Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
-
Hi everyone! Is anyone else relieved to have made it past the holidays? We kept it simple here and I tried not to do too much, but found myself exhausted and very sore yesterday. I had a second surgery just last Friday to get clearer margins on a new spot that was found during my lumpectomy. Sometimes I find it hard to accept limitations.....a lumpectomy should be so simple, right?? As someone posted not long along, I was also surprised by all that was involved in the LX and SNB. It has definitely been much more difficult than I anticipated.
I chose a lumpectomy because I am not ready to lose my breast and it seemed to be just as safe as having a MX. Now that they found a second spot (get the second pathology report today hopefully) and because my cancer is considered luminal B, which is more aggressive and fast growing than luminal A and also tends to be multi-focal, I am wondering if a MX is the way to go. If the surgeon found the second spot by feel while she was in there, what else is there that wasn't caught on the mammogram? Next week I see my Oncologist and am going to ask for an MRI and genetic testing. Is anyone else considering a mastectomy after getting the results from their lumpectomy? Obviously my life is the most important thing, but I am terrified. Every time I think about losing my breast I freak out.
0 -
I went with lx for dcis originally found, but when they found additional tumors after that surgery I went with bmx. No decision in my mind- tho possibly could have done 1 mx and 1 lx again, (right/left)...I just wanted them off.
0 -
Rubiayat - ugh
(( so sorry that you are in suspense and indecision...oh our choices. We are in your pocket {{{squeeze}}}Write down all your questions concerns. My presurgery MRI showed 2 spots in one quadrant and a 3 spot in another quad. BS removed the 2 and post survery MRI read and tumor board did not flag the 3 spot so...RO & I discussed and moved on to rads. Just had my 6 mo post rad mammo all clear, but will return in 6 mo for MRI to ensure rads got that 3 spot. I did have a lengthy conversation with RO&BS on issue of 3 spot and another lx or bmx, but we determined this path...yeah it sucks...we make the best most informed decisions that we can with the data we have...push for the additional testing especially to have clear knowledge if what you are facing.
Sending calm confident clear thoughts and prayers.
0 -
Hi Ladies,
This is my first post in this forum. I have been a member for over a week but read many posts before that which helped me tremendously. Thank you all, my dear friends, on this topic/forum and more generally on the forum. I had my lumpectomy and SNB yesterday. I am doing reasonably ok with some tightness and pain at times. Can't lift my right arm up straight but keep trying. MY SN was negative and I believe the surgeon did not take out any additional nodes (this is what he had told me before). I was diagnosed with IDC and DCIS on 12/11 (nodule about 7 mm and microcalcification and suspicious tissue nearby, making it likely Stage II). IS this normal not to take out any additional nodes for biopsy if SN is negative? Thank you for your replies. Love,
milky
0 -
Hi Milky......I just had my lumpectomy and SNB on Dec 16th. My only sentinel node was also negative. As a former OR nurse and now bc patient my response would be that there was no reason for the surgeon to extend the dissection to the axillary nodes . The sentinel node is like the gatekeeper, the first node to receive lymph drainage from the breast and if the cancer hadn't traveled to the sn, the axillary nodes were ok. As you have probably read in other threads, removal of the axillary nodes engenders a whole other set of problems.
My only question? Did you have more than one sentinel node? If you had more than one sentinel node I believe the standard of care is to remove All sentinel nodes...ask your BS.
0 -
Hi Rabbitvelvet,
Thanks so much for answering my query clearly. Great to know that your only sentinel node was also negative. I forgot to ask how many sentinel nodes there were when I called the office today. My husband doesn't recall the surgeon saying sentinel nodes. I will ask on Monday. Yes, my surgeon said exactly what you mentioned that if the SNB was negative, he would not do axillary nodes due to the danger of other problems in that arm (I am right handed and it is my right breast and arm that went under the knife). Glad to hear you confirm the same. Sending you lots of good luck and best wishes as you begin the rest of your treatment.
