Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
-
My friend got the EMLA cream for her wire location & dye shots--my hospital didn't offer it. As for surgery, her BMX and my LX + SNB took about the same time. But for my ortho surgery, I was under for 4 hrs.--not surprising given that there were three separate procedures. (And unlike other propofol experiences, this time I actually dreamt--was extremely disappointed when I came to and discovered that instead of lying in my own comfy bed, pillows & comforters I was still in the OR being lifted back onto the gurney).
0 -
Hello,
I see you went ahead and chose bilateral mastectomy over a lumpectomy... may I ask why? I am in the decision process..... thank you.
0 -
Hey Ladies,
Hoping you all can help me out. I had a lumpectomy last Thursday July 12th. The surgeon removed a fibroadenoma and its second half that was actually growing on my chest wall. After surgery she told my husband that it went better than expected and that they were sending it off for testing. The surgery was straight forward, she did do a pectoral nerve block which was great while it lasted. It's been a few days and by the way the discharge nurse made it sound I should be back to normal. The only discharge instructions were to put Bactrian on incision 3 times a day and resume activity as tolerated I've kept a bandage over it to protect it and wrapped part of time but no one told me to or not. Also the pain is surprising worse than I thought it would be, it hurts to use my arm and not sure what to do to help it. Also I just don't feel very well, really tired, have the shakes of and on, headaches , food doesn't taste right, just don't feel like myself. Any Input on ways to get feeling better and handle the pain would be great. Thanks
0 -
I was just diagnosed on July 6. I have had first appt with breast surgeon - she made it clear it is my choice, but recommends partial mastectomy. My tumor is 1.1 cm x 1.1 cm x .08 cm, grade 1. ER/PR + and Her2 -. Her2 was originally 2+, so the additional test was done (FISH) and came back negative. For some reason, I don't trust it. I have decided to get a second opinion on the pathology report. May get second opinions on other decisions, too - not sure. Tomorrow morning we meet with the medical oncologist and we will start the second opinion pathology process. I am currently scheduled for partial mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy on July 26. Radiation has already been recommended.
My question: IF you were given the choice, why did you choose what you chose? Lumpectomy versus full mastectomy?
If it's really true that IF there's a recurrence it's most often Stage 4 metastatic, I feel like this is a HUGE decision and A LOT is riding on it. I feel like I'm getting one chance to make the right decision. Is that over-dramatic? Anybody else ever feel that way? Thank you so much for your feedback and thoughts.
0 -
I am facing breast surgery soon, but have had 16 other surgeries in my life..... in my opinion, you should call your surgeon's office and check in. Have you taken your temperature? Have you had other surgeries and if so, did you feel similar to this during recovery? I think you're right to be concerned - you know yourself better than anyone - you may an infection or you may be having a reaction to one of the many medications used during surgery. I think it would be smart to call your surgeon's office and let them know. Good luck..... I hope it all calms down in a healthy way.
0 -
Boyd748, I wish I could help you, but I'm new to this also. You sound so uncomfortable - can you put in a call to your surgeon? Don't they all have a night coverage even if you don't get your own surgeon? Or call the ER and talk to a nurse?
As for your husband, ask how he'd feel this soon after getting one of his testicles operated on, and would he like to find out!
Hope one of our experienced members jumps in soon with practical advise.
0 -
I've had lumpectomies before when I was much younger but I know I didn't feel like this, one of them I went to school the next day no problem. I'm thinking maybe this one is worse because it was attached to my chest wall. Not sure if I have a fever haven't checked but have been curled up under blankets the last few days. If not better by tomorrow I might call but as for now I'm going to get up and push myself to get some housework done. Thanks for respondin
0 -
Myyoga, I just had a lumpectomy last Wednesday. With a lumpectomy, if the pathology report comes back iffy, you can always have a mastectomy then. If you have that first, you can't go back. And I've seen several Her2+ members here who had lumpectomies. I hope some of them will share their experiences with you. Those preliminary reports are usually revised with additional testing and the post-op pathology.
