Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Thank you all so very much for the warm welcome!! I got weepy reading all the comments! I'm so glad I stumbled upon this forum!!PoppyK, I am in Riverside County, Lake Elsinore, Ca.
it's comforting to not be in this boat all alone
Sending love and hug
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Don't you feel better now, Laura? Not so alone? That's what we do here. Comfort and make sure you know everything you need to know. We're with you all the way.
BTW, #1 son lives in San Diego!
Be sure to make public the information you do have on your profile so we can better answer any questions you may have.
HUGS!!!
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Boblajo, I'm in Riverside! So close! Where are you going for treatment?
Upstate, Congrats on your fantastic Oncotype result. No chemo.... happy dance time!
Tresjoli, Glad your lx is over! Hope your healing is less eventful than your surgery experience was. Take it easy and don't try to do too much too soon!
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I just took the bandages off. The scars are huge! It was really quite a shock to see. I don't see a divet, but my scars are both several inches. I wasn't expecting that.
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Tresjoli2, that must have been a shock. You were brave taking off the bandages so soon. I believe I left mine on for a couple days (the big elastic ones). Nice that you don't have a divot! At least now you know why you're wiped out. Prior to surgery did the BS give you an estimate as to the size of your tumor? Even your SLNB incision is big? Mine is about 1-1/2 to 2". The incision on my breast is about 2" from just below the nipple straight down. I know the surgeon went really close to the chest wall. When do you meet with your surgeon next?
Please take it easy. Besides the mental shock, your body has been traumatized by the surgery (as any surgery does) and it needs all the healing rest and sleep you can give it.
HUGS!!!
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It is a shock seeing how big the incisions are. Mine were not covered so I saw them right away, but could not look. I'm so squeamish! Mine is about 3 inches long along the side, horizthen just 2 inches higher is the SNB incision and that one is 1 1/2 inches about and crescent shaped. Much bigger than I thought. BS told hubby she took out a golf ball size.
Oh I got my tattoos for RADS today Peggy! I didn't even feel the one they put near the incision, benefit of being all numb still.
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Barbara, I'm glad they didn't hurt. Now you're all modern!! As I said, mine were down below my bra band, one right in the center and then one on each of my sides - not near anything like an incision. I had envisioned them kind of bracketing my breast like making a square or something. I sure was far off on that one
My BS took out a 5x3x2-1/2 cm chunk. With the location being on the underside, it doesn't seem to be an issue (except the downward facing nipple). I think the BS might have even made me a bit fuller on top with the way she put things back together
HUGS Barbara and Tresjoli!
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Hi, Peggy, I've been MIA for awhile, but I've still been reading everyone's posts. I'm now about 4 months out from Lx, and 6 weeks or so past finishing rads, and life has taken over so that I don't spend as much time thinking about BC—which would be a good thing if it weren't for the fact that what I'm thinking about instead is stuff like my very aging mother's difficult issues and my suddenly disabled SIL's issues and like that.
But I just wanted to offer that I've been kind of surprised at the way the body continues healing. When I first looked at my incision and what-not after my Lx—which felt like the great unveiling—I was definitely shocked. I had been assured by my BS that I would have a minimal scar on the underside of my breast (DCIS was at 6 o'clock) and I'd barely notice it. Well, it turned out that there was more DCIS than at first thought, so more than twice as much tissue removed. And since I have very small breasts to start with, it WAS kind of startling. The incision looked huge and angry, running all the way from the edge of the areola straight down to the crease under my breast, and everything was swollen and, like Peggy, nipple pointing south. I was a bit horrified. There was some swelling, so overall it wasn't a matter of shrinkage, but my no-nonsense RO punctured that balloon at my first follow-up, when she predicted that the swelling would go down and I'd "loose that symmetry." It did go down a little, I guess, but then there was more swelling from rads. It's only now that I think things are kind of settling in to what they may be in the end. There is definitely a distortion from the chunk of tissue that was taken out, I can't deny that, and my nipple still faces down and doesn't match the other side. Other than the missing part from surgery, I don't think I have much shrinkage from rads. My skin looks great and normal, and feels that way, too. Most surprising to me is how much the scar, itself, has improved, just with time. It now looks much smaller and isn't very noticeable at all.