0 -
I had none taken during lx, but had 8 during my bmx. Done thru the same incisions, so no separate cuts under my arms. All 8 were negative, and there was no need to take more. It was 2 on left and 6 on right- I think a few came along with the ones he was trying to take, tangled with them (?) so thats why there were so many more on right. I guess that is still a low number tho, so I was very happy. I became super afraid of lymphedema before the surgery and was for many weeks after, til I felt like I was a low candidate. I understand it can happen at any time, so am cautious. My pt said not to worry much, but get le sleeves before I fly anywhere.
I was glad to know that the nodes are checked during the surgery, so when mine were found to be negative they continued on with the bmx, te placement and stitch up.
0 -
Hi Aviva5675,
Thank you for your reply. So glad that none of the nodes tested positive for you. You have gone through a lot of surgeries in a short time. Hope you have healed well and feeling a lot better now. Lots of good luck and best wishes.
0 -
Hi Ladies! I have been reading thru a lot of posts. I have an appt. with BS on Thurs to discuss surgery options. The one thing I don't see talked about is the actual incision. I know everyone is probably different and each of you have been cut in different places right? I know mine is located somewhere between 1 and 3 o'clock but I don't know how close it is to my chest wall or areola. I guess I am feeling overly anxious and wish this was all over and behind me. Any thoughts?
0 -
MereMere - welcome to the Lumpies
but sorry you must join our elite lounge. Breathe, waiting is the hardest ugh:( answers will come slowly, but soon you will have a game plan. Take an appointment buddy to all your visits to record answers to your question and all said ...our minds just go on overload.
Incisions ask your BS...my tumors were at 11oclock so my incision is across the top of my breast about 3" and the SND is along the curve of a bra under arm about 3". They healed quickly. Ask your BS about care and when to massage vit e to reduce scar tissue buildup. I used emu oil during rads and mederma to fade the scars. Not noticeable...a small dimple on breast, but the girl looks good. We are all different so ask...I had BS draw on me so I would know where...
We will be in your pockets{{{squeeze}}}. Once you have surgery you will feel the cloud of tension and unknown that surrounds your head gone. You will be surprise how great you feel after...you will be fine brave warrior!
(((Hugs)))
Cindy
0 -
meremere,
My tumor was at 1:00 close to my right breast nipple. The incision is about 3 inches long and is close to my edge of areola. My sentinel node biopsy was also in the bra edge of my underarm.
I agree with RMlulu - the worst part is the dread, the terrible anticipation. Just ask lots of questions...and visit this thread often. These ladies are invaluable resources.
0 -
Hi ladies,
I'm scheduled for lumpectomy and SNB Jan 16. This is my 2nd time around. I had lump and SNB Jan 2010 for IDC and ALND 2 wks later, followed by chemo and radiation.
This time it's DCIS, with microinvasion on the other (right) side so it will be lump and radiation. I have all my information from 2010 as well as sports bra, comfy outfits, and anxiety. Ironically, the surgical site will be a 12:00, same as my last one, so I'll have a matched set.
Instead of general anesthesia, I'll have a block and something to make me sleepy. Has anyone had that? My surgeon said that it's better for the patient and recovery. The other difference is that I'll have the dye injections the afternoon before. Last time, my wire loc was not fun, I'm hoping it goes better this time.
Best wishes to all in 2014! Gina
0 -
hi gina
bummer on the re-run on the other breast. I really hated the needle loc too- you would not think such a thin tiny wire would cause such drama. What kind of block are they going to give you did they say? I would also expect you to get some local anesthesia (xylocaine like the dentist) along with the sedation. If they are not rumaging around in your lymph nodes it should work just fine.
