Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Kay and Peggy--Am just shutting down the computer so that's one less thing to do at 6 AM tomorrow, and saw your notes and good wishes for the trip. We are looking forward to it (despite 17+ hours in transit, 15.5 of them in planes! At 4 and almost 8, Meisa and Marissa seem to change every minute, so 3 weeks of catch-up will be great.
Kay, your HRT and height story is like something out of the medical dark ages! Wow! When was that happening in relation to the thalidomide scandal, also in the medical dark ages? Another dimension for your book!
Sayonara for a while! Trudi
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Have a marvelous time, Trudi. My DIL was stationed in Misawa with the Navy and my son loved visiting her in Japan. Always great to have hands-on with the grandbabies! HUGS!!!
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Ｈｅｌｌｏ， ｍｙ ｌｕｍｐｅｃｔｏｍｙ ｉｓ ｔｈｉｓ Ｗｅｄ， Ｍａｒｃｈ ２５， ２０１５． Ｐｌｅａｓｅ ａｄｖｉｓｅ ｈｏｗ ｍａｎｙ ｗｅｅｋｓ ｏｆ ｒａｄｉａｔｉｏｎ ｙｏｕ ｈａｄ， ａｎｄ ｆｏｒ ｈｏｗ ｌｏｎｇ ｅａｃｈ ｓｅｓｓｉｏｎ？ Ｗａｓ ｉｔ ｄａｉｌｙ？ Ｔｈａｎｋｓ．0 -
Peggy, you're so right about moving on, and I certainly intend to do that when I finish with BC (I hope forever). But looking back is kind of what I do as a writer, a lot of the time. There's a story that hasn't been told about what well-meaning doctors and parents did to tall girls in the 50s, 60s, and beyond, and what the much-later repercussions might be. Well, it has been told to a certain extent, as there's a book that two women wrote about it that came out a few years ago. And the same issues are still in play, with drugs given to short boys to make them taller, more similar reasons of perceived social stigma. The book I'm thinking of has some personal elements to it, as well, involving my girlhood in a place where a lot of midgets and giants lived (Ringling Bros. circus winter headquarters). We'll see when I can get to it.
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NAT SG, my lumpectomy was in mid-January, and I have 6 more days to go to finish radiation now. My treatment has been using the shorter protocol, sometimes called the Canadian protocol, or, where I'm being treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, the "hypo fractionated whole breast" protocol. I will have 15 treatments to my entire breast, followed immediately by 4 "boost" treatments which target only the tumor bed. The treatments are daily, Monday - Friday, and they generally last only a few minutes after the initial simulation and set-up. I can be in and out of the treatment center in 15-20 minutes, including changing clothes, a bit longer on days when they're doing a weekly x-ray and the weekly brief meeting with my radiation oncologist and nurse. It's the same amount of radiation as the longer protocol, which many women here have had, which can last about 6-7 weeks; the shorter plan is just more compressed, so it delivers the radiation in a shorter amount of time, which has been proven to be equally effective and comparable in terms of any side effects. I'm not sure what your plan might be in Singapore, though. Good luck with your surgery, I hope it goes well.
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NAT_SG I just finished radiation this past Tuesday. 33 treatments, last 8 were boosts where they focused on the tumor bed. I went every day Monday through Friday. I missed one day due to snow, and two days because of a business trip. Those 3 days were tacked on at the end.
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Nat SG
Welcome to a great support site. My BC journey began in 2011. After my surgery I had what is called Contura Balloon internal radiation. It took 5 days, twice a day.
Vickie
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NatSG, Welcome to our group! I also had 33 radiation sessions which started about 6 weeks after my lumpectomy. Five days a week, each session was 20 minutes from the time I walked in until I walked out. Once a week, I met with with the RO and those days were longer of course. Good luck with your surgery - we'll all be in your pocket, thinking of you!! HUGS!!!
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NatSG -- Welcome and good luck. Like kayfry and others I had 20 treatments, 16 regular (two beam) and 4 boosts (1 beam but more concentrated on the tumor bed). Started with Aquaphor from the very beginning and it really helped. I got red and a little itchy at the hair folicules/sweat glands, and had to use 1% cortisone for a couple days but that was it. Didn't really have fatigue until last Friday, then had a bad bout of it (but cannot attribute it all to rads -- hadn't slept well the night before, had an awful day at work where I was in contentious meetings for 6 straight hours and missed lunch). Got some sleep on Friday night and the weekend has been better, but no treatment on weekends. I've been working out everyday during rads and don't plan to cut back. Am going on a business trip two days after finish rads, so hope the fatigue isn't catching up to me.
Am down to the last 3 treatments, then in 3 weeks will see MO to start AIs. Have a large lump (1.5 inches)just above the lx incision (had a separate incision for nodes), everyone has called it a seroma and said it would go away with time.
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NatSG - I haven't started mine yet but have seen the radiation oncologist, so count me among those who will have 33 treatments, 5 a week. My situation is cloudy because I had two tumors in one breast and the medical oncologist believes I may have to have chemo first, then radiation.
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Surprised when will you find out? Waiting for your oncotype? It is so hard to wait. HUGS!!
