Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Got it in one, Suzanne Carol! Breast Oncologist. Most of us have a BS, MO, and RO. So many abbreviations, strange words, and options to get the mind around. Lumpies in both breasts - ugh. At least you are uncomfortable only once. HUGS!!
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Peggy............yippee have yet another glass of wine from me!
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You twisted my arm, Mary I'll go find my glass
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Suzannecarol...the O does stand for Oncologist. My Breast Surgeon is also my Oncologist so I guess he would be a BO....Breast Oncologist. I think most people see a Breast Surgeon and then a Medical Oncologist in addition to the Radiologist Oncologist.
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Thanks ladies. Yes, lumpectomy is both breasts but it wasn't bad. The biopsy in both breasts was harder. Probably cause I was awake and had to lay still for a long time. The left breast is not cancerous but they took out the calcifications. What are calcifications by the way? Guess I could google it. Guess what I am asking is are they the same as tumors?
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Suzanne, search breastcancer.org first before branching out. You know you'll get reliable information. MicroCalcs I had microcalcifications removed from my non-lumpy breast 13 years ago. What I understood that they did was "scrape" them out. It was done surgically.
Biopsies aren't fun and it is hard to stay still. Glad your lumpies weren't bad. Were both DCIS?
HUGS
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Peggy, Only one had DCIS but he wanted to take out the calcifications because the doctor that did the biopsy felt he did not get a good sample from left. It was way back in breast.
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Suzanne, good to get rid of those pesky cells. I think that's what I would have done, too.
HUGS
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Kay--Thought about you at the end of March, but was really busy entertaining our granddaughters here in Japan! But now I can also say congrats on finishing rads with no significant "battle scars"! Sorry to hear that our PA weather is still very non-springy, but glad to report that we are enjoying a really beautiful cherry blossom season here. The only "snow" here is an occasional blizzard of falling blossoms! Re your question about follow-ups, since I am not doing hormonal therapy, my surgeon is following me, twice a year for 3 years at least and will decide after that if we go to yearly checks. And my rad onc said she would be happy to alternate with him as well. More later--it is tedious typing on an iPad! Trudi
Peggy--great news! Here's to many more clean mammos! Trudi
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did the dr tell you not to do hormonal therapy or did u opt not to?
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Thanks, Trudi! I'm anxiously awaiting the final report. I do know I have micro-calcs in my "good" girl and wonder if they have disappeared or are just sitting there behaving. So glad you are having a wonderful time visiting those grandbabies in Japan. Bet it is beautiful watching all those cherry blossoms "blizzard" around you.
HUGS!
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Thanks, Trudi. Yes, the cherry blossoms sound much nicer than our up-and-down, but mostly cold, PA weather, that's for sure. Hoping it will actually turn a corner here with some nice spring weather, but today is warmish but cloudy/rainy, and still nothing much green sight.
I'm so happy to be done with rads, of course, and just kind of waiting for the skin to settle down. But it's fine, totally manageable. I'm also a little tired, but also manageable. Just keep doing what I do, and figuring the energy level will come back. Unfortunately, this morning brought an unexpected bump in the road when my husband suddenly began experiencing some transient (as it turns out) loss of vision in his left eye, and with it his blood pressure (for which he takes medication) was elevated. Since he couldn't be seen today by either his ophthalmologist or his PCP, we had to go to the ER to get it checked out, since it didn't seem like it should wait through the long holiday weekend—especially since the vision loss resolved completely and then came back again, before again resolving on our way to the hospital. Tests so far were all normal, but signs point to some kind of vascular cause—possibly a TIA or something—so they suggested keeping him at least overnight to do more tests and try to figure out what's going on. I'm back home now, hoping he'll be okay and able to come home tomorrow. Our daughter, SIL, and grandson (and granddog) are due here tomorrow evening to stay for probably 3 days. He felt fine, no other symptoms, but maybe a wake-up call for him to attend to some health and other issues, we'll see. It's always something. SIL with the MS is stable but still paralyzed, and Johns Hopkins Tranverse Myelitis center is saying they can't schedule a visit there for him until possibly August or later, which is very disappointing. They had been hoping he could go there while they're here, but everything takes so long and there's so much red tape to work through. Grrrr. It's always something, isn't it?
Trudi, since i'm not doing hormonal therapy either, I guess my BS is going to be following me for the foreseeable future. I do see the RO nurse practitioner, who is much more personable than my actual RO, for follow-up in November, but I see my BS in July, with mammo of the treated breast then. Since my last bilateral mammo was in November of last year (leading to my dx in Dec.), not sure when I'll have to do that again. RO passed the buck on that to BS, so I guess I'll find out in July.
Enjoy those grandkids, and safe travels!
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Kay, what a scary time you had this morning. So relieved that DH's vision has decided to stay returned! Maybe now he can get on the right track with things.
That's a bummer that SIL can't get in to JHTM Center until August. That's such a long ways away. I hope you all keep slogging away at the red tape and maybe it will happen sooner. But do have a great time with the kids (and dog) for the holiday! It'll be such a boost for you to have them. And your fatigue will actually go away - promise!!
HUGS!!!
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Thanks, Peggy. It was a little unnerving, not knowing what was going on but always the chance that it might be a precursor to something serious, like a full-on stroke. It seemed like something that needed to be figured out ASAP, and any necessary measures taken. My husband does exercise fairly regularly, and mostly eats healthy foods, but he has some long-standing habits that all my nagging has not eradicated over the years—still smokes a little (that's the worst), sometimes—okay, pretty much always—drinks more than he probably should, a little too addicted to certain junk foods. He had some very serious back surgeries a few years ago that impacted his overall health, but the surgeries were more or less successful after a failed early attempt. I'm hoping this incident will convince him to reform his less-good habits more than all my blah-blah-blah has managed to do! If so, it will have been a good thing.
