Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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During a core needle biopsy, I had a titanium clip implanted at the site of a small cancerous tumor, to show doctors the tumor's location during subsequent procedures. This week I'm having a lumpectomy, and the day before that surgery, they're implanting a radioactive seed to show the surgeon the location of the tumor.
I don't understand why the titanium marker and the radioactive seed are both needed, and I haven't gotten a clear answer to this question. Of course I'd rather not have a radioactive seed implanted if it's not necessary.
Does anyone understand why they're marking the tumor site twice?
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MStein, I don't get it either but I had the same thing. Of course, I had a lot of blood clots in my breast after my core biopsies - even after 7 weeks! So that may have been part of the problem. Just go with it. It's okay. I had wire locators rather than radioactive chips but the same idea.
Sue, I thought it was interesting too. No one had ever said that before in 2 years. I think that makes a huge difference. If you know you are at an elevated risk for LE, then you can keep an eye out for it. And geez, who would have thought these things might crop up years after surgery? Certainly not me. I am so in love with my MO. He is up on the latest studies and thinking on BC. And he shares that with me. I hadn't had that with my BS or MO in Michigan. But maybe I didn't ask the right questions either. Whatever, I'm keeping him!! And please do ask your MO. It's important!. Apparently the cut off is 3 or more; definitely 4 nodes.
HUGS!
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Okay ladies, cleaning out the margins of both my tumors tomorrow. Supposed to be less anesthesia so maybe I won't throw up this time!!! I'm going to try to stay awake and remember as much as I can but that never works! Then we are off to testing for estrogen levels ( no uterus but still have my ovaries) and planning the radiation attack. Medical oncologist wants to start hormone therapy before radiation. Just glad to be doing something!!!!! Wish me luck!!!
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ArtyMom, they gave me Dramamine before my surgery. No upset tummy at all. Ask for something! Have the staff give all the pertinent information to the person who accompanies you to your surgery. It's irresponsible to assume that someone coming out of anesthesia is going to remember anything let alone important stuff - no matter that you sound totally with it. Anyway, good luck tomorrow and hope you feel good afterwards!
HUGS!
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Peggy, good news that you have no swelling. It's also good to know (I guess) that 5 nodes could mean a little added risk. Guess it's good to be aware.
Saw my RO today and he confirmed that the raised itchy rash on my breast is from rads. And he said it would probably get worse :-( He said to just keep slathering it with the creams.
Hope all having surgeries soon have great results and few SEs. This lovely BC does just keep giving! I'm now 7 mo PFC and my hair is finally beginning to show up on my head. But now I'm finally losing my brows and eye lashes. Doesn't quite seem fair!
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Dara, I think it's good to know I have to be more aware than I had been about LE. However, reading here points up the risk everyday so it's always been in the back of my mind. That's crap that you are now losing your brows and eye lashes. It's just wrong! SEVEN months later? Damn. Hope they grow back quickly. Did you end your chemo before August (which is what shows as the start of it)? I got confused (easy to do). Doesn't matter, just grow the buggers!
HUGS!
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Wow! I'm offline for a couple days and I'm about 64 posts behind!
My mother is doing better. I brought her home from the hospital last night. After spending 8 days in bed, she is weak and wobbly. I'm insisting that she use a walker in the house and for the most part she is going along with it. One thing we talked about was the necessity of going to the hospital if/when this bleeding from the kidney starts up again. I think this hospitalization really scared her. She found out that she has only one functioning kidney now and it is very swollen and inflamed. Her urologist told her that it may not be able to keep up like having two kidneys would do. So there is the possibility of dialysis somewhere up the road. I was able to get her into the shower today, which did her a world of good--nothing like a good, hot shower! I took her out this afternoon to get her hair done and a manicure. After getting beautified, I took her to Waffle House for a waffle (she loves WaHo.) We were out about 3-1/2 hours and she was tired. She still has a catheter, which is no fun. When the leg bag gets full she gets some aching in her side, probably from urine backing up into the ureter (sorry, TMI.) So, she was relieved to get home. She is sitting in the recliner napping now.
I'm planning to stay her until Sat. My niece is going to bring Mother's dog back on Wed. She has an 85-lb Border Collie/Hound mix. Chloe isn't particularly active, but she is so big that she could easily tip mother over. I want Mother to be a little less off-balance before the dog comes back. Mother has 2 doctor appts on Fri, her PCP and her urologist. While she was in the hospital, her hospitalist told her that she probably shouldn't be driving anymore. That is a touchy topic for her and we kids cannot bring it up without getting our heads bit off. However, she did listen to the hospitalist. I called up the PCP today and talked with the nurse. I shared my concerns with her and what the hospitalist said.At the moment, Mother is not in any way up for driving, but I know she will want to drive as soon as possible. The nurse agreed to put a note on Mother's chart to have the PCP talk to her about the driving (and I begged her to NOT rat me out or Mother will never trust me again!) Cross your fingers that I don't get outted and that Mother will listen to her doctor.
