Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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KDTheater....Congrats on chemo done. Get started on those rad creams...so far I'm almost done but because of split skin I have had to postpone a few...Wednesday should be my last boost. Chemo was miserable but this last week has been miserable for me ...some are much luckier. Hope you are!!
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Thank you Miko and tbalding. I feel a little better after a good night sleep. Hanging in there and definitely counting the days until I am done; then I get a 2 day break before starting Tamoxifen. Thanks again for the support!
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Well ladies, the lumpectomy day is drawing near. I have waves of emotions. Wondering what the after surgery world will have in store for me.
Taco so sorry about you best friend! She will be with you as you start this BC jour
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Vargadoll - I suggest you get a snap in the front sports bra. I went to Kohl's first and only could find ones that pulled over my head which didn't seem as if they would work. Amazon had a "Yianna" that was comfortable and cost about $16.00. A better one was given me by my radiologist team however - A fruit of the loom cotton. They said it cost $8.50 and they get them by the case at Walmart. I liked it better than the Yainna because it was wider under the arms. Great for holding the tubes from partial breast radiation in but also because at my age, there is more "flab."
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vargadoll, I agree with Taco1946, get a snug comfortable sports bra that closes in the front. Also get a gel filled flexible ice pack to help with swelling the first several days. I should have went back to work after a week but took an extra one off. Life after surgery was filled with doctor appointments. I didn't start my radiation until about 6 weeks later. You will have good days and bad, hang in there. There is a lot of support here, I wish I would have found this site when I was first diagnosed
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Vargadoll, I am scheduled for my lumpectomy on Feb 13th, Ill be glad when the surgery is over and I can get may treatment plan finalized. This has been an a emotional rollercoaster ride for me since I found out on Jan 12th. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery.
Sending positive thoughts your way.
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angelaw -- I hope all goes well for your surgery. Be sure to read the website for the different treatments, so you can ask your MO and RO any questions about the proposed treatments. Normally they will wait for the post surgical path report before deciding what they will propose. I know here in Canada the treatments did not start until my surgery was healed by at least 4 weeks.
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Hi to all!!! Just wanted to let yal know that I just received the CONQUER monthly magazine this month and it came with a thick First Annual Patient Guide To Cancer Support Services. conquer-magazine.com. It has list of medication and financial support programs. They have each kind of cancer separated by colored tabs at the top for quick flip through. I'm definitely keeping it!! Hope this may help someone!!
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LG, thanks so much for the suggestion! I'd never heard of the magazine and just went to the site. The entire magazine is accessible online and it's got just great topics. Thanks so much!
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LG...thanks I will look that up.
Angelaw1969....Welcome ...we will be here to support & encourage you. The emotions are crazy for sure.
Vargadoll...what is your surgery date? My surgeon gave me 2 sport type...Velcro in the front bras. I woke up to one on after surgery and they sent a second one with me home. I got a comfortable one at Kohls and ordered one from Genie bra that I wasn't impressed with. I had someone on one site say to step into the pull on type and pull up since it's too painful to put on over your head if it doesn't have a front closer. That was a great tip for me.
My armpit skin split area is healing ...I am medium rare now instead of raw. So thankful.
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Hi Caligirl I am so happy that you are on the road to recovery. Keep up the good spirits and positive attitude
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It's Sunday, and I'm going to see the surgeon on Wednesday. And all of a sudden, I, who have never been particularly vain about any part of my body, am worried about what my breast is going to look like after the lumpectomy. I'm imagining all sorts of horrible things, and I'm grieving the lovely, rounded symmetry of my breasts. How have you all dealt with that? I'm feeling very sad and irritable but I try to think it's an overreaction, but that's probably not true. The emotions are hard, and I can't seem to just sit with it, and my OLD eating disorder is having a heyday with it.
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hang in there Nastera: just concentrate on a speedy recovery and go from there. I understand what you are going through having already done it. Keep strong and stay on the positive even tho it is difficult at times. The lumpy was so fast and before i knew it i was on the road to recovery with different things on my mind. Thinking of you and a quick recovery
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natsera, my breast didn't look any different after lumpectomy and re-excision, save for the scar which was tucked into a skin fold under my arm. It did not affect the shape of my breast at all.
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Caligirl, thank you so much, I'm sure as the days get closer Ill start to get more and more nervous. I'm going to think positive, I sure do want this over with, and at least having the surgery will be one stepping stone closer. oh and I did order a bra through Amazon, I haven't received it yet, but hope it fits nice.