I've never heard that about recurrences always being Stage IV. That doesn't agree with what I've read from people here who've had BC more than once.
0 -
Boyd748, you stay put and the hell with your housework. If they went in all the way to your chest wall, you had major surgery even if it was same-day. Call your doctor! Now!!
0 -
Boyd748- don't mess with your health. Call your Dr. You can do damage by forcing yourself when what you really need is rest.
0 -
Recurrences can be local, regional or contralateral (other breast, technically a new primary), not only metastatic. I chose single lumpectomy (ULX) because of my tumor's small size, histology, location and grade (2); I was shown a Mayo Clinic decision tree video and literature and after learning ULX + rads had the same survival stats as BMX (and 4% chance of recurrence as opposed to 2%), decided less is more. My surgeon--who specializes in skin-and-nipple-sparing MX--was delighted with my decision. You can always go back and do a MX, but you can never restore a removed breast--just create a facsimile that neither feels nor functions the same.
0 -
Myyoga - When I was diagnosed, they believed my tumor was 1.2, so about the same size as you. My surgeon indicated that if this was the only lesion, I would be a candidate for a lumpectomy and sentinel node dissection. I really wanted to avoid the emotional impact of a mastectomy, so I told him I was interested in pursuing a lumpectomy. So, he scheduled me for a MRI of the breast, which would show any other lesions in either breast. I did have one area "light up" in the same breast in the nipple, but after exam, they felt that was just a benign adenoma. So, I was confident in electing the lumpectomy with sentinel node dissection, knowing there was no other areas of concern. After lumpectomy, they dissected out that tumor and it was .9 cm.
I agonized over the decision as well. It was a very emotional and dramatic time for me. I understand how you feel. It does get better when you have enough info to feel your choice is the best FOR YOU.
Depending on where you live and what facilities are available, see if any of them are certified through the National Cancer Institute (NCI). They have multi-disciplinary teams of doctors who meet several times a week to go over patient tests and make recommendations with the entire team. I had a lot of confidence in the fact that at least 6 physicians were discussing my case before I was seen by the breast surgeon.
Best wishes! Kick butt! You can do this! Private message me if you want!
0 -
myoga4me,
When I was first diagnosed (“asymmetry” on mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy confirming a cancerous tumor) I was so afraid I couldn’t think past the word CANCER. Fortunately for me I met with an excellent breast surgeon who studied my file in detail and suggested a partial mastectomy or lumpectomy as it is also called. In his detailed explanation I understood that my tumor pathology was likely very responsive to hormone treatment. In the data shared I didn’t hear a significant difference to make mastectomy the better choice. So I followed the surgeon’s recommendation and underwent a lumpectomy.
(I am also ER/PR +, HER2 -, 1 cancerous lymph node, tumor size 3.5 cm)
My surgeon did an outstanding job. I have all sensation in my breast and the tissues were reshaped such that except for the two incision lines, my breast looks as it did before.
I did have genomic testing which validated no need for chemotherapy. Went on to radiation with an excellent radiation oncologist, and except for some skin ulceration at the very end of my scheduled treatments, I felt great-no sickness or fatigue of any type. Now I am taking an aromatase inhibitor (AI), again with no side effects. Receiving great supervision by an outstanding medical oncologist.
I thank God every day for this great team of doctors who gave me their skill and knowledge. They gave me my life back
As others have said, and as I had also come to know, one can always remove a breast, but it is more often not necessary.
Keep listening and asking questions, get the right professionals working with you, and I believe you will be fine.
This website is an awesome source of info, and the women who post here give you all they know.
Best wishes to you going forward.
0 -
I had a lumpectomy on July 3rd. Pathology result is: tumor < 1.7 cm, grade 1, negative margins and negative sentinel lymph node involvement (5 lymph nodes were checked). I'm 66 and I'm considering not having the radiation, though it's been recommended. Has anybody skipped the radiation? ( I will also be starting an aromatase inhibitor after radiation if I do decide to get it).
