Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Just wanted to thank everyone for the prayers. I got the results from my biopsy and it was negative! All my skin problems appear just to be leftover effects from the radiation that just don't want to go away.
I got the news on my 50th birthday on Tuesday. What a great birthday present!II didn't have steristrips for my surgery. They put glue on it. That glue stuck around forever! Finally right before I started radiation (6 weeks after surgery), I used some neosporin on it to loosen up the glue and peeled it off.
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So happy for you jeanelle and happy belated birthday!
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Jeanelle, can't think of a better birthday present! And a milestone birthday at that! Congrats! Now you can breathe. Have a great weekend. HUGS!!!
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Jeanelle, fantastic news, I'm really glad for you. Have a great birthday!
I finished 13 of 15 regular rads today, driving through a first-day-of-spring snow to get there. My skin is holding up pretty well so far, slightly pink is all, plus the scattered itchy bumps. But they might be getting a little less itchy and are definitely no worse now than they were early in the week. I saw the RO and nurse today, and I'm warned that SE's will likely get worse next week and peak around the time of my last of 4 boosts, which will be March 30. But so far, I think my skin is slightly better for the moment. Feeling a bit tired, but managing to keep going. I was reminded to take care of myself and rest when needed. Easier to say than do! RO told me that fatigue can last anywhere from a month after ending treatment to 3-4 months, which is more worrying to me than the skin. I'm hoping continuing to exercise and be reasonably active will minimize fatigue, but who knows?
Hope everyone has a good weekend.
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Way to go, Kay! Glad things are progressing well. Not the way to greet spring, is it? I hope that exercising helps the fatigue. I didn't find it did. I think the radiation fatigue has nothing to do with sleep/lack of it, exercise or not. It's just different. But that is me. As my son says, Your mileage may vary
And I hope it does. May the snow melt NOW!!HUGS!
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Hi, I had a lumpectomy and SNB on February 19th (1 month and 1 day ago), and my ribs on that side still don't feel quite right. They were sore to the touch (like a bruise) for a few weeks but now it's just sort of an aching or heaviness on that whole upper quadrant that is driving me insane. Did anyone else have this? Neither my surgeon or MO seems concerned and my MO just told me to take ibuprofen but I'm wondering what is going on in there?
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Hello ladies! I have a question. I have called my BS but thought I would ask here too. I had bileteral lumpectomies 2/6 and was diagnosed 2/16 with IDC (left) and DCIS/LCIS (right). I am waiting on oncotype to see if I need chemo. I have been told I need radiation, but I assumed it would only be on left breast. Today I've seen a few ladies who had radiation with DCIS/LCIS. Can Radiation be done on both breasts at the same time?????? I cannot believe I am just realizing this now. I am still so new to all of this. Thank you!0 -
AudreyB, I'm one of the DCIS ladies who is having rads. I understand that it's standard to have radiation after lumpectomy, regardless of whether it's DCIS or IDC or any other diagnosis that led to the Lx. I would assume you could have rads to both sides concurrently, but I don't really know. Good luck!
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Molly, I had a very sore lower back for several weeks following my lumpectomy. I was told it could have easily been caused by lying on the hard table during surgery—since we're asleep then, we don't know how uncomfortable it is until later. I took an NSAID like ibuprofen for it and it eventually went away.
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HI ladies.
Thank you for the heads up on the radiation.
Great news and happy birthday Jeanelle.
Funny, DMB is my favorite. I read your name and sing his song in my head. ;-)
Are there any questions I should ask my RO on Monday? I can't wait to start and be done.
Also, at my incision site there is a hard lump. it's still tender to touch. ALso slightly below it is tender. I've been rubbing it thinking that it's scar tissue and I am "breaking" it apart. Could this be true?
Thanks in advance. I'm off to watch my dear daughter play softball.
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Carriek30 .. also had a lump like you describe. MO chose to do an US after several every 3 week visits with the lump. US showed nothing. Now 6 weeks past the US the lump, is no more....
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QUESTION: had my lumpectomy on March 2. then had to endure the excruciating wait to find out if they found cancer in the lymphy nodes, which they didn't. I am now in limbo waiting for the oncotype result. I am anticipating only radiation, but of course need to hear the score and may go for a second opinion if the score is on the iffy side.
My question is how long does the hard scar tissue last. I notice it more under the arm than on my breast. For those of you who have opted to take the hormonal drugs -- did you have high concerns about uterine cancer etc. I blame this on the fact that I chose to take HRT at age 52, I am now 60.
Also what do some of you do for bone density. My bone density was great because I was on progesterone.
