Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Thanks, Peggy! I'll get right on it
I can at least get the benefit of DH's research before he signed up, but I'll also do my own.0 -
Good Girl! Always good to listen to your elders
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Haha, Peggy. I do, I do. But somehow I remember that almost everyone was my elder once; how did it happen that I got to be one of those elders myself? It's an outrage
But that's okay, I'll take it for the Medicare.
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It DOES feel strange doesn't it, Kay? I'm now the oldest on my side of the family. I'm my grandmother! That really messed up my mind when I realized that a few years ago. Guess that's the way of things, though. At least we do have that one advantage - Medicare! HUGS!
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Elaine Therese--I had a rather large hematoma at the excision site, and my breast was both swollen and black and blue and red and purple for about a month after my lumpectomy. The surgeon watched it in weeks 2 and 3 post lx, but had to wait to aspirate the blood until week 4, when it finally became fluid--rather than gel-like--and the swelling went down after he extracted 60cc of blood. The following week he took out another 40cc of blood and then I felt really empty. The slow healing process in turn meant that my rads started not 4 or 6 but 10 weeks after surgery (planning was in week 8). As with so many of the answers you get here, everything really does depend on your particular case, but it certainly helps to know that there are many different scenarios that can play out. Trudi
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Trudi, I went into my lx still bruised from my biopsy. In fact, the hematoma really confused getting an accurate pre-surgery diagnosis. Needless to say, I was bruised after surgery, too. And it does help knowing that one size does not fit all! HUGS!
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I was still bruised from my biopsy on lx day, too, but I had no hematoma or other complications after surgery. I was still swollen at my post-op 2 weeks after surgery (and thought, hey, this isn't so bad!), but then in week 3 and 4, the swelling definitely went down and the dent got more noticeable. I'm not even sure if there's still any swelling, but it doesn't feel as if there is (about 4 weeks post lx now). My incision is raised and not great. If there's any fluid in there that wants to settle at the 6 o'clock location, I say, "Come on in!"
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Kay--Both my husband and I were still working when we signed up for Medicare Part A only at 65 (it worked like a co-insurance policy in addition to the Penn-provided insurance we had). The SS person who did our paperwork told us that we could keep our private insurance until we retire and then go onto Medicare Part B after retirement. She also said that we would have a small window of time to select a Medigap policy. When we retired at 69, the Penn retirement facilitators told us the same thing about the 3-month window (think COBRA), but we decided to just take the group Medigap and prescription coverage that Penn offers its retired faculty (at our cost, of course, but through its faculty enrollment package), Trudi
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I'm still tender from my follow up biopsy on 11/24. I can only imagine how long recovery from lx and RT will take.
. Although I'm sure my BS will do a much nicer job than the last radiologist....
Shaz, I can't believe how hot it is down there! No wonder you've not yet been out riding. I hope you're not in any danger of wildfires?
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Kay, I'm with you! I need some filling in with my dent and poor downward-facing nipple at the 6 o'clock position. Whatever wants to settle there is quite welcome to do so. I don't think I'm swollen either. However, sometimes it feels like it is - very strange.
Trudi, you had a more complicated situation since you were still working when you became Medicare-eligible. I wasn't working and neither was DH so it was simple, thus no other insurance except what we were buying ourselves.
Hopeful, that sucks that you are still tender. Your BS will definitely do a better job. After all this is what they do!
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Peggy and Kay--I laughed when I read the surgical path report that recorded the fact that they found my biopsy hematoma remains IN the surgical specimen! The big hematoma was fully post-surgical, and both of them are part of a long (70+ year) history of hanging on to my battle scars for a long time! You should have seen me this Christmas, 3 days after I did a face plant in a store! That nose-first fall gave me the most colorful black and blue (and red and purple and green) eyes and cheeks for the holidays--to say nothing of a small (luckily) refracture of my nose! The dark circles are still under my eyes, but now people just think that I am pulling all-nighters! Trudi
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OMG, Trudi! is there a reason you just won't let go of those black and blue marks? Do you love them that much? Or do you like being colorful? At least you were wonderfully decorated for Christmas
Poor baby - here's a kiss to make it all go away XXXXX0 -
Trudi, my husband is now 68, but he was 67 when he finally retired last Nov. 1. He had signed up for Medicare Part A while he was still working full-time and had the employer-provided health insurance (unfortunately, a company that our local health care hospital/conglomerate absolutely refused to accept or deal with in any way, thus my stupidly postponed mammograms, pap smears, etc.) Anyway, once he retired and went to sign up for Part B, he was given a huge run-around that required a million phone calls to SS, being put on endless "holds," several fruitless trips in person to the SS office, letters, emails, etc., requirements to get letters from his former employer attesting to the fact that he actually had, in fact, stopped working there, and on and on. It was ridiculous. He went on the health exchange to select his Medigap policy and signed up for it, only to be contacted by the insurance co. (a local BC/BS) saying that he couldn't just sign up for it because he'd signed up for Part A previously. I can't even remember what he had to do to finally be "allowed" to give them money for that Medigap policy. I think it helps a whole lot if you have a really good group Medigap available to you. That's what my mom has and it's been smooth sailing all the way for her. As a self-employed writer, of course, I'm kinda on my own.
