Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Besides the button-up shirt, go for comfort all around: pull-on loose sweats and step-in sandals or loafers so you need to move your arms as little as possible. Ditto on filling the pain med script in advance. If you end up not needing it, and you don't want it in your house for any reason, most pharmacies have secure disposal facilities now (no forms to have to fill out). The quantity of pills you'll be issued--and no refills--is small enough and cheap enough (generic) that you won't be wasting money if you need to dispose of them. I wasn't even offered a script, and after one squirt of Fentanyl into my IV when I woke up, all they gave me before discharging me was 2 regular Tylenol. At home, I got by with Extra Strength Tylenol and icing. Your mileage may vary.
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Welcome Zarah57. As everyone here said to me when I found this website in early April, I’m sorry you are in this situation but you’ve found the most supportive and informative bunch of people anyone could possibly wish for. Like you I had a small (5mm) tumor and IDC (invasive duct all carcinoma). Had my lumpectomy in early April and am right now smack dab in the middle of SAVI brachytherapy which is going well. I have a second meeting with my MO June 7 when I’ll find out the oncotype score and what drug therapy I’ll be on (I’m single receptor - ER+ PR- HER2-).
I second everything everyone else has advised. The small pillow and a cold gel pack are invaluable - my patient navigator gave me a little heart shaped pillow which I silently thought silly but it was my best friend. I tucked that under my arm with the gel pack underneath and it really kept me comfortable.
Definitely get the prescription filled in advance. I used the meds a few days and then saved them only in case I needed them this week during SAVI radiation (I did, but just twice). I was pretty puky after the lumpectomy, but that’s me and anesthesia, so we made sure to have plain yogurt and some good whole grain crackers on hand along with ginger ale and ginger tea and i was fine.
We live 2 hours from my cancer team so we stayed in a hotel after the lumpectomy - i absolutely advise this if you’re more than an hour from home from surgery. No car ride, no cooking (we had room service), a good night’s sleep, and the comfort of being in proximity to my doctor. Just in case.
Definitely do whatever arm stretches your surgeon suggests - you want to prevent frozen shoulder.
I quizzed my surgeon about the oncotype test but she rightly reminded me that that’s up to the medical oncologist (and my MO did ultimately order it).
Scour the discussions here for relevant conversations and mark them as favorites. I’ve found enormous comfort in connecting with women who have exactly “my” cancer (single receptor) or who are undergoing or have undergone the same treatment(s). You’ll find a lot of friends and support here.
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Hi, lumpectomy ladies. I have a question about seroma.
I'm 12 days out past my last radiation session, a boost to the tumor bed area. For the last week or so I've felt a large, hard lump in the area my original lump was and it's pretty tender in some spots. I called my RO's office and she said it was a seroma that could take several months to be reabsorbed.
They seemed pretty blasé and unconcerned, so I don't want to over-react, but at what point does a seroma need to be drained? For those of you who have had them how long did it take for them to be reabsorbed?
Thanks!
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Most surgeons are against draining seromas, both for fear of infection and because they're likely to spontaneously refill. They form wherever a large amount of internal tissue is removed--happens in abdominal surgeries too--because nature abhors a vacuum and wants to fill it with something. It will eventually resorb when the inflammation from "surgical invasion" quiets down, which can take quite a long time. I had two seromas--axillary & tumor cavity. My axillary one reached the size of a tangerine before the SNB incision (glued, not stitched) burst spontaneously at 3.5 weeks post-op due to the weight of my still-oversize breast. The NP wanted me to pack it, change dressings several times a day, until it "healed from the inside out" for at least 6 weeks; the surgeon's partner said no way would the incision hold on its own, so he squooshed out as much fluid as he could and sutured it. Sutures removed 2 wks later, and the incision held. It (seroma) briefly grew to the size of an almond but then resorbed pretty rapidly, till it disappeared after 3 months.
My tumor cavity seroma grew to 20mm from radiation, but over 18 mos shrank to <10 cm, roughly the size of the cavity itself. It will probably remain, which is part of what is keeping my breast looking normal. There was never any need to drain it--it was so deep inside, and those incisions & sutures held till they healed; there was no danger it'd become infected.
