Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I'm not sure how often they plan to do the DEXA scan. I'll have to ask at my next MO appt.
The broken toe is geting better. It's been about 6 weeks and the color is about back to normal. Still a little "touchy."
I'm working at my mother's house this week, while DH continues to work on ours. My sister is here with me and we've been cleaning, grouting, moving furniture, hanging drapes, and taking shelves apart. A whole bunch of it went to Goodwill or to the trash. I overdid today and by 6pm I was down for the count with a migraine. Still, it's looking good in here, better than it has in at least 15 years.
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I have a question regarding sentinel node biopsy with lumpectomy vs just a lumpectomy. Is the recovery any different? I had a lumpectomy 3 years ago for DCIS and it was a snap but now I have the Real Deal with surgery scheduled for the 21st. Do you always have a drain with SNB?
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Lita, I did not have a drain. I only had two modes removed. I did have some swelling, numbness, and tingling, all of which are normal. I also had a large hematoma, followed by an equally large seroma, also very common after breast surgery. Breasts don't like to be messed with.
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Lita, I did not have a drain either. The SNB incision area was very tender; I had three nodes removed. I found keeping a small pillow under my arm really helped - reduced skin-to-skin contact. I still sleep with it.
MJ
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best Poodles. Purging can be the hardest part.
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Poodles, WOW! You've really accomplished a lot on your mother's house. Hooray!!! Is DH making as much progress on yours?
Lita, I had 5 nods removed and no drain. I had very little pain but the SNB site was a huge annoyance since everything seemed to rub on it - bras, blouses. And it took nearly a year for the nerves to regenerate (sometimes they don't). Not painful just bothersome. You'll do fine!
HUGS!
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I had a drain but I had axillary lymph node dissection since I had two positive nodes.
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I had 9 nodes removed and no drain. It was tender and swollen and ice packs were my friend for awhile.
Wow Data, some people are clueless. I did have one person ask me why I did not get my breasts removed so I could get implants and that since celebrities do it all the time it can not be that big a deal of a surgery. Ummm?? I truly do not think celebrities are have masectomies first. I just shake my head and walk away!
My insurance will only pay for a dead scan once every two years unless its medically necessary. Hmmm. What do they constitute necessary? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield
Epicsquirrel, where my cancer was removed dented in quite a bit. I actually had reconstruction by use of fat grafting where they Lipo suctioned fat from my tummy and after doing some things to it, they then injected it into my breast.
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I had 9 nodes removed and no drain. It was tender and swollen and ice packs were my friend for awhile.
Wow Data, some people are clueless. I did have one person ask me why I did not get my breasts removed so I could get implants and that since celebrities do it all the time it can not be that big a deal of a surgery. Ummm?? I truly do not think celebrities are have masectomies first. I just shake my head and walk away!
My insurance will only pay for a dead scan once every two years unless its medically necessary. Hmmm. What do they constitute necessary? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield
Epicsquirrel, where my cancer was removed dented in quite a bit. I actually had reconstruction by use of fat grafting where they Lipo suctioned fat from my tummy and after doing some things to it, they then injected it into my breast.
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Dara, your MO is a keeper. Sorry to hear that you had to do chemo but so good your MO asked about you doing the Prosigna. Regarding neighbors comment . .. although she worded herself terribly, I would rather hope she meant well and just didn't take time to chose her words better. I will admit prior to my having cancer, I lacked a lot of knowledge and have wondered myself did I say something carelessly to someone, not meaning to do so. I was in the mindset if I don't know anything "maybe" I don't have to deal with it. Now, if I see an opening I try to educate those that seem to struggle in speaking with me about cancer.
EpicSquirrel, if you have any questions about your LX, your should ask your doc. But my gut tells me that the indention could be normal. My surgeon covered the chances of it being noticeable. And I imagine from past experience they can guess the results but also imagine every one is different. Size of breast, size of lesion and clear margin removed. If it is a concern, I wouldn't hesitate to ask your doc.
Mustlovepoodles, sounds like you are coming to an end on your Moms house. Amazing how much work is required but you and your siblings have truly tackled it. Probably hard to keep up the momentum but don't forget to take care of yourself on this path.
Lita, I'm also one that did not have a drain. But will say the surgeon advised me that he could not tell me if I would have a drain until he got in there. And as others, the incision was more of an aggravation. Ice and a small pillow to keep the arm from resting down on it for a bit helped.
