Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to all!
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Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus, etc. I hope your holiday is filled with love, calm, and all things happy! We are all so fortunate to have love and support, even from each other here on this site. Enjoy your family, friends, and above all else, those little ones in your life. Thank you for all the support you've given to me over the last 6 months. It's truly appreciated!
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I am new to this forum, and I am very thankful for the information here but I am completely lacking in knowledge of what some of the terms mean example MO (maybe medical oncologist or chemo doctor), is there a glossary anywhere?
I have just been diagnosed with DCIS and a 8mm cancerous tumor and trying to determine the risks of lumpectomy vs mastectomy and recurrance. I am considering Moffitt Cancer Center and another Breast Cancer surgeon, Moffitt's surgeon does no reconstructive surgery and no follow up, just regular mammograms annually. The other surgeon does reconstructive surgery at the time of lumpectomy, and, since the pathologist cannot provide information on cells abnormality until after a week or two following surgery, if there are abnormal cells in the margins, a complete mastectomy must be done.; she has a three month followup for first three years, then a 6 month followup for next 2 years then annual mammograms. The Moffitt surgeon just takes more off if the margins are not good, since there is no reconstruction and he said its looks similar to a breast lift. Dunno what to choose.
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Newc1 - There is a list of terms. Check out the Topic: Discussion Board Abbreviation Key https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131/topic... This should help you decipher what people are talking about here. No doubt you are very overwhelmed by your recent diagnosis. You've found a very good supportive group and we're here to help you as best we can.
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Well, after the blood test from my follow-up visit at the cancer center, I found out my white blood cell count is really low. The APN told me that the rash I have is a reaction to the Taxotere. So, she'll need to talk to my MO, to see how to tweak my upcoming infusions which could mean a lot more steroids. Also, she said that I'll end up getting a Neulasta shot which I did not have with my first infusion. So, I am slightly bummed that now I am supposed to avoid crowds of people and was told not to go to my gym since they consider that a germ factory.
Dara - love the picture thanks for posting it!
Peggy/Celand - we're having grilled beef tenderloin for Christmas. It never disappoints anyone. The polar vortex has melted in IL and we are supposed to have an unseasonably warm Christmas day of 55 (although we'll get rain).
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NewC1, welcome! We're glad you found us but sorry you had to. To answer some of your questions, most of us have a lumpectomy and that would seem to be the desired way with your diagnosis. Go small! Remember that if you have a mastectomy, your breasts are really gone. With a lumpectomy you still have your breasts. And even gals who have had to eventually have a mastectomy don't regret going with a lumpectomy first. There's no reason to rush into reconstruction. Insurance has to cover it and you have plenty of time. It seems to be the preferred way to wait and do reconstruction after you have finished radiation. Is there a reason you think you will need reconstruction after an Lx (lumpectomy)?
Where are you located? Perhaps other ladies have suggestions based on where you live. It really helps us if you fill out your profile AND make it public via Settings. We can't remember each member's particulars though we try. Also make your location public, too.
Scroll up to the top of this page. Just below the various menus on the left side you'll find a box that says abbreviations. MO is the medical oncologist who not only would do chemo but any drugs like Tamoxifen or Arimidex. Most important for each of us is how comfortable we feel with each of our oncologists and surgeons. We'll be with them for a long time.
I also recommend that you get Dr Susan Love's Breast Book which has tons of information on breast cancer, treatments and a whole lot of other related things.
Take you time to make your decisions. Most of the time you don't have to do anything RIGHT NOW! I was 7 weeks between diagnosis (Dx) and surgery. Then 6 weeks between surgery and radiation.
Keep asking your questions and we'll try to answer them.
HUGS!
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Celand, that's discouraging about your blood work. Glad you'll have a warmish Christmas. Not here in the Inland Northwest. Oh well.
HUGS!
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Welcome, NewC!
We're so sorry you have to be here, but we're really glad you found us. As you can see, you've come to the best place for support and wonderful advice and information from our amazing members here. Please come back often, ask questions, and engage in our discussions -- you're sure to learn a lot and get great support!
Looking forward to hearing more from you soon!