Expect it to be somewhat sore and reddish for awhile--and it will feel warmer to the touch than your other breast and perhaps even than elsewhere on your breast. Be concerned if it gets angry red and hot, spreads to the entire breast and you feel feverish or lethargic, which could be signs of cellulitis. Meanwhile, you might need to go up a bra cup size and pad the other cup for symmetry.
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Agatha, seroma are pretty common, if you’re concerned, your surgeon can do an ultrasound and confirm. Some surgeons just want to leave them (every needle that goes in could introduce bacteria), and some aspirate/drain.
I’ve got a seroma in my armpit where my sentinel nodes were removed during surgery (6 weeks ago) the seroma developed after about 3weeks. First my surgeon aspirated with a needle, then inserted a drain, then the drain had a problem when my surgeon was out of town and it was aspirated again. Each time was about 100mL or a little more. By the time all that had happened, it was almost time to start chemo, so I opted to just leave it rather than getting another drain installed. It doesn’t hurt, I just feel a little pressure, and it grows and shrinks. If it’s still around by September, I’ll ask for a drain, but I was really just DONE with being messed with, lol. My surgeon said it won’t get infected, and will probably eventually reabsorb, so I’m going to keep my protein up and wait it out. I feel like extra protein makes a difference, but maybe it’s psychological.
Good luck
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or what it’s worrh, my surgeon drained the seroma in my armpit (from sentinel node removal) twice. The first time 40cc fluid was removed and I had instant relief (it had been pretty uncomfortable-to-painful). About a week and a half later, she drained 20cc. Now, a week after that, all seems well. And no infection.
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Has anyone here after 12months of post op had to see their breast surgeon? They automatically set up an appointment for me in November. I cancelled it. I told them that unless my next mammogram showed a problem, that I didn't want to see the breast surgeon ever again! Their only explanation was that it was protocol, but why spend $45 co pay to have them tell you - everything is ok? I'm buried deep enough in doctor bills.
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Hi Blair2,
Saw your post, just thought I would share my opinion,
Although I just had my surgery in March of this year, not only do I plan on keeping my 6 month followup with my breast surgeon, I intend to ask my surgeon if he can followup with me when I get new mammograms. Why? Because he is head and shoulders more knowledgeable than my PCP when it came to interpreting my mammogram, making the connection to the best oncologist, everything that really helped me. God forbid that I need his surgical services ever again, but his knowledge and connections made the difference. Do not want to lose what for me became a lifeline. I have a ton of bills, but his is worth every penny.
Your rationale has to make sense for you-but wanted to give my two cents basis my experience
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cindyNY, glad to read your good report, I am laughing at you not making the appt , almost left in my gown I was so happy!
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Kaiser has no plans for a follow up with my breast surgeon, just 6 month check ups with my oncologist. I did have a follow up appointment right after surgery though.
My first mammogram (1 year) is scheduled for this Friday. I am nervous. My daughter is graduating high school on June 7th and I think maybe I should wait until afterwards in case they find something. I know that’s paranoid thinking. I just want to be able to enjoy the graduation, she’s my only child. I hate thinking bad thoughts. Hopefully it gets better each year. In some ways I don’t feel like I really had cancer but in others ways I do
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Shocked, I'd wait until after graduation. Maybe it's paranoid thinking, but I know exactly what you mean. Probably nothing is going to be found, but why not enjoy the graduation and deal with mamm after? Just call them and reschedule that appointment and then relax, live in the moment.
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Blair - I was told I'll see my BS for 2 years of follow up. She'll get my mammo & ultrasound results. After my first surgery follow up I was all ready to thank her and tell her I never wanted to see her again. But like JosieO wrote they're the experts.
Shocked - I agree with MO-Beth. Put it off until after the graduation.
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I second waiting till after the graduation. We have enough compartmentalizing to do in our lives--why let the worry about the mammo report spoil you & your daughter's big day? I hear you on the dichotomy between knowing you've had cancer & treatment but not feeling like it in some ways. Yeah, we had surgery & rads--but lumpectomy, and no chemo. We see other women who've been through and are going through worse, and sometimes it doesn't feel like the same disease. For the first couple of years I thought of my diagnosis as a break in time, and of events as having occurred on one side of it or the other. Now I've found I no longer think back on an experience or a trip and think "that was before cancer."
