Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I’d spurn reconstruction so long as I got a lipo & tummy-tuck too. Rather be evenly flat than look like Winnie the Pooh.
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You crack me up ChiSandy! I feel the same way, don't want my tummy sticking out farther than the girls.
Jo
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Hi everyone. I continue to feel better from surgery August 10, but without exercise, I just can't seem to sleep well, so I'm hoping to take a long, slower than normal walk tomorrow. It's funny how you notice even a tiny bit of bouncing when you've got sore areas.
Now the wait onpathology results weighs in me, but I'm trying to take advantage of knowing I got through surgery and I'm healing from that much.
A friend picked me up yesterday and we went to another friend's house for dinner, which was grilled salmon and veges and fruit, so all healthy. Thank goodness for friends! And thank goodness for this site and all the information available!
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Walking was just what I needed two days post-op--just to the Whole Foods & back (a block each way); next day, 1/4 mi. to brunch, 1/4 mi. to the beach and half a mile home. You're making a great start. Baby steps
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I'm up and moving about a bit this morning, still working on my coffee, but I've noticed my arm "zinging" a lot. Is this normal? Maybe some nerves were hit during the SNB and are repairing? The general sore muscle feeling is somewhat better, but it wasn't crazy bad to begin with and I've been slowly stretching it every now and then.
Goodness I'm glad I have a place to ask all my questions....
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Hi Brightness --so nice to be on this side of surgery, isn't it? I had lots of weird stuff on the side with the SNB -- still have completely weird pain in the arm on that side, as if there had been an incision in the arm itself, but of course there's nothing there! They touch a lot of nerves with the SNB so they say it can take a while for those nerves to relax. My PT suggested that beside gentle reaching movements so you don't get frozen dinosaur arms, I take a wash cloth and very gently rub there a few minutes a day to help the the nerves "remap" to normal -- I guess they "know" that they should be feeling the towel so it helps reeducate them to real sensations vs phantom ones. As for sleep -- that has been my hardest thing. Between the pain of getting comfortable around three deifferent incision points and particularly the SNB -- and the vicious night sweats I have because I suddenly went off the pill when I was diagnosed, I cannot fall asleep or, when I do, sleep through the night. It's been weeks. and weeks, I feel likeI did when I had a newborn. My advice-- do NOT be afraid or shy about asking for sleeping pills. Or anything else you need. There are no points for going through this stoically -- let's all just get through it! f
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Brightness, I'm still zinging and my surgery was on March 31. Asked my RO about it and she said those are still nerves regenerating; added it could go on for several more months. It's not terrible but sure does catch me by surprise. I can't help but jump and yelp!
MJ
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Brightness, I didn't have zingers with my SLNB site but I had no feeling for about 13 months. It came back very gradually. My BS said whatever feeling you have after a year is what you'll have forever. I proved her wrong. I think there is still some difference between the good and bad underarms but not enough to bother with. I had awful zingers with surgery on my ureter. Eventually (after it had completely healed! Important), I was able to use Zostrix on it and that calmed them down. My boss at the time used it for groin hernia zingers that were driving him nuts. He got some on his manly part and that was definitely not a good thing. Gotta be careful with it. But it works. Keep up the gentle stretching of your bad arm/side. Something you may want to do forever - I do it when I get up in the morning really good. Seems to help a whole lot.
BTW, be sure to update your profile (and make it all public) when you get your path reports.
HUGS!
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I had pretty bad zingers following my LX. Lasted about a year. Now it's just numb under the arm.
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I, too, have had a lumpectomy. I haven't had any other treatments at this time. I get shooting pains on the opposite side of my breast than where the incision is, also. Hmmmm?
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My zingers are decreasing, as is the general discomfort. Now waiting for the pathology report is weighing down on me. This whole ordeal is just sucky. I want to be normal. I don't want to face whatever treatment is coming my way. I hope for the best, that I won't need chemo, then I read about the amazing women here who have gone through so much more and I feel guilty.