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Peggy, oops... typo! I'm only 7 weeks pfc. I'm glad to know your info as I also had 5 nodes removed.
Poodles, so glad your mom is at least back home. Hope she is careful on all fronts!
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Poodles I was thinking really hard about you today and hoping you'd have time to post. I'm glad your mother is home. Rather unsettling diagnoses. I hope that your mother now realizes how serious the bleeding is and how awful it could get if she doesn't get immediate attention. While I have a small dog and a cat, I think they are more of fall issue than a big dog (for the most part). But each dog is different. That's a pretty huge dog to have. My rule of thumb is that I have to be able to lift any pet I have. The weigh threshold has decreased over the years.
You arranged such a special day for your mom. I hope she appreciates it. You're so thoughtful!
Now on the driving. Good luck. Driving is so much a part of our independence. I hope the PCP can convince her to stop. If she agrees, sell the car PDQ!!
HUGS!
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Dara, that makes more sense and a trifle more understandable that things would keep falling out after only 7 weeks. Who knew 5 nodes were considered an axillary dissection? Not me.
HUGS!
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Peggy, what Mo do you see? I have dr. gopaluni at cancer care... I had 4 nodes, and yesterday had some pain under my arm.. maybe just healing? I see her on Thursday.
My brother went in the hospital saturday for congestive heart failure... they've been trying to get the fluid off his lungs.. tomorrow they are going to move him to Royal Park for rehab.. it's a good move for him, 24/7 care and I can't take care of him myself, but this is the first time he hasn't come home from the hospital and I don't think he will be coming back home.. so taking it day by day and I'm only 4 zaps to go, finish friday.. I'll have to ask my MO about the lymphedema, no one told me about it after the surgery, my pcp nurse told me when she went to check my bp.. it's a good thing to know
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Peggy, glad you got in so quickly and got some answers! I'd keep that MO too.
Dara, hope the rash doesn't get too much worse. I used hydrocortisone cream for itching.
ArtyMom, in your pocket tomorrow. Let us know how it went.
MStein, I had clip at biopsy & they inserted wire right before surgery. I think the BS needs something other than clip to guide them to tumor. I agree with Peggy, wouldn't worry about it.
YAY Tunegrrl on good test results! In your pocket for your lx Thursday! I'm sure they'll let you take the Ativan or something like it before surgery. Can't help you with the lift question.
Linda, rads nothing like MRI. I kept my eyes closed and almost went to sleep during the treatments (my appt was early morning). I recommend exercise. I found that it made me feel "normal" and I got a lot of much needed positive energy from it
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Peggy, she absolutely gets it now. Up until this hospitalization Mother was kinda blasé about her health, even though she has Atrial fib, impaired kidney function, 3 TIAs, diabetes, vertigo, peripheral neuropathy, and sleep apnea! Several times she has put off going to the hospital because she decided she didn't need to go (she's an RN who thinks she knows everything, even though her practice was in L&D and she hasn't worked for 25yrs.) Well, this was a real wake-up call. She required 3 procedures in 3 days, 4 units of blood, and a transfer by ambulance to another hospital due to the continued hemorrhaging.
We had a heart-to-heart conversation about this. I asked her to promise me that from now on she will go to the hospital as soon as she sees blood in her urine. She could have bled to death.She now has accepted that refusing to go to the hospital only puts off treatment and may be a factor in some of the complications she has endured. I told her that going to the hospital early may even shorten her hospital stay in the future. Mother has agreed to go to the hospital when symptoms first show up, rather than trying to treat herself at home (as if you can treat kidney hemorrhage at home~)
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Judy, sorry about your brother, Hugs! Glad you're almost done with rads.
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Hi there! I was diagnosed in 11/11/16 and have a lumpectomy scheduled for 12/13/16, if all year results come in as expected.
I have a plastic surgery consult later this week and a radiation consult.
I feel totally lost in all of this, I'm a planner and one of those types of people who MUST know everything so I've been doing a lot of online research and that can be a little scary. Luckily I have another appointment with my oncologist tomorrow and a new list of questions and things I would like better explanations on.
I'm terrified of surgery and am just not even processing it yet....but I guess I will as my plastic surgeon consultation is in a few days.
Okay, that's enough of my rambling for my first ever post.
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Thanks Tbalding, It's hard to know what to do, but i can be there for him..and that helps
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Hi! I'll be having work done on both breasts after my right lumpectomy too. Not happy a out the scars either but better than lopsided boobs and one with a big dent in it.