I see my oncologist every 6 months, same day as my Prolia shot. I now get my mammo and see my surgeon annually (for awhile it was every 6 months for the mammo and alternating 6 months between surgeon and her NP. I'm lucky to have my breast center, cancer center and hospital all attached. I was 64 when I had surgery & rads--and by the time I had the 6-month followups I was on Medicare. With PartB & supplement, I have no co-pays; but even if I were still on regular insurance, $45 is cheap for the peace of mind. Better to spend it to have them tell you you're ok, than to wait till something's wrong again...and maybe more seriously than before. $45 is less than half of what I pay for a dental cleaning, and less than for a touchup and haircut.
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The women's center I go to tells you if there's a problem with your mammos. They make you wait for the radiologist to examine the results. They're also good at explaining any redos etc. So if there's no concern or problem, then there shouldn't be a reason to talk to a breast surgeon. That's what didn't make sense to me. If a problem comes up on my mammo I have in November, then I will see her. I had a 6 mo. mammo done a few weeks ago, but they didn't make an appt. with her. My PS isn't that informative anyway as she doesn't seem to like to talk to her patients.
Also with costs - I have radiation still to cover as well as a surgery to my back recently due to a compression fracture caused by my fall during chemo - due to lorazepam. So yes, I’m buried in medical costs and sick of appointments. I’m going to avoid needless ones when I can. I guess it all depends on the clinic and their protocols
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I've been dealing with biopsies for 43 years (since 1975 when I was 24) so regular mammograms, occasional biopsies with a variety of pathologies (including hyperplasia as epithelial hyperplasia withatypical cells), adding yearly MRI along with my yearly mammograms (6 mo apart), etc. have been part of my life all this time. This year's cancer diagnosis not a surprise. I will see my BS regularly (she's the point person on my team). And I'll continue the MRI/mammogram routine
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If I hadn't moved from Michigan, my BS would have been my primary contact for any breast related testing. I liked her and she was very knowledgeable. My MO was okay but he didn't order mammograms etc.
But I moved to Spokane. Now I have phenomenal MO as my only oncologist. He takes care of everything, 6 month checks, mammos, prescriptions. I had no need to find a BS nor an RO to follow up with.
Everywhere I've had mammograms, I was notified by snail mail what the results were, so I'd go ahead and get it now rather than wait. But there's absolutely no harm in waiting another week. Things aren't likely to change that fast.
I had a pre-cancerous spot on my lip that was taken care of a couple weeks ago. When doing a brief check on the rest of my body, they mentioned that where I had my radiation is more susceptible to sunburn than the rest of my body. I never burn so I'm taking a bit more care.
HUGS!
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My surgery was 4 months ago, and I've been doing great. I woke up this morning to pain, swelling, heat, and "heaviness" at my incision site. I have discovered the hard way that even this far post surgery, heavy lifting can cause a seroma...
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It can also be truncal lymphedema--keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse. Talk to your RO, and maybe get a lymphedema therapy referral. The date of your radiation therapy is a clue--often, the tumor cavity seroma enlargement and swelling is a delayed reaction, since radiation effects occur from the inside and work their way towards the surface. Breast & truncal LE sometimes result.
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Just popping in to offer up two Size L front-close bras. I posted in the "Free Stuff" area a couple of months ago but didn't have any takers. I wore each maybe 2-3 times and would love to donate them to someone who could use them. Feel free to PM me if you know anyone who's interested.