Thanks
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Carriek30,
I have two more boosts to go and can say, looking back it has gone fast (will be 30 total), although some days it seemed like it would never end. Fatigue kicked in week 1 but I also changed work hours to go in a hour earlier to leave to get to evening treatment
I asked my RO if I should make any changes in my diet (she said eat heart healthy) and about multivitamin -she had me stop taking. I have read many articles on this and how it works against the radiation.
I would recommend Aquaphor from day 1, that's what I did and they say my skin looks really good. Funny it is like a lobster. At treatment 13, I started getting really red and itchy and they gave me cortisone which I have used twice a day since with the Aquaphor. I could not use Aloe as I am allergic.
I had slight lump under scar but had stiches inside that did not totally dissolve for 90 days. Now all gone.
Best wishes to you on a fast journey to the end with no SE!
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Florida2015, the lumps will go away. Probably hematomas, scar tissue but it will soften. What hormonals are talking about? The aromatase inhibitors? Actually they shut down estrogen (if you are ER+ they will likely be indicated). I'm more concerned about a recurrence of BC than any possible uterine involvement (I'm assuming you meant AIs rather than HRT in your statement). My BC is very real and I want to make sure it doesn't come back. I also did HRT many, many years ago for a total of 3 years maximum - even though I didn't think i needed it or even want it. But that was the current feeling at the time. I don't think it caused my BC. I had no problems other than a bit of redness from my rads. And so far, no problems with Arimidex. Waiting is terrible! Hoping your Oncotype number is REALLY LOW. Many hugs to you. (P.S. It helps if you make your diagnosis public, too. Thx). More HUGS!!!
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Hi, just read this and was wondering if you were told you should go on hormonal drugs and if you chose not to and why? I read your stats at bottom
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Thanks Peggy for the quick reply and yes I meant the drugs like Tamoxifien and the other one you are taking. I have read some frightening things on the boards with woman saying they opted out of taking them, including my own mother - who right now doesn't even know I had a lumpectomy. I just don't want to worry my parents at the moment.
I don't have all my stats, the hormonal report didn't come back yet and thought I had posted some of them but apparently I see they are not printing out.
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Florida2015, I think that if you consider the Aromatase Inhibitors hormonal drugs in the same vein as HRT you will get confused. HRT is adding estrogen. AIs are shutting down estrogen production completely. There was never any doubt I would be on Arimidex, it was part of my treatment plan from Day 1, just like the Lx and Rx. I think most ER+/PR+ women are taking Tamoxifen or AIs. Am I answering your questions? I want to make sure what you are asking is what I *think* you are asking. HUGS!
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Florida2015,. Many women have no trouble with AIs. Of course, some do and you've read about their challenges here. I want to do everything I can to prevent recurrences of BC and if AIs are part of the mix, then I'll take them. If chemo had been indicated, I'd have done that too. That's my thinking. Each of us has their own philosophy. You have to decide what is best for you on the information you have, make your decision, and then never look back. It appears your mother made her decision and it has been fine for her (from what you say). And that just triggered another thought, have you considered genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes? It might be valuable since both you and your mother have gotten breast cancer. It's a thought.
Am I answering your questions now? Keep asking and I'll be glad to tell you what my experience has been and others will definitely chime in. HUGS!
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Hi, Kay--Glad to hear that you are on the home stretch and doping fine. Sorry to hear that you had to drive through the same snowstorm that dumped on us this morning--it was yucky enough for the 10 minute drive home from the Y fitness center! The heads-up from your RO and her nurse about the irritation peaking during the boost are spot on--but once it peaked it also hung around for a week. I did finally use a little of the Betamethisone that Dr. Weiss prescribed during the boost, and less of it the following week, and that did keep the inflammation down (I'm just not a meds person--a little goes a long way for me). I'll repeat what she said about controlling fatigue--"You're adding at least an hour to your day for rads, so take another hour of something out of your day for balance!" But exercising at the gym was not what I dropped--it was cleaning and other unpleasant time-fillers. I'll be off the computer until Tuesday--Sunday's the day we leave for Japan, so I'll be up in the air for 17 hours! But once we get there, we'll have fun doing the grandma-and-grandpa thing with our 2 granddaughters there (while they're on school vacation), especially when we celebrate the cherry blossom festival (and won't have snow and ice!) Sayonara. Trudi
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Have a grand time, Trudi!!
