Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Congrats ndgrrl! Ooo who no chemo! So sorry about the ER and hospital stay...ugh:(
There are others who have done the shorter protocols ...might start a thread.
Glad you can see the light and roller coaster is slowing down.
HT...keep active. My MO gave me a month break from rads before HT...ask...I needed the vacation R&R...to catch my breath.
Take care and happy dance
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PrincessMom- Yeah for your good news! I would love to do RADS 2x day - I'd be interested in knowing more too.
Ndgrrl- Yeah on Onco news! Doing happy dance with you as you go onto the next phase of your journey and hopefully the end of BC!
Hugs, M
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Hello,
Went for MRI today. The worst part was the loud beeps and bangs and having to be on your stomach on the uncomfortable table. The IV contrast was not bad, just felt cold and weird going in. Now to wait for the results and see whether my treatment plan will stay the same or need to change.
My only other issue since the lumpectomy is the discomfort and not being able to feel comfortable. It seems like I am having pain from inside out, if that makes any sense. It especially hurts at night whenever I go to lie down. Does anyone else have these types of issues?
Thinking of all of you today. Hope those who are recovering are doing well and that those who are preparing for upcoming surgeries are having fun today.0 -
Hi, again! I forgot to put this thread in my favorites...and just remembered to come back to it today. I "could" blame it on the after-effects of anesthesia from last week (but secretly I'm just gettin' a little old!! - 49!). Anyhoo, thanks for your suggestions on removing the topical dressings. I called my doctor's office yesterday and they said it was okay to take off the saran wrap, but not the steri-strips, so I'm heading in for my first full-blown shower since surgery (lots of little baths over the past few days). Yay. Hope all are well. It's a beautiful Fall-ish day in the northeast. I was remembering that movie from a few years back, "Life Is Beautiful." It's true -- when faced with dire circumstances, no matter how hard it gets, I believe life really IS beautiful. Peace, all!
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Canuck and who ever else is interested.
I did have the internal rad treatments 2xday for 5 days.
It is called Contura Balloon Brachytherapy. If you google it you will be able to learn about it.
My RO was on the team that developed it.
Vickie
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Vicks did the internal rads make you sick at all? I have not been feeling great since I had it. but hopefully the effects will wear off shortly. Being done in 5 days was WONDERFUL!! though.
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Hi PrincessMom, I totally understand LOL. I hated calling his office with all my questions, but they were very nice about answering all my questions, but it would have been better to know what to expect. At my pre-op at the hospital, they asked when I was scheduled to have the wire put in, I had no idea what they were talking about. I find out next week about my rads, let me know how yours go. I think I'd rather do what you're doing and get over with earlier.
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ndgrrl,
It has been almost 2 years since I had rads, but I don't remember any SEs from them.
Most of my discomfort after was the sharp shooting pains that I understand was from the nerves healing themselves. I did develop some seroma (fluid build up) that had to be aspirated a couple of times, don't know that the rads had anything to do with it.
It was nice to get them over with in just five days. We live 70+ miles from the cancer center so we took our motorhome up to Lincoln, found a place to park so we didn't have to drive back and forth.
If you think I can answer any other questions, feel free to ask..
All of us gals are fighting this monster together...{{{{HUGS}}}}
Vickie
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Just wanted to pop back here to say hi, thanks, & good luck to everyone!!!
I had a lumpectomy in July & just finished round 1 of chemo, tomorrow morning is round 2 of 4. These boards have been very useful & I really appreciate the support, even just being able to vent when you're sure your friends are tired of hearing "cancercancercancer" all the time (even if they say they're not sick of it, I feel guilty that it's all I can think about sometimes!).
I'd had also had friends who went thru BC & said no prob, you can go back to work the day after your lumpectomy. HAH. I felt like crap. I was so uncomfortable I couldn't sleep properly for 2-3 weeks! I could hardly use my arm where the SNB incision was. But it finally eased up & felt normal again. And then chemo came along & I felt like crap again LOL. But that too, it had a hump to get over (a worse one, I won't lie), but then I got some good days again. Back on the rollercoaster, but more prepared each time.
