Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I'd also suggest staying in the area. If you don't feel quite right, you are far more likely to make the phone call, or take the drive if the hospital is quite nearby. I planned my lumpectomy in the afternoon, which gave me the privilege of staying overnight. Yes, insurance payment rules do allow late-day day-op patients to stay up to 24 hours. I'm a little weird in that I feel much safer in the hospital until I know exactly how I'm feeling, and for me that takes more than a few minutes after I wake up.
If you have any of my weirdness, do keep in mind that just because the nurse or resident comes by and says you can go home, that does not mean you need to jump up and dash out. If you're feeling sleepy or uncomfortable, or even lazy, you can rest a while longer.
As for pain meds, I used the strong stuff the first day, then Tylenol or whatever, and one narcotic pill the second night. That was it. I finally threw the very overdated pills out a month or so ago.
That's interesting news about the police report if you return the pills. I'd think that would discourage a lot of returns.
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Biozorb and Savi Scout
Hi ladies, I am planning to have a lumpectomy done in about 3 weeks. The surgeons I have met with mentioned a couple of implanted devices that would help with the precision and marking of the tumor. Has anyone had experience with Biozorb or Savi Scout? These are fairly new as I've noticed not very many women in my support groups have even heard of them. Thank you!
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Hi--I have a Biozorb implant. About 25% of my breast was removed. It's been 2 months, and I think it looks pretty good! Healing up very nicely. No problems. Good luck with everything!
Dee
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Excellent suggestions, all. I'll be compiling them into a list and will be prepared - thanks to you and to my cousin who's been through this rodeo recently (different cancer, same surgery). I'll make sure to get the pain meds - especially for the ride home; and no worries about bathtubs I use a shower and it's big enough to party in, so my husband is in there with me and he's great post-surgery. I've ordered a new super soft comfort bra (Carol Martin cotton) that closes in front and which I used after rotator cuff surgery - I can shimmy into it without hassle; I'll have one my size and one a size larger in case of drain or swelling. I plan to get through this, and on with my life but I know that, realistically thinking, I have to get through this step...then treatment...and THEN life, but we're sprinkling life in between.
Again, thank you thank you!
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you're welcome you're welcome!
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I also have a BioZorb implant, put in one month ago. I had a good amount of tissue removed, so otherwise my breast would have looked disfigured. Plus, because it closes the tumor cavity, having the BioZorb makes it a lot easier for the radiologist to know where to aim the radiation for the boost. Newer technology, but a great innovation for breast cancer.Very grateful to have it, thanks to my outstanding surgeon.
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Wish my cancer center had it back in 2015. It does now.
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Experience with Biozorb is limited. For one, it will not necessarily resorb within the one year it is supposed to. There are no longterm studies on if it interferes with mammograms if it does not resorb, or causes more pain
Here is a thread on BCO which includes descriptions of good and bad. I am having regrets I got suckered into it. I have daily pain at the Biozorb site and it is not getting smaller. My BS is blowing my sxs off and was angry when I brought it up.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/68/topics/860299?page=1#post_5186802
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anyone here with ILC that opted for a lumpectomy vs mastectomy? They don’t seem like the popular option when dealing with this cancer. What was your reasoning? I am torn between the two options. I have my mri this coming week but I’ve been told that an mri isn’t always reliable when dealing with ILC. I also do not know any genetic factors yet, hopefully that’s test will be sometime this week too
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SLL, I had a lumpectomy for my ILC & am glad I did. (MRIs aren't perfect but mine did provide more information that either the mammogram or ultrasound.) My BS felt that lumpectomy plus radiation would give me the same odds as a mastectomy & that was what I wanted to hear. Both my treatment & recovery were quick & uneventful (I completed surgery & SAVI radiation in less than 3 weeks & required only a few OTC painkillers). I took long walks every day of treatment & began gentle stretches & strength exercises (from my LE PT) immediately after my SAVI was removed. I took a trip about a month after surgery & was back in the gym shortly after that. Getting back to my life quickly definitely helped me move forward mentally.
