Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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dyanbrooks -- That is really too bad that you have to have chemo. But--it can take care of any possible mets, so at least there's a course of treatment. Most people say that chemo is tougher than surgery and radiation. I don't know, but it's definitely no picnic. I thought I was young enough and in good enough health to have no problems with it, but side effects are kind of random--so you never know if you'll get them or not!
There are plenty of people who work through chemo. Most have to maybe take some days off due to fatigue or other problems, but they can just deal with that, and then get back to work. On the other hand, if they do have more major side effects, it can impact work pretty badly. You'll feel OK some days, and not others, basically. Depends on what kind of work you need to be doing, of course. Desk work and things you can do from home would be easiest.
But you won't know until you get the chemo. Just cross-fingers that you won't have bad side effects and just soldier through it all--at least you know it's all on a schedule and it has an ending point!
I never got all that nauseous, actually. I did get sick twice. Then I learned the signs and took the anti-nausea pills and those pretty much stopped it. It wasn't a severe problem for me. It might not be a problem for you, either. It really can affect people in so many different ways and in so many different degrees. Not knowing what to expect was almost the worst part! But after the first couple of cycles you will definitely have a better idea.
And they can change doses and the schedule and even the type of chemo depending on how bad your reactions are--they really do try to make sure you aren't going to feel very sick through the whole thing... Mostly there are pills for nausea, heart-burn, other problems.
One of the more risky things chemo might do is lower your white blood cell count, which lowers your immunity, so they tell you to watch for any sign of fever and to go right into urgent care or the ER if it goes over 101... Many doctors will give Neulasta or similar shots right after chemo doses. That aids in WBC production. I got those just in case every time and never had any WBC problem. So they do try and make any big problems as unlikely as possible.
The Chemo section of this forum is very helpful. They do the monthly groups of people starting chemo. And also have threads for the type of chemo you are getting, and for any specific problems you might have.
Good luck!
PontiacPeggy --- I'm 58 and totally forgetful == well, about many things, anyway. That's why I was trying to keep a diary... I'm just not very organized! I DO have a big appointment calendar and have marked all my appointments down there--including what tests I've had. There are a LOT of them, by now! They are hard to keep track of even with my calendar!
Chemo made me lose a lot of weight and I couldn't eat much, and naturally, the weight came right off my breasts! I can still feel some fat around my middle. I wish THAT would go away!!! But NO! I've always been a B cup or even a C, but went right down to an A (or less), at the end of chemo. Chemo messes with your entire gastro-intestinal tract from the mouth downwards, so eating can be a problem... Although chemo is also weird and affects people in different ways, so some people gain weight. It's just very unpredictable.
resp1243 -- I would think fatigue would be pretty natural after surgery. It's kind of a shock to the body, for one thing, so that could cause the fatigue. Pain meds will also make you feel tired. Anesthesia can affect some people that way, even after you wake up. And just your body trying to heal up could cause it. Hopefully you'll be feeling less fatigue as you get farther from your surgery date!
Chemo will definitely cause fatigue. Not constantly, but there will be days you will be tired. You might have to alter your family's schedule a bit--just be prepared for the possibility. You won't be totally knocked on your back by the chemo, but it's not an easy thing. You will definitely need help from those around you, so you won't HAVE to keep up your usual activities ALL the time. You should rest when you can with all this business. Just know that there is a set end date to the chemo and try and focus on that! It may be OK or may be a lot of trouble, but it will be over eventually!
Radiation, I've heard, is not as bad as chemo, but it can also cause fatigue. Just have as much support as you can get around you, just in case you need to call on them. It's likely that you will need some help at some time. These things--surgery, radiation, chemo, are none of them easy or slight! But you can get through them! Don't worry. But having some back-up will help.
I had my LX on 5/8 and although I woke up feeling like my breast had taken a pounding, the pain meds immediately helped with that. Since then, I've feel achy, but again, pain meds, just one pill at a time, not even two, worked just fine. Thankfully!!!
I was hoping to feel more myself sooner, too, but I think I was being a bit too optimistic! But, I guess feeling mostly OK isn't a bad thing!
With my HER2+, I was getting the whole deal, chemo, surgery, radiation, a year of Herceptin, 3 years of femara, no matter what. I think that helped me in a way, since I didn't really have to be concerned with my treatment changing. Of course, I still hope they find no node involvement, etc. And I certainly hope to have clean margins and avoid more surgery! I'm am just dreading that! But I have been getting used to the idea I'd have a long, involved course of treatment ahead of me almost since my dx back in November... I just focus on getting through the immediate thing. Like getting chemo first. I'm SO glad that is over. I'm still recovering from the stupid chemo... but I was good enough to have surgery right after chemo, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been (some people have to delay treatment because they have problems after chemo or after surgery). Gotta take the good news when you can, I figure!