The chemo threads here can be good too. If you're about to start, don't miss the "tips" thread that's pinned in the chemo section (very very helpful), & do join the September thread if you have a date scheduled. And I'm sure the next month will roll around.
You can do this!!! The worst days will suck more than anything ever has, but the day after that will be SO much better. And the next day will be better than that. Sometimes one day at time is too much, so take it one hour or one minute if you need to. But you can make it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.0 -
Gracers55-- My PS said to wait 6 months after rads before deciding what "adjustment" to make to the "good girl".
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I had internal rads 5days 2 times a day. It was the "savi" procedure that I had. It was not a cake walk but I was grateful to be able to do the 5 day rads vs external for a few months. To qualify for internal rads you have to meet a very stringent criteria. You have to be early stage, small tumor and not HER+. Meeting criteria for internal rads means that you will not need to have chemo due to the stage and size of tumor. If you need to do chemo you do not qualify for internal rads (at least that is what my onc stated). They are currently researching other qualifiers for internal rads but not sure if it has been ok'd at this point. Internal rads are not offered at very many treatment centers which is unfortunate for those of us who do qualify. I could be mistaken, but I believe it is only offered at this time if you have a DX of IDC. Blessings to all of us on this journey and again I am so grateful that we have this site to share our experiences and receive advice.
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Batcatlady, thanks for the insight and encouragement for us all. You said some really good things.
Summergal, finally, a fellow bilateral breast cancer sister who underwent bilateral lumpectomies and SNBs like me! I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one. From what I gather, synchronous bilateral breast cancer is fairly uncommon, I have read it may be less than 4%? My RO said he maybe treats 1 per year, my BS said he thinks less than 5% of his patients have been. And I live in a major city, so they probably see a lot of patients. Our stats seem pretty similar, too. I have IDC in both breast, though. Even our dx dates aren't too far off. Happy healing!
Started RADs this week. So far, so good! I still get a bit nervous each time, though. Guess that will fade with time.0 -
HI, I think each place is a bit different. I had internal rads last week but only found out this week that I would not need chemo. They have to do the internal rads before chemo as the opening where the cancer came from in the breast has to not be healed so my internal balloon was inserted not quite 3 weeks after surgery and with rads starting 3 weeks to the day after surgery- they said it had to be at least 3 weeks since surgery.
The cancer does have to be small and stage 0 or stage one and my cousin qualified for it and she is HER 2 positive so i guess each place is different. I was also told it depends on where the cancer is located in the breast so that the balloon has room to be in there.
Having it for 5 days 2 x a day was wonderful compared to 33 treatments of external which was my other option. I have had some SE but getting better daily.
Good luck everyone in whatever decisions you have to make. I know how very difficult it can be.
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Thanks RMlulu, I'm so ready to get this started
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Hi, L2girl! My SBBC twin! You know, throughout the last three months, I don't think anyone has ever named it for me, until you did - now I know - synchronous bilateral breast cancer. I wasn't aware of how uncommon SBBC is. Wow. That explains why my general surgeon, upon discovering the second primary cancer tumor in my other breast, became very flustered and couldn't seem to guide me confidently toward one surgery or the other. So glad I went with the breast cancer specialist...but at times I do get scared, from a prognosis standpoint. Worried sometimes that I don't really "get" whether the synchronous nature of this makes it more serious than not; my surgeons don't seem to treat me any differently from any other BC survivors I've talked with. Oh, well. One day at a time! Thanks for reaching out - keep in touch - and good thoughts coming your way for your rads. If I get good news at the pathology appt tomorrow, I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you about radiation in the coming weeks!
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Yea! I'm out of the woods on the infeciton. I'm being left alone to heal for five weeks, then follow up. What I thought interesting is that my husband asked about the dent and scar, I said "it's okay, I'm just ready to heal and get back to life". The surgeon said "no it isn't okay. It is never okay. Surgery is consensual assault. If it was done to you on the street it would be aggravated assault. We try to leave as little damage as possible, but sometimes things don't go as planned. My profession is extremely humbling.". I appreciated his acknowledging the degree of trauma a woman feels when she goes through this or any form of surgery. It is frightening and we have a right to feel traumatized.