My husband has his situation straightened out now, and I'm hoping to avoid a lot of the pitfalls he encountered!
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Peggy, I have that same wayward nipple now. When I look down, I really can't see it at all, since it's kind of tucked under. Sigh. Here's the funny thing: when I had my consult with the breast plastic surgeon yesterday, she noted that I have "no droopiness," (which you may understand, since you share my modest endowment). She said, "In every other situation this is a GOOD thing, but in this case . . . " there's not a whole lot to work with. I have that perky right nipple, and the left one has gone south
Honestly, I think if some of that fluid would just move in, things would work out0 -
I'm a big bruiser too, Trudi, but it sounds as if you may have me beat. It always looks worse than it feels, right? Gets you free sympathy!
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Kay, that poor hidden nipple seems to get mis-positioned too in my bras. I don't understand that but it gets put in some awkward way. Of course there's no droopiness. That implies you have something to droop and I sure don't. I loved it when I was nursing the boys, i actually had boobs! Kay, that fluid has to move into the right spot to help the shy nipple!
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Hahahaha Peggy, yes, it's a bit awkward, isn't it? Definitely no droopiness here. I also enjoyed the nursing boobs, and as you know, I even liked the post-lx swelling. But alas, it has also left.
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Oh, Kay, we are so warped! Maybe I should consider reconstruction someday. But I'm chicken and don't really want to do another surgery if I can avoid it. That's why I have all my natural wrinkles.
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Oh, wrinkles! That's a whole nother story. Never mind wrinkles. Besides wrinkles, I have a laundry list of old orthopedic injuries I've told myself I'll have something done about "some day" when I have time. These include, in no particular order, the separated left shoulder (yeah, same side as the lumpy, and makes bras just that much more complicated!), horrendously deformed right wrist from 2003 or so compound fracture very badly managed, with additional ugly bump (apparently a lipoma) that grew on the wrist after the injury, totally messed-up big toe on right foot from being stepped on one too many times by large horses plus bunion on that foot gradually getting worse, hands with old injuries that don't work so great, bad disks in the neck and low back. I really never want to do the surgeries to fix them, either. I'm busy! Got stuff to do! Then this BC waltzed into my life and demanded attention. It put everything into perspective.
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You certainly do have a very interesting collection of "things", Kay. I guess I wouldn't do anything about them unless they made my life miserable - but that's me. My focus was so intent on DH that BC just hung around the periphery of my life. And I'm lucky it didn't demand to become front and center. But we DO have things to DO, that we want to do. We'll deal with the BC because we want to do those things that are important to us. It will just take us a little longer to get at them.
Thinking of your poor squished toe reminds me of a friend of my dad's. They grew up in a small town in Iowa. I asked my dad what was wrong with Chet's face. He was kicked by a pony when he was young. That gives one pause.
And, by the way, why are we all here on a Saturday night? Valentine's Night no less? I'm glad for the company since I'm feeling a bit lonely - another "first" without DH being around.
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Kay and Peggy--On the other hand (or should I say on the other boob?) there was my first post-op challenge to the surgeon--I told him I thought he was going to take some tissue OUT, not put more in for an augmentation! And even though I loved nursing the boys, I surely did not like resembling Mae West (or Dolly Parton in those years)! We just ain't ever satisfied with what we've got, or what we don't got (as they say in Rocky's South Philly). Seriously, though, Kay--you will probably have some swelling again during rads, so you have something to look forward to. Me, I looked forward to the "uplift"--it makes half of me look younger than the sagging D half!
I forgot all about the complications in the wake of health exchanges and all the AHC act--sounds like your husband, Kay, got caught in all that stuff. We made the retirement move at the end of 2009, when the new plan was still just a campaign promise and not a reality yet. You might want to look at the AARP Medigap plans, which many many people around here have found to be the most advantageous (they're United Health Care plans). When our physician friend (the one with the young niece with b.c.) retired from his practice, that's the one he chose because of its good coverage and reasonable rates (which are even better if one is an AARP member).
