Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
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Cynthiaintx - Everyone is indeed different. Had my re-excision and sentinel node dissection on 8-20. Went to lunch today w/girlfriend. Just taking tylenol once or twice a day.
RMlulu-Sorry yor DH is ill. I hope he is doing better and is out of ICU. I missed your humor and your always great advice! Positive thoughts and prayers for your hubby and remember we lumpies are in your pocket!!
Serenamuse - so sorry you had such an awful experience! I've had acupuncture in the past and it was really great. I hope it helps you. We all have to deal with fear and anger issues and we all handle it in our own way. I still have bouts of crying in the middle of the night and other times I just am so angry that I have this damn BC to deal with! These boards and the wonderful women on it keeps me sane and determined to be the winner over BC.
Ridley- Glad this is over for you...now we wait for pathology. I hope we will be doing a happy dance!! Hugs to all, Marilyn
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So glad this part is over for you. Rest, just rest. Lay on the couch and watch old movies. Sleep.
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Hi Lumpies!
Yippee it's the Weekend! Happy Dance for another week done well! Twist & Shout!
I'm hosting a lumpie porch and bonfire party...sugar free no guilt s'mores and cheers!
Time to veg kick back and count our blessings and make big wishes on those fall big falling stars:)))
(((Hugs)))
Cindy
And NO drama just giggles0 -
Cindy,
Your enthusiasm is inspriational. I hope you enjoyed your smores and the stars! After three sessions of acupuncture I was able to sleep on my stomach last night! First time in six weeks. It was lovely.
Serena
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Hi. I'm new here, 12 days post-lumpectomy and waiting for pathology results. Pain has been pretty manageable until today, when I have been experiencing fairly intense upper back pain, to the point that I've had to take half a Tramadol, which I've been off for a week. Anyone else experience something similar? Thanks for any advice!
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Vicki22,
I had pain somewhere around my shoulder blade that started around day 10. I got a chair massage for 20 minutes that helped a lot. They cut through muscles that connect all the way to your back. It's normal, nothing weird, just means your're healing. Good luck with your path report!0 -
Ok gang, the pantry is stocked, fridge and freezer are loaded. I'm ready for this week to be OVER with, and get on with things!
Pat - is that true of every lumpectomy, or just ones where the areas needing removal are near the chest wall?
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I don't know about every lx, just mine. My lump wasn't close to my chest wall at all. I got nervous when I started having back pain, thought something was wrong at first. Good to know its just regular stuff.
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Thanks, Pat! That sets my mind at rest. Bit of an over active imagination here...
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Joined: Jul 2013Posts:
lpk49 wrote:
i am having new zingers ...someone suggested neurontin...i have it. i will not be able to sleep without calming this down.
is it from surg?from rad? any way to calm it down?
two days ago i felt like finally breast wasnt so swollen and painful that i craved packing it in ice. now...tonight...these zingers are starting. they are short but very painful. i have had a neuro-chronic disease for 30 yrs and my nerves are sensitive...and probably sick. i cant do emgs.
i took anti-inflam med and i have neurontin and wonder if that will help. the first one didnt seem to help but i dont know how much worse it would be
i suspect you will tell me this is normal...it just caught me off guard. i thought i was on the way to being painfree.
any experiences or suggestions appreciated. ty.
oh-i thougt my tx info would pop up:
- 07/18/2013 Lumpectomy (Right); Lymph Node Removal: Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (Right)
- also(APBI) 5 days internal radiation, high dose, 2x day finished 7/30
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lpk49 - the zingers are a normal part of healing. I still have them 2 years out from surgery, but they are minor.
cynthiaintx - I didn't have any muscle cut with my surgery. I'm not aware that it is common with any treatment except cutting pectoral muscles for inplants. The cutting of nerves, which does happen in BC and most surgery, can cause pain to travel to the back and other parts of the body.
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I too have had chronic disease and am so senstive to pain and nerve pain. I have had four acupuncture sessions this past week because the zingers were so bad. They stopped after the first session and now my general pain is down to a 0 most of the time. I was able to sleep on my stomach the past couple of days. I am just about at week four. The acupuncture doctor (she does have a PhD) said that surgeons do their job but send you on your way and don't do anything to assist in your recovery. I feel like this acupuncture doctor is helping through the recovery. It makes things less scary. She also treats inflammation with herbal teas etc. It is worth a try.
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Question: nearly four weeks post lumpectomy. My breast and incision are looking so much better, but this morning I noticed that I had a yellow drainage (stained my stretchy support camisol). Is that normal? I did not need lymphnodes removed so no drains, just an incision about 2 inches wide, and 2 inches high above my nipple.
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Serenamuse - call your BS ASAP! Doesn't not sound normal or BS would have told you to expect. Be sure and keep sterile and let us know what BS says.