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Serenamuse -- so glad you have found some healing. Is there any point in seeing a PS about the dent and scarring? (not that you would want to go through any further surgery after what you have experienced!). Great response from the surgeon, though -- glad you found your way to someone who cares enough to get you healed up!
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I am relatively new to posting though I have been reading these discussion boards since August and am in awe of you ladies.
I had my lumpectomy on September 1, 2013. Nothing major to report since then but now (2 1/2 weeks later) I have swollen veins in my nipple and next to the nipple.
A message left for my surgeon was answered by: "It will go away".
Has anyone else had swollen veins in their breast after lumpectomy?
Did you take any medication for it? Any natural cure (like cabbage leaves)?
How long before it will pass?
I feel rather discouraged that after 2 1/2 weeks I am beginning to have complications and worry that it will affect my ability to start Radiation in a timely way.
Any ideas?
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Hi, Bounce. Sorry to hear you're having complications (and the worry that accompanies it! I don't think any of us will ever truly be free of the worry). I'm sorry I don't have any advice about what to do, but are you wearing a bra with good support? I wonder if that might help. I had my lumpectomies a little over a week ago and realized sometime this week that, yeah, that was major surgery. I had sort of been thinking that, since I didn't choose to have mastectomies, I had a "lesser" surgery. While that is definitely the case in terms of scarring and reconstruction, I still had to remind my brain that my lumpectomies were also invasive and painful, and that I need to take it easy! Today I'm very sore on the right side (I had both breasts done) and am still wearing either a light cotton "exercise" bra or the velcro surgical bra they put on me in the hospital. But I'm starting to wonder if I should wear something with a lot more support to hold things up; I think the reduction in swelling and the natural tendency of my breast to start to hang down might be what's causing some of the pain, aside from the incision. I hope you start to feel better and that the swollen veins recede. It's so frustrating to be "two steps forward, one step back!" Hang in there! ((Gentle hugs))
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Hi,
Bounce I am sorry to hear you are having complications. I am a month out from haveing my lumpetomy and then had internal rads 3 weeks after it so a week out from rads. I didnt have any veins but I did swell ALOT - my one breast was turning into Dolly Parton and the other was getting jealous!! What I noticed is the pores in my breast got huge and that really concerned me but that is slowly going away. Our poor breasts have been through a whole lot.
I also think I overdid things a bit after surgery and still try not to. I went back to work 10 days after surgery would have been back a week as my boss was chomping at the bit but ended up with a virus.
I ended up in the hosp after internal rads and the doctor just kept saying" you need rest. you been through too much" I thought he was sweet and wanted to cry.
Bounce when do you go back for a recheck? Maybe have the doctor look at you then, or if you see your GP ask her/him. Sometimes a professional opion helps SOOOO much when it comes to peace of mind.
Best of luck!!
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Summergal - thanks so much for the reply. You are correct that good support is very important. I was told to wear a bra night and day for the first 2 weeks and only after my post op check up with the surgeon did she say I can now sleep without the bra. It was actually only then that I noticed that when I remove the bra I have veins popping out and they are the cause of extreme sensitivity - though not pain.
Up until at least 2 weeks after surgery I could not be without a bra at all - as gravity did its job my breast would feel like something was tearing and it felt horrible. Shower time was spent with me holding my breast so it wouldn't hurt or feel bad. Not easy to shower with my good hand holding a breast and the other sore arm tring to do all the other work!
I can't imagine how you are managing after having both sides operated on and manage to sound so upbeat.
I was told that if I had pain I should not hesitate to take over the counter pain medication (not Aspirin) so that I could continue to do the physiotherapy exercises to regain complete range of movement.
ndgrrl - We have an almost identical Dx. - I am due to see an oncologist on Wednesday to decide my treatment after surgery. It seems it will be rads followed by Tamoxifen but I will only know for sure on Wednesday. I want to have the Oncotype Dx test though and hope it won't delay rads. It must actually be a relief to do rads soon after the lumpectomy but it does sound hard on the body!
I found I was healing nicely and feeling great but then after 10 days I too went back to work and started cooking and doing shopping and laundry etc. and then I kind of got miserable even though I felt physically ok. I figured I was doing too much so tried to be a bit kinder to myself.