This is just to say to those who are much closer to surgery that things really do settle in with time. I have not made a decision on whether to try any kind of reconstructive technique for my lumpy breast, but at this point I"m leaning against that. I have a life to live and not that interested right now in more surgery I don't necessarily need.
So I would just say to Tresjoli2, be patient. It does get much better!
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Glad to hear from you, Kay. I've been thinking about you. You are facing hard decisions about your dear mother. I wish you luck. Is your son-in-law worse? I thought I recalled he had improved somewhat - am I mistaken. Are you still going to the Devon Horse Show?
You are so right. EVERYTHING does get better. I didn't notice any swelling from my rads but I had a lot else going on so I wasn't paying attention.
Take care!
HUGS!!
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Peggy, thanks for thinking of me. SIL is not worse, but he is still paraplegic and uncertain prognosis at this point. He did improve from the very low point when he had MRSA sepsis around last Christmas, so definitely better. It's a crappy hand to be dealt for a young guy and for our daughter and grandson. We do have hopes he will improve, and recent consult with Johns Hopkins neurologist was both heartening and disheartening.
Yes, to Devon! My good friend Judy and I are planning to meet up with Trudi on May 27 there. I'm looking forward to it very much, wish you could join us
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Kay, it IS a crappy hand your SIL has been dealt. It sounds like the right doctor has been found. I hope he continues to improve. He and your daughter are in my thoughts (and that grandbaby).
Maybe someday I'll be able to join you and Trudi at Devon. I'd love it. Have a ball.
HUGS!!!
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Hello all -
Haven't been on the boards in a long time (which is a good thing!) but now I am looking for information and this is the first place I come! I recently went for my standard annual MRI/Mammo and the MRI noted an area of new focus (measurable at 4mm) in my left breast - the 'good one'. General advice was to wait and rescan in 6 months but since my initial diagnosis blew up in less than 6 months time - I wasn't really happy with this. I sure don't want to find myself sitting in the chemo chair again if I can avoid it.
Anyway, long story short, my right breast is shrinking and slowly migrating over to my armpit since my lumpectomy, SNB and radiation in 2010. My left breast is aging naturally but now I am very visibly lopsided. I have chosed to have reduction surgery on both breasts to balance them out, but also to remove the area of focus from my left breast.
Just looking for advice, experiences etc....
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Hi Marjie. That is concerning and I can see why you wouldn't want to wait 6 months to re-scan. I have no thoughts for you other than saying, think positive and perhaps it truly is nothing!
HUGS!!
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I am assuming it's fine but would rather be pro-active rather than re-active! Anyone had any reconstruction for "realignment" after their lumpectomy?
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I do understand that completely, Marjie. I'm sure someone else has had reconstructive surgery to balance the girls and they'll post shortly.
HUGS!
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Hi Marjie,
I haven't had the exact surgery you are contemplating. I had a lx to remove the cancer and another area of concern on the right and a reduction on the left to make them match. It was a big surgery, with a much longer recovery period, but I'm glad I did it. The surgery was 4-5hrs, and I woke up with smaller, higher, matching breasts. Most importantly, the margins were clear. Often this type of surgery allows the surgeons to remove extra tissue around the cancer, ensuring clean margins. My BS started operating on the bad girl, while my PS starting on the good girl. When my BS was done with the right side and the SNB, the PS rearranged the remaining tissue and put me back together. The scars are thin and similar to a regular reduction and lift, with an additional scar for the SNB. I have no loss of sensation either.
Have you met with a PS yet? I assume you had rads, so you should find out what their thoughts are on operating on tissue that has been through rads.
There is a reduction/lumpectomy topic, too. You may want to check out.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topic/743630?page=1
Do you have any specific questions that I may be able to answer?
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Oh, and they suggested I wait an additional 6 months, too. I'm so glad I didn't and pushed for the biopsy. Not only did I have IDC, but it had already traveled to my nodes.
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Hi- When I had fat grafting in November 2014 I asked about breast reduction on both sides and was told I could not have it on my bad girl because I had had previous radiation which makes the tissue very hard to heal. My plastic surgeon told me he would not do it. He had told me that I should have considered reduction at the time of my lumpectomy before I had had radiation.. Well would a should a could a but grrrrr... why are we not informed of this at the time? UFF
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I also have nodules being watched at 6 oclock in my DX breast, they are 3 and 4 mm in size. I have been watching them every 6 months with either a MRI or a Mammo- I know how concerning it is to wait!