Hope all goes well with you! Xoxo
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Hi TrinWillWin, Tatatootsie here. Your fears are normal when you are faced with a new dilemma, especially
breast cancer. You came to the right place to voice your concerns. I am 4 weeks post-op, bilateral mastectomy with
reconstruction (do not let this scare you because everyone is uniquely different). I am 62 years "young" and it is likely
that I will not need any chemo. Don't apologize for rambling....you are not rambling. This is the place where you need to
be. A diagnosis such as ours is a lot to process. Hopefully you have a good surgical as well as post-op team. Do you have
ductal or lobular carcinoma and is it "in situ" ? The internet does have some very reputable information so don't let is scare
you. Your age, type of cancer, the stage, oncotype is what your oncologist will take most into consideration. Rest assured,
we will be here for you and with you along the path to recovery; these ladies are all 'ANGELS" that have experienced
the exact same issues that you are about to embark and .....you will win ! I don't know everything and do not claim to but
breast cancer is no longer necessarilly a death sentence for women like it once was 20 to 30 years ago. I have an upcoming
appointment with my plastic surgeon this Thursday and on the same day will see my oncologist for the first time (finally) and hopefully
he will have the results of my genomic testing that was ordered (oncotype). I am hopeful for a great prognosis; I had ILC which
is "sneaky" and chose to have both breasts removed. Keep your posts coming for us; I am just getting back to feeling well enough
to get back to work and check the posts on this fantastic website. Big hugs to you
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You are right about not having "lop-sided" boobs. Plastic surgeons can do wonders for you.
You have a very positive attitude and that is 75% or more of the fight. You will do well
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Trinwillwin, welcome to our safe place! Always good to ask questions here and make sure you have a list to ask your doctor. I felt better once all my questions were answered. I also pushed to keep things moving as quick as possible. My doctors have been responsive so far. The waiting is the worst part
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Ann, so sorry about your brother. I'm just back to reading recent posts from all of you and
am doing as well as can be expected. I will keep your brother in my prayers. You take care
of yourself too ! LOADS OF HUGS.
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Judy, I go to Summit Cancer Center, Dr Cutter. I'm beyond pleased with him. I'll gladly follow him to the Valley! Glad you're almost done with your rads! Great news. And I'm so sorry about your brother. It has to be exceptionally difficult for you. I'm relieved that you won't have his care on your shoulders and know you'll be there for him. At least he is getting the care he needs.
Trish, I'm definitely keeping him!
Poodles, thank heavens your mother finally gets it! About time!
TrinWillWin, Welcome! We're glad you found us and sorry you had to. We're warm, welcoming, informative and just plain nice. Ramble away! We listen well! I recommend that you get Dr Susan Love's Breast Book (get the newest edition, from 2015). It will answer many of your questions and help you figure out what you need to ask and know! Do be careful about online research. BCO is one of the superlative sites with excellent information. There are tons of articles here so do a search or two.
Please fill out your profile and make it public so we will know your diagnosis, treatments etc. We have a hard time remembering everyone's details. You did well making your hometown public! You're not all that far from me! Ask your questions! We'll try to answer.
HUGS!
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Hi Tunegrrl, don't know about a lift. I must commend you though, on your strategy regarding
disclosure about your bc to your 7 YO; I am 62 yrs old and I must admit, I never
would have thought about having "kept all" of your hair as a cover-up. You sound like a very
determined person who will win....and you will. I will be thinking of you on 12/01 because I
will be seeing my oncologist for the first time that afternoon. I have had a good result so
far and hope to continue to basque in it. I could have had a lumpectomy with radiation, but my
MRI revealed 2 more lesions in the same breast that did not get picked up on the ultrasound and
so the right breast had to go; as you read my info, you'll see that I had lobular and not ductal.
You will be given a sedtive before your surgery so check with your surgeon as to what to take
before by mouth before your procedure; your surgeon will recommend what is best depending
on the type of anesthesia you will have. KUDOS !!!!!!!!!, that you do not have either of the
BRCA's. I am very happy for you; I am awaiting genomic testing and should have the results
this week. Will be thinking of you on 12/01. Big HUGS.
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Positive-I have the same dilemma! I too am being recruited for a new job with a company I would love to work for. I have been talking to them for a while (initially about a different job that they put a hold on...and now have another job they want me to consider). Like you, I'm stuck with wondering if I should share what's going on. I can def work...but with all of my oddball reactions, who knows if I could have something spring up. I'm almost halfway done with chemo, then radiation. Not sure it's wise to take on the stress of a new job, while going through all my treatment either.