You are so right about a professional opinion bringing peace of mind.
Wishing you all speedy healing.
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Bounce,
Good luck on Wednesday. It does take a couple weeks to get the Oncho Test results back, well does here anyway as they all go to a lab in CA.
It was odd when I had surgery my BS told me I could wear a bra if I wanted but many women didnt. I was so bruised from him digging in my arm pitt trying to find those nodes that at the time I couldnt have put one on at all. So I went home with no bra and I really needed something. I had a two hour ride home and held a pillow on my breast the whole time- I went home and put on the spandex tube top that the breast center gave me after my biopsy and wore it night and day and only took it off to shower or wash it. I just recently started to wear a sports bra which I still sleep in. I am rather large chested and need the support.
I had the contura balloon put in on Sept 6( not quiet 3 weeks out from surgery) so that reopened up the wound that was healing so it makes things kind of a set back on the breast healing part. I woke up after having that inserted in this giant bra which I had no idea how they managed to get on me. I managed to shrink it in the first wash so it was back to my spandex tube top again.
I just feel better when the girl is supported and know the feeling of trying to support it with one hand while trying to wash with the other in the shower.
I was aslo told to take advil, it did help some but when I ended up in the hospital after rads I was given an IV med for antiflamatory( I think the local doc felt sorry for me) it helped a whole lot on the swelling!!
I can not imagine having two done at one time Summer girl!! You are strong!
Take it easy girls you have been through a whole lot.
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Hi Bounce, I had my lumpectomy with reduction 8/1. I have fair sensitive skin and you can see some of my veins on my chest and breasts. I noticed after surgery everything was sooo swollen and bruised my veins showed more. Not swollen but much more noticeable. I also figured my breast tissue was rearranged maybe that has something to do with it. My ps said to wear a sports bra or the surgical bra she put me in 24 hours a day for at least 4 weeks. Those first several weeks it felt worse when I took it off to shower. Now I'm 7 weeks post op and Im still wearing sports bras. The support feels better for me. I start rads Monday. So waiting for the oncotype a few weeks should be ok. My bs said you can safely wait up to 6 months before rads. If the vein is bothersome I would def call the bs again and explain your worried and want it checked.
This might sound wimpy but today has been the first day since surgery(7 weeks ago!)I really felt good. Incisions healing well, swelling down, tenderness better. Driving is easier now. I took my boys bowling since we haven't done much since surgery. And I feel horrible we haven't. It was nice to get out and watch them smile and have fun.
I think we all recover at our own pace. We need to listen to our bodies and rest when it's tired. So now that I'm feeling better rads starts Monday. Lol0 -
So proud you stopped smoking! I was digonesed a Aug.7 I also was a smoker not any more. I hope you are doing good. I go back to the dr tomorrow I had surgery 2 weeks ago 😃
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Hi,
I have a question for you. Have any of you noticed that since having the lumpectomy, your breasts seem to be noticeably different in appearance? My lumpectomy was earlier this month and the redness and swelling have gone down. The "good" side now seems larger than the "bad" side.
If your experience is similar, how have you dealt with one side being larger than the other?
Thanks for any input you can provide.0 -
I've had the size difference most of my life, except that my pre-BC side was a cup larger than the other. Now that I've finished nipple reconstruction, they are more equal, but the BC side still larger.
I've always made sure my bra fit the larger breast, so the smaller sloshed around a fit.
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Hi, everyone. I'm a week and a half out from my lumpectomies and SNDs. I have a couple of questions.
1. Did you receive any instructions or a prescription for physical therapy post-surgery to regain range of motion in your arms?
2. How long does the soreness last?
3. Are you prescribed for mammograms or MRIs or both? Are you supposed to go back for your next screening (mammogram) in six months or one year? My BS said I'll have mammograms once a year, and no MRIs (he said there are too many false positives, but I'm concerned because the MRI was what turned up the cancer in my right breast after the biopsy confirmed cancer in my left).