--The Mods
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hi everybody, sorry I haven't been around in a while as usual. I hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season!
Doing OK, I started Aromasin about three weeks ago, and I've been having no problems with it. I feel the exact same way I did on tamoxifen, some hot flashes and insomnia and joint pain, but nothing I can't handle
I saw the gynaecologist on Monday, I'm going to be having my ovaries and tubes removed on February 7. It's supposed to be laparoscopic surgery, I was told to take two weeks off work. I'm a bit nervous but I'm sure it will be fine and I will be glad to stop having that stupid shot!
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Sunrise -- Low WBC are normal with Chemo and you need to be very careful at that time or you can catch something. If you have a fever that is over 100 F you should go to your hospital. Read these pages about blood work:
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types...
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects...
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NewC1, with just an 8mm tumor, no genetic mutations, and it being DCIS to boot, lumpectomy seems to be the most reasonable course. I'm with Peggy--they can always go back and take more later if need be.
Merry Christeidsaturnaliahanukwanzawali. (And Festivus to the restivus). Gonna lay low for awhile as we have a lot to cram into our few days here in NYC (and then when I visit my sis in Arlington). Good news is that I didn't wear compression on the flight here, and my ring still slipped off! Heading off to Ruth's Chris for dinner with Bob's BFF/our best man. (Not an adventurous eater, so nix on Nobu, and he's not dressed for Le Bernardin (which I want to do with Bob tomorrow night). Bob specified Fogo de Chao (the "meat storm") for Christmas night. We're going to Butter Christmas Eve and Tavern on the Green for brunch. Not looking forward to the traffic--taxi was stuck in traffic trying to work his way around the security barriers and no-left-turn doo-dah around you-know-who-Tower. Subway and walking seems to be the way to go around midtown these days.
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ElizabethAM - thanks for the articles about low WBC.
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Newc, do I understand this correctly? Moffitt surgeon will do a lumpectomy, but no reconstruction and no follow-up; however, if margins are not clean, he will go back in and try to get clean margins. The other surgeon will do a lumpectomy and provide follow-up, but if there are unclean margins you end up with a surprise mastectomy? What is this, 1969?
IMO, you are between a rock and a hard place with these two. I strongly suggest you seek a 3rd opinion. I have never heard of a breast surgeon who wouldn't work with a plastic surgeon to do reconstruction after breast surgery, not to mention no follow-up. And the whole idea that you might go to sleep planning to have a lumpectomy and end up with a missing breast, well, that sort of thinking went away about 3 decades ago. I would put on my Nikes and RUN from these two.
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I agree with mustlovepoodles. I am an RN and began practicing in the early '70's. We would send women to the OR for a biopsy , frozen section, possible radical mastectomy. It was so traumatic for these women when they returned to the floor with a mastectomy. Thank goodness those days are behind us.
Get another opinion.
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Lastthing, I graduated nursing school in 1977 and I well remember the bad old days of breast cancer treatment. I saw many women go to surgery fearing what they would find when they woke up. I even had one patient who went to surgery for peau d'orange skin, had the mastectomy--you know "to save her life"--and found out that she didn't have cancer at all!
In 1969, my grandmother went to surgery not knowing what would happen; she came out with one big cyclops breast. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. They removed to offending cancerous right breast and all the lymph nodes, plus pectoral muscles-- a radical mastectomy, the gold standard of the time. Then, for some reason, they unhooked the left breast from the left sternum and moved it over to the right so she had one big giant floppy breast hanging down the middle. SMH. She was mutilated! Grandma had to make herself a set of shelf bras because, of course, she couldn't find a bra to fit the cyclops breast and she had no place to put her prostheses. And then they hit her with cobalt treatments that killed three ribs , which had to be removed. She spent 3 weeks in a coma in the ICU!