Ugh, sorry. My emotions are running wild this morning, I suppose I should go take a walk. Maybe that will make me feel better.
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A walk is always a good idea, brightness! And I know what you mean about the guilt. I have friends right here in my community going through much worse than I did. But that doesn't make our ordeals any less terrible!
Before you know it, you will feel normal again. It might not be exactly the same but wouldn't that be boring? It was only five months ago that I was diagnosed; today my active treatments are behind me and I often forget I even had BC. Then I get a zinger!
MJ
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Had my lumpectomy this morning, back home and doing okay. I had almost no sleep last night, so I slept for a little bit as soon as I got home. I don't have much pain at the site but for some reason my back is hurting, especially if I try to lay propped up in bed on pillows. I just can't seem to get comfortable. I have a very tight binder around my chest, maybe that's causing it? If I stand up and walk around it's fine, but I don't want to stand up and walk around! Lol
FleurDeLis49, how's my fellow Carolina girl?
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queen of wands, glad to hear it went well. Here's to a happy healing process!
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Queenofwand, good to hear all went well. I always have some back pain after surgery. Doctor explained that those operating tables are not padded and that can cause temporary back pain. Hope you get your plan in place soon. The waiting is the worse part right now.
Jo
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Hi ladies, I finally got my Oncotype DX results back last week (but then went out of town and forgot to get online and tell you all) , good news, my score was a 5. So that means I will going thru radiation (no chemo) and then taking Tamoxifen for 5 years. I have an appt with the Radiologist this Friday. Kids are starting school next Monday, so I think the timing of starting radiation will be good (there never seems to be good timing with anything when it comes to cancer), Im hoping of getting appointments in the morning so I can drive to the hospital after dropping them off at school.
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SuzyFL: Congratulations on your low Oncotype test
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Chi Sandy..Ilive in Dayton..treated at Kettering Medical Center Cancer Pavilion. Just read your reply...have not had radiation, and side effects of hormone therapy are bad for me...so doing nothing...just lumpectomy last October. Otncotype dx was 8....recent blood test 27-29? was 12....and Dr. told me anything under 38 is normal...no cancer. Does anyone know what that blood test actually looks for? I was happy with low score tho.
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Suzy, yay for the low ODX score! CCtoo, you as well. Hope your gamble pays off. What “blood test” are you referring to? Tumor markers? They don’t do them at my cancer center for early-stagers. Estrogen levels? My MO said that they’re not measured here either unless there’s a suspicion that the body isn’t metabolizing the anti-hormonals.
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Sandy, do you think the joint issues are from hormonal therapy? Had a friend have joint issues badly until she got off the Arimidex and Aromasin. This is why I do nothing. I will be 81 on the 25th, so quality of life now more important than quantity. And onco was 8, and tumor markers? Blood test very good....Had great surgeon...clear margins and still have most of my breast...I requested ultrasound Instead of mammogram as am deathly afraid of them....believe they spread my tumor to nodes...one tiny bit in first sentenal node, but others clear......each day thankful. Had Idc, dcis, and one positive node in surgery, but not in biopsy......incidentally,. No one ever guesses my age!! So grateful.
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Think it was tumor markers.not taking anti hormonals....score was 12.last one was 13. Test was called 27-29.
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Joint pain is the most common side effect of aromatase inhibitors. Mammograms do NOT “spread” tumors—they’re just X-rays. Don't know where you got that idea. Ultrasounds are more accurate for dense breasts, but mammos show calcifications more clearly and can pick up spiculations that ultrasounds don’t.
If I were diagnosed at 81, I’d want my quality of life to be optimal—after getting the tumor out, that would be my priority. I don’t blame you for turning down anti-hormonals. And they don’t radiate early-stage tumors after age 70 anymore. Maybe they’re doing tumor markers to make sure that your decision to do only surgery doesn’t lead to mets…but with an Oncotype of 8, you’d likely live to 100 before any leftover cells migrate and become mets.
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Suzy, yay to no chemo! I hope radiation goes smoothly.
CCtoo, it is all confusing, isn't it?
My doctor said they probably wouldn't do an oncotype or mammaprint on me because my initial ER/PR was so low (<5). At least, that's if I understood her correctly,They also said I may not need chemo. Is this the reason? At any rate, decisions about treatment plan will be based on the new pathology report anyway. My initial doctor interpreted my ER/PR as negative, but the new doctors said they may have considered it positive. Also, I was determined to be her2 negative by the original ISH, but they went ahead and did a fish test which determined me to be her2 positive. Again, the new doctors are starting all over with the pathology from the surgery. Being patient while waiting for results is not easy, as you all know.
This is a whole new world of info I never wanted to learn...
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Brightness, I’ve never heard of anyone ER-/PR-/HER2+ being able to skip chemo, because targeted therapy (Herceptin, Perjeta) has to be administered with chemo, then continued for a year. There is a new pill for HER2+ cancer, but it is prescribed only after finishing Herceptin or Perjeta. The only people I’ve seen thus far able to take Herceptin without chemo are those in a trial. Might you be one?
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Sandy, I'm a 70-year-old with an early-stage tumor who did have radiation treatments. Maybe because I had just turned 70. I was afraid I'd have to fight for it but my surgeon recommended it and my age never was a topic of discussion with my RO. I'm glad because I wanted to throw everything at this beast.
MJ
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Moved from chemo forum to here since i am scheduled for lumpectomy with axillary node dissection on 5th sept.
I have been reading some last page posts (there are over 850+ in here) and getting some info in terms of what to expect.
My tumor shrank to 1.4 cm from 3.7 with neoadjuvant chemo so my BS told me they will put a wire before to help him locate it
Since its on my right side , and i am right handed hopefully the surgery doesn't effect my right side much. Fingers crossed
Any useful tips appreciated :-) God Bless us all !
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BCFighter, welcome! Glad you got through chemo. That seems to be quite a significant shrinkage of your tumor! I had my wire put in just before surgery (like an hour or so before). You should be able to use your right arm for light tasks - no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk and even that didn't feel good to me. But you should be able write and type. If you can, take a few days off to let your body start healing from this major surgery (and it is). You'll want lots of ice, Tylenol and whatever painkiller they prescribe (though many of us including me, didn't need more than Tylenol), a small pillow. Your SLN site will likely be most annoying. And that annoyance lasts the longest. You'd think it would be the breast hurting, and it does, but I didn't think about the underarm being an issue. All my sleeveless blouses, some of my tops with sleeves all managed to irritate that site. Since you are having a dissection make sure to get a referral to a lympedema therapist. Prevention is definitely good in this case. Wear something on top that buttons since you probably will not want to raise your arm to put something on over your head.
Others will chime in with things that worked for them. Keep asking your questions.
HUGS!
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chisandy, I think my new doctors are saying they don't see me as ER/PR - and her2 +. They are saying they would have interpreted the pathology as ER/PR + (<5 is still not 0) and her2-, since the ISH test was 1+, which would not normally indicate a fish analysis was needed. That's why they said we should start over and be sure we base the treatment plan on a good report.At any rate, the new pathology report will be based on a larger sample, since it is from the lumpectomy, so it should be more accurate.
I could be confused a bit because it's so emotional, but I think I'm stating it accurately.
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Brightness, My understanding is that the path report from the lumpectomy sample is considered more accurate. So starting over is correct. Fingers crossed. (BTW, you might update your profile and make all those changes public
)HUGS!
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Peggy, I figured I'd wait until I get my results, then try to update (I'm not so tech yet, so it's a bit of a challenge). Hopefully it won't really take 10 days and hopefully my news will be good. This is super stressful....
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