Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Blair, thank you for the information. I was surprised to hear you had reduction before radiation. I was told right at the outset that no surgery for at least a year after radiation to see how the bad boob was going to look and be affected by the rads. So far the effect is the skin is darker, it is smaller (from surgery) but now it is hard and firm (because of the lymphedema in the breast) so it does not slop into my armpit when I lay on my back. In bed at night it looks like I have one, spectacular teenage tit and one 50 odd yearly old floppy mess tit. Not exactly a matched pair. But to my astonishment the node biopsy and lumpectomy scar are practically invisible. The radiation seemed to have cooked off the top layer of skin and when it came back those scars were pretty much gone. Amazing considering my lumpectomy scar was almost 4 inches long.
Veeder, I had a surgical biopsy with a wire guide. Not being a big fan of long needles I was quite concerned that they'd have to do it again for the lumpectomy. No. This time in they just followed the path of the previous surgery, the surgeon had left little metal markers in my boob showing the 4 sides (east, west, north , south, this is not the medical terms but more the global positioning satellite terms) around the surgery site. So if the pathology report said, there was a bad margin on the north side, then she finds the north side marker and scoops out more. So if they placed markers in you, finding where they need to be has been prepared already. Good luck to you!
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2.5 yrs. out, I still have a small numb area and get occasional "zingers:" the last of the nerves that had been cut are reconnecting.
My BS' NP at the time of surgery was a bit of a contrarian: I asked her about those "Reach to Recovery" exercises and she said no--if I did them I'd get cording. I followed her advice and got cording. My OT told me I should have started those exercises a week after surgery. I still do them after every workout. Before surgery I asked the NP if I should have breast reduction, and she frowned and said "let's not go there yet."
Three weeks post-op, I also had my sentinel-node-site incision, which had been glued and just had the steri-strips removed, "dehisce" (pop open) and the axillary seroma (which was the size of a small orange) gushed all over my clothing & bathroom. Called the NP, and she told me to come right up to the surgical offices at the Center for Breast Health. When I got there, she said, "these things happen" (I'd asked her a week earlier if I should get it drained and she advised against it, saying it would only fill up again and get infected). I told her I was leaving in a few days for a conference in Iowa, so could she please have it drained and sutured? "No," she replied, "it has to heal from the inside out, and you will just have to pack it and change the dressings twice a day...for 6 weeks." I told her that wasn't going to happen, and I'd like to see the surgeon. Since my surgeon was in the OR at the time, she called in her partner (who's pretty renowned nationally). He looked at the seroma, grimaced, and said "Let's drain and suture this puppy." I could hear the fluid hissing and squooshing out as he pressed it out and sutured the seroma. I asked what would have happened had he not sutured it, and he said that the weight of my oversized breast would have kept it from closing on its own and I'd probably have had a hole just below my armpit. I asked if I should have had a reduction along with the lumpectomy, and he replied "well, if you'd been my patient..." At the suture-removal appt. I asked the NP again about reduction and she said, "oh, no--you'd only get granulation tissue and more scarring." Shortly thereafter, she was assigned to a different surgeon...and none too soon, IMHO.
So at my last mammo & NP appt. in June, I asked the successor NP about reduction on my visibly larger L breast, and she said I could consider it. When I saw my BS in December, she said "absolutely, as soon as you feel ready" and gave me a referral. (Have to figure out when to block out the time, but definitely this year--but have to get that belly slimmed down a bit first, to look less like Winnie the Pooh).
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Runor - all I know is that my breast surgeon felt that at the same time that the tumor was going to be removed, they would do a reduction since I was so big. She mentioned no other complications about it. If I hadn’t needed chemo, the wait period for the radiation was exactly 12 weeks. That was called healing time. There was a concern whether or not my BC nipple could be saved by both surgeons, but they managed to save it. I was afraid I’d end up with cyclop boobs. The tumor was right behind that left nipple, and it probably had to do with having enough margin space cut out around the tumor as to whether or not the nipple could be saved. Thank goodness, it was clean and cleared.
There’s no telling what radiation will do. Some people say it shrinks, others say it doesn’t. I see my radiation oncologist next week. Originally I was told I’d need 7 weeks of radiation. I’ll keep you all posted about what happens. I don’t want any more surgery, but we’ll see. I think a tuck would be minor surgery. I’ll be almost 70 by the time it all heals and settles down - am I really going to care by then? I don’t know.