At least you get your bruises, Kay, from falling off horses--I stupidly get mine when walking on level sidewalks and floors, not when hiking up or down mountains on rocky trails! But I'll gladly cede the prize for bruise longevity to you, if you'd like!
Glad to say that for all of us, the surgery left our sense of humor fully intact--if also a bit warped, as Peggy says! Trudi
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Hi Nash and Others -
I also had just a lumpy with an SNB, but only 1 node removed (doctor thought it was 2.) I didn't have a drain either.
MarieBernice6234
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Aw, I'm sorry, Peggy. That must be a tough "first." My husband is here but falling asleep in his recliner in front of a movie I'm not interested in watching
But we did have a lovely dinner cooked by him, with some nice sparkling rose. and the wind is howling outside, and I'm glad to be inside, flanked by warm dogs. Maybe as good as it gets. I'm glad we're here to keep one another company.So far I've avoided being kicked in the face by a horse, and I'm pretty motivated to keep avoiding that! But the dings do pile up. Luckily, it's been worth it to me.
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Trudi, I didn't swell from my rads. I kept slowly, very slowly, "un-swelling"
You're right, we seem to want what we don't have. But, for me, not enough to do anything about it. And like you, I prefer to get my black and blue marks on level surfaces (or mostly level), then I can look really un-coordinated (or drunk?).0 -
Kay, don't doubt it one bit that it's all worth it!
I didn't realize why I was feeling down until just a bit ago, just knew i was. Christmas was probably the hardest first. At least I got to see him this morning. But it definitely is not the same as having him at home. I am relieved that he's getting good care that I just couldn't provide. However, I miss the small, mundane chit chat that was so comforting in our 48 years of marriage (nearly 49 - blows the mind!). Ah, well. Life moves on and we adjust, don't we?
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Trudi, is it pathetic to say I'm sort of looking forward to swelling during rads? Haha. Oh, well.
I will definitely look into the AARP plans. I have so far ignored all the emails from them, inviting me to join, because that meant admitting I was actually old enough to join (which, I guess technically, I've been old enough since, what? 55?). But now I can see that it's time to use age to my advantage!
You ladies are funny and have made this a fun evening, despite howling winds and dozing husband and all the work I've ignored all evening. Stay warm, everyone!
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Kay, we ARE pathetic. Only someone as under-endowed as us would get it!
I've got my electric mattress pad turned up to high, just waiting for me. I think my rat terrier will be burrowing under the covers tonight. And kitty will be snuggling too (she'd be warmer if she didn't lick her fur off!). We're minus 3 with a windchill of minus 23 F now at 10:30PM. Only to get even worse. Not venturing out tomorrow, not even to visit DH. I suppose if I *had* to I would. But I don't. Just too cold. You stay warm, too, Kay.
Absolutely use your age to your advantage! One of the perks of getting older!
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Peggy, it's probably because you've powered through this really terrible time in your life that you are able to put bc in such a wonderful perspective, cutting it down to size as it were. You seem like a very "up" person, but life throws some real zingers, and I'm sorry a big one was thrown at you.
You know about my daughter and son-in-law. This morning Laurel called and I knew, as soon as I heard her voice, that she was sick. She was, probably has the flu—I mean, the actual influenza that this year's flu shot (which she got) is apparently not preventing. And our grandson Milo is in a phase where he's even more difficult to get to go to sleep and stay asleep at night than usual, and Will still can't walk or etc., and the wind is no doubt howling at her place in NY too, and the dog needs to go out and she's sick. I felt so, so bad, and so helpless, since she's too far away for me do anything. And she's supposed to go to work tomorrow. Life just sucks sometimes.
All we can do, sometimes, is to find the things that comfort us, and try to help the people we can help, and have that glass of wine and be able to laugh. That's it.
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Aw, that's crap about DD and SIL. Pooh. Flu's no fun. I got the flu shot and so far so good. And that she has to function when she's sick is so darned hard. We've all had to do that but it ain't easy.
I *am* usually a very "up" person. But I do have my moments. It is getting much easier now that I've gotten used to my new living arrangements. Thank heavens for my loving pets, good friends, Facebook and BCO. Makes it very nice!!!
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Trudy, I was just a few days out from my surgery in 2011, when I developed a huge hematoma, BS took me back into surgery the next morning and removed 1100 cc of fluid. His nurse told my husband they had never seen such a huge one. I had a drain for about 10 days after that.
Have been on Letrozole since november 2011, have had hair thinning, and joint pain that comes and goes. Bone scans show no problem with osteoporosis so far..
Vickie
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