4. Did anyone feel kind of depressed after surgery, like wondering if you've made the right decision? I go back and forth on this. I got such good results at my path appt last Friday, but I couldn't really celebrate b/c there's still a lingering feeling of "what if." What if it comes back? What if there's more cancer in my breasts that they haven't found yet (and won't find for another year because of the mammogram mentioned above)? Did I do the right thing for my family (we have a little boy)? The surgeons told me I was a good candidate for lumpectomies; an MO said, "why do more surgery for less cancer?;" and my husband believes strongly that a BMX would have been too psychologically jarring for me. I felt relieved when I knew I could have the LX, but there still lingers a feeling that I hope I didn't make the wrong choice. Anyone else?
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Just want to add - what's probably driving my feeling of insecurity around the lumpectomy choice is the old "waiting for the other shoe to fall" scenario. In other words, getting cancer out of the blue makes me feel like I'll get it again. Having chosen BLX and the accompanying radiation therapy worries me because I "expect" to have a recurrence and if that happens I feel like I'd just say, "I'm done wondering - do the BMX." But in reading some posts recently I've become scared that a successful BMX with reconstruction wouldn't be an option, because of damage from the rads...I know I should just take it one day at a time, be grateful for a good path report that enables me to proceed with the rest of my treatment, trust that rads will get any remaining cancerous cells, etc. But it's hard not to project. Especially when I don't know what they mean by survival rates.
Also meant to add to my list of questions: Did your surgeon automatically order the oncotype? Mine said I have to wait to meet with the MO, who should be reviewing the path report to see if they even think I need the oncotype. And if the MO thinks I should have it, then they'll order it...but that won't be until 10/22...and it takes three weeks or so to come back? I guess I was expecting to start rads in early Nov. I was heartened to read that someone said rads can be delayed up to six months after surgery.
Thanks so much.
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Summergal
I had my surgery done in Oct 2011. Don't remember how long the sharper pains took to subside. I still get an ocassional one.
Yes, I too had emotional times. I would be sitting at the computer and all of a sudden the tears would just flow, no particular reason that I knew of.
I continue to see both my MO and RO every 6 months. Also have a diagnositic mammogram just before those appointments. So far NED. I also had interior Brachytherapy radiation. (2 times a day treatments for 5 days).
I did not receive any PT after the surgery. BS removed 5 nodes, all were clear.
Adapting to the new normal does get easier with time. However, once a person receive the diagnosis of Cancer (regardless of type), you never forget it.... Good luck with your upcoming treatments, whatever they are.
Vickie
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Hi Summergirl you sound so much like me in your thinking and what the doctors did and didnt tell you. I had a lumpectomy on Aug 19th, and then internal rads from Sept 9 to Sept 13th. So sore from that where the balloon cathertor was inserted.
I was not told to have physical therapy either and just e-mailed the nurse coordinator who has been in charge of arranging everythign for me if I should have asked one of my doctors for that.
I am one month out and my arm where the lymph nodes were removed still feel sore but getting better. I did quite a bit yesterday though and the swelling numbness came back so I guess it all takes time.
I have noticed some shooting pains in my breast but I read on here that it is the nerves trying to heal so that even though it hurts is a good sign.
My surgeon also did not order the Oncho DX test I had to wait until after surgery and when I saw my MO to have that ordered and it took two weeks to get the results- like you I HATE waiting.
I talked to my MO last Thur and asked him if I was to have Mammos or MRI's or both- he said I could have a mammo on my affected breast 6 months after rads was finished and on my other breast a year from my last mammo. He said I could wait and do both at the same time if I wanted. But waiting is not something I want to do!! He also said because of all the false negatives he doesnt want me to have MRI's. HMMM
I also have been a bit down since surgery. Its like there are so many questions out there that didn't get answers for and I like you am worried. Worried I did the right thing.
I was doing the Happy Dance about my Onch dx test score and it was rained on by a friend who told me her ON would have treated her with that same score which is 18. So she is telling people I am trying to "kill" myself by not having chemo. My MO didnt even recommend it, saying the chemo risks outweigh the benefits. So I wish she had kept her mouth shut as the really makes me 2nd guess myself and all my decisions.
I wish you luck if you have any other questions feel free to PM me if you would like.
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