ChiSandy - nurse practitioners seem to make things more confusing than of any help in some cases. I wonder if this is really a good idea in the medical field to have them. I had one in a dermatologist office that I liked better than the doctor, but the one you got stuck with wasn’t too smart. However, sounds like you got yourself a good plan ahead.
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hi
Had posted prior to the benefits of herbs and vitamins, my case scenario and what works for me. I have had psoarisis for upward 20 years. The dr. Said it was an auto immune disease, along with diabetes and high blood pressure. All I know is when the body's immune system is lacking, it gives the body no chance of fighting anything off, hence cancer and the above. My sugar is down, and b.p. and my skin is on the way to being clear, after 20 years..
I got the flu, which was a minor inconvenience for about 5 days, but no nausea. I am considered high risk, and was offered tamiflu, but refused, as the body's immune system was doing just fine. I have been on the regimen of a cocktail suggested by a herbalist of 20 years. I have more energy, and even after biopsy, surgery and radiation, by the Grace of God,.i feel great.
I know there are doubters as to what the body is designed to do....heal itself, without meds, and up the immune system, that's what God intended.
After I found the lump, my vision in life changed, my direction, and the important things are priority. So I came to a bump in the road, just go over it, and come out of it smiling. One less hurdle.
.
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Blair, I hope all goes well with radiation. Well, as well as can be expected considering that you are getting ... you know ... radiated.
ChiSandy, I hasten to remind you that Winnie the Pooh is a much loved character. Perhaps you should buy a too short, midriff-bearing red t-shirt and embrace your new look. Let me know how that works out because without my monster boobs I will be all gut too!
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I did not have clear margins either. I had two areas of concern. I was told they would not have to do re-mapping because they know now exactly where the areas in question are located.
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CindyNY - I get the same type of pains your describing. Fast and sharp. I am trying to do yoga, but find that laying on the floor on my front side is still uncomfortable too. My Lumpectomy was 10/3/17. My first mamo is supposed to be in May.
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Hi bella2013,
I'm wondering how the surgeon finds the areas that need better margins? My tumor was only found on MRI so would I have to repeat the MRI again or use the one that that was done for the original lumpectomy? By now the tumor must be really small, mostly gone. I'll ask this morning at my appointment. The lymph node mapping wouldn't need to be done again because that isn't being redone.
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hi all.
During one of my radiations, I was face down, with just the breast getting radiated, and I had like a lightening bolt shoot through my back. I was about to jump off the table, and the radiologists asked if I was ok. No, not if i felt like I was being shocked...no explanation...
Blessings
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I’m going for a follow-up diagnostic mammogram today as the radiologist found an area of concern in my non-BC breast two weeks ago. I wish they had just jumped to an MRI as my tissue is so dense. My mammos in 2016 were inconclusive, which sent me to the MRI. But I guess they have a certain protocol they have to follow.
Wish me luck!
MJ
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Good luck MJ, may the radiologist have clear eyes and find absolutely nothing!
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reexcision - no diagnostic testing. The surgeon is told where he/she needs to take more tissue from (Anterior, posterior, other). After the original LX the body fills that cavity with fluid (so I'm told) and its easy for them to go right back thru first incision to get the tissue needed. I had no retesting, 2nd LX was scheduled 5 days after biopsy results were in. Vedder you'll be in my thoughts & prayers. You got this!
Laying on chest for chiropractor was ok, not great. Afterwards breast hurt & felt hard. Won't be doing that again for a while.
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Veeder, my surgeon explained to me that when the tumor is removed, there is a detailed process of placing the tumor and labeling the position (as it was in your breast) for the pathologist. They use terms like anterior, posterior, inferior, etc. to describe the position of the tumor. When the pathology report comes back with any suspicious areas in the margins, the surgeon knows exactly where he needs to go to clean up the margins.
Hope that helps..
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Thanks bella2013,
It's strange because the surgeon and the reports says, clear margins. When the report mentions positive margins, the surgeon explained it was referring to margin of a smaller area inside of the larger cancer area. But the outside margins of the tumor were clear.
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The radiologist has recommended a stereotactic biopsy due to a cluster of microcalcifications behind the nipple of my left breast. So now I wait for the authorization and appointment.
MJ
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Veeder, it's the outer margins that count.
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I am thinking when they do the biopsy. They inserted markers inside the breast during the biopsy.