0 -
Just want to say hello to everyone! Found the Lumpectomy Lounge yay! I am new and referred to this thread by RMlulu (thanks, Cindy). I was diagnosed on 12/17 with IDC right breast and am having a lumpectomy and SLND on 1/14. Yes the waiting is the absolute worse! I live alone with my two cats and have no family nearby. My friends are either at my office or working other places and unable to come with me, so facing this alone but hopefully will not be too painful. A friend will pick me up after at the hospital and take me home. I need to get back to work as soon as I can. The emotions are all over the place. Just want to know what I have to face so I can deal with it. I am very grateful to have found this community. Best to you all!
0 -
Welcome Joan-
sorry you are joining the club but we welcome new members with open arms!!
Your emotions and feelings are totally normal right now and playing the waiting game is something we can all sympathize with. The emotional swings seem to improve a bit once the actual surgery is done and you start to get with the business of healing and taking care of your cancer.
I think you will be fine on the day of your surgery as long as you have a ride home- that is most important that you don't drive after anesthesia regardless of the type of surgery and you won't have the range of motion you need anyway. Is there someone who can check in on you for that first 24 hours to make sure you don't need anything?
Stock up on liquids and make a few meals ahead and do the laundry so you can just relax at home after surgery and take care of you. I think you can do it by yourself and you don't have to act "up" when you need a nap or a cry so people don't worry.
Lots of people go back to work fairly quickly- my surgeon had me off for 2 weeks but depending on how physical your job is I bet you can negotiate something reasonable. Just make sure you give yourself time to rest/heal and just process all this new stuff.
hope this helps
0 -
joanT, I agree with above post. You certainly need someone to take you home, and if possible stay the night with you. I got out of surgery quite late (they were considering keeping over night because it was after 6.00pm and I lived 2.5 hours away from the hospital) but they let me go. My husband left the next morning for work and I was fine. You might want to consider asking a friend to stay over the first night, or see if they would put you up for the night. I know it seems like a burden, but you might feel less concerned just having someone else in the house. If nothing else arrange for some friends to call you in the evening and early the next morning. I felt well enough to go back to work four days later, but I teach school so no heavy lifting, and had many helpful students to retrieve things I couldn't reach.
My second surgery (greater margins needed for area of DCIS) I felt well enough to make my own dinner that night. For both my pain was minimal. As everyone has stated this is the worst time. Getting past the surgery makes all the difference in the world. Your timing is very similar to mine from last year, so I know how tough it is when every one is looking forward to the holidays and you're filled with a sense of dread. Everyone here was extremely helpful. Best of luck to you.
0 -
Hi Joan!
I had my lumpectomy in October. They did my Sentinal nodes biopsy at the same time. They were able to get clean margins but I did have one lymph node out of two that showed cancer. The lymph node did not show up on the pet scan. I went home after the surgery, took the next day off and then went to work the following day. So was off two days altogether, one for the surgery and the day after to recover.
It really wasn't that bad. I work as a CNA in a group home for at risk youth and adults. Had no trouble handling my work load.
0 -
Joan maybe see if you can have a visiting nurse come the first few days to help you out and make sure youre doing ok. Have everything counter height, take pills out of bottles before surgery in case its hard to open pill bottles, for the pain pills. Have water by your bedside in a covered cup with a straw or commuter cup so you dont have to get up to take pills in night if you need them. The covered part- because of the cats!! I know the dread of getting up in the morning to find the cup left out with some water all over the place!!
0 -
Monday is the day.....
birad 5 in November...SNB and biop/lump Monday am....the lack of communication here is a big issue, it's so difficult to get information instead of a pat on the head. OK is so backward compared to CA sigh....and a possible 2 week wait for bio results....don't know if I can stand it....
0 -
Hello everyone, adding myself to the lumpectomy lounge. I've yet to meet with my surgeon (that will happen Monday, finally!) but I've spoken with a medical oncologist and am pretty sure that I'm going to be going with a lumpectomy, unless the surgeon sees something else that causes concern.