Jo6206 -- I have type 2 diabetes. I was a bit worried since I heard chemo can mess with sugar levels and my metformin's effectiveness, but I was eating so little that I didn't have to worry much about my sugar levels (and I've never had a problem with low levels, so that was good, too). Stress is definitely not good for anything... but my stress levels dropped after I had my course of treatment lined up and started. Those first weeks were crazy-stressful, though! Just running around taking tests and getting to all those appointments was stressful.
It's good to hear your levels are good!
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April25, my DIL (colon cancer) had trouble with her white blood count regularly during chemo. I can't remember why Neulasta wasn't given as part of her routine but I do recall that they always tested her before starting her chemo session. She had (and still has) the most positive attitude going (makes me look like Debbie Downer!). She would go into each chemo session telling the chemo to KILL CANCER. She had her nephews shave her head before her hair fell out and made a party out of it. She has been my model of how to cope and I certainly haven't had as much to cope with as she did (i.e. no chemo). You sound like you have the same attitude.
I do recommend that you put all your treatments, surgeries, tests etc (and not just the BC ones) in a spreadsheet or word processing file with dates and results. It gets harder to remember them all as time goes on. When was that colonoscopy? When do you have to go back? Did you get a pneumonia vaccine? What type? Flu shot? All those things matter. End rant
But your description of what you have gone through is excellent. You're right, you don't just bounce right back from the surgery. You may FEEL good but just not able to do all that you normally do. Take it easy!!
HUGS!!!!
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Well, I had my first major meltdown today..... And it was all over the fact they wanted to schedule my first chemo treatment 3 days earlier than expected. LOL I know... shouldn't have been that big of a deal but I'm in the juggling mode right now with just getting use to the diagnosis, figuring out work and no real way to do that until I get into the treatments and know more, managing appointments and prepping for side effects of chemo, and normal life things. I had all the balls in the air I thought and it felt like they were asking me to change directions on one or something. And when I meltdown.... I MELTDOWN!
Went off on the nurse, the scheduler, my oncologists nurse, and my oncologist. Started to call other centers to change treatment centers, and then was still cranked up when I went in for pre-op appt with the surgeon for my port surgery on Thursday. Apparently I decided I didn't want to be awake for it and couldn't handle one more local anesthetic. Guess she knew I was on the edge of total panic so relented and said she'd "give me a shot and put me out for the whole thing." Somehow that broke it. I went right back to normal, decided the change was no big deal, and now fine with it. I think I just wanted control over something again. I didn't want people to just tell me what is going to happen, I wanted some say in it too. AND I really did want to be put out for it. In fact, if they could just put me out for about 5 months until most of this is over and wake me back up, I would be really really really really okay with that. hahahaha
In the end, I called and apologized to everyone, and decided to stay where I was but I made sure to be clear that I would like them to quit telling me what I'm doing and start discussing with me my treatments, etc. They got it. And of course I apparently am not the first to do it. :-)
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Oh, Dyan. Your meltdown is so understandable. In less than a month you've gone from "healthy" to surgery to chemo. And you were so smart to figure out that you needed to be part of the process. It's not like you are 3 years old. You're an adult and you have the right to decide the course of your treatment and be part of the discussion. I'm sure you're right that you aren't the first patient to have a major meltdown. I'm glad you were able to apologize to everyone. Are you feeling better now? All that stress has been building up and has to go somewhere. And probably you chose the safest place to release it since they understand. Try to relax. You can't figure out your schedule and what you will be able to do until you know how you'll feel, so, if you can, don't try to do it! Do what you can now and let tomorrow take care of itself. And think positive!
Many HUGS!!
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Hi Dyan, Way to go! I love how you creatively overcame The emotional tie we all have to our hair! I'm debating a fourth lumpectomy and radiation or mastectomy for DCI S. I feel tied to my natural breast even though it will be greatly impacted by a fourth lump ectomy. Fortunately, they're not talking about chemo for me so I don't have to worry about the hair too
I'm so glad you have a loving supportive man to hold your hand through this!
Hugs!
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Hi Dyan, Way to go! I love how you creatively overcame The emotional tie we all have to our hair! I'm debating a fourth lumpectomy and radiation or mastectomy for DCI S. I feel tied to my natural breast even though it will be greatly impacted by a fourth lump ectomy. Fortunately, they're not talking about chemo for me so I don't have to worry about the hair too
I'm so glad you have a loving supportive man to hold your hand through this!
Hugs!
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Dyan, Big hugs! You are moving through this process so quickly.... of course it's overwhelming... which can result in meltdowns. I'm sure your medical team has seen this before. At one point, I just had my husband handle the scheduling, medical and insurance calls. I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I was fortunate that my med team always asked me what I wanted and if certain dates would work for me.
