Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Radiation actually enlarged my breast for awhile (via painlessly enlarging the tumor-cavity seroma); the nipple and lower areola are also a bit thicker. That breast is a little smaller than its pre-surgery size, but rounder and perkier (though still quite large). I looked in the mirror last night and realized the droopy left breast--which had been a cup size larger all along--is half again as big as the right one. Without a bra, it's really noticeable even in pajamas. I am definitely getting that PS consult to reduce it to match. (Maybe I'd be able to wear a DDD or even DD again and buy bras in dept. and discount stores).
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Sandy, that's a huge step for you. I would think you will appreciate being somewhat smaller. I know how difficult it has been for you to buy bras and I would think hard on your shoulders and back. Good luck with whatever you decide. A hard decision
HUGS!
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I completed radiation just over 2 years ago (Dec 23) and I have found that the radiated side is consistently larger than the non radiated breast. It is often sore and I believe swollen. I also feel that it may be swelling related exercising, and the lymph node removal on that side not removing fluid related to exercise. If that makes sense.
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Molliefish, it's possible to have lymphedema in the breast even with only 3 nodes removed. Have you had an LE consult? A compression bra or even a Spanx tank while exercising could help, but manual drainage massage would make a big difference. You might also want to be checked to rule out a hematoma, which can be aspirated.
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No noticeable change to my radiated breast, either. Would say I am medium sized. Very small "divot" where lumpectomy scar is - barely noticeable when breast is naked, appears no different than other breast when clothed. Re: rads - Some itchiness/rash similar to "heat rash" and nipple irritation (managed with prescrip cream w/lidocaine) - but, like Tappermom, the fatigue got me.
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At first my breast did not look any smaller. It was swollen from the surgery and got bigger during radiation. After all the swelling went down I’ve noticed a somewhat small size difference. I feel like it may be shrinking slightly from the radiation but my tumor was pretty large at 3 cm. There is maybe a couple of inches of uneven when braless. With my bra on there’s hardly any difference. I wear molded cups, so the shape is symmetrical.
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Molded cups are "da bomb!" They cover a multitude of irregularities and give a seamless silhouette beneath knits & tees. I was so glad to learn I was down from a 40I to a 40F, because I can finally wear ThirdLove bras (but not in the fashion colors--just shades of "nude").
My main problem, though, is that my shoulders are so round & narrow that the straps fall down, even with ThirdLove's wide straps (except when wearing a "sleep" or "leisure" bra, which "straps" are part of the cup and back). I can't put my bra on with those little round clips that slip on the back of the straps (and I can't put the clips on if I'm wearing the bra). Ditto the "j-hook" racerback-converter option. Those little silicone gripper pads that you slip on to each strap at the shoulder worked great in the store, but work their way loose (one fell out the bottom of my sweater!) after an hour or two. "Fashion tape" holds, but causes blisters. The only thing that seems to work is to run a shoelace or ribbon through the straps just behind my neck, then bring it down halfway down my upper back and tie it (and hope it doesn't show). Back in the late '80s-early '90s, when shoulder pads were in fashion, I'd buy the foam rubber ones--the straps held them in place. Some of my pricier dresses had little sewn-in straps with snaps, to hold the straps in place. But few clothes now have that detail (and by the time I finished sewing them into all the clothes I wear, I'd be in my 80s).
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Can anyone recommend some comfortable yet supportive bras to wear after a lumpectomy or excision all bx?
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Oh Sandy your shoe lace comment reminded me when I was in junior high and high school on the country club some team my definite lack of boobs meant my tank suit straps would fall off my shoulders. This was back in the late 50s and early 60s.i always had a shoe lace in back holding my straps together.. I don't think there were racer back tank suits or bras into years later. This memory made me smile as I had forgotten all about it.
HUGS!
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Hi, Silbar. After lumpectomy or excisional biopsy, you'll likely find it difficult to reach behind your back to fasten a bra or pull one over your head, so you'll want something you can either hook in front or step into. Small-busted women report that Coobie, Genie or knitted Fruit of the Loom bras (from Wal-Mart or Target) work fine and can be stepped into. Sometimes you can find Genies deeply-discounted in the "As Seen on TV" section of CVS or Walgreen's!
Larger-busted women do better with front-hook bras. At first, softer knitted "leisure" bras that hook in front will be more comfortable and supportive enough. Mine were by Leading Lady--available at HerRoom.com, BareNecessities.com, and WomanWithin (fullbeauty.com) and come in a rainbow of colors--even a leopard-print. $25-30. Size 32-52, A/B, C/D/E, or F/G/H. I sometimes still sleep in mine, for a better silhouette under nightwear or tees/PJ pants if I have to open the door for room service while traveling or for the mail or UPS carrier at home.