However, by the mid-1970s things began to change. My aunt at 43 was part of an experimental study at Johns Hopkins in 1978. They did a lumpectomy, which was fairly new stuff back then, as doctors still favored the put 'em to sleep and surprise 'em method. Then a few days later, they found out it was cancer. My aunt's test group had the newly developed modified-radical mastectomy, a procedure in which the breast is removed, including the skin, areola, nipple, and most axillary lymph nodes, but the pectoralis major muscle is spared. She was given chemo and targeted radiation, also a new practice. It must have been frightening to step out into uncharted waters and do something other than the standard of the day (radical mastectomy with massive amounts of radiation). Incidently, my aunt lived to be 80-something, so obviously, the "new treatment" worked. She was very grateful to have been in the test group, rather than the control group.
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Wishing you all the best for 2017
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Merry Christmas, Elizabeth!
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My oncologist called, they saw some small calcifications on my mammogram, I'm going to be called back for a closer look. She doesn't think it's going to be anything…but ugh.
I want to vomit. She said they are "barely perceptable"...but I am being bad and googling, and it seems the smaller they are the more suspicious.
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Oh, LTD! How awful. Here's praying its nothing!
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Here's what I've been working on today.
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LTF, most likely they are nothing. I have microcalcs in my right breast and have had for years. I get the worry completely. Try to stay positive (quite hard to do). In your pocket!
HUGS!
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thanks ladies, what beautiful gingerbread cookies! I'm trying to stay positive and just enjoy my weekend, whatever it is it will be dealt with and I know that it could very likely be nothing! I just want to get my next imaging and find out if I'm dealing with something or not. We are having friends over tomorrow night and going skating Sunday, looking forward to that! Also, Ativan
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Poodles, cute and pretty. And yummy, I'll bet! A good day's work.
HUGS!
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Mustlovepoodles,
Good job on the Christmas cookies! I do not bake cookies very well - I always manage to burn the bottoms (unless it is store bought cookie dough)! A couple of nights ago, I baked 16 mini-loaves of banana bread for Christmas gifts for my husbands side of family. I have better luck with baking bread!
Celand
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Pontiac Peggy,
Definitely will have steak for Christmas dinner as rib-eyes were on sale at the grocery store near my husband's job!
I went to my gyn yesterday to check my ovaries (I had polycystic ovaries) and also drew blood work to determine my menopausal status - she said that it would take a week to get results - I wonder if it arrives sooner than they actually tell you - you would think in this day and age that lab work results could get back quicker. Now, since I am off of all hormones, my ovarian cysts have gone away - the only thing that I have that ultrasound picked up was a tiny fibroid tumor, which Dr. says is always benign - she says nothing has to be done about it at this time.
Did number 7 radiation treatment (23 left) - I am beginning to turn pinkish on breast - I was using Lubriderm lotion but a friend of my daughter's (who also had breast cancer) told me that I should using Aquaphor Healing Ointment instead of Lubriderm - she could not believe that the nurse told me that.Lubriderm lotion was OK - she says that Lubriderm has alcohol in it while Aquaphor does not. I did go buy some of this Aquaphor and found it to be of petroleum jelly consistency - while Lubriderm is a lotion, and does not feel greasy at all. Which one is better?
Celand
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Celand, steak is good! You don't want anything with alcohol on your breast. Yup, Aquaphor is rather petroleum jelly like. Some women wear t-shirts UNDER their bras to keep the stuff from getting on their bras. I just used it at night not during the day. Good luck!
HUGS!
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I found aquaphor very soothing. Also try saline soaks...a few times a day really helps. If you want something with more of a lotion like texture, Glaxo base was recommended for me and that's what I used during the day, I used the Aquaphor at night
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LTF (Jill)- dammit...so very sorry you are having to look over your shoulder- especially during the holidays. Cancer is stupid and having to worry about a recurrence is doubly stupid...know you are in my prayers....betting everything is ok but the worry...ugh! Have fun this weekend with your friends and the skating...every day IS a day in your life......please keep us posted. In your pocket for sure!
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Jill, praying it's nothing.
Poodles, cookies look yummy!
We had carry in at work today, so I ate all day, :P now I'm miserable. But I'll get up and do it again next 2 days, lol! Going to my family for Christmas tomorrow, Christmas Eve & DH family Christmas day.
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Shoulders really bothering me from my dry run for radiation, hope this is not a sign of things to come
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