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Peggy—It's been a circus w/ insurance. The PET scan I was to have had this past Mon. I didn't have till Thurs. because of waiting for approval. I was supposed to have the MUGA scan Fri., but they called and said my PCP's office, who, for this insurance must submit all the requests for approval, put the incorrect facility on the request which was approved.The co-pay for that facility is $150 higher than the one that the oncologist's office specified (because they knew it would be cheaper), so I'm now not having that test until April 7, assuming the approval for that facility arrives in time. Nobody knows anything about the Oncotype. According to what I've been told, the MO's office submits the request to the lab that does the test, and the lab then contacts the insurance company. The Oncotype dx is a Medicare-approved test so I can't be turned down, but until I got this last bit of info I was puzzled as to why my ins. co. had no record of it when I called three times. So I'm still in a holding pattern. :-(
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You certainly are taking the hard way to get everything done, Surprised! If it weren't so serious, it would almost be comical. Almost. Isn't Medicare wonderful? I'm so glad it covered my Oncotype. You must feel like the hamster on the wheel. I hope everything gets straightened out quickly. I'd be drinking! HUGS that everything is settled soon.
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Great news. Meet with RO today. 33 rounds of Rads are being done in 16. The drive was going to be brutal, doable but brutal. Now, I'm good. 16 is nothing. I only asked my dr because of this disscusion board putting the thought into my head. Thank you ladies.
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That's wonderful, Carrie!
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Ladies! Are any of you interested in joining four of us who will be meeting around Jackson, Michigan, either April 18 or April 25? We have a thread. Take a look. We'd love to have you! Meeting In Jackson
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Carrie, that is awesome news. I am SO grateful that my treatment is being done in 15 + 4 boosts instead of double that or more. My drive isn't as bad as some, but bad enough. It has really derailed my life for this month but it's almost over!! I'm so glad you were given that option, and how empowering this group is!! Kudos to your reasonable, compassionate, and flexible RO! Very happy for you.
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hi, AudreyB,
My internet has been down, so I just now saw your post. I had bilateral lumpectomies (IDC in both Breasts at the same time). I had radiation to both sides, however my RO suggested not doing both at once, but rather overlapping partway through, if all went well. So I actually got a total of 60 tx, 30 on each Breast. I overlapped the last week or so of the right breast with the first week or so of the left Breast, so I actually went to rads for a little over 10 weeks, instead of the full 12. But still got the 60 tx. So, yes, it can be done. Good luck
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AudreyB, that was a long time to be getting radiation. Are you glad there wasn't much overlap? Hope you're doing just fine! HUGS!
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hi, Peggy. I assume you meant to address your last post to me? Yes, I am glad there wasn't much overlap, because I was afraid of how exhausted I would be. But surprisingly, throughout the whole ordeal, there were only a few really bad days of fatigue. Other than that, I made it through just fine. Thanks for asking.
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Hi, this is a question for everyone. I am meeting MO today for the first time. Can anyone tell me what to expect at the meeting? I know she will be recommending hormone therapy, but other than that I have no idea of what to expect. What questions should I ask? Will there be blood work or other tests? Thank you!
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L2Girl, you're right. I was addressing you. Obvious brain fart
Rekidal, your MO will discuss your Oncotype test results (if that test was done), radiation if indicated, perhaps order a bone density test, and discuss whether you will be taking Tamoxifen or an AI (age dependent). I haven't had any blood work done by my MO. Ask why your MO is prescribing that particular drug, if you should be on something like Fosamax, request a bone density test. Those are the questions that come to mind immediately. Hope this helps. HUGS!
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Hi Peggy, thanks. I didn't know if they handled anything other than the hormone therapy. I met with RO last week and simulation is scheduled for Thursday. She has decided to do the "Canadian Protocol" which begins Monday. I asked both the RO and BS about having the Oncotype test and they both said it isn't necessary.
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Looks like you're well on your way with your various treatments. My MO wanted me to start my Arimidex after my rads, so I did - the day after. I also started Fosamax within 2 weeks. HUGS!
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Rekidal, Since you've got dcis you most likely won't have oncotype or mammaprint tests done. They're only done to assist in the chemo or not decision. Your MO takes over your Cancer care. Mine schedules my mammograms and bone density tests, as well as the regular blood tests she has done to follow my tumor markers (helps show if anything is growing somewhere). She also supervises my hormone therapy, advises if having ovaries out is a good idea, does breast exams, etc. My MO is also the doctor who has prescribed effexor for me for the mood swings I got from tamoxifen. She's just the doctor best tuned into living with cancer/threat ofcancer
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Palameda, my BS seems to be handling all those functions that your MO is. I think they work together so complement each other. As long as it all works, that's all that matters to me
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Just got back from a week at the beach for Spring break. Stopping in to say hi. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying Spring!!!
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I am still having intermittent swelling from my last surgery on 1/29. Radiation making it worse. I want to scream.
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Nash, gorgeous photo. What beach?
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Shelleym1, I have swelling from my radiation too. I started my 4 weeks on 3/4. I also had swelling after my Lx on 1/13, which had maybe subsided pretty much by the time I started rads. The 4-week course has gone quickly, can't believe I'm only 4 boosts away from finishing. I trust that the swelling will subside, along with the itchy rash and redness I have, after treatments are finished. You're not that far away!
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