Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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hi Nancy. Please please please tell me who your dr is. I am desperate for a new Onc/MO.
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Fran - I answered you in the private message - I really hope you find a MO that is perfect for you..
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Hi, all. I met with my RO yesterday, and I really like her (yay!) as does DH (double yay!). Funny enough, I don't remember exactly the number of rads I'll be getting or the split between whole breast versus boosts. It will be six weeks though. I'll be getting my sim done August 15th, then start the week after. This will give me time to heal following chemo, and since I've started intensive LE therapy, I should also be out of bandages by then. In fact, she felt there would be no problem waiting, so I wouldn't have to deal with both of these at the same time.
I have a question for my fellow LE ladies. How significantly were you told to decrease your sodium levels? I guess, really two questions. How do you deal with this long-term restriction? I was told to not exceed 1000 mg daily which, the way I see it, pretty much means no eating out (restaurant or friends' homes) ever again.
Thanks as always. I do read and think of all of you often, but keeping up with these damned bandages along with trying to work and cook seems to take all of my time.
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Hi KD! Yes, take the Xanax. That's what its there for!
If it helps at all, I'm Stage III and went with the lumpectomy and re-excision, and glad I did. My first surgeon wanted to remove the breast after they didn't get good margins, my current surgeon said there was no need since they only had to remove a small amount of tissue. If I could have avoided radiation my decision may have been different, I don't know, but I need radiation anyway. Like Peggy said - you can always remove the breast later if there's some kind of complication. But go with your gut. My mantra during this process is that I want no regrets - that includes doctor choices, treatments, medications, you name it. I don't want to look back 6 months or 10 years from now wishing I did something differently. And FWIW I am pretty small breasted, after two surgeries it doesn't look that bad at all.
And so many theater people here, my teenage son has been in over 30 local productions (children's theater, community theater, school plays) since he was six, I have no idea where he got the bug, but he went to theater summer camp when he was little and that was it. I am driving to rehearsals ALL THE TIME! This weekend is opening night of Titanic The Musical, such good music but it's not the most uplifting show.
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FighterGirl, where are you located? It doesn't show on your post.
For my part, I would not re-visit any decisions I made for BC. I made the best decision with the best information at the time. That's all any of us can do.HUGS!
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Thank you Nancy
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That's right Peggy - no revisiting decisions, and no regrets!
I'm located near Portland, Maine. 0 -
Hi everyone, sorry for being behind but I can't catch up. I just wanted to address KD, welcome and glad you are exploring your options. I am one who had lumpectomy only to have to go on to a mastectomy. I don't regret trying to minimize the amount of surgery and healing. It was worth trying because I know once your breast is gone there's no going back and it doesn't guarantee no recurrence. Anyway, I am now recovering from my second mastectomy since at first I only had one side done. With mastectomy you need to decide if you want to reconstruct. Then what kind of reconstruction. So if you are considering mastectomy I recommend you meet with a plastic surgeon first to discuss your options and help you decide what is best for you.
Some things to consider are recovery time, loss of sensation, additional surgeries and how you will feel about your breasts either way. Take your time, make sure you are happy either way and don't look back with regret. PM if you have any questions.
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Molly! Hope you are recovering well.
Elizabeth, so sorry about chemo being added to your treatment. Been there, and it stinks when you have to adjust your thinking from having "the easy cancer" to "the real, hard kind of cancer." Mine was because both surgeons I consulted estimated 10 - 15% chance of lymph node involvement, and it was a surprise to find cancer in the sentinel node. Chemo is not a picnic, but it's far less awful than I thought it would be. I hope you will find this to be the case too.
KD, it sounds like you are gathering all of your info to make the best educated decision. My lumpectomy needed to be followed up with a second surgery to get clear margins, though the recovery from both was relatively easy. It was just over a year ago, so too soon to point to lack of long term recurrence, though as you might find there is a lot of research to support that lumpectomy plus radiation is just as effective as mastectomy.
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Peachy, so far I am recovering pretty easily. My mom is going to pass away soon. I saw her yesterday and today. She's on the precipice of death. It's so hard to see even though she's been suffering for so long.
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Molly, so sorry to hear about your mom. Sending a warm ((hug)).
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Molly, prayers for your solace and a merciful transition for your mom.