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Thanks, everyone!
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When do lumpectomy/SLB results lead to chemotherapy before radiation which will be folowed by an aromatose inhibitor???? I meet with the surgeon today for my post surgery appointment. I meet to discuss radiation the week after with a radiologist I have yet to meet, and in 2 weeks I meet with an oncologist for my first time to discuss the possibility of chemo and then hormone drugs n(aromatose inhibitor) that follow radiation. I want to go in informed. I wish I had a "team approach" with all doctors present, but I don't. I want to be certain and believe that every decision made is the best decision for me. I have doubt because my initial entry into this journey was incorrect. My biopsy was misread at a different hospital. I didn't have cancer for 10 days and only at the surgeon's office to discuss what was ADH did the surgeon become informed that an error was made. I need to rebuild trust that whatever the next pathway is on this journey, that it is a wise pathway for ME.
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Lita, no drain(s) for me either. I had very little pain after surgery & ice packs took care of the little I did have. I did develop a stubborn seroma though. I think that if I had immediately worn compression bras 24/7 I might have have avoided the seroma, so you might want to try that, if it's ok with your BS.
Like you, I had a lumpectomy (no lymph nodes taken) years ago & had a super easy recovery. Recovery has been harder this time but there were more incisions & they were in an area that impacted my arm range of motion. The exercises I learned from the LEPT resolved those issues, though, so don't worry about that.
I echo Gardennerd's advice about a small pillow under your arm; I bought mine at moonlightpillows.com & it was my constant companion (especially during radiation).
For me, the difficulty in recovery was more emotional than physical. Waiting for the path results from the surgery & my oncotype number was nerve wracking. After that, you know what you're facing. Good luck & I'll be sending prayers your way on the 21st.
Dara & NDGrll, in some people the mouth is just not connected to the brain! I hope you just laughed at their insensitive comments.
Kaso, I'm so sorry your results were misread. That shouldn't happen to anyone!!!! As to your question, I can only answer from my experience. Like you, I had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation. With a relatively small (2.1 cm) stage 2A, grade 2 ILC & no lymph node involvement, my MO relied on my oncotype score to determine whether or not to do chemo. My score of 7 meant chemo wouldn't help much but the addition of (at least) 5 years of drug therapy would cut my risk of recurrence in half. Because I'm post-menopausal (& because she feels AIs would reduce my risk somewhat more than Tamoxifen) she recommended I take Anastrozole. So far my SEs are nothing I can't handle. Good luck at your appt; pls keep us posted.
Hugs to all - JKL
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JKL thank you for adding a response. I can't keep my stomach from churning:) When was your octotype ordered? My 1st oncologist is not until July 31st. I am hoping the oncologist will order this then. Am I correct that results can take 3 weeks? This of course delays further treatment. Can you tell me if you were also diagnosed with Atyical Ductal Hyperplasia in cells that were not definitely cancer? My initial diagnosis was ADH only. My second diagnosis was <2mm (of biopsy tissue) of ADH and 1.8mm of infiltrating mammary carcinoma. I can't help but to wonder if the ADH is throughout my body and how my other breast won't be overcome by this in time.
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DaraB - seriously? Props to you from not going crazy. What would make someone say something so stupid?
I start chemo 7/24 and my main issue is going bald and having people I have no interest in knowing my business. I guess you get over it. I've warned the kids that people may sone some really unbelievable things to them
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Kaso, my MO ordered my oncotype test during my 1st appt with her. I believe the results came back in less than 10 working days & that her office called me immediately with the good news. If your MO routinely relies on oncotyping, perhaps your BS could order the test prior to your appt with the MO. (I seem to remember my MO asking me whether my BS had already ordered it, so maybe it's often done that way.) I understand how you feel; the waiting is excruciating at times!
Sorry, I didn't have ADH. (There is an ADH thread on BCO that you may want to visit.)
Write down your questions as they come to you & take them with you when you meet with your MO. Mine was very open to my concerns & we discussed the reasoning behind her treatment recommendations. And statistically the AIs further reduce our chances of recurrence, so you'll have that tool in your arsenal.
