Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I am in Louisiana but getting treated at MD Anderson in Houston at the insistence of my hubs and mom
We will be traveling to Houston on Fat Tuesday... but I have had my fill of King Cake the last couple of weeks and will go to a parade on Sat as kind of a last harahha before surgery.0 -
Leighrh, sorry I opened that can of worms about dealing with drains...but it did lead to some interesting conversations.
As I am watching my family on tv on Tuesday (somehow they manage to get interviewed each year about their costumes) I will be sending you some cyber hugs.
Love that Hubs and Mom are so supportive...but be sure that you are doing exactly what you want. This journey is very personal and only you know best what is the right path for you.
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Oh I am in agreement with my family... its only about a 5 hr drive with stops for stretching and eating. It's a little stressful not being at home but I agree that we might as well go with the docs that deal with this every day in and day out. It's all they do so I do feel confident in my care.No biggie on the drain issue... It doesn't matter as long as I am prepared. At first I was going back and forth on my decision to have a lumpectomy vs MX or BMX and drains were a factor but now that it's go time... I'm really just ready to get this cancer out!! I am still super worried that it has grown or something since I was diagnosed on 12/31... feels like forever ago. But I am a little glad I had the time to really think about what I wanted to do!
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Shaz! Welcome back. So delighted to hear your good news. Rest and take care of yourself. My arm is finally (after 4 months) almost back to normal.
Sweethope....always wondered about that baby in the cake!
TGIF!!
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Leighrh, You sound very strong, very prepared and very justified in wanting to get it over and done. For now, go enjoy Endymion!
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OMG, SweetHope. I've never heard of this cake. It sounds oh so yummy. Don't think I'd make it though but I'd sure eat it
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Peggy, it is the richest cake you will ever eat. It is eight layers of yummy. Found this pic on google.
I make mine with chocolate cake. Cut the layers thin with the trick of using dental floss wrapped around then crossing the cake then pulling it cut. I fill it with pistachio pudding and frost it with a hard chocolate cover that helps hold it in place. (Does not travel well!)
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Another question: am I likely to have a drain after my lumpy?
Thanks for all the info. Looking forward to the time when I can give as much as I have been receiving from you all.
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Kay--Age does have its advantages, as far as health care is concerned, so you can't turn 65 too soon! Then you'll be basically rid of this crazy-quilt, whimsical and frustrating American system where private insurance companies dictate what doctors can and cannot do, and where they can and cannot do it! As Peggy said, Medicare and Medigap coverage is a breeze, the out-of-pocket deductible is reasonable and fixed, and claims and paperwork are basically non-existent for the patient. (Providers handle claims and resubmissions of them on their own.) Medicare is the closest my husband and I have come in many years to our experiences with the superb health care AND hassle-free insurance coverage that we had while living on sabbatical (with two boys under 6) in both Germany and Sweden! Too bad our politicians here have looked only at those foreign health care systems that are failures at worst or have major problems at best, but NOT at the ones that really work and give the user no stress headaches and no obstacle course to run through (as in those 2 countries and Japan)! But I won't get started on this or this post will turn into a tome like War and Peace! Glad you finally could work with someone who took the trouble to ask questions and get real answers to what you already knew--and could do this before your PS and rads measurement appointments!
Mm--Can you try to get a really early rads appointment and rearrange the start/stop time of your work day? Being "at the head of the line" would give you an edge and let you avoid the inevitable end-of-day pile-up. Even this wouldn't avoid delays or postponements if the machine acts up or if staff can't get in because of weather/road conditions, but it would alleviate the delay a bit. I had a 9 a.m. slot and was in and out in less than 15 minutes, except on one day (of 35) when an earlier patient had all kinds of problems (some days I got there by 8:45 and was gone by 9, in fact). .
Shaz and Allicat--glad to hear your good news. Keep moving those arms gently as much as you can so that they don't "freeze" on you.
And Allicat--thanks for the King Cake recipe, which someday I may need on Epiphany Sunday. We serve it at coffee hour after church that Sunday, so I may need the recipe if my luck in picking a piece should run out one day! Trudi
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SurprisedAt65, I didn't have a drain. From what I've gathered, and this may not be correct, you're more apt to have a drain if you have quite a few nodes removed and with a mastectomy. I'm sure other women here will be able to answer your question with more knowledge.
SweetHope, Looks good but far too much work for me! I'll order it sometime for dessert (if I find it on the menu!).
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Kay, I have to go about 7 weeks (30 treatments). My last will be on March 18th. Good luck with your simulation Monday! You could be getting some sweet tattoos
.I was told by my RO not to use deodorant with aluminum also. My understanding was because it is too irritating to the skin.
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SurprisedAt65...no drain for me either. I only had 1 node removed.
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Sounds like the carnival is a lot of fun. That cake sounds deadly! I'm sure I've put on weight just reading all the ingredients! What's the history of the carnival and cake?