Natsera, My daughter has/had an eating disorder (it never goes away,) and I can see how all this can cause it to show its face. You stay strong and know there are a lot of people here to support you. I worry to a degree the same thing about what mine will look like after my surgery is over. I had a breast reduction about four yrs ago, I wish the cancer was part of what they took out, and now here I am going to have surgery on them again but for a different reason. Body image is hard to accept for a lot of people, you are human so of course your going to worry about what it will look like, but even though I have only recently found this group, I believe you are in touch with the right people to give you strength. Hang in there.
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Natsera, your emotions are normal. Do everything you can to keep your mind occupied as you wait so it doesn't go to dark places. No matter what comes up as you go through this journey, you'll find a way to deal with it and we're here to help you. I didn't notice any change in size just the scar. Sending positive thoughts and energy to you!
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Natsera- I am a size C now on the lumpectomy side and D on the other. I'm fine with that and might even experiment with re-sewing a bra to see if I can't get better fit on the smaller side. It isn't evident at all with clothes on.
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Nastera, my breast after my lx looked better than before. I was 54 and while I had nice breasts for my age it was less saggy after. I wish I could have kept it.
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Caligirl-what creams should I start on now, if I'm scheduled to get tattoos on 2/21 and start rads the following week? Any suggestions
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My RO said no creams or ointments were necessary before starting radiation—no need to quit using anything, but come in to each session with completely clean skin. I applied the Aquaphor samples they gave me immediately upon re-entering the changing room after each session; at bedtime I started with Aquaphor, which felt too sticky; so my routine was 100% pure aloe vera gel (Fruit of the Earth--no dyes, scent or alcohol) and then calendula cream (Boiron). Then I showered it all off in the morning before getting dressed to go to my treatments.
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Hi all, I'm new to this!
Does everyone work through their treatments? I do a very stressful job, with long hours. I'm still working at the moment, my surgery is on 13th Feb, I sort of feel that I will stop this weekend and not go back until I am fit again. I can't imagine dealing with the pressures of the job as well as the pressures of the treatment and recovery, it's been hard enough to get out of work for my essential appointments without exhaustion, pain etc to deal with.
As a norm I am never off sick (4 yrs since last day off ill, I've always been really healthy, but all this is just too much to deal with on top of my job, am I being a bit pathetic??....... don't be shy, be honest with me!!
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Only you know what your body can and can’t handle. Some people work through treatments, some don’t (though most who are not already retired are able to work at least part-time during various phases of treatments). You would be wise to take off the day of and at least a week following surgery. You will likely be fatigued (surgery is always an assault on the body) and need your rest and good nutrition to heal properly.
I’m a retired lawyer, but my “second life” is as a performing songwriter. So I did not book any concerts until 2-1/2 weeks after my lumpectomy (that show was 90 miles away and I had people at both ends to carry my instruments), nor overnight travel until 4 weeks later. I never did get the “post-op fatigue” about which I was warned, but was glad to have at least a week to do only what I wanted to do rather than anything demanded of me. I did drop out of the cast of the annual Dec. musical in which I’ve performed since 2002 because at the time I needed to commit to the show, I didn’t know if I’d need chemo nor the length or extent of my radiation treatments. I didn’t want to give a substandard performance or have to drop out midstream. So I wrote for the show instead. I turned out not to need chemo; and my radiation was only 16 treatments, to just the tumor cavity. I didn’t get skin irritation or fatigue from that either. Two weeks after radiation my husband & I were cruising the Mediterranean. I took two more European trips during the year and rejoined the cast of the show this past fall—singing, dancing, & acting.
But that’s just my experience. As they say in car commercials, “your mileage may vary.” My best advice is to be prepared (not necessarily expect) for fatigue and discomfort, and if it doesn’t happen, rejoice in the break you’ve been given—but always keep listening to your body.
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kdtheatre, you might enjoy trying Emu oil or Sea Buckthorn oil during rads. They have topical anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, apparently. Emu oil gets glowing reviews here so i tried that first and was very happy. Needed more but couldn't find any so now am using the Sea Buckthorn oil. Lovely stuff. I have had 12 of 21 sessions and so far am sailing through, no problems. I fist bump one of the techs on my way out each time. They love it!
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Shaz, as Sandy said, you'll have to listen to your body. I too never take off work. My surgery was on a Tuesday. I took off for the rest of that week and was back at work on Monday (I work in accounting, so not physical labor, but can be stressful). I usually work 10 hr days. I was back at excercise class at 1-1/2 weeks ( but only did light excercises, no jumping, etc. My class knew so they understood). I went to rads early of a morning, then work, then excercise. I believe the excercise helped me combat some of the fatigue, athough it did hit me about a week after rads. During rads I worked less hours. While I was able to work & maintain excercising throughout tx, I had to cut back on other activities and rest in evenings and weekends. All the treatments and emotional stress we go through does takes its toll. So you'll have to gauge how your body reacts and adjust accordingly. Listen to your body. I'm still dealing with some residual fatigue and still rest a lot more than I used to.
