfortable. You will want something to step into or that hooks in front. Reaching in back may not be comfortable for a bit. I felt good when I got home from my surgery. You're wise to stay a couple days post-Lx. Will you be driving yourself? If so, make sure you're off any pain meds other than plain old Tylenol. Good luck with your surgery! I think you're smart to do both the Lx and reconstruction at the same time and get it over. HUGS!!!!
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Thank you Peg, and NO My hubs will be driving. Genie bra is a good idea, I have also thought about the Victoria's Secret sports bras.. some of them have a zip in front. I found that a padded bra helped me after the biopsy.. I felt having that padding there somehow protected it??? I am a good B.. a C on very good days Lol But I like my sports bras a little tight so I am not sure they will work.0 -
After a couple or 3 weeks, Leighrh, I started wearing padded camis from Walmart. Since you are definitely more endowed than me (not hard to be!), I don't think they'd work for you. You don't want anything too tight nor high under the arm (if you're having a SLNB). If you do have an SLNB, it will likely be more of a pain in the you-know-what than your Lx. At least I found it to be. Had to make sure my bras weren't too high under my arm. No underwires!! I also went braless during my rads. Glad you aren't driving home though you probably could. HUGS
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Leighrh, What kind of reconstruction are you having? I'm sorry if you've said before, but my fatigued chemo brain doesn't remember well.
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The Plastic Surgeon will just be in on the surgery and rearrange existing tissue after surgeon removes the area.
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Leighrh, it sounds like you have all your ducks in a row, and it's great that you can do the Lx and reconstruction at the same time. If I had it to do over again, knowing what I know now, I would have liked to do that. But BS originally told me I'd have a better cosmetic result than I've wound up with, which is just because between that pre-op visit with BS and my actual Lx, they found an additional area of DCIS that resulted in a 2.4 cm excision rather than the !cm+ that was forecast going in. Being also very minimally endowed, it's left me with very a noticeable defect below the nipple that I'm not very happy about. I'm having a consult with a breast PS at Johns Hopkins, where my surgery was done, day after tomorrow, to talk about possible fat grafting to help. But I have to do rads in March, and know I'll have to wait a good long time for any kind of reconstruction after that. Not to be nosy, but what type of reconstruction are you having?
I second the Genie bra, and also do not find sport bras to be comfortable—although all the bras I'm now wearing, since my Lx, are sort of sports bra-like. One that is especially so is the Handful bra. Also the Genie bra, and probably my fave is the Coobie bra, both the Coobie "comfort bra," which looks almost exactly like the Genie but is slightly less "tall," if that makes any sense. There is also a Coobie "scoop neck" bra which is a little cuter-looking and has narrow, adjustable straps instead of the wide fixed straps. All of these bras have sewn-in pockets and come with removable pads. To get really picky, for me the pads that come with the Handful, which you can also order separately and put in the other kinds, are the absolute best. These are all stretchy, no underwire or hooks, and you can either step into them or pull on over your head. I avoided node biopsy, so have no trouble pulling them on over my head, but you could do it either way. You can google any of these and can buy them online, although I know the Genie is also available in lots of stores. After Lx, I wore the Coobie comfort bra 24/7 for at least 2 weeks. I found the pads to be protective, in addition to giving me a bit of needed shape & support while healing. Now that the swelling has gone down, the pads are definitely helping to even out the big dent in my lower breast. With your reconstruction, I expect that won't be a worry for you, but the pads are light and you can use them or not, as you like.
I hope everything goes great for you on the 19th. Please let us now how you're doing!
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