Thank you all for your support. I think I'll try warm and not cold! I'm not a big fan of anything cold. The back of my arm is numb and the under part feels very sensitive.
surprised I had 1 drain in for my lumpy and sentinel node op. It only stayed in overnight and they removed it before I was released.
poppy I hope you are having a brighter day today 💚
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Drain/s are pretty standard with ALND or ARM, not so much with SNB or LX.
Sweethope, thanks for the recipe and photos. I've read about the cake but never encountered it first hand. Like Shaz, I'm sure I've put on pounds just reading about it. Enjoy your Mardi Gras!
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Leigh - I had no drains despite having 3 SNB and one AND.
Surprised - Hopeful has given you good advice regarding ALND. I refused to consent to it as it can have a massive impact on arm mobility with possible lymphedeme. Do check up on Axial Reverse Mapping - I have an idea some surgeons are not up to it!
Exercise your arm well before surgery- it helped me and check out what exercises they recommend post operation. Best of luck
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Gemma's correct - far too many surgeons won't even suggest ARM because they don't know how to do it. That should not make it YOUR problem. If you get stuck for a surgeon who will do it, send me a PM and I'll see if I can help you out. DO ask your surgeon for it; mine told me that it's one thing that motivates surgeons to learn new techniques. But until they learn them, they will swear up and down on a stack of Bibles that there is no alternative. Good luck.
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Peggy - I finally made it to the yoga for cancer patients class this a.m. and it was wonderful. I found myself lying on the floor wishing you had the same instructor! I feel better today than I have since August 25, 2014. I hope you find something as restorative for yourself. (I did see a couple of DVDs on Amazon that might be good choices. Google something like yoga for breast cancer - or just yoga for cancer.)
For anyone else - if you have such a class available through your hospital, Y, or community center, do consider giving it a try. This class felt great for my joints, my breast, my mind and my soul. I wish I could bottle it to drink at home - and share with all the rest of you!
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Hopeful, a friend came to my house this week and worked with me for over 2 hours showing me gentle yoga. It was wonderful. I think she'll be back next week. She likes the DVD by Rodney Yee that I purchased. I discovered that I was tight between the upper part of my breast (where there was no surgery) and my SNB site. I was quite surprised. She is learning YogaMedic and is extremely aware of being careful of the body. I agree. It's the best thing I've found, too.
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That's great, Peggy! I'm so glad that was such a good experience for you, too.
Rodney Yee is terrific, as we've discussed, but having guidance from a real instructor is priceless. I'm not familiar with YogaMedic but it surely sounds intriguing.
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Hopeful, here's some info on YogaMedics YogaMedics I agree that an instructor is the best. I need to find a studio since my friend isn't teaching right now - dang.
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That's quite interesting, Peggy. Thanks!
Could your friend help you find an appropriate studio/instructor?
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Hopeful, she has recommended one. It's just further than I had hoped to go. The one closest to me is crap. So I'll go the extra distance. Probably sometime in the next couple weeks. Friend said I'll find energy from going to a studio that I won't get at home.
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That's probably the case, Peggy. Sorry you have a long trip, though. I hope it's more than worth it, however!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Hopeful, it's not THAT long - 15 minutes. I just wanted closer
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Glad it's not too far, Peggy, but I understand about wanting convenience. Especially in the winter!
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Shaz, Thanks for the update! Great to see you!
Great to see all my lumpy friends!
No drains for me. Ask your doctor if you will have them. The best question to ask is "What number should I call to reach you if I have more questions?"
I've always wanted to go to New Orleans. During Mardi Gras or not. My mom's husband, Tim, was from NO. One day I came home from school and our bathtub was full of crawfish! Pinch the tails and suck the heads! Our dogs did not like the crawfish splashing around. My mom learned to make red beans and rice, but I preferred the beignets. I thought it was great that Tim would always say "I love you, Mamma" and "I love you, Daddy" before he got off the phone with his parents. Anyway, I hope to get to NO one day.
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Okay, Poppy. You just grossed me out with the crawfish. Yuck. Glad it was you and not me! I'd like to go to NO, too. Such a fascinating history.
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LOL! I didn't eat them. I tried to eat one and didn't care for it. I figured more for the others that enjoy them.
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Someone else can have my share! I won't even try them - I'm such a wimp!
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Yes the crayfish story made me pull a silly face too!
Suprised: I've just had ARM and I'm glad that hopeful and others on this forum gave me similar info prior. It took me a while to absorb the info and then I rang up the BS to check that they were leaving the nodes used by my arm. Fortunately they were. I'm still recovering, but realistically its going well. I just get a bit impatient :-) good luck with your decision. Its really difficult because we just want to get this over with asap. Unfortunately it really doesn't matter if we take an extra week or 2 because its going to be a long process anyway.
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