You have a lot of options & a lot of resources available. And reach out if I can help in any way. Hugs - JKL
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Kaso, my MO ordered genomics testing before I saw him for the first time (but after visit was scheduled): you might want to call either his/her office or your BS to ask about what tests will be ordered and when; ordering before the apt can save time (tests are done on the tissue from the Lx). However, before ordering oncotype MO will want to know your ER/PR status (based on pathology results after LX), presumably you have those, though I didn't see them listed in your signature. In that regard, my BS told me MO had ordered the testing, so they were communicating at least via email or records sharing even though it didn't always appear to be coordinated. (indeed, at one point BS called MO to ask that start of chemo be delayed because my lx was slow to heal).
It is MO who will give you final advice on whether to have chemo, and chemo generally is done before rads, so even though you will be meeting with RO first, let him or her know that you haven't met with MO yet, or possibly even consider postponing initial apt with RO until after your first meeting with MO, especially since the two appointments are close together. I ended up meeting with RO shortly after lx and then not having rads until several months later (because I had chemo), and in fact I ended up using a different RO, based on my MO's recommendation. Remember that you need to heal from Lx before starting either rads or chemo, so postponing the RO appointment for a week or so isn't going to make a huge amount of difference. I agree with writing down questions and asking as they come up; given your concern about coordination of care, I'd ask the same questions of all three docs (BS, RO and MO). Ask them about any inconsistencies.
Best of luck;
Octogirl
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hi all. Heading for lumpectomy w sn biopsy next week. Any learned lessons to make going in or coming out easier?
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Welcome, Sarah! My lumpectomy was on March 31. My main concern was the anesthesia as I've had great difficulty (read vomiting) after surgery in the past. I had in-depth conversations with the nurse on the phone the night before and the anesthesiologist the morning of my surgery. I sailed through! They really listened to me and gave me the right meds. One concern down.
I had great faith in my surgeon so I wasn't really nervous (OK, a little bit). I had injections of a nuclear isotope for the SNB and found that very painful (some women have said it didn't hurt at all). But that pain went right away.
When I woke up, I felt some discomfort but nothing very severe. I had to rest a while in recovery and then came home. I was still a bit loopy from the anesthetic so just sat and rested. I couldn't eat much due to my cotton mouth from the anesthetic. My DH went out and bought me Popsicles and sherbet. Soup was a great favorite for the first couple of days.
I took a couple of the prescribed Norco (be sure to take a stool softener because it will cause constipation) but didn't really need much help. My breast incision didn't really bother me but the SNB one did. What I found most helpful was keeping a small pillow under that arm so there was o skin-to-skin contact.
I work from home; my surgery was on a Friday so I was able to get back to work on Monday. Just be sure to take it easy, even when you start to feel great. I only had surgical glue on the outside and didn't even think about the internal stitches until I read my operation report, which I got at my two-week follow-up. As PontiacPeggy reminded me on this forum, this is major surgery. You have to respect that fact.
Best of luck to you! Keep us posted. Reach out here with questions and concerns. The women here have been my lifeline.
MJ
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I went back to work this week after having a lumpectomy and I found it hilarious that a few of my male co-workers could not stop themselves from staring at my breasts, there eyes were drawn like a magnet. Men!
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Sarah R - Welcome to the forum. I imagine you are on overload with your surgery next week. But if you are interested in information I'd suggest you can go back a few months on this forum and read about others experiences. There seemed to be a group of going through lumpectomy's about the same time, so lots of questions asked and lots of assistance from those that had been through it.
Generally speaking - I'd say the surgery was not nearly as bad as I thought, it was the waiting for the biopsy's throughout the process. The unknown is hard. Do what normally a person would do before surgery in having lite food, comfortable pillows, a good place to sleep comfortably prepared.
Afterwards, ice packs and a small pillow are helpful.
From my take on the website it appears that most do not take their prescribed pain med after the surgery, and may just take Tylenol. So that should tell you that in general it is not an overly painful surgery it is more of discomfort.
Lots of things going through my head to try to help you but this would be a long post. I guess the other thing is that everyone of us is different. Tappermom was able to work in just a few days as she was home. I work a physical job and was out 4 weeks (one of those weeks was my brachytherapy). I also had two incisions and the SNB. And overall, I think most will say the SN incision was the hardest.
Keep in mind we are all of different sizes, and have different amounts of tissues removed and so that has some bearing on how are experiences.