We slept in and had leftover pizza and fried eggs, taking others' advice not to try visiting the hill towns till after 3. First we drove to San Gimignano--but ALL the parking lots and underground garage were full. (Illegal to drive into the city within the ancient walls). So we figured we'd head to Volterra, grab lunch and do a Rick Steves-recommended guided walking tour. We'd braced ourselves for lots of steep walking, because it too prohibits driving through the gates into town. Amazingly and dismayingly, there was not one single parking space there either! So we resigned ourselves to being satisfied with simply having a lovely scenic drive. (Next time, we will base ourselves in Tuscany for the entire trip). We stopped at Mulino d'Era for snack and water, then had antipasti back in our condo. (Salumi, cheese, white peaches, and multi-seed baguette). Then a nap. For a late dinner (which is normal in Italy in midsummer), we went back to Terricioli to an enoteca-restaurant called I Locandiere (the last stop on yesterday's walking tour). Whereas the previous two nights we went to family-friendly pizzeria-restaurants with toddlers running around table-hopping and playing while their parents justifiably drank liberal amounts of wine and limoncello, tonight was quieter. No pizza, no families--other than the one who owns and runs the place. Simple yet refined, hearty and utterly authentically Tuscan. Kids did the serving, "nonna" the cooking. Skipped appetizers and shared: sautéed spinach with fennel and pecorino Toscano; homemade tagliatelle with meat (beef, lamb, boar) ragu; rabbit (locally caught) cacciatore; and cantuccini (like mini almond biscotti) with vin santo for dipping. Drank a magnificent local Sangiovese (from a winery a km away) that cost 2/3 at table what it'd have cost us from a wine merchant back home.
Have a noon flight from Pisa back to Rome tomorrow, so going to finish packing, run the dishwasher and hit the hay.
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Molly, so very sorry about your mom. You're right, when it's a loved one, it is still so very hard to see the end, even when you don't want them to suffer any longer. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.
Sandy, you make us all so hungry!
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Molly, prayers for you , your family and your mom!
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So sorry Molly. It is never easy and even when you know time is short you are never really prepared. Peace to you and your mother.
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Molly, I'm sorry that your mother is on her final journey. I hope you're able to spend a lot of time with her, telling her how much you love her and that it is okay for her to go, that you will miss her terribly but you'll be fine. Sometimes they need permission to go. No matter the circumstances, it is difficult. My arms are wrapped around you. Hope your recovery is going smoothly. Far too much at one time.
HUGS!!!
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Sandy, you are such a foodie. I have no idea what half of those things are but I can tell that you are loving every single bit and sip! Smooth flying!!
HUGS!
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Molly, hugs & prayers
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Molly, I am so sad to hear about your mom. My thoughts are with you and my hopes that she will pass as peacefully as possible.
Sandy, your Tuscan dinner sounded wonderful! Sorry you didn't get to tour the ancient walled cities, but that's what next time is for!
Coincidence, maybe. A small bump on the right side of my neck (tumor side), which I've pointed out to every doctor and which has always been declared "nothing of concern", but which could easily have been a lymph node, has disappeared. It would not have been a sentinel node, that's for sure, and I can't say for certain exactly when it disappeared, but it was there in April. It had been there for a few years at least. I really wish I had been monitoring it more closely right before I started chemo.
Today I completed my insurance appeal for the "unauthorized" biopsy and attached all pertinent medical records. My husband will hand deliver them tomorrow. I feel like I can almost relax now that the insurance paperwork is taken care of. If they don't grant the appeal I will take it to the next appeal level, but for now I've done all I can. I am also having DH deliver the reimbursement form for the "cranial prosthetic" (i.e. wig).
Relaxing at last, in the 110 degree San Joaquin Valley (well, now it's only 100).
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Molly - I am new to the group, but totally understand how hard this all must be for you. I lost my mother last September (lung cancer) and my father almost 2 years before that (esophogeal cancer). At the end, it is hard to see them like that - but have faith she is out of pain and try thinking that she will be heading some place beautiful.
Moondust - what does your signature mean...finally getting the chemo you need? If you don't mind sharing? You can PM if you want - if the others already all know.
Why do some people have (FISH) after their ER, PR, and HER2 scores? I tried looking for the post with the acronym meaning -but didn't find...
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Oh, Molly, I am so sad to hear about your mother. There is no good day to lose a mom, even when you know it's coming. My heart goes out to you.