As my BS told me, I can always have a mastectomy in the future. And it helped tremendously that I had a lot of confidence in my BS & RO & that they both felt the lumpectomy/radiation route was sufficient treatment. There's no right or wrong decision to be made - just decide what feels most comfortable for you & don't look back. There are other threads on this site where this issue has been discussed. Perhaps reading some of those would help you. Best of luck; you've got this!
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sl101984- my surgeon felt that a mastectomy would be the same as a lumpectomy plus radiation. I chose the lumpectomy with radiation because the idea was somehow less scary to me than a mastectomy. What’s most important is that you choose the course that feels best (well, ok, least awful) to you. Sending you energy and confidence
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I had a lumpectomy for ILC in 1999. Now 19 years later I have been diagnosed with ILC in the other breast. My first thought was to just have a double mastectomy, but then as I calmed down and thought about it I will have a lumpectomy this Thursday. The recovery time is less and it seemed to work well last time. I think I am fortunate enough to have big enough breasts that lumpectomy is an option. And now maybe both breasts will be the same size - bonus!
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Prairiedog - Agree with you on much easier recovery with another lumpectomy. Wishing you well and in your pocket for Thursday.
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thank you ladies for your input! I just met with my surgeon on Friday and she explained the same thing, my lump is small enough that I would get the same recurrence rate with lumpectomy and radiation as I would with a mastectomy. Of course I haven’t had an mri yet so.....
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I had my mammogram 8 months after radiation ended. (Stage 1A Grade 3 HER+) I went to my radiologist/oncologist a week later and he told me that my breast was pink and warm to the touch (The mammogram was normal by the way). He put me on Keflex 250 mg. 4 x daily. It didn't work. I saw my surgeon who put me on Keflex 500 mg. 3 x per day - it didn't work. My breast swelling goes down when I lie in bed at night and it gets cooler. Surgeon tried needle aspiration (5 times) in the office. Didn't get anything out. Sent a sample for a culture which came back negative. I saw my oncologist and he prescribed Levaquin (500 mg 1 x per day). That didn't work. Had an ultrasound that showed I had a cyst or abscess on the lumpectomy scar (7 cm). This all happened after the mammogram. Now my surgeon wants to do a biopsy of my breast skin and a core biopsy of the "cyst". If it's a cyst, why would they do a core biopsy? I had played this waiting game last year when I got breast cancer and now it's the same thing over again. I'm waiting for them to set up the biopsy appointment now. I just keep wondering when this nightmare is going to end. Asked my surgeon if the mammogram caused this and he said it was just a coincidence. (My oncologist seemed to think there were germs on the mammogram machine). I am a complete emotional wreck over this. They have the diagnosis as cellulitis and another doctor called it a seroma. Am not taking antibiotics for now. The surgeon wanted to use general anesthesia for the biopsy and I told him absolutely not. I did the first biopsy without it. He claimed that I had anxiety. He's now going to give me a form of "twilight" sleep while doing the procedure. They've got me on Xanax and I'm still a nervous wreck. Has anyone had this happen to them a year after their surgery? Of course I can't get any answers from anyone and have to Google everything (which is not good either).
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The biopsy would probably include a culture--which would indicate "the right drug for the right bug." Don't sweat the "twilight sleep" (aka "conscious sedation")--after the med (probably propofol) is injected into your I.V. you will seemingly immediately wake up with no memory of the procedure. They don't call it "milk of amnesia" for nothing. (had it several times for colonoscopies, upper endoscopies and even--I suspect--part of my cataract surgeries, because even though I recall the beginning of the procedures, next thing I knew I was in the recovery room--and the surgery takes at least 20-40 minutes).