0 -
HoldingOn52 - I am 67 and was diagnosed with IDC, single receptor (ER+99%, PR-0%, HER2-) in April. My lumpectomy was May 7 - I chose lumpectomy + radiation because the survival rate is equivalent to mastectomy. And I did radiation - because I had no node involvement and my tumor was even smaller than yours (5mm) I qualified for SAVI Brachytherapy (2 x daily radiation using the SAVI device; just 5 days of radiation and that's it). Well worth it - in my opinion, for me - because there's no guarantee that there's not a stray cell in the tissue somewhere. I had almost no side effects from the radiation - a little tiredness after day 3, but then I had a weekend off before starting in on the last two days.
About a week after finishing up radiation, I got the results of the OncotypeDX and made my decision re: chemo (no chemo, although it was a complicated decision; my MO and another MO I consulted with both agree with my decision). I am now on Letrozole and doing fine.
Personally, I wouldn't skip the radiation. But if I were you, I'd have a talk with my radiation oncologist and maybe even visit with a second if you're uncertain.
Good luck - and keep us posted.
0 -
So, my Lumpectomy with bilateral breast reduction & mastopexy was April 5th. I've had a long battle with surgical wound healing. I'm retired from 31 yrs of Critical Care Nursing so I have a clue about wound care but this is just taking forever. Had another visit today with the plastics guy who did the reduction/respositioning etc; my incision travels from under my left should blade, up across my chest to under midpoint right armpit ; a couple inches up my sternum,too. Both nipples have suture lines encircling around both entire areolae. I have a hole---a sort of fissure-- on my right breast incision under the nipple, the area where the tumor was. The hole was the size of a quarter, then maybe a nickel and now a bit smaller than a dime. I do my dressings changes every day;still requires ABD pads.We went through first Xeroform dressings, then Alginate dressings, then Silvadene Cream topically, and finally I just started leaving the right breast open to air a little while each day & using plain sterile ABD pads when I put the surgical bra back on after "airing" it. It began healing better but still is a problem. I had dense very large breasts before, 38 DD; now about a 34 B. I'm being this specific because I need to know if anyone else with comparable surgery is having or has had same issues as me.
Here's the thing----I am having what my surgeon calls "nerve pain", but I tell you--- it's from Hell.
. It has nothing to do with whatever activity I'm doing; I can be riding in the car or watching tv at night, or on the toilet for that matter, and it shoots through my breasts, largely right side where the tumor was, like a red-hot lightning strike. Sometimes it's so severe I involuntarily cry out. I'm no baby about pain; freshly post-op I wouldn't even take the pain meds as prescribed, took far less than offered. I still have pain meds left but hadn't taken any for several weeks until this most recent development of "lightning strikes" began about a week ago. I was given Gabapentin for the "nerve pain" but it gave me horrific headaches & nausea, so that's out. I have a 6 acre farm in a very remote area & animals to care for and an art contract to manage---I can't be taking pain pills every day, even temporarily. This is working me hard. It's not enough that I look like the woman in the magic show the magician puts in the box & saws in half, or that my right arm balloons up in the heat & affects my ability to paint or even hold on to a coffee cup-----I can deal with those things although they are tough day in, day out. This pain is horrible because I felt like I was getting better ever so slowly---and now I feel like I'm almost back where I started. The surgeon sez it's "a good thing" that I'm having this pain, shows that the truncated nerves are re-growing. This pain is very different than the surgical incisional pain. Over the weekend I was crying from it. That's SO not me. It's also adding to my depression. I smile when I see a family member & try to not worry anyone but this being permanently altered is a tough gig. Medical bills, fear of recurrence, lymphedema, PAIN, feeling like my life will never return to the life I had before....these are difficult to live with. It also bothers me that my family & friends seem to think I'm magically all better since the surgery is over. I don't want people to fuss over me, that's not it...but I would deeply appreciate some consideration, some acknowledgment that this battle is nowhere near over. Some days I want to load up my dogs in my truck and disappear for a while.