The part I'm struggling with most right now is timeline for leave from work. I'm in California and am fortunate enough that I can get short term disability and leave from my job. What I'm finding hard to work out is when I will need time off and for how long. I know if I get the lumpectomy that I will need 6 weeks of radiation, for those of you that have already been through this how soon after the surgery did your radiation treatment start? Also, how long did you need off work after your surgery? I'm trying to decide if it's better to just use the few days sick leave I have for the surgery and try and go back to work, then start my FMLA and disability leave, or if the timing will be such that I can just go on leave from surgery right through radiation.
Of course, it's possible that I will also need chemo, depending on Oncotype results, and this will add another 18 weeks to the mix before radiation (according to my oncologist). I know there is a lot worse things I could be stressing about than how to sort out my disability/sick leave and finances, but my thoughts keep focusing on that right now.
Tarot - best of luck for Monday.
0 -
Hi everyone. Sorry but gotta be a bit selfish here cuz I need advice.
Went to my RO appt on new years eve. Distressing news. Even with 6mm clear margins and 0 of 7 nodes it turns out I haven't gone thru menopause yet. Still got a ton of pesky hormones floating around. So now the new plan (according to them) is chemo, then rads, then Tamoxifen for 5-10.
I've been fearful of chemo, not so much with rads - but still, and the idea of taking hormone killers for 5-10 sounds like a prison sentence. I didn't do nothin! I swear.
Anyway, haven't been online since then cuz I just don't know what to say or how I feel about this. First Appt with my MO on Tuesday and I don't know what to ask or what to expect.
Anyone else have this happen? What did you do? Thanks for listening. (((hugs)))
0 -
Kiwilady, I had my surgery on a Thursday and was back to work after 7 working days. Since then I have seen several people and had a bunch of appointments but it has been a month since I returned and it seems it will be another 2-3 weeks before treatment starts.
Not everybody is the same tho, and people react differently and have different problems. This is just experience.
Hope all goes well for you. (hug)
0 -
RedReading. You should ask your MO about sending out for an oncotype. Not sure how much you know about it, but if you are er+ and her- and don't have more than 3 positive nodes, then I think it is standard of care in Ontario to get the test done. It will come back with a score that indicates the benefit of chemo. Takes a couple of weeks. Good luck. Ridley
0 -
Red -- Don't feel selfish at all -- this is what we are all here for, to be in your pockets with advice and virtual hugs!!! I had a similar experience with the chemo added (see my Dx and info below). After surgery, expected to do just do rads, but the Mammaprint test (which my MO recommends in lieu of Oncotype) indicated that with chemo and hormone therapy I could decrease the chance of recurrence from 30% to less than 5% (and I AM postmenopause). So it seemed worth doing. I have to say that the news threw me into a tail spin for a bit, but I found my way to the October chemo thread (there is probably another one that has started to fit your time frame) as well as the Cytoxan/Taxotere thread (which was my regimen), and -- like this thread did for my surgery -- the angels there got me through chemo. Glad you found your way back to us. Breathe, make your list of questions, be proactive with your research, and you will get through this. (((((Hugs)))))
0 -
Thanks RedReading, sorry for your bad news about the chemo. My MO told me that I would have the oncotype test to make sure chemo was worthwhile, it does sound like you should ask for this too? I do agree about the Tamoxifen, I've been told 10 years of it and I'm dreading being on this so long. ((hugs))
0 -
kiwilady, Everbody will have their own experence,here is mine. I ended up taking 3 weeks off from work. Sn site was the issue. I'm left handed and work with my hands. Lx was on left. On the radiation issue, I flew through with no problems at all.I had appointment first thing in am and went to work right after. A little tired after but able to make it work. Others have different stories. You may have to wait and see how you feel. Wishing the best for you.
RedReading, I didn't do chemo,but I'm taking anastrazole 8 months into it. So far not too bad.
0 -
I just want to put in a good word for a thread. It may be a little more than anyone needs for a LX but it will certainly cover all the bases. From one who is approaching 2 years out I wish I had had this list b4 my surgery but unfortunately I only found BCO during my recovery.