You are in the right forum though. These wonderful ladies helped me through a scary time with all my concerns . . . we are all here for you.
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Gardennerd is exactly right - I could only go "back" to work as it's upstairs in my loft. I never could have done my previous job (editor of our local newspaper) so soon after surgery. When I felt my eyes glazing over as I sat at the computer, I went back downstairs to my comfy chair and rested.
Listen to your body and give in, as KB advised. Let others help you.
I wasn't told to anything prior to the nuclear injection. The radiologist introduced himself, followed by, "I'm sorry but I'm going to hurt you." He was true to his word!
Shocked - that's really funny! I've noticed folks staring there as well.
MJ
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Sarah R,
Please talk to the anesthesiologist first if you have any concerns. It helped me a lot because I vomit after surgery.
I used ice every hour for 20 minutes after surgery for about a week and then when needed. They gave me a heart shaped pillow that was great because I could put it under my arm and across my breast and it covered both incisions. Also used it in the car under the seatbelt.
Don't stop using your arm that the nodes were taken out. Follow all the restrictions but do use it. It sure helped me. These instructions were from a physical therapist.
I wish you the best and pray for your strength and recovery.
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Anyone having breast lift ?
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Ali68 - I have to chuckle as after my lumpectomy that particular breast was slightly fuller and my nipple was higher, a look I didn't mind . . . instead of the other one that looked to the ground (I am large breasted). An unintended lift . . . so to speak. Wish the other looked upward, ha,ha.
I did seriously consider a reduction prior to the lumpectomy or rather during (oncoplasty) where the surgeon and the plastic surgeon work together. I decided the removal of the cancer was more important and I had several delays already and so did not pursue it. No regrets but certainly was a consideration. I'm a firm believer in we should feel comfortable with ourselves.
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2 yrs post LX, no LE that I can tell so far. I only had 2 nodes removed, so maybe that helps. My docs never mention LE, either... I haven't traveled that much and was worried about it a bit, but afaik, the plane trips didn't spark anything. Whew!
I still have an encapsulated seratoma in my breast, but it doesn't bother me. I thought it might be bad during a mammo, but it didn't hurt any more than usual!
Scars... are weird. My SNB scar is sunken, but the one on my breast isn't. I have no idea why one is and one isn't, but I'm glad the one on my breast isn't...!
And to answer an older question... I wear underwire bras--have done since my breast recovered from rads... mostly because it's not easy to find wireless bras that fit...! (I have small-sized breasts--Bs)
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ali68 My breast surgeon said I could get a lift and a reduction in my right breast about six months after radiation. My radiated breast is significantly smaller and also a bit lumpy where a seroma is. I hope the seroma is gone by then. I'm looking forward to having both breasts "point" in the same direction. The surgeon told me the insurance would cover it. I still need to confirm that. I figure I'll seek out a plastic surgeon in October and hope he could do the surgery the end of November/early December. It would be a few weeks short of six months but I'd really like to get it on this year's medical expenses.
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Hi all, I had my lumpectomy on May 25 and just completed my 4th radiation treatment. I am new to the forum and just turned 70. My cancer was diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma. My Onco score is 6 and my surgeon said margins and sentInel node were clear.
My right breast is now changing to a light pink color. I have been using Calendula Lotion 2-3 times a day. I am feeling good and one of the toughest things for me is reminding myself to take it easy. I am sure I'll have questions as I go thru this journey but for now am happy to be a member of this forum
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Welcome, Izzy843! I felt pretty good all through rads, too. It's a cumulative effect, so be prepared to get pretty red! Just keep up with the lotion. I had calendula, but also aloe (pure, no added stuff). I totally slathered that on--right after I got up from the table and went in to dress! Do tell you doctor if your skin gets more than red (starts peeling, etc.). There are some other things to use that could help that... I was lucky and didn't need anything more than the calendula and aloe... and some softer, non-wired bras...)
It sounds like you're doing well, though. And although it seems like a lot of rad treatments, you'll be done in no time!
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Yes, welcome Izzy. I, too, had just turned 70 when I had my surgery. I completed my 33 radiation treatments two weeks ago. My skin held up very well - got a little red and I developed a rash but no blistering or peeling. My fatigue was pretty bad but I took little naps in the afternoon.
I'm glad you found your way here. The ladies are full of great information and support.
Best of luck to you.
MJ
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