I had a swollen seroma for nearly 8-10 mos. post-radiation--at times it felt quite warm, worse during the day but better once I lay down for the night with a Swell Spot pad in my leisure bra. The pad was given to me by my lymphedema therapist, and as it eventually worked and my breast became "normal" again I suspect I might have had a touch of breast LE, not just arm LE. That your symptoms are gravity-related (when lying down, you feel better and the breast is cooler because the lymph fluid is flowing back towards your axillary nodes) suggests maybe you should ask about a lymphedema evaluation. (I know, "when you've just got a new hammer everything looks like a nail;" but since one of the goals of treating LE is to prevent infections & cellulitis, it wouldn't hurt to bring up the subject).
I will tell you, though, that even after the pain, swelling & redness abated, my operated breast and the side of my trunk felt much warmer than the other one. Same thing for each knee long after my replacement surgeries. No infections either way--but when a body part is cut and sewn and zapped, no surprise that it may "rebel" for quite a while.
Radiation can be the gift that keeps on giving for awhile--mine was the short, targeted protocol, but your profile indicates you had "the full Monty." It's likely that contributed to your breast swelling. So I would be less concerned that there's a recurrence than about determining the cause of and then managing & alleviating your symptoms.
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ChiSandy, thank you for the information. You've eased my mind considerably. Now it's the waiting game again. I'll know by tomorrow when they're going to schedule it. I don't feel bad at all physically, just emotionally, but this will pass. Thanks again.
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I agree with ChiSandy that a minimal lymphedema activity might be in play. Like Sandy, I had what was probably a, "subclinical" breast lymphedema--too inconsequential for my surgeon to mention, and possibly pretty much expected. I'm sure it was certain to resolve on its own, but was just enough that a lymphedema therapist was able to not only reduce the minimal swelling, but also give me lots and lots of confidence. This particular lady was on a mission to have every breast surgery patient offered a lymphedema risk assessment. I saw her because of cording, but was amazed at how generally helpful she was and, yes, I'm on board with her mission. I encourage you to ask for a referral.
Of course you're anxious. Aren't we all? I'd be looking for a more valid reason for the twilight sleep. Perhaps because the first biopsy was of a solid mass and this one is of a squishy area? If your surgeon, when pressed, cannot offer a reasonable explanation, perhaps a chat with your primary care doc?
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I had a Lumpectomy this past Tuesday. I feel great, no pain, no concerns. If I ever have to go through the 4 shots of the radioactive stuff to watch it drain into my lymphatic system it would be too soon. That was the absolute worse thing I ever have gone through, burns like fire for about 30 seconds then not bad. Surgery was a piece of cake, have not had to take any pain meds. Now it's waiting for the results, the surgeon said a week, meaning 2 more days or another week. . . . . The surgeon said that everything went well and she thought she got good borders. 2 lymph nodes were removed. Waiting is the worst, you can dream up all kinds of bad ideas. Well, heaars to waiting and not being able to do anything about it!
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Why "twilight sleep" for LMS? I will say that I had only a local (lidocaine) for my core-needle biopsy (plus the half a Valium I took before leaving the house--someone drove me). But my radiologist was exploring "virgin territory:" there had never been any prior procedures in the region of my tumor. In LMS' case, they're biopsying the area around & beneath the scar, which had already been surgically explored and might be much more sensitive. Also, I was totally asymptomatic--my biopsy was for something non-palpable that showed up only on routine and then diagnostic imaging. LMS is complaining of inflammatory symptoms--distinctly uncomfortable. So it's entirely reasonable to offer her (and recommend) the chance to be "out" when poking around an area that already hurts.
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ChriSandy - My surgeon wanted general anesthesia at first! I told him absolutely not. He's doing the twilight sleep as I have a lot of anxiety and he doesn't want me moving around. The ultrasound showed a cyst or possibly an abscess on the lumpectomy scar. I think the cyst was already there and the mammogram squished it open. This all happened after the mammogram. I will find out today when they have me scheduled. Right now they've got me on Xanax for the anxiety. I've had generalized anxiety for quite a long time now and this certainly doesn't help it. He did say he's 95% sure that it's not IBC. I think that IBC would be hard and swollen all the time. My birad from my mammogram said 3 (they didn't use to put that on the report). He's going to do an IV drip of antibiotics as well and do a biopsy on my breast skin. When I touch the skin, I can see "normal" white underneath it. This is so strange. I think the radiologist just cooked me a little too much.