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NDGrrl, yah, very helpful to find out that info AFTER. Argh. Do you wonder if it was just that particular PS who feels that way or if they all do? My radiated breast doesn't FEEL different, seems hard to imagine it is THAT different.
HUGS!
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trying to decide if I should go to work tomorrow. I'm off the pain meds and just on Tylenol, but oh so tired...I took another look at my scars today. I got to shower! My breast looks perfect, like no tissue was removed, but I swear the scar starts at 12 noon and goes all the way to 5oclock. My armpit scar looks like it's three inches. I just was not expecting such large scars. Sigh...hope I get my path back soon..
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Tresjoli2, if you can take off a couple more days, I think you would find it worthwhile. Or just work a couple hours. Your body definitely needs the rest. The scars will lessen and soon won't be so noticeable. Nice that it looks perfect!!
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Tresjoli2 I hear you on the fatigue! I wish I had taken an extra day off.0 -
pat how many days did you take off? If I go back by Friday I avoid filing for short term disability. I had a big meeting tomorrow I was trying to make but I commute three hours round trip via train and I think getting there might do me in lol
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I had surgery last Friday 5/15 and went back to work yesterday. So really just 3 full post op days. In retrospect I should have stayed home til tomorrow. At least you can doze on the train? Just plan to take the weekend off. Everyone said "just a lumpectomy" but surgery really kicks your butt!
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For what it's worth I chose to go with short term disability ( 1 week which the surgeon readily approved) and was glad I did. I was quite fatigued And it helped even not thinking every day whether I should push to go to work.
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I think I am going to stay home. Thanks guys
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I'm so relieved, Tresjoli2! I think that's a very wise decision. I don't know anything about disability (short or long term) since I'm retired and I don't think my job offered anything like that. So if you can stay home for the rest of the week plus a lovely 3 day weekend, you could be feeling less fatigued and ready to go to work even if only for a few hours. Didn't you mention you have a meeting tomorrow? How about Skyping or Facetiming to participate? Is that an option? Take it easy!
HUGS!!!
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Tresjoli2....I vote STAY HOME....you'll be glad you did. 0 -
Definitely stay home if you can, just moving around kicks your butt. And the train...not comfy! Almost 4 weeks now from my LX and while I am fine and can do everything, I am still babying it a bit and feel every bump when riding in the car. 3 hours to Boston yesterday and 4+ back with the insane traffic (we left there at 4:30pm rush hour) and I felt it! I crashed when we got home and all I did was sit around all day.
ndgrrl That's ridiculous. Makes me angry when doctor say nonsense like that, they should know better. How are we supposed to know what's going to happen, we are DX and weeks later we're having surgery, it's a whirlwind of learning a lot and freaking out and we are focused on the cancer and getting it out not how we're gonna look after. How can we possible know that we can't have another surgery after RADS or even know if we'll need it. There is no way to know if you'll come out of surgery being uneven or whatever, or even how much they will take out once they get in there. Mine was more than double the size they thought it was so they took out a golf ball size my BS told my husband. Luckily I'm a c-d cup so plenty to work with
So far it doesn't look any different, but it's only been 4 weeks. It was really far back though, right up against the chest wall so maybe being so far in, it won't be so noticeable. BS said the hole would fill itself in eventually.I was so very happy with the MO at Dana Farber though, worth the drive out there. He said and I quote, "you absolutely do NOT need chemo!" Then proceeded to show us studies and charts and graphs on the doing it vs not doing it with a low Oncotype and there was really little to no benefit. Actually even if it had been mid level, it was a small benefit that he said in my case with everything else being as it is, he would still have said don't need it. I felt really good about that. Even without knowing the Oncotype he still would have said that he said, even if you were my kid sister...and I do like my kid sister. The Oncotype makes it a slam dunk, his words. Went on to talk about how the protocol is changing now, that my MO is being aggressive in recommending it because that is how it used to be with the over 1cm (mine was 1.2cm) and my age, but it is slowly changing and all the studies of my age group show that only with a high risk oncotype does chemo really show significant benefit to make it worthwhile for what I have. "Do your radiation, go on Tamoxifen, neither of which are picnics, but nothing like chemo, and then go to Disney!" That was his recommendation. Exactly what we have planned!
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