Elizabeth, I'm sorry you find yourself here, but if you *have* to have BC, at least you have this group of fine ladies to help you through it. My particular case went from a no-big-deal small BC, lumpectomy +rads, to holy-cow!-pull-out-all-the-stops! chemo & BMX when it was found that I have 2 serious gene mutations which caused my cancer. Thankfully, chemo wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Nothing like you see on TV or movies. I looked normal, except for losing my hair, which I covered with a smoking hot wig. Although I was fatigued and often things didn't taste good, I never threw up. I worked through-out the whole thing (admittedly, I work part-time and a lot of my work is done online. But still...) I did run fevers a few times which landed me in the ER. I had to hospitalized once because I got septic early on, but I recovered and went on with things. I guess the worst part for me was that I had to go through chemo from Oct-Dec, so I felt pretty bad all through Thanksgiving and Christmas. But my family pitched in and we still had nice holidays. Best of luck to you.
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Molly, thinking of you and sending lots of love.
Hi to new members. Welcome. Hang in there!
Motorcycles, Trips to Figi and Europe! Love to hear these things!!! I'm going to live vicariously through you all! 😀
Question: Did anyone else not have HER2 listed on path report?
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KD, when the receptor tests are performed, some will include the FSH test if there is any question regarding the Her2 results. In my case, my Her2 was deemed neutral 2+, so the FSH test was done to determine the status was negative. My surgeon explained that it is more specific, so if a result is in the gray range, it gives a definitive positive or negative status.
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Molly- healing mercies for you....am so sorry about your mom- please know that she, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs.
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I haven't started Radiation yet but the RO told me they only recommend cornstarch for helping with skin issues.
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Molly, My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. Best, MJS
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I have many more posts to go through that I have not read yet but I must respond to KDTheatre's post immediately. I was 49 when I was diagnosed and I was pre-menopausal. I had 2 primary breast cancers (pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive tubular carcinoma) plus bi-focal pleomorphic LCIS as well as numerous atypias (PASH, ALH, ALH with Ductal features, and FEA) in my left breast. 1 lump was at the 11:00 position and the other lump was at the 2:00 position. The 2:00 lump was 4cm and the 11:00 lump was a little bigger than 1cm. My BS and PS did a double lumpectomy with a breast reduction and a breast lift because they had to remove over 12 cm of breast tissue in my surgery. My breasts look AWESOME now. I had the double lx plus whole breast radiation and I am taking Arimidex/Anastrazole. I had my ovaries removed so that I could be medically induced into menopause so that I could take the AI's. I am fine. You will be fine too. That being said, BC is TERRIFYING! I was lucky because I was dx at stage 1 and I was grade 2. Thank God that I did not need to have chemotherapy. Good luck and hugs to you.
Dear Ottowan: I do not know what UDC is and I am not versed in radial scar bc. However, hopefully, your fibroadenoma will be benign. Most fibroadenomas are benign. Therefore, I cannot adequately answer your questions. Sorry. I wish you the best of luck. I know that you are very scared and I sympathize. I am sending you hugs and prayers. However, I would not worry about the amount of radiation that you will be getting. You will have to have numerous mammograms now for the rest of your life, unfortunately. If your doctor feels that you need to have the radiation implanted prior to your surgery then s/he probably knows what is the best treatment for you. If you are concerned then you should go for a second opinion. (I went to 3 MO's before I decided on my tx.) It sounds to me that this tx protocol will be less radiation than whole breast rads. Good luck.
Dear Amanda: I am glad that you were treated so quickly. I wish you the best of luck with the pain that you are feeling. Good luck and hugs.
Now, I must go back and read 3 days worth of posts. I may go to bed now though and read the posts tomorrow. It is late. Hello to everyone.
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Exhausted already and we haven't left for Rome yet. Bob got to stay up late, reading and finishing the wine. I got up at 6:30 after only 4 hrs sleep--made the coffee, prepared and wolfed down breakfast (tomatoes, basil, cheese), loaded the dishwasher, etc. while he got to sleep till nearly 8. And of course, I get to do the driving back to the Pisa airport. At least I'm making him schlep the bags to the car--after last summer, we know he no longer has hernias!
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Molly - Hang in there... Losing your mother is not easy. Hugs to you.
Poodles - Sorry to hear you had a hard time.. I have my fingers crossed.. My BFF and my Husband are so supportive... And my RO is a real Gem.
Peachy - Thank you for the words of encouragement.
Thank to all the Ladies here. It has been a godsend to be able to to talk to people who really know what is going on. I will see you guys in two weeks.
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Bon voyage, Elizabeth! Fiji... definitely a trip of a lifetime!
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