Tunegrl- I'm fascinated by your treatment thus far, as I'm also Triple positive...but apparently did things different. You started hormone therapy right away? How did you keep your hair? was scheduled to get a breast lift during my lumpectomy, with my PS & BS participating...but then I found out if they did the lift, and did not get clear margins-then I would have to get a mastectomy, as the BS wouldn't know where anything was after the lift. So hours before my lx surgery (when I found all this out), I canceled the lift part of the procedure. Turns out I had clear margins after all, but I didn't want to risk it if not. The plan was to get a lift on the right and a reduction/lift on my left once radiation is complete, since it will shrink my already reduced right boob. However, I've been rethinking this. Other than a major battle scar, I didn't wind up with a major dent in my right like I thought...the boob is just smaller. So I may just leave the right side alone now! Things healed way better than they prepared me for (as I had 2 masses they removed, not close to each other).
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The reason they put a titanium (radio-opaque) clip in the biopsy site is to mark where the sample was taken, which (if the results were benign) remains in the breast and serves as a point of reference at future mammograms. But if the results are malignant, the location of the tumor itself needs to be marked regardless of whether there is to be lumpectomy or mastectomy, and the clip doesn’t necessarily “cover enough ground,” so to speak. Moreover, it gets removed along with the tumor. The state of the art used to be insertion of a radio-opaque wire (wire location) which follows the contour of the tumor but sticks out of the breast until surgery is performed—not practical or comfortable for the length of time it often takes between biopsy and surgery. It’s still the most common procedure because it doesn’t require the services of a nuclear medicine dept., which not all hospitals have. The radioactive seed implantation is newer, practically painless and more accurate. Why isn’t it implanted after biopsy instead of a clip? First of all, only major teaching hospitals have both breast radiologists capable of the procedure and nuclear med. depts. able to confirm placement. Second, it’s more expensive than a wire location. And third, the isotope in the seed has a very short half-life—just long enough to be implanted in the morning and located with a Geiger counter and removed with the tumor no more than a few hours later. Again, too short to be detected at surgery if implanted at biopsy; and if it had a longer half-life it would deliver too large a dose of radiation over the days-to-weeks between implantation at biopsy and removal during surgery and therefore pose safety risks.
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Tunegrrl, mine was a round block incision, not a lollipop, but was lift and reduction surgery, and I will also have symmetrising surgery six months after rads. The round block means the incision is round the areola, it does a neat job of hiding the scars. I don't have the stick of the lollipop, but I guess it's not going to show even if you wear something lower cut. I had a lot of bruising, swelling and seroma, my breasts matched in size for a long time. But now it's almost ten weeks out, and after a re excision to clear up the margins, the operated side is noticeably smaller. So I'm hiding away in big sweaters and scarves, thankfully it's a good time of year for it. Good luck with your surgery, hope all goes well for you.
Peggy, glad your symptoms aren't too concerning, but it's good that you know you need to take extra precautions against LE. You'd think someone might have mentioned it before now!
Poodles, hugs to you trying to deal with your mother's health issues when she lives so far away as well. My mother is 84 and has had a battery of tests this year to find out why she keeps collapsing suddenly and her blood results are all over the place. She got as far as a bone marrow biopsy but is now refusing any further tests. Losing her driver's licence would be a huge issue for her too.
Dara, glad the hair is coming back now. Maybe the brows and lashes will come back quickly if the hair follicles are already starting to recover.
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Trin, welcome! I can just echo what the others have said. This is the best place to be too help get you through the winding path that will be your treatment. I too am a planner & found it difficult with all the waiting and that my plan kept changing with each test. In the end it's been all doable and everyone here helped me along the way. I had to have 2 surgeries, lumpectomy and then a re-excision to get clean margins. Both surgeries were not as bad as I expected. Surgery was on Wednesday and went back to work following Monday. Was back to light exercises that same week. Rads wasn't as bad as I expected and neither is the hormone therapy (I take Tamoxifen). I'm still dealing with some fatigue but otherwise almost back to my old self. Keep asking all your questions and try to stay busy during all the waiting so your mind doesn't go to dark places. Sending positive vibes your way.
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Trinwillwin, welcome to the place where we can all ramble all we want, plus vent cry, share, and celebrate. Just take things one step at a time. All of this is doable, even treatments like chemo. Definitely not fun, but our goal is to do whatever it takes to rid our bodies of the cancer. We all feel stress and worry, especially with all the waiting that is involved. Just try to stay as busy as you can, which this is certainly the season to help you with that! Come back often. This site is so great because there are people at all stages of treatment and recovery. Everyone is awesome!
Judy, so sorry about your brother, but I'm sure you'll feel better knowing he can get care 24/7. Plus you still need to rest and recover from rads!
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I just read the most shocking article in the UK's Daily Mail Online today Anastrozole. Post-menopausal women with ER+ BC are NOT routinely given anastrozole - it isn't even recommended for BC. What??? Wow.
HUGS!
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I don't think Daily Mail is a credible information site. I would not take medical advice from them.
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