We're going to keep trying to get our SIL in at Hopkins sooner. I guess he's been "approved to be scheduled" and could get on a waiting list for an earlier appointment, but getting one next week seems to be off the table. Frustrating, since they started working on getting him in there around sometime in late January or February (after he got very sick with a MRSA-related sepsis, probably related to aggressive treatment for his transverse myelitis). It's been a long, rocky road. He's doing better now but it's still tough.
On the brighter side, it will be fun to hide Easter eggs for our 4-year-old grandson Milo, who has been telling his mother lately that he wants to live with Grandpa and Grandma "in the country." And more fun to watch him find them. No time for fatigue
But it's good to know that it will get better. I have no doubt it will, and most of the time it's okay even now. I can just tell I'm not quite up to normal speed.0 -
I'd have been scared too, Kay. I think you did exactly the right thing. None of us are perfect. Keep working on getting SIL in at JH!
I'll bet you have a ball with your grandson. What a fun age. You can rest after they are gone
HUGS!
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Peggy: GREAT news on your mammogram, I am so happy for you and I'm sure the final report will be great as well!
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Thanks, DogsNeverLie!
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Hi, Kay--it's Easter Sunday here in Japan, and we're also celebrating my birthday (today) and Meisa's 8th (4/18) with Austrian goulasch and delicious sashimi. Unfortunately it is raining lightly here, but we will give the girls an Easter egg hunt in the apartment after the dishes are done.
Sorry to hear about your husband's problem--you must have been beside yourself with concern. Hope his PCP can provide more info and insight into what is going on, after the holiday weekend ends. But you both must be glad to have Milo there to keep your mind off so many serious things on your plate. Hope you can make some headway about your SIL with JHU, and soon. I'll check in when I can, but we will beheading for the southern end oh Honshu and for Shikoku to see a new (to us) part of Japan, so wi-fi access may be more problematic than in the kids' apt. Will be thinking good thoughts about you all, though. Trudi
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Florida--I declined hormonal therapy. Only the MO whom I saw recommended it strongly (quite understably--it is her bread and butter). At my age I don't see much benefit in adding a mere two months to my life expectancy by taking a drug that might prevent recurrence but is more likely to give me a stroke, blood clots, visual impairments, osteoporosis etc. My surgeon, PCP, and RO all supported my decision, and so far I am doing fine and am not living in fear and dread or worrying myself into a stew about recurrence. If it happens, I'll deal with it then. TG
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Hope everyone had a happy Easter!!!
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Oh, Nash, that is sooooo pretty and springy! Lucky you. Everything is still hiding here
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Nash, very nice. Our bulbs are up, but no blooms yet. Spring is being very coy in PA, but I think it's almost here.
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Trudi, happy birthday! What a great way to celebrate it. We had a fun day with Milo today, including both coloring and hunting for eggs. And my husband is okay, luckily. The most likely cause of his scary vision loss is apparently just a variant of a migraine, affecting only the vision in that eye, and very fleetingly. It hasn't recurred, but having all systems checked and having a heads-up on his health and incentive to make some changes is not a bad thing.
Our SIL is still feeling positive and is doing a pretty good job of advocating for his own health, with or without Hopkins. We're all hoping for further improvement. There are still options for treating the persistent inflammation in his spine that seems to be holding up return of function; it's just that all of the options also come with significant risk. As with the therapies for BC, one wishes the research were further along. But it feels as if it's on the cusp.
Enjoy the rest of your Japanese travels, as I know you will.
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Kay, glad you've had such a good time with Milo! Wonderful to hear that DH is fine and that SIL is such a good advocate for himself. It sucks that his choices carry such risks. HUGS!!!
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We had a suddenly springlike day today, so my grandson Milo, daughter Laurel, and I headed to the barn to enjoy it. This is Milo, just turned 4, with "Teddy." I'm the small figure in the background, with my horse Remy. Fun times.
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Oh what fun! I'm so envious! Glad you had such a special day!!
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Lumpectomy today ~ Doctor said it looked good. Did not take any lymph nodes.
I had a nice surprise.
My daughters live in San Diego and I told them not to come since I will be out to visit in 2 weeks. I thought I was going to go through this on my own ( had a friend drop me at the hospital ) but my daughters best friend since 8th grade ( they are 34 now ) Nick drove 3 hours to keep me company. He said ' you didn't actually think I wasn't going to come up ? ?" He worked a 12 hr shift with FDNY then came to be with his surrogate Mom. Feeling very loved.
My throat is so sore even with the ice pops. Pain killers are helping with incision. Just relieved it's over.
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Huntington, that is so lovely. So you have twin daughters? So glad everything went well! Hope your throat feels better soon
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Thank you . . . my girls are 4 year apart. I've had tickets to fly out to visit them for months before I was diagnosed. I'm very glad I have that to look forward to. My bossed asked me if I was still going to California after my diagnosis and I said YES. I'm a member of a strong union. Can'r push me around.
So what is the average length of time the incision pain stays?
M
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Huntington, sounds like you're doing great. And how awesome that Nick came and helped. That's a boo-hoo moment! And glad that all looks really good!!
My pain was never bothersome. I took one pain pill right after surgery and then Tylenol if I was uncomfortable. You'll do just fine.
I'm out to visit one son in San Diego later this spring and then on to the other one in Spokane. Visiting kids is the best!
HUGS!!!
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