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ty for answers. i am used to little zingers. these were big. i was crying out every time. the poor dog was scared.
in the past i have not been able to tolerate acupuncture... it always made me worse . i tried 3 times. but that is good to know.
the neurontin worked. i slept. and today just a few light ones. thank you agaiin
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Serenamuse, hope you got a hold of your doc. That doesn't sound normal!
Had the surgical consult today. I do like the surgeon a lot - explained things to me without being condenscending. Showed me the images of areas of calcification. Treated me well. Everything was fine til I got to the check-out desk. Wow, hit me with a bill the size of... well, maybe not Texas, but Rhode Island. NOT expected. Plus, the cost of the surgical fees. I was a little upset to say the least, because the gal at the breast center knew there were financial issues. I have good insurance, but the deductible is gonna kill me, I don't make a huge salary.
For the first time in all of this mess, I shed tears. And they were tears of anger and frustration. God bless my dad, he is sending me the money. I didn't want him too, I have some gas well royalties I could sell (no, not an oil heiress by any means, they pay less than $100 a year!), but he said to hang on to them, and he would send it. *sigh* At my age, I shouldn't have to get money from a parent. Really frustrating.
In any case, I go in on Friday at 5:30 a.m. And yes, I'm getting wires, but the radiologist who did my biopsy will be inserting them, and she is very adamant that her girls feel no pain! Yay!
Now it's just a matter of waiting....
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I am scheduled for my re-cission on September 5. I was really hoping she was going to squeeze me in this week so I had the long weekend for recovery. Funny how the first surgery, I met with her on Monday and I had the procedure on Thursday. Now to agonize over this for a week and a half.
This will at least give me time to get all of my records together for a second opinion on my course of therapy.
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I finished rads early August. I am now noticing a much greater difference in the size of my treated vs untreated breast. Has anyone here had a reduction for symmetry? I read you should wait 6 months to a year post lumpectomy for things to stabilize before reconstruction. Since I have met my deductible I' d like to get this done this year. Guess I will schedule meeting with PS.
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Hi all!
Curiously my breasts are now noticeably different in size (left=DD,right=C) and I want to try swimming to lose some weight etc... anyone got any tips for keeping things even looking in bathers, while swimming etc. Dont want a "chicken fillet" slipping out in the ocean or a pool.0 -
Ugh. Incision started oozing nasties yesterday morning. I've managed to get an infection. They got me in to see the nurse practitioner, who proceeded to ask if I'd done anything dumb like go swimming. Why yes, I did. She then lectured me that there is no swimming or baths until 6 weeks post surgery. Fortunately my DH came with me to the 3 week appointment where I asked the surgeon if I could swim and she said "yes." Otherwise I'd think I was going crazy. Just 16 hours after starting Keflex I'm getting a little more energy, the pain that was reoccuring is tamping down too. I've now got enough energy to be angry at being treated like an idiot by the np. I would never have jeopardized my health this way if I'd been warned!
My little growth had infiltrated my pectoral muscle, so getting my strength back is an issue. Swimming seemed like a great rehab...0 -
My breast looked so normal and incision really good so I talked to my acupuncture doc and she was really pleased about it. She said that one of the teas she has been given me brought it out- removing toxins. I have not had any more and everything looks good. So...I think she is right.
I too have found the lack of information on recovery or mixed information very frustrating. There seems to be much more out there about mastechtomy and recovery, but not so much for lumpechtomies.
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What an eventful past couple of days for my fellow lumpies!
PatAlameda, so sorry to hear about your infection. I too was given conflicting reports about bathing or swimming. Hospital papers said bath was ok, nurse at SO office said it was not, but at 1 week f/u appt. surgeon said ok. I have been taking baths as both a pain reliever and stress reliever, so hope that is ok. I guess pools would be riskier for germs?
Travelmom, too bad you have to suffer through the long agonizing wait for another week and a half. That seems to be the story of our lives with BC. Waiting for every test, then waiting for every result...but know that we are all going through it, so hang in there.
And cynthiatx, I too have gone through some money scares. For the past two months I have been worried about insurance not covering a couple of very expensive tests I had done for my BC. One was $7500! Thankfully, after the office resubmitted some paperwork, they covered it. But the stress of not knowing they would was too much! We are already going through so much, without additional things like that.
Anyway, sympathies and good luck to all.0 -
I am doing my happy dance!!!! (amazing how little it takes to make me happy!!) Just got off phone with nurse practitioner and she said all 7 lymph nodes were negative!. They did find a tiny area of focal atypia but it wasn't dcis or idc cells so she is not concerned. I will meet with BS on Sept. 9th and hope to go on to rads. Keeping positive thoughts for you all. Hugs, M
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Canuk46
Sure happy for you that you can do the happy dance. and IT IS A BIG THING to get the news you got!!!! Takes a worry off your mind!!!.