I know there are other women right here on this board who have it far worse than I.......it's just...this has changed everything in my life--I don't feel like I have control of anything anymore. I think that's part of why these "lightning strikes" bother me so bad because in addition to hurting like a b**ch they're unpredictable and further add to my sense of loss of control.
There ya have it.
I'd be so, so very grateful for any input/advice/commiseration that might be here. Feeling pretty alone with this.Thanks for listening. xoxoxox
0 -
Phoenix, speaking from experience, there is hope for your nerve pain. From my BC surgery, my nerve pain was primarily the rug burn sensation down my arm and at 6 months out that is mostly just a memory. However I have PHN (post herpetic neuralgia) from having shingles a few years ago. That pain has gone from daily to only now and then and from "stop everything" to "oh, there you are again". Long story short, the nerves do heal but it takes TIME. You are dealing with so much else in the healing department right now it is probably hard to hear that, I know. Moan and groan, scream and yell or whatever it takes to help you feel even a little bit better when it hurts--you've earned the right to do so.
Also, have you been able to access any help for the lymphedema? Ask your oncology team about that. A lymphedema PT has been highly recommended in several forums on this site.
We all hear you about the sense of loss of control and hating the unpredictable -- we are there with you to one extent or another. You are not alone, but we each do have our own unique experience. Hang in there and keep in touch. Feel free to PM me if you'd like.
0 -
Hi all,
Long time lurker here. (well a month or two anyway). Was diagnosed with IDC (ER+PR-Her2-) on 6/5. Had my lumpectomy with SNB last night, feeling ..better than I'd have expected though trying to have the sense not to overdo it. Had Lymphoscintigraphy before hand and still peeing blue dye (that was a fun surprise! I thought they'd put bowl cleaner in ).
I asked her how many nodes she took she said 2 or 3.. and I don't have drains which I assume is better than having taken more but I try not to overassume anything.
Follow up appt on the 24th, and hope hope hoping for no node involvement.
then onward to oncology.
Good to meet you all.
0 -
Holding --As Patsy said, I too chose to have the radiation as assurance that we really"got it all". I had 5 weeks of radiation with the only side effect of being a little tired. Yes, some folks have a much tougher time than either Patsy or I did but I think we hear more from them as they are seeking suggestions for relief while those of us who are not having such a rough time are busy going about our lives. Of my many friends who have been down this path before me, none of them had any major problems with radiation. Those 5 weeks of daily treatments, with weekends off, were well worth the peace of mind they gave me. Just some food for thought...
0 -
HoldingOn52 - I concur with BeavernTX re friends and family who've had radiation not having major effects.
A simple but effective analogy which illustrates why radiation, when recommended, is important can be found on the website linked below. In brief, we had a weed removed from our gardens (lumpectomy) but now we have to disturb and destroy the hospitable soil in the area in which the weed grew just in case there's anything - a cancer cell - there too tiny to have been seen (radiation ). Finally, we have to weed and feed the whole garden in order to prevent recurrence (chemo and/or endocrine therapy - AI or Tamoxifen; plus the myriad effective lifestyle and nutritional changes).
Speaking for myself, having done all of the above (no chemo but that was on the advice of MOs etc) I feel extremely confident and positive about my choices. No creeping doubt. No looking back. Only moving forward and living my New Now.
I know you'll find your way - keep asking questions.
Onward
0 -
Thank you for your reply to my post...I am very grateful you took the time to respond.
The thing that always stymies me is the sense of isolation this diagnosis brings with it. Honestly, I have two amazing surgeons; the one who excised the tumor/tumor bed & lymph nodes and the plastics guy who put me back together after he did the bilateral reduction/mastopexy. Although they are kind & compassionate I get the sense that at this stage of my process I sort of go into another folder.....ah,well. I'm guessing all breast cancer patients go through that sort of clinical distancing with their surgeons as they travel through their treatment regimen.