Shopping/packing/to do list for surgery + recovery
0 -
Happy New Year Lumpies!
RedReading - sorry your MO appt was so distressing...concur with Ridley request a Oncotype test to better determine chemo. Are you a grade 3 and premenopausal? Seems those of us the change' Lumpies sometimes skate by chemo land, but we are all unique in our tx plan...ask have tMO do the cancer math outcome stats and discuss...also read the 2013 dec chemo threads...not a walk in the park, but doable...hey TeamKim! You just finished chemo land speak up! We will be in your pocket {{{squeeze}}}
Kiwi lady - the wait the balancing dance...work:(( Again, everyone responds differently to each tx protocol. Lx&snd went well could have gone back to work no problem, many work thru chemo, and most work thru rads. What does your team think! Is BC center near work? CA how far do you commute? Timing is everything...for chemo later in week, for rads early morning, lunch time, or end of day. Now breathe, and just stay focus on today. Don't get to far ahead just have your list of questions for Monday and take an appt buddy to ensure the answers are recorded our brains go...hummmm...overload. Be sure and ask how and when you will receive margin&node results after surgery
fingers&toes crossed. (((Tarot))) - soak in family and friends over the weekend. Yes, we want answers and the full plan with 100% guaranty now! Ugh BC just doesn't
but it does come with a great support group of others...we hear you we understand. Your BS should have margin&node results within 3-5 days of procedure, final path at 1 week check up, oncotype score about 2 weeks after that...so each week you will get more puzzle pieces to make sense of...so celebrate what you do know. You have a good team, you will get that c out Mon, you will feel immediate relief just doing that, you will know margin&nodes by Friday, and you will get steri strips and path the following Monday, and you know that we will be in your pocket for it all. Pocket Party:) promise the haze will lift soon. Joan - hi:))) wyo&kkuziel gave great advice...ask! It's good to have someone stay over or check on you. See if your BS will email RX for pain meds so your ride may pickup before they take you home. You may only need the first 24-36 hours but you don't need to drive so preplan meds...yoga pants, hoddie, flip flops,front zip 2X larger front zip sports bra, warrior pedicure, lip gloss. We will try not to leave too many crumbs and empty Chinese food containers and beverage glasses (we are ladies) in your pocket, but the music will be LOUD:D
TGIF
(((Hugs)))
Cindy
0 -
awwww thanks ya'll, you make me smile! I do have a ride home. I would never think of trying to drive myself. I can have people call and check on me but I will not be able to have anyone stay over. That prep list is great. Will get to work on that. There is a pharmacy at the hospital and hopefully I can get pain meds there before I leave. I will let you all know how it goes. Prayers and Hugs to you all!
0 -
Hi everyone,
Joan T Just a couple of suggestions...I slept on my back for the first couple of weeks post lumpectomy and since I also own (or do they own me?) 2 cats, I placed a pillow over my operative breast so I wouldn't have a painful surprise at 3 am. Also I wasn't hungry for days after surgery so I lived on soup/crackers....If you don't have an electric can opener buy soup in pull top cans. Lastly I had a soft pillow & lap blanket combo that I used both sitting up and lying down for tactile comfort.
Tarot I agree with the other ladies....I was told 5 days for my permanent test results but they came in two days.... The emotional dread and fear is very draining, once you know exactly what you're dealing with - then you can make a plan for kicking cancer's butt!!
kiwi lady I'm retired so I didn't have work/leave worries to contend with however my sense is that 'nothing' happens fast in the breast cancer world! I had my lumpectomy over 3 weeks ago and I won't see the oncologists until next week. I'd be inclined to concur that you may want to spend your leave over the chemo portion and use your regular sick time for the actual surgery.
redreading you came to the right site for help and I hope we can extend the hand of friendship to you as you extend your caring to those who follow your site.
0