Remember to wear something with big pockets, so we can all hitch a ride with you on the 9th..
Vickie
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Canuck, that's wonderful news and a big relief!! Here's hoping you get to go to rads soon, too. Happy dance!
Kathy
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Good for you canuck 46...wonderful news!!!
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Vicks1960-Vickie you are absolutely right - for now I finally feel like those awful BC cells are out! I always want my lumpies in my pockets! They hold me up.
QCA - Kathy thanks. I think I will be able to sleep tonight!
Hugs, Marilyn
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Wow! I'm away for a few days from the board because of things happening and I come back to find alot of what was happening to me was being discussed here!
My post lumpectomy healing has been great with little to no pain, no infection, all happy...then yesterday I started getting those cutting electrical jolts through my breast that were just sweat and swear inducing. Had me doubled over in pain. I go to check out my breast and I see a suture sticking out...like WTH? Took Tylenol, pain still there so I recommended to go to the emergency where my surgeon was on call. All this to say, it was those zingers from the nerves coming on and because he found a wee bit of an infection starting (not on the incision but in the breast itself), the very cute doctor (not my surgeon) figured that's what caused the pain to be from bad to excruciating. He also pulled that random suture. I was prescribed Keflex for the infection and Pregabalin to help with the nerve pain. Should have checked here first regarding the zingers
I too have been told I can go swimming and was planning to today but may wait a few more days after reading the board. My surgeon, rad onc and emergency doctor (did I mention he was really cute) have all said that swimming was ok as long it was not lake swimming.
Great news Canuck! I totally understand the happy dance as I did mine last week when my path report came back saying my lymph nodes were clear. Did the PeeWee Tequila dance wearing a tiara...lol.. Just had my radiation consult but can't start anything until I have my chemo consult as there's a 50/50 chance that I may have some chemo done.
Big hugs and a cancer fighting fist bump to all! Gloria
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Hi all --
I have been away for a bit... Took my son clear across the country and moved him in for college, and started back to work myself this week (I am a professor), so life has been busy. While I see a lot has been happening here, lumpy sisters, my situation is still the waiting game... Have a great MO lined up, and also met with the RO today. I can't plan for the rest of treatment until the Mammaprint test comes back to determine whether chemo is needed.... And so I wait.....
I was three weeks post surgery when I left on my trip, and has been sleeping in the recliner up until two days before we left. Travel tips: travel pillow to prop under arm and under boob, bring all meds just in case, bring Neosporin and band-aids just in case, plan rest time into your days, stay hydrated, don't pick up anything heavy, take a light purse and rolling suitcase, don't be shy about asking for transportation -- walking long distances and up and down lots of stairs may be challenging (or maybe I'm just old). Two things happened on my trip: I caught a cold and lost my voice (argh) and at the point where all of my incisions come together under my bad girl, a tiny spot opened up that would glue itself to my sports bra. Put Neosporin on it and covered with a band-aid -- BS said that is just the right thing.... all the glue came off all my incisions (between 3-4 weeks post surgery) and the bad girl is looking much prettier, I have to say.
A couple people mentioned stitches poking out -- BS removed one in the little spot that has not healed, as she thought that might be the problem. I also have a little one poking out of the SNB scar -- but it isn't bothering me so I figure I will point it out to the PS when I see him next week.
Also zingers -- these were most painful for me about 14-16 days after surgery. Had a flurry of very intense ones (made me jump like someone stabbed me) one night which made me wonder if I would be able to go on the trip, but they eased up with my resuming the Tylenol for a few days, and now I am only getting an occasional mild one.
From my MO consult yesterday, I got some clarification about Mammaprint vs Oncotype DX tests: Mammaprint tests for some 70 genes, and is more conclusive, yet is not used as commonly in the US as the Oncotype DX. The two tests were developed using different methodology. If my Mammaprint comes back high risk, then MO says he will order an additional test on the cancer tissue which will pinpoint the personalized chemo cocktail for my cancer. Very interesting and educational consult. Not sure why my Mammaprint test is taking so long, but the info it provides will be super helpful.... And so I wait, and pray for patience.
Wishing a peaceful long weekend to all of you -- speedy healing to those who have had recent surgeries. Be kind to yourselves, brave warriors!
--Kim0 -
TeamKim,
Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is a zinger? My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday and I am just looking forward to it being over. Having anxiety somewhat and difficulty sleeping. I got a call today and they say I will meet with the surgeon on the 10th to go over the pathology findings.
I have already met with the RO and the radiation will start at the end of Sept. if the procedure goes as what they are expecting it to be.0