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Shaz70, I am also considering how much time to take off from work during treatment. The lumpectomy I just had turned out to be one week off, I felt really good after surgery and needed no pain medications but wanted to have time to let the incisions heal. But I have to say that going back to work was not all that great as the work was still there and expectations of getting it all done were there as well. Of course my mind was not 100% on the job and NO, working does not really take your mind off of things unless you have the best job in the whole world. Who does?
Next up is chemotherapy and for that I think I will take a longer leave as I have short term disability to cover it financially, although at a reduced pay rate, but I think that will be the toughest part of this and do not want to end up hospitalized for infection, low blood counts. Being off will allow me to take care of myself. Like you, I don't take time off work for being sick, I usually power through things, but this is a different situation. Do not feel like a wimp, a lot of men and women take time off during treatment. Your Doctor's should be able to provide you with information on this but remember that each person reacts differently. It is time to know your body and your limitations, as ChiSandy pointed out. If money is an issue, there should be a Social Worker on your case to discuss options as well.
Another thing to consider is all of the stress of diagnosis, decisions to be made that are HUGE, appointments. All of this is difficult before you even start your treatment plan. Stress is the opposite of what you need right now. My job is stressful too and it took me some time to accept that I will have to put myself before that for a little while. Hopefully once you make your decision you will feel some relief and can concentrate on your health. I feel a sense of relief now that I have made this difficult decision and I hope you will too. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss further.
Anne
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Shaz & lovesgreen, it completely depends on your stamina. Many people need to scale back or even stop their work while going through treatment. Breast cancer alone can be exhausting. I was fortunate enough to be able to work from home 4hrs a day. Even with that limited amount of work, there were days I just needed to lay on the couch. And some days I worked an hour or two, then rested an hour or two.
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i'm new to this group and i found it while doing my research on breast cancer. I have recently been diagnosed and had my lumpectomy last january 24. I have yet to discuss my treatment plan with an oncologist and radiologist but at the moment, i'm really scared about going through chemo and may just opt for radiation. Are there any survivors here who did not go through chemo? I'm Stage 2A by the way and HER2 +.
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Hi Love and Shaz: I too wanted to work throughout but the decision was made for me via my surgeon that said two weeks no less. I have a desk job and have to lift files - as much as I love my job (30 years on it) it was the right decision for me. I did not have chemo but had 21 zaps of rads. My bosses let me work flex time ( i started 1 hr early and ended an hr early) which allowed me to attend rads without any time loss. This help immensely. Good vibes to you both and wishing you a speedy recovery. I used miadermL for muscle pain and moisturizer and aloe gel after treatment. The important thing is to keep moisturized and keep hydrated. My ro tech said to drink alot of water. Fatigue has set in and I took two days off from work to heal and recover I finished last week . I am a little burnt and have the feeling of exhaustion. Back to work tomorrow.
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Hunny, Welcome! We're glad you found us. Generally, HER2+ means chemo. It is very scary facing chemo, but the gals here will tell you it is no fun but doable. I did not have chemo. I was HER2- and my Oncotype score was lower. Before you make your decision on chemo you need to have as much information as possible, keeping in mind that the reason you would do chemo is to KILL CANCER. That's what we all want. I recommend that you read Dr Susan Love's Breast Book. It gives lots of very helpful information on breast cancer and treatments. Also, you might make your location Public in your settings. It can make a difference when we discuss treatment options since different countries (and even states) have different protocols.
Keep asking questions and we'll be glad to give you as much information as we can.
HUGS!
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Angela - don't get your expectations up about having a fixed treatment plan post surgery. My lumpectomy was only 6 weeks ago and mine has changed several times already. I was already finished with brache when the path report showed HER2 +. First visit with the oncologist, she said 6 weeks of Taxol but when I went in for the first infusion, PA said she had me penciled in for 9. Even though I am retired, I have a pretty busy life and had hoped/expected to get a chemo schedule out several months in advance so I could plan things like when I could welcome family etc. Instead, only getting two or three weeks in advance. Don't know when I will go to just Herception, so can't figure out when the every 3 weeks rather than every week treatment schedule will begin.
I have read several comments about cosmetic issues so I will share that my masseuse said that there are tattoo artists who will do work for free for BC. She showed me a great nipple a client had had done. That might be something that a local support group could help with.
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