I did chemo and rads. Chemo was much harder, but I had issues with rads, too. So glad you are reading the info available on the website. The other threads that match your treatment protocol will be helpful, too!
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Oh, I have a question.
Today was my first routine mammo after my diagnosis. I didn't pass the test; they have ordered an ultrasound to explore an area of interest. Anyone else have this issue?
Poo, I forgot to ask my Bi-rads score!
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Oh, that's discouraging, Poppy! While mine was fine, I am having an MRI next month. HUGS!!!
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Hi Dyan and PoppyK, Hugs to both of You!I am so glad to read your stories. Had my pre op visit with BS for R LX on Friday. Since I am grade 1 I think he kind of glazed over the whole chemo possibility until I asked about it and if Oncotype testing would be done. I think I could hear him thinking "Great I got a reader " LOL. If I hadn't read stories here I would be totally unprepared mentally for possibility of chemo should that be necessary.
This thread is great!
pat
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Ugh! I'm so sorry! What is a bi-rad score!
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Bi-rads is a way radiologists grade or score their mammogram findings. Here is a link: BTW, I was a 3a (only 3-4% chance of cancer) when I was originally diagnosed.
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/results
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Poppy, I had a Bi-Rad score of 1 on my mammo from last month. I have no clue what mine was on the original one a year ago - I don't have that report. That sucks about your result. Fingers and toes crossed that it's nothing! HUGS!!!!
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PontiacPeggy -- Great idea about putting all the test/procedure info in a spreadsheet. I'll definitely have to start doing that, since it IS hard to keep track of everything...
dyanbrooks -- I can totally understand having such a breakdown! I'm usually easy-going and up-beat, but this stuff can get to anyone! I can remember crying when I was in the hospital because it just seemed like endless useless testing (I and everyone knew I was having chemo-induces diarrhea, but they still had me in isolation and undergoing lots of tests because the most common reason for D is some highly contageous bacteria or something... but I'd had the exact same thing happen to me during my first chemo session and got hospitalized and tested THEN! But they'd all just shrug and say that they knew it was probably chemo but had to test anyway to get the definitive results! aaaaggggh!). And then every now and then my sister will just not ask me, but assume things, like "Oh, it's a good thing the surgery is so soon! Sooner the better!" And I was thinking, wow, it would be nice to just recover and feel slightly normal for just a few more days before surgery! What's the hurry? I had chemo already, so it's not like cancer was running with a free-reign in my body! I got to feeling a bit anxious and depressed at that, too... I don't know why people just can't ask what you feel before just going ahead with doing things or assuming things!!! SO frustrating.
GoodConstitution -- The idea of a 4th lumpectomy is crazy! I'd be annoyed as heck (and really, I'm usually quite easy-going, I swear!). Couldn't they figure stuff out better the first THREE times??? And don't they have a good recommendation for you? Either that a LX will be a problem, but still do-able, or just go for a MX? I would be so frustrated with them. You sound better able to cope than I would. I'm waiting to hear on my Path. and I would NOT be happy to hear that I'd have to go back and have further surgery. I do hope you can make a good decision, and not let it get to you too much...! I wish you all the best with it!
PoppyK --- I sincerely hope that the suspicious finding prove to be benign! It could happen!!! I really hope it's nothing!
I noticed you had reconstruction after a LX... Was that because of too much of a divot left? Or something involving the nipple? I haven't talked to a PS at all, so I have no idea what my breast will look like or if I'd be a candidate for anything like that... I do know that the BS had been slightly concerned about my breasts being on the small size and having to take too much breast tissue since I had a 3cm tumor to start with... You don't have to answer, I'm just curious since I haven't heard much about LX reconstruction...
I hadn't heard of a Bi-rads score before either. Learn new things here all the time!
PatRN10 --- Oncotype test should help you out a lot. It won't work for me because I'm HER2+... which is also why I got chemo and you mostly likely won't. This board IS fabulous for having information! I got that look from a previous MO, once, too. I started to feel like I knew more than he did, so I ended up getting a second Op. and then switching doctors! And I'm glad I did!
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Oncotypes can be a blessing but if you score is in one of the iffy areas then it isn't one bit helpful. Even though mine was 13, my MO still thought I should have chemo. BS and RO said no way. No chemo. It's most reassuring when the score is really low or really high - no gray.
The information here IS fantastic. We're lucky to have such an active, knowledgeable community.
HUGS to everyone. And MORE HUGS! I think we all really need them tonight.
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thanks will let u know
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I am hoping the area of interest is just scar tissue or something similar. Once my insurance gives approval, I can schedule the ultrasound.
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Sure hope the approval is quick so you don't have to wait - that's so danged hard.