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Florida--I am guessing that your question 50 minutes ago was directed to me, since I declined hormonal therapy. Yes, it was suggested (mentioned by surgeon, pushed by MO, and suggested by RO). The MO that I saw (one time only) tried to convince me that it would be "good" for me to do hormonal therapy. I told her that it would be better for me not to set myself up for blood clots, since our yearly 17-hour flights to Japan to see our son and his family provide risk enough of DVT--to say nothing of all the other air travel we do as retirees (and I can and do minimize the DVT risk by walking around the cabin and doing leg exercises). I also told her that I would rather take my chances on a recurrence that can be found and summarily dealt with, rather than increase the odds of a stroke that mysteriously appears out of nowhere, uterine cancer, and serious eye trouble; and that I would never consider an AI, which would keep me from doing what my husband and I love to do--hike on rugged terrain. After she got my results on the Oncotype test she ordered (probably hoping it would come back in the gray area), she had to admit that my absolute and relative odds are quite favorable.
The bottom line is that a "treatment plan" is just that--a suggested plan--and not a "mandate"; the decision is the patient's and not the doctor's. With a tumor like mine, and at my age, the long-term risks of anti-hormonals have greater potential to kill me before the cancer would. The cancermath algorithm showed me that not doing hormonal therapy would only shorten my life expectancy by 2 months--and 2 months is a drop in the bucket if I am already 88! But this was my reasoning about my tumor based on my lifestyle and expectations and also on research that my husband (a biomolecular scientist) and I did. It is not a decision for everyone, to be sure. At this point, my surgeon and RO, who stepped in as my follow-up oncologists, are fully supportive of my decision, and encourage me to stay as fit and active as ever, since I am doing just fine.
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Hi= Great news Jeanelle and happy be-lated bday- That was a great gift!
I also had some rib pain and lots of bruising after lymph node removal- they told me it was because he was having a hard time finding the sentinel node so really had to dig. Ended up taking nodes til he found it. It took weeks for my side/ribs to feel better.
AudreyB- I know with internal rads, both sides are done together- They insert the pellets on one side 11 min or so- take them out one by one then start the other side one by one and U are done in 5 days total.
I know of someone else on these boards who had external radiation on both- I believe then did one side for so many weeks then did both for a few weeks then finished on the opposite breast so instead of 6 weeks it was more like 9 weeks.
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thank u. Guess I have a lot to think about. Thanks for being candid and answering my question.
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Hi, Trudi, don't know if you'll see this before you head to Japan, but just in case. That's just what my nurse and the RO I saw the last 2 weeks (regular RO is away) told me: skin issues will likely peak right around the time of the boosts and last for that next week before beginning to subside. So it's good to know there's general agreement there. Since I turn out to be one of those women who gets a red, itchy, patchy rash in addition to just general pinkness (so far), I started dabbing on hydrocortisone rather earlier, just in those especially itchy spots. But it's only the 1% over-the-counter type, and so far I haven't needed the prescription stuff. RO and nurse seem not to want me to use it any more than necessary, preferably only small amounts once a day, though I'm sure if things get worse they'll prescribe whatever I need. The nurse mentioned that if my skin actually breaks down, I'm to let them know right away, and they would have me use a special dressing—which I assume means the gel pads some ladies have mentioned here. But so far, the red, itchy bumps are the worst of what I have. Things have gotten irritated enough that I'm ditching the bra when I'm home, letting everything just air out—especially since the worst area is right under the breast where even the softest bra sits. So braless does seem to help. Today I have enough overall pinkness on the breast that I can see that the techs are being very accurate with my treatments, since the pink area follows exactly the line of the markers and stickers across my breast. Funny.
As for fatigue, in the last week, I did start to feel it, but mostly it hasn't been too overwhelming. With my commute to rads, I'm actually adding about 2 hours to my day, and like you with the gym, I'm not willing to give up my dog walks and riding my horse—though I'm not getting to the latter as much as normal, I'm sticking to my Tues & Thurs riding lessons and trying to ride twice on the weekend, or once at minimum. So cleaning pretty much isn't happening
Not much cooking, either, but luckily, there's that Wegman's on my way from rads. The other activity that has suffered is my work, unfortunately, with book revision proceeding at a snail's pace at best. Luckily, my editor has just informed me that she wants me to put my health and treatment first, and let the book publish when it's ready. Much as I hate to admit that I'm not going to have it ready for the original deadline, I have to admit that accepting that was a big relief at this point.I know you'll have a fabulous time in Japan. Enjoy the grandkids; with any luck, it will actually look like spring around here when you return!