Yes, my Oncologist recommended a Lymphedema specialist for me, just haven't had the co-pay to go see them yet. It's tops on my To-Do List. I should mention that my 23 yr old GrandDaughter moved here from Fla in Feb---she left an abusive situation & had nowhere else to go with her 1 yr old baby. I was happy & proud to give them a home and she was incredibly helpful to me in the immediate post-op weeks, which I am deeply grateful for. In no version of this stuation, however, did I ever imagine she'd she still be living with me in July. I am their sole support; she has zero income. So---there's that. It affects my ability to make co-pays for my treatment. Her Mother is permanently brain-injured from a car crash, so she can't help her daughter. It's just me.
I feel like I'm whining here, so I'm gonna skeedaddle and get back to all the stuff I have to do here. Thank you with all my heart for answering. When I get down in the dumps I can read your answer and not feel quite so alone.
0 -
myyoga4me. My first appoinyment doc said no cboice but mastectomy. 2nd opinion lumpectomy. Mastectomy an option. Survival rate the same. I chose lumpectomy bcz I came to realize I'm very attached to my breasts. And want to retain feeling. The recovery is also much easier which is important to me.
0 -
phoenixwm. -- It is my experience as well that people tend to disappear before the healing is done. Had this happen in a past situation. I always say that 90% of the effort comes in the last 10% of the project. I wonder if it would be possible to make your granddaughter aware of your need.
So concerned for you with the lymphedema. I hope you can scratch the copay together. I'm the long run this is so important.
My heart goes out to you. Wishing you all the best.
0 -
Pcranky. Glad your surgery went well. My surgery is tomorrow. Preop was much better than I thought. Took 3 hours - two hours for radioactive seed injection; half hour for dye.. Breast pressed in mammogram for most of the time. I still say They really need To rethink this.
But I feel like the worst is behind me. Fingers crossed!
0 -
Thank you, Beaverntx-- it's good and helpful to hear that you and others have not encountered major problems during the 5 weeks of radiation.
0 -
Thanks, Patsy. I appreciate it; I liked the analogy in the article.
0 -
ChiSandy so happy you got that over with. So cast is on? How are you managing? Good for you that you have all these plans.
Re: pain after a LX. Yes, it could hurt for months and months. Thank you to these wonderful ladies here, i was reassured when I had the excruciating pain,and nipple pain. Doc pooh pooh it away, but this place made me sane. Just about 10 mos in, and nipple is still a bit sensitive (painwise) and breast feels different than the other one still.
Susi, as you know a lot of ppl, run to the other side when they see ppl in pain or not all cheery. What I've learned is - i count on very very few ppl to understand where I am at. I just went through a very hard time in my life, my DD a young vibrant beautiful young woman is gone, this horrible disease took over her life literally. Besides her sisters confidante and I, outsiders did not have a clue. She was always thin etc... somehow she managed to keep it under wraps (with our help). She knew either ppl would pity her or not get it. After she passed, i could tell right away if s/o really feels for the situation, if they are scared I'll make them miserable with my sob stories, so again, i could count on one hand to whom I even dare to share a/t about it. And with my LX, i kinda hinted to some very close ppl, but I do see that most prefer to just go about their lives. As the saying go - C'est la vie!
Vent all you want here, we understand. With all your experience you've got what it takes, and no it's not easy. Well and being that you mentioned it, why can't this young lady get a job? IMHO smooching off you, and you rationing your meds because of it, you know something is not right here, you could be helping her more if you are strict with her, you know teach her to fish instead of just feeding her.
0 -
Thanks Oneof7. Hope all goes smoothly today!
0 -
I had a partial mastectomy/lumpectomy with oncoplastic surgery on both breasts. I am also Her2+. I am happy I made this choice. The recurrence rates for me were not statistically significant so I opted for the less is more approach. Whatever decision you are comfortable with is the best one. xo
0 -
Hey Ladies,
Happy to report I received my lumpectomy pathology results. The mass on my chest wall was a phyllode and completely benign. I do however have to now have mammogram and ultrasound every 6 months to make sure it doesn't come back because they can be malignant. I also still have to do genetic testing. Thanks for support. Best wishes to you all.
0