HUGS!!!
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PoppyK.... I had mammos to both breast after the lumpectomy to left. My MO and I felt something just outside the incision in the left. It turned out that the radiologist had wanted to look more closely at something seen in my most recent mammo for the right breast. The "felt" lump was incision related but in looking they imaged something different. So US was ordered and then an attempt to aspirate each area without success. Ended up with core needle biopsies to each which totally removed the imaged tissues of concern. Comment during the biopsy - fluid/tissue extracted "should not have been there". Spent 4 days waiting for the results wondering if my lx was going to morph into double mx. Happy to say no cancer was found. My take away from this experience was this --> My "team" is doing what I need as Stage 1, grade 3....so glad to know they have my back! Maggie
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MaggieCat, I can imagine how awful that wait was. Waiting is the worst. Two years ago I had a cyst that they tried to aspirate. Nothing would come out. The radiologist decided to give me more lidocaine before trying to suck it out one more time and the whole thing just collapsed and disappeared. She was amazed. Had never had anything like that happen. I was mighty pleased
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Wow, MaggieCat, what a stressful experience! Thanks for sharing. I'm just hoping it's scar tissue. The PS did a lot of rearranging of tissue, so it could be anything.
As my DH says, it would be highly unlikely that cancer would be there after chemo.
I can't remember who asked (sorry, stress and chemo brain) but this was my surgery. I had the cancer and an additional area of concern removed from my right girl. The PS then rearranged the remaining tissue to give me a smaller, higher breast. He also operated on the good left girl to make my breasts match. So I basically had a lx and reduction and lift. No drains, long recovery. Unfortunately, there is no option to indicate this on the treatment protocol.
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Peggy & Poppy - My 1/15 mammos were after 2 chemo rounds when I still had 15 rounds plus rads to go! Next mammos are 10/15 with 3 remaining chemo rounds... and at that point I'd hope they will only find a desert!!!! I read comments and never know whether sharing will help. For me knowing this group at the research hospital will get serious about an unusual signature will bring my stress level down for future events.... So, shared to express the "got your back" afterthoughts! Maggie
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You can always share anything I write. If it helps even one person then I am beyond happy. Your chemo seems to be going on forever. Is that usual? Are you getting Herceptin? Many HUGS!!!!
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Yep, I'm in a clinical trial for herceptin linked to a chemo agent (T-DM1 also called kadcyla). Herceptin is a year long treatment. The clinical trial is the herceptin conjugate for a year as well.
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I'm pretty ignorant here, MaggieCat. Does that mean you are getting both Herceptin and T-DM1 at the same time, together? How is that going? Does it seem to be the same as traditional chemo?
HUGS!
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Going good so far!!!! Yep, things in the ER+ world are a bit different! Actually this is one drug with two pieces. One piece is a herceptin molecule with a unique molecular bond to a very strong chemo drug, emtansine. "Like Herceptin, Kadcyla binds to HER2-positive cells and is thought to block out-of-control signals that make the cancer grow while also calling on the body's immune system to attack the cancer cells. Once Kadcyla is taken up by those cells, it is designed to destroy them by releasing the DM1 inside the cells."
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Cool, MaggieCat! How are you tolerating the treatments? How exciting to be in this trial. Did you jump at the chance or was it a very difficult decision?
HUGS!
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I'm still reading through my path report... most of which is Greek to me!
But... BS said my margins were clear, my SNB (2 nodes) were clear, and it looked like I was healing well. He set me up with a Radiologist (I'll see him tomorrow).
I finally checked out my incisions this morning when I took a brief shower... Only had a little spotting of dried blood in the gauze over the site. Surgical tape still in place. No bruising evident. No bleeding or discharge. No pain. --Breast looked ever so slightly deflated since my tumor was right on top... but even if I get a divot when swelling goes down, I'm just relieved I won't have to go back in for more surgery at this time and can move to the next step of radiation. whew!!!
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Excellent news, April! If you want to know all there is to know about path reports, check out this How to Read a Path Report. It is extremely helpful. I printed it out and put it in my American Cancer Society folder. But you can't ask for better than clear margins and nodes. Yippee! Make sure you add the nodes to your profile!
I'm glad that your divot isn't bad and that you are feeling good. It is nice to know more surgery isn't required. Radiation should be a breeze after everything else you've done. Just a lot of showing up everyday, applying Aquaphor to the area getting radiation, not wearing deodorant (and skipping the bra if you want!).
Nice to move on physically AND mentally, isn't it?
HUGS!
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PontiacPeggy -- I definitely need to update my profile... For one thing, looks like I'm not Grade 2, but Grade 3.
Thanks for the Link on how to read a Path report! I definitely need it! I thought I'd be up on some of the terminology by now, but nooooo!
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