Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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smorr, Oncotype testing is now done for patients with 3 or fewer positive nodes. So it's entirely possible you can (and should) skip chemo.
Robin, I'm not sure what to tell you. I've been on Letrozole 2-1/2 yrs. and Wellbutrin for 19 (!), and haven't noticed the absence of labia or libido. I am on Wellbutrin because I had postpartum depression so severe I became anorexic (obviously, now in remission!), and depression runs in the family. What dose are you on, and is it long-acting time-release or short? Have you talked to a shrink or endocrinologist? The only way bupropion helps with weight loss is to fight cravings (why it's also used as Xyban for smoking cessation). It doesn't eliminate them, and if overeating what you shouldn't be eating isn't what's keeping you from losing weight, but rather the metabolic slowdown that occurs with estrogen deprivation, I don't see how Wellbutrin will help. It's not an all-purpose miracle drug and unlike certain other antidepressants like Pristiq (which have their own SEs) not designed to hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. If low blood pressure is not an issue, ask about a low dose of sildenafil (generic Viagra) to be taken at the right occasion (not a maintenance drug).
And here's something to ponder for anyone second-guessing having opted for lumpectomy:
are we scaring women into prophylatic BMX?
My surgeon is mentioned (favorably) in it.
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wasn'tmesb. Each doctor seems to have their own preference. My plastic surgeon was lead with post surgery instructions. I could shower the next dy withmy back to shower. Sports bra 24/7 for four weeks. I did use pain meds for 3 days. No bending or lifting for about a week. I returned to work in 3 weeks. I find I'm very fatigued, but also have low iron. Extra pillows in bed was my life saver. Used to support breasts or rest arms on if sleeping on back. Ones response to anesthesia is also a variable - no reaction or a few dAys to recover.
Bcz I had to wear bra 24/7, for 4 weeks, its good to have 3.
I had full range of motion in both arms immediately which was what surprised me most.
Hoping everything goes smoothly for you.
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Well heck, Sandy! All day at work, I was just certain I would come home and you would have some really obvious and easy answer for me. And we'd be back in our groove.
So... I take 150 mg tablet of Bupropion HCL Xl.
I'm fairly certain I'm losing weight again because I got back to my old healthy ways. I think depression was playing a bigger part after surgery and rads than I like to admit.
But, I wonder now if I should just wean myself off the Bupropion and see if anything improves in the bedroom. (Maybe I'm doing so much better in the other areas thanks to time and healthy living.)
Neither my Oncologist or my regular doctor seem to have any ideas. And I think they are just pleased that I am doing well. And compared to most of their patients, I must seem like a baby to be worried about sex drive, when my cancer experience was a breeze. I am a lucky gal.
I'll investigate the viagra thing. Low blood pressure, so no problem there. I hope you get over your back and derma issues! These golden years are great but have their own SE's. LOL
Thanks for getting back with me.
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Actually, if you have low BP, you should avoid Viagra, as it was first developed as an anti-hypertension drug. I take 300mg. bupropion XL, one tab each morning. I never really had healthy ways--I just was lucky for a long time that my sedentary lifestyle and inadvisable dietary habits didn't have too many ill effects...but now the (fried and BBQ) chickens are coming home to roost. The irony was that I originally went on bupropion to help keep to a low-carb diet after Redux got yanked from the market. Actually, I was doing great on Redux until I got hit by a car as I crossed a street in 1996 (yeah, I sued and won). The hospital & subsequent inpatient rehab center didn't have Redux so they put me on Prozac--which was great for my mood but did squat for my weight. So I got switched to Effexor (aka "SideEffexor"), which made me jumpy. Meanwhile, I lost 40 lbs. because I was non-weightbearing for 10 weeks--using a non-wheeled walker, I was bench-pressing my entire body weight with every step I took. So in 1999, when the weight began creeping back on, I was switched to Wellbutrin, which seems to be fairly transparent in terms of no side effects for me.
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Smorr - same thing here. My surgery was 7/16. my initial estimate of size was smaller than the tumor the excised (1.8 vs. 2.2) and it was in the one node they took (9mm!) which was surprising because it was soft, and looked normal and the surgeon was surprised.
I've been told prognosis is still very good. I'm just trying to take it all as it comes. I met with the MO and the RO and we're waiting on the Oncotype to find out about chemo.
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I moved my my daughter into her dorm today. Mixed feelings! I’m happy for her and want her to mature into an independent women but as soon as I came home everything reminded me of her and I’ve been crying since. She’s my only child which makes it harder. Her dorm room is huge and we had a great time decorating it.
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Sandy, your story never ceases to amaze me!
I agree about skipping viagra after researching it. I’ve always had very low blood pressure.
I’m just going to relax about sex, and count my blessings. I’m trying to just stay healthy and otherwise go with the flow of Mother Nature. I’ve even let my gray have its way. (I need to update my profile pic. LOL
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Shocked - I remember leaving my step son in Texas. Good byes, a hug, and tears rolled down my face as we walked away. Best part is you realize you raised them to "leave the nest" and do well.