I am so grateful I have this site to go to. No one seems to understand what we go through.
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has anyone in here opted for a lumpectomy even after testing positve for the BRCA genes?
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Sll101984-
I tested positive shortly after the lumpectomy. Not sure if having the knowledge of being brca2positive would have changed my decision. I was referred to the cancer genetics specialist at Dana Farber who said although the ovaries need to go asap, I can keep my breasts. She feels that with alternating diagnostic mammogram and mri every 6 months they will be able to catch a recurrence at an early stage. I am comfortable with this decision.
That said, it seems to me that most people with a BRCA mutation that I have read about choose bmx. My sister who also tested positive and did not even have breast cancer had a bmx. She said she would not be able to go for scans every six months without going crazy with worry. I think one needs to weigh their risks and options, and then go with what they are most comfortable with.
It is not an easy section to make. I wish you the best
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Capecodgirl- thanks for the response
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LMS, the fact that your skin blanches when you press on it tells me it's not IBC nor probably even cellulitis but rather either lymphedema or regular edema. When you stop pressing, how long does your skin take to spring back and get red/pink again?
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ChiSandy - it's only a couple of seconds of whiteness when I press on it. I'm having the aspiration done, a punch biopsy and possibly a core biopsy on Monday. They're going to give me MAC anesthesia so I won't be awake. After my lumpectomy, the tumor only showed less than 20 atypical cells but of course I'm slightly worried. What is so strange is I really think this had something to do with the mammogram, as I only had pink skin before, then this started happening a week later. Thanks for the encouragement.
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Hello ladies. ChiSandy, so good to still find you here. I can't remember the last time I visited.
I just passed my one year anniversary after diagnosis and treatment. The only real news is that I added Wellbutrin a few months ago to see if it helped some of the side effects of Anastrozole. It has helped and I feel more even keeled, less achy joints and have even started to slowly lose weight.
After a year, I can finally say I have found my new normal. I do feel like something more than a tumor was taken from me. Probably my naïveté!
I am revisiting today to ask about your experience with pain in that breast, out of the blue, for the last two days. Generalized pain, but pretty intense. At one point today I had to take a break just to go hold my boob firmly to try to reduce the pain.
Have tried all my different bras. No idea what's going on. Not really worried. I have had short spells of pain and know it's common. But non stop for two days?!
I am putting off talking to my doc. I hate to go looking for trouble. I know you all are the best resource for what's common or uncommon.
What say you?
Robin
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I get it too--yesterday in the "good" breast as well. It seems to happen more often during the first part of a massive storm, when the barometer drops. You probably still have somewhat of a seroma (it sometimes never fully resorbs). Pressure from the fluid inside is >atmospheric pressure from the outside. But my mammos are always clear. (My breasts are pretty fatty, so no need to follow up with US or MRI).
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That’s why I count on you!
Tonight we had big storms with hail and tornadoes in the vicinity!
Never would have thought if that!
Thanks
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Chisandy and Robin, this is going to have to be something that I pay more attention to: weather related boob pain. I can see myself, an old granny in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe and gripping my tit as the youngsters say "Must be a storm coming, Granny's gripping her boob!"
But seriously, I have constant boob pain, it has not gone away, well, since I got tired of the dull ache that I had been experiencing non stop for many months in 2016, which resulted in the mamm of Dec 2016, which lead to other things that made 2017 The Year That Seriously Sucked. I've had relentless breast pain for almost 2 years now, before, during and after surgery! What bothers me is that the pain is NOT at the surgery site but in unrelated areas of my boob! I do have quite pronounced lymphedema in the breast (it is miserable!) the fluid in the tissues shows up on ultrasound. So it makes sense that this 'stuck' fluid could cause pressure and pain with barometric pressure changes. My boob has its own weather pattern and storm front. Who knew!
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