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Curcumin... does anyone take it? Ginseng... does anyone take it for fatigue during radiation? I went to my MO for the first time today and discussed with her my hesitation to take hormone treatment because both of my parents had Alzheimer’s. She inquired if I took curcumin, not recommending it, just inquiring. She said some people feel it is useful, but the research is still ongoing. Ginseng is supposed to help with radiation fatigue as well as burns. Anyone have experience with these? I asked about doing the oncotype dx and she said that she certainly would do it, but she has switched to the EndoPredict test. I opted for the EndoPredict since she seemed to think it was a good choice.0
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My MO said that as far as ER+ bc is concerned, turmeric/curcumin is safe, but the concentration in curcumin and piperine supplements could aggravate GERD. My PCP is not a fan of supplements except iron, calcium, mag,, D3 & CoQ10 and only for specific cases (anemia, osteopenia/porosis, statins), and that ginseng benefits men (if at all) more than it does women.
EndoPredict is usually given after an equivocal OncotypeDX test, but perhaps she just wants to cut to the chase and spare you the expense and stressful waits for results of two consecutive tests. Or because since you had ILC and not IDC, she really wants to play it safe, even though your tumor was only Grade 1.
Just curious, though: if your tumor was node-negative and in the "1cm" (under 2cm?) bco profile category, what makes you Stage IB rather than IA? I thought "B" was for 1 or more + nodes, and that even a node-negative >2cm tumor would be "IIA," not "IB."
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ChiSandy, thanks for your reply. The entire curcumin research thing is interesting. There has been quite a lot of reasearch into the effect of curcumin on Alzheimer's disease as well as the effect on cancer cells. It will be interesting to see what the result will be. I think there is a lot to be learned from some of the traditional foods and spices. It is an interesting time to be a research pharmacologist.
You are right, the 1b stage is probably incorrect. So far my reports have listed me as only stage 1. My previous cancer never staged beyond 1, but that was almost twenty years ago. I’m sure that this cancer will be finally staged at 1a.
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My tumor was under 2cm, but it was stage 1c (only choice on this site was a or b), and I was node negative.
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Blair I totally agree with you. I went one time after my surgery to BS after that my f/up are with MO and PCP and Gyn. It is too many Dr appts and they all saying pretty much the something. Ladies enjoy your life and put Faith above Fear. I work in a cancer institute now and I watch the patients I swear the Drs are killing them off or making them crazy. If mammogram/us is good relax.
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re staging: Beginning January 2018 the staging system changed a bit to add tumor grade, ER, PR, and HER2 status so, depending on when the staging was done, the results may differ! There is a discussion on the main site here and I found a table on the Komen website. For me, my BS said 1B(using the "new" system) and my RO said 2A(using the "old" system).
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Incredible information here. Thank you ladies.
Sloyd i'm with you. There is a lot of nonsense out there.
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Hi Prairiedog! I see you had a setback from 1999 to 2018. Did you take any type of treatment when you were dx in 1999? Just curious. I have a cousin it's been 3 yrs for her now. But she had a mastectomy and they did no treatment on her. I often wonder what are the chances of reoccurrence.
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Actually, there is no "Stage 1c." Stage is indicated in Roman numerals (except for DCIS, which is a zero); and it's either A or B. Grade is expressed in Arabic numerals (1, 2, or 3). Where "1c" fits in is the complete description of the tumor size & status: preceded by a capital T, followed by an Arabic numeral and lower-case letter. A tumor that is <5mm is T1a; 5mm to <1cm, T1b; 1 to <2 cm, T1c. Node-negative is N0, clear margins M0. So a clear-margin node-negative tumor between 1-2cm would be "T1cN0M0;" if 1-1.5cm, it's "Stage IA," just as T1a abd T1b tumors would be classed; and if between >1.5 & 2cm, "Stage IIA."
Beaver, do you have a link to the "new staging system" that incorporates grade as well as hormone-receptor and HER2 status? Sounds fishy (not IHC-y...sorry, couldn't resist the pun) to me, because those are too many variables to fit into a single rubric. My MO, who attends the San Antonio and ASCO meetings religiously, said nothing to me about any change in nomenclature at my last visit in Feb. BarredOwl--if you're lurking here, any thoughts?
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https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/StagingofBreastCancer.html is the url on my printout. If that does not work try going to komen.org and search for staging. My understanding is that the new guide is only being used for those of us diagnosed since this past January. Those who were staged before that are not being "restaged" as in at least most cases their treatment decisions have been made and likely implemented.
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I just tried the Komen url from within my message and it worked.
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