Indulge yourself today with a treat of some sort. Hot fudge sundae or pedicure sounds good to me. HUGS and a tissue.
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I am 62 years old and 3 days post-surgery...lumpectomy L with sentinel node removal and oncoplastic reduction; reduction only on R. I woke up with bandages and a decent soft white sports bra, size XL. The plan was to go from 38G to 38D, but the girls are looking smaller than that at the moment. It is a constant amazement to me how high and perky they are, and that I no longer run into a wall of flesh when I cross an arm in front. Surgery clocked in at exactly 3 hours, and I have had truly minimal pain......SO much less than I was prepared for! Showered this morning and put on a fresh sports bra I had bought in preparation and I feel pretty darn good. Started spacing out my pain meds almost immediately, and at this rate I'll be off hydrocodone by tomorrow. I've got a little machine called Prevena that uses cycling pressure to promote circulation and minimize swelling. Just hanging out and recovering for the next several days until my post-op appointments, but I must say that my experience so far has been very easy. Grateful for that, and for skilled surgeons and caring friends.
Also thankful to have this forum for discussion.......your candor and experiences have been very helpful to me, so thanks!
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I have fairly routine follow-up appointments with BS and MO on Tuesday and Thursday, and a visit to the dentist on Wednesday. I keep imagining Bad Boob will detect the medical office atmosphere at the dental appointment, and try to jump out, of its own volition, while I vainly attempt to restrain it!
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Ring,So happy you are doing so well! And perky! Wow. (I'm only perky in the pool.)
I hope this trend continues. No doubt your good attitude is serving you well too!
Robin
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Ring- glad its going well for you. I only got perky on my left breast after rads! Right breast not going to be perky again, and at best I'm a 36B (closer to an A, but I'm sticking with B!). Gentle HUGS to you.
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No sports bra for me! I got to go home in this huge bandage. Freaked me out as I couldn’t see what they had done. In the end it was a lovely thing. Kept a bit of pressure on and reduced any shifting around.
If they don’t specifically tell you what the dressing will be ask before the surgery. I could have skipped the panic of the big pressure bandage in recovery if I head been told before and not after.
I found my fav post bra on amazon. Drop in mastectomy bra in the search engine. It gives lots of both mastectomy and lumpectomy choices there at an affordable price.
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I had the heavy-duty compression bra on when I woke up, and wore it 24/7 for the required two days. After removing it, and the bandage, I switched to the Danskin zip-front sports bras with the stiff cupped inserts, and wore those 24/7 except when showering. Because the lx'd boob was smaller, I added a rolled-up white cotton sock over the incision for extra compression. I had no bruising, and only one tiny bit of swelling the size of a grape (before I figured out the sock trick). My BS said the bump would be a helpful guide for the re-excision, which I had on 8/8. I wore the sports bra for 3-4 weeks the first time, and I'm doing that again now. Bonus is that there's a slit on the side to remove the inserts, and that's just the right size to slip in the flat ice mini I was given after the biopsy.
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Ring - I am so happy to hear how well you are doing!!
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Oh, to be a 38D again! (Not since my pregnancy 34 yrs ago). Blouses that don't gap at the buttons. Bras that don't cost a fortune and can be bought at Target. And should I spill stuff on myself at dinner, it'd land on the napkin on my belly (if not just the lap).
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I'm not sure if I'm in the right Forum. Have any of you with Oncotype scores between 20 and 30 requested and received your detailed Oncotype report, with scores for all the other components, not just for ER, PR and HER2?
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Holdingon52- my score was 19, but you can get the actual full report faxed to you from the company that does Oncotype DX. That is how I had it in my hands prior to meeting with my MO.
You get release forms from them. Pain in the butt, they use FAX to receive your release & FAX to send it back to you. Best of luck to you.
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Thanks, Cindy. I did request and receive the full report--- My score was 25 and I'm trying to find somebody else around that range, to compare the proliferation component scores with. I'm just very curious to see if they're similar or completely different. Maybe it's overthinking, but I'm wondering if all scores of 25 have a similar breakdown or can the balance of the component parts be very different?
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Thank you, Ladies, for the responses and suggestions. My surgery is on Monday (Bilateral LX/Sentinel Node BX) and I'm just trying to stay calm and positive. It's encouraging to see so many others who have chosen lumpectomy.
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WasntMe, it was my surgeon who developed the Mayo Clinic's pre-op decision-tree slide show--especially the "population" graphic chart that shows that a 4% chance of recurrence for LX+rads is only 4 people out of 100* (and visually appears a lot smaller increase over BMX's 2%). Sometimes pictures speak louder than not just words but numbers as well.
*That's 4 out of 100 already-diagnosed breast cancer patients, not out of 100 random people. A lot less than the 1 in 8 (or 12 out of 100) random women who will develop breast cancer before age 80.