Blessings
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I thought the markers were just for surgery, but do they keep them in for radiation too, or are they removed during surgery for good?
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yes.
Markers are a guide for surgery..then the surgeon is going beyond those markers for a clear margin. I asked the surgeon what the tumor looked like, she said it was encased in fat. Lol
I asked if the markers were still in..she said she didn't know
So I guess the markers are there or not..maybe they can tell me at mammo.
Blessings
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My titanium marker was removed during the lumpectomy.
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My last mammo (Dec 2017) looked like someone had shot me in the boob with a shotgun. The tech said she could count 12 markers but there might be more that were not in the picture. I sometimes wonder if these things don't cause pain. How anyone will ever make sense of that mess is a good question.
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As far as I know my marker was also removed during surgery.
Tappermom38- prayers for it all to be B9. HUGS!
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I have a question for the women taking Tamoxifen. After engaging in sex my with my husband my uterus aches afterward for up to a week. I can feel it throbbing almost like menstraul cramps. It even hurts when I sit down. This is making me paranoid that something is wrong down there. But sometimes I don't have any discomfort after sex. I know that Tamoxifen can cause uterine cancer but I've only been taking it since around September. I did read that pelvic pain was listed as a side effect.
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Question ladies,
I have a decision to make based on 2 doctors' opinions. Some background first: I finished main chemo in November, had the lumpectomy w/2 axillary lymph nodes removed on 1/4/18 (all negative) and am trying to decide how much to radiate. Still taking Herceptin every 3 weeks until June.
First RO told me about lymph nodes (axillary, supraclavicular, and internal mammory), but says that "he" wants the breast and the axillary to get the treatments, not the supra or the internal mam. He believes that the latter two are more than I need.
The second RO told me pretty much the same thing, but went on to say that there is absolutely no way to know that there aren't any microscopic cancer cells in the latter two. This doctor recommends radiation for all three plus the breast. She went on to remind me that the positive lymph node that they biopsied was measured at 3.5 cm as opposed to the main tumor (in the breast) at around 2 cm. Also the Pet scan that I had right before beginning chemo showed nothing else, but she said that isn't always conclusive.
I'm leaning towards the second opinion but, I'm wondering if that's possible (microscopic cancer cells in more places).
My question is, have any of you heard this and what are your thoughts please?
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Shockedat48, talk to your doctor. I hate how paranoid cancer makes us. If we over-react we're being hypochondriacs. If we don't react and something gets away on us, we were negligent and stupid for not acting sooner. There is no way to win! It doesn't matter if your pain is caused by tamoxifen or not, it is a problem, it is something you are concerned about, so tell your doc. If you didn't have cancer and sex suddenly became painful you'd want to know why. I think being as young as you are this is not something to ignore. I think our docs need to hear there are problems and react to them! Good luck to you.
Sweetp, there is always the chance there are a few leftover cancer cells, thus radiation.
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I’m new to all this and to the website. I’ve been reading many of the posts and have found a lot of helpful info.
I had a lumpectomy almost 4 weeks ago. No problems until this morning. Seems to be some hardness and a little swelling around my incision site. I’ve got a call in to doctors office but wouldn’t you know it’s Saturday.
Anyone else experience this
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I had my lumpectomy 2 weeks ago and I can already see hardness near but not on the incision, I don't know if that's just swelling since it hasn't been that long. Hopefully, your call to the doctor will get returned, do they have an after hours number? Surgeon's offices should.
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She called in a prescription for an antibiotic and I have an appointment Monday morning.
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Camerakim,
I also had chemo 1st, (cytoxan and taxatere).i had a choice since being diagnosed of either the lumpectomy or mastectomy. The chemo shrunk the mass down by 75%, I worried still about clean margins with the lumpectomy, but the plastic surgeon suggested letting the BS take more area around the tumor and then he could come in and do the reconstruction, (I’m a 34a) so we decided to do a lattisamus flap reconstruction to fill in. One thing that did happen is when the breast surgeon went in,the tumor did end up being bigger than we thought, even with all the ultrasounds and mri . I was glad that I went ahead and had the plastic surgeon after to clean up. So far so good, the margins did come back clean, but I still have worries since I also have dense breast tissue. Next up is radiation.
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It's been 4 weeks since my surgery. All of a sudden yesterday the area of the incision is swollen and red. Should I be worried. Did I over do it?
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