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Florida2015, I also did HRT for something like 3 years or a little more in my early 50s, on the recommendation of my gyn. Interestingly, when I was about age 10-12 (dates and times uncertain), I was also given rather high doses of estrogen, probably DES, as a means of limiting my adult height, as I was a tall girl (not surprising, since I had a tall father and very tall brother, and btw, I wound up being a rather "acceptable" 5'9"! Too tall back in those days). It's appalling to me now, but this was a popular practice back then, and for quite some time afterward, because there was a presumed social stigma against tall girls. I can't know for sure, but I do suspect that my lifetime exposure to estrogens, but especially that very early exposure at such a sensitive time in my life, may have played a role in my developing DCIS all these years later.
It turned out that I was ER/PR negative, so no one pushed tamoxifen or AIs to me, but even if it had been otherwise, I think I would have passed on taking them, for similar reasons that tgtg expressed. There is a history of strokes, DVTs etc. in my family, and since I still have my uterus, I would also be at risk for cancer there. Arthritis/bone pain from the AIs would not be worth it, given my active lifestyle. My risk of recurrence after surgery and rads is pretty low, and if it happens, I'll deal with it. But others have different risk vs. benefit analyses, so it really is an individual decision.
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Hi, great topic, and I'm sure this has been covered before, but I only had time to skim the last couple of pages. I had re-excision (due to margins not being clear on 3/13 - just over a week ago, and everything went well. I definitely did not feel as numb as when I had first excision (lumpectomy), and there's been more pain, but nothing major. But, now there is this very hard lump I can feel under the incision. I'm just wondering if this is normal.
Lynne
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Lovlilynne, Your poor girl has really been assaulted. Often there are hematomas under the incision. Are you black and blue? Give it awhile. There's fluid that's collected in there, too. Of course, if you're concerned, call your BS and ask - that's always a good thing to do. I was lumpy and black and blue for quite some time after my lumpy (and I was still black and blue from my core needle biopsy 6 weeks before - that wreaked havoc with all the imaging, enough so that the BS was considering a mastectomy but she was sure it was just blood clots and it was).
Not too surprising that you're sore since the surgery was where you had the previous lx. Glad it's not bad. Welcome to our group. I'm sure other ladies who have actually had re-excisions will chime in. Many HUGS!!!
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Kay, that's rather scary that you had DES to stunt your growth. I don't recall ever hearing about doing that. Glad that things have changed about that.
I'm still rather upset that I didn't go with my gut and refuse HRT when I was perfectly happy with my very mild hot flashes and wasn't suffering any other SEs from menopause. But I trusted my doctor (and he was an excellent doctor). Plus that was the thinking at the time (sound familiar??). I was in my mid-40s. I do suspect that they made my breasts denser than they might have been otherwise. No way to prove that and it doesn't matter at this point. Probably lots of things have influenced our getting BC - we just don't know what they are.
HUGS!!!
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I agree, Peggy, it is scary. No one asked me when I was a very young girl if I wanted to take those pills—I'm pretty sure my mother was persuaded by our pediatrician, as it was definitely "a thing" at the time—and actually, for quite a long time thereafter, both in this country and in many others (though most people I mention it to have never heard of the practice). Of course, I wouldn't have known it was dangerous even if they had asked. I had pretty much forgotten all about it until I got my DCIS dx, but when I remembered, some things started to add up for me. Especially after I did some research on the topic . . . This may be my next book, or part of it!
As you say, with the HRT, how things do change. When my mother was pre-menopausal, she was put on HRT for many years, probably at much higher doses than we were. It was considered to be the best thing a woman could do for her health! Luckily for my mom, she never had any repercussions (at 93, she's never had BC and is remarkably healthy). I was in my 50s before I started with the HRT, but I have to admit that I welcomed it at the time—didn't care for the hot flashes at all. It was like magic. When I stopped taking it after all the studies came out about the risks, my gyn still thought I should stay on it, that there was no reason for concern. I don't know if HRT also made my breasts more dense, but they are dense, and so are my daughter's, it seems. Could just be genetics, I don't know. It was only recently that women started being informed of this density—I never knew until this past fall, when the mammo that led to my DCIS dx came back, and I had always gotten mammograms every year for many years, other than skipping those last couple of years because of my insurance issues. It's frustrating, but we are all kind of guinea pigs in a way, no matter how hard we try to make the best choices for our own health. We can only go by the best medical advice at the time, and it changes over time when more is learned.
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Kay, your next book will definitely be interesting! I recall one of the mammogram techs mentioning quite in passing that my breasts were dense but in the same way you'd say someone's eyes are blue. Just a physical characteristic and meaningless. Now I know that it isn't. I also didn't realize that it could mean challenges. Since your daughter's are dense too maybe it wasn't the HRT that made ours dense - we were just born that way. And of course, you're absolutely right, we can't beat ourselves up over something that was considered good medicine at the time. We made our decisions - let's move on, not look back.
HUGS!!!!
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