Once you've healed a bit better, a front-hook or zip sports bra (for small busts, Playtex or Warner's, for larger ones, the pricier Freya, Panache or Goddess ones) will be more supportive due to less stretchiness and more "construction;" if you can reach behind to fasten, LaneBryant's soft-cup Cacique sports bras and Playtex 18-Hour (now in colors and up to DDD) are good--and useful during radiation too. The sports bras will have a "second life" when you feel well enough to work out again. I'm an anomaly--I was back in my regular underwires only a month out.
You might, if you want to kill two birds with one stone, hate bras, and are willing to drop a bit extra, look into Amoena shelf-bra camisoles--which are more easily stepped into even for larger-busted women. They are more supportive and have a degree of compression. And once you're back to wearing regular bras, you can repurpose them as the top half of a "tankini" for swimwear.
Of course, you are likely to be sent home in a front-Velcro-closing, high-backed, plug-ugly white stretch cotton surgical bra. I was a 38 or 40I, but my surgeon managed to stuff me into a size XL! It was that or an Ace bandage. (I've never worn it again and have no idea where it is). If for some reason you like yours and want another in rotation, mine was made by Royce. Finally, there are shirred longline strapless "binders" that close with Velcro and are made in colors & patterns. They don't have even the semblance of a cup. And buy two sizes larger than you think you need. You'll find them on Amazon.
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Post radiation I find my boob has lymphedema in it, which gets worse as the day goes on and is quite miserable by the time I take my bra off. I believe that radiation has different effects on different tissues and since I had a LOT of scarring with my lumpectomy, there are places in my breast that are very hard, very tender, and this has not changed since end of July 2017. The nuked boob is somewhat smaller (shorter is better, it's all about the hang!) and when I lay on my back my regular boob slops into my armpit, but the nuked boob does stand a bit firmer. When I asked my radiation onc about getting a reduction she said to wait a year before looking into it, as changes in breast tissue can continue for up to a year after end of rads.
I fluked into an exercise that hugely reduced the swelling in my armpit, side and ribs. Now I just deal with mild lymphedema in my arm, hand and breast itself. Doing these exercises faithfully has even reduced the arm swelling a lot, however I have not yet found the secret to getting the accumulated fluid out of my breast. At last ultra sound the tech commented that she could see the edema in the breast tissue. I am experimenting with different techniques to try and disperse this. But have found that with this lymphedema, there is no quick cure an you have to stick with something a long time to find out what works.
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Thank you girls on the radiation result replies. I was hoping someone would say their breasts got flatter. I ended up with a pointy BC boob and a flat round boob (after a total reduction on both sides). I can’t understand why the ps didn’t tuck the BC boob in a bit to match the other flatter boob. If I poke in the BC boob just with my finger, it matches. So there seems to be too much skin left just above the nipple that makes it point out and downward. If I press above where excess skin is, it’s perfect. Nothing like having a pointy and a flatty. I thought ps were good at this stuff
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Could be that it's too early to go for symmetry, since it can take up to two years for your operated and radiated breast to "settle out" to its eventual size & shape. That's why my surgeon was dead set against a left reduction at first--in case the plastic surgeon ended up removing a bit too much. But now, 2+ years post-rads, my R breast is ready to be "matched."
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Yes, I know I have to give the healing more time. Healing on blood thinners also takes forever. At my age, it’s not going to matter that much if they aren’t perfectly matched. It just looks like something that was obvious to adjust. I guess I should be happy they (bs & ps) saved my nipples, because they both were telling me prior to the surgery that the BC nipple would not likely be saved due to the tumor being so close behind it. I was never told how they managed to save it, I guess there was enough skin left in between to free the nipple, but it was completely removed. That too made it slightly smaller than my right one which was partially removed. Makes me twinge thinking about it! I think they rushed my surgery too as they had two others prior to mine and it was done at night. They had to be tired - 50s, 60s in age.
I don’t recognize my breasts anymore as it is. According to the bs, I was suppose to be so excited that I would have perky ta tas. (So ridiculous as if I care they are perky?) Now along with my bald head, I feel and look like an old aged beat up alien! If after all this headache, my cancer returns, that will be my calling. I do not want to go through this mess ever again. This cancer better be gone.
Oh - do the radiation oncologist prescribe soothing creams, or our we on our own for skin creams?What is a good OTC cream?
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Also, here’s the Genie bra I found on sale for $5 at Walmart, and it is very comfy and soft. It came with very thin form cups, but I took those out through the slips they have that allows you to do so.
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Thank you, Blair! I think I will go buy a few of these bras in preparation for my lumpectomy on January 5th.
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I have been wearing the Genie bras constantly since biopsy, surgery and now during radiation treatment, I highly recommend.
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Re: Bras - I got a free front closure one from the Boutique at the Hospital Breast Center. Got a couple more online. They were similar to Genie bra only hooks in front. Worked well post-lumpectomy and through radiation. The "regular" bras I wear are very similar to the Genie type bra, as I do not need heavy duty support (nor have I ever been able to tolerate heavy duty bras). I am a throwback to the "go braless" era.
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Wishing all my Lumpy Friends a very Happy New Year. Hope it brings health and healing and loads of love and laughter. And thank you for being my friend and friends to everyone here. It does matter.
HUGS!
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Happy New Year from the Alabama Gulf Coast. We're freezing our noogies off here!
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Thank you all for the support and HUGS. Here's looking forward...2018, may it be a good one for all of us.
Freezing off more than you'll know in upstate NY.
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A tad on the cold side here in Spokane - 17 degrees but a windchill of 10. Better than a lot of other places but still..... Very glad the furry ones like to cuddle! Stay warm, Dear Friends!
HUGS!
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Happy New Year! I had a question for you ladies. I am in the midst of radiation. I will go back to my MO in Feb. As a pre-menopausal woman should I expect anything other than 20 mg Tamox for 5 years? It seems like that is the standard. I am worried about side effects, especially since they don't seem to dose based on your weight... I go to a large teaching hospital in Chicago. I'm just secretly hoping there's some other option/dose that could be a possibility.
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Gigibee, there is a lot of information and discussion about this topic on various hormonal threads here at bc.org.
To sum it up, you will find that it boils down to some very basic bottom lines and the bottom line you take depends on your world view.
Some women say, I have read the science, I believe in science, it says to do X and thus, until someone shows me different, I will do X, just as told, because I believe it to be my best chance.
Other women say, I take the science with a grain of salt and think science gets stuck in its own rigid ruts and stays there for various reasons, so I am going to do what I am most comfortable with and that may or may not be to follow the rules.
At the end of the day both of the above views are gambling. Some feel following the rules as we know them provides you better odds. Some believe that is just so much hype. The tough part is making the decision and living with the outcome, come hell or high water. At the end of the day it is you who lives with side effects (or not) recurrence (or not). These are big questions and it may take some digging and reading to formulate a plan that you are comfortable with. Check out some other threads on hormonals.
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Ladies, how long after surgery till your energy returned? I am so tired of being tired all the time. I worked out yesterday, a small one, and I paid for it the rest of the day and still this am I feel awful. I want my energy back, tired of just wanting to sleep all day. Is it just me? Is it the weather? It's so frustrating, I use to be a go person, now all I do is lay around. I haven't even started Rads yet or the tamoxifen yet.
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thank you Runor. I have been looking at those threads. I’m mostly thinking out loud at this point . Appreciate your response
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vampeyes, physically, my energy returned by at around 15-20 days post op. I was walking with my dog again by day 2 (but short and still wanting naps & spending lots of time on the couch that first week) and then I gradually ramped up; went to zumba on day 18.
Mentally I still feel like I'm exhausted though. I see you had a longish period between diagnosis and lumpectomy. I think that would have drained me from the stress. Maybe talk to your doc or counsellor about it. I'd wonder if this is depression as that can present as just relentless physical exhaustion.
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Hi gigibee--I am premenopausal and have been on tamoxifen since the end of February 2017. It changed my menstrual cycle a little (I get them every 6-7 weeks instead of monthly), and I get some hot flashes here and there mid-cycle. Other than that, it's been totally fine so far. I also wouldn't worry about it not being dosed by weight since it was studied and approved with fixed dosing. I'm on the smaller side (118 pounds), and don't feel like I have severe side effects compared to others. Really truly not at all.
Sharing this to hopefully help you worry less! :-)
vampeyes---my surgery was over a year ago, but I think it took awhile for the energy to return. I had 7 or so weeks between surgery and radiation starting, and I think I was tired that entire time. I didn't start exercising again until radiation was over. I don't think I could have--wouldn't have been comfortable in a sports bra anyway. I didn't wear a bra for months. Anyway, it took enough energy to just get up and go to work everyday. I still don't know how I did that. I didn't want to lose all of my vacation time so I pressed on.
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thank you gb2115! I appreciate your info.
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hi there i was diagnosed with adh (atypical ductal hyperplasia) on 12-4-17 and I just had my lumpectomy this morning. Doc won't speculate whether pathology will come back clean or with cancer, but she initially told me I most likely had adh in other areas of my breast and probaby left one, but mammo only picked up this particular spot since I have extremely dense tissue. Whether I have cancer now or get enrolled in the high risk clinic, my life has forever changed. What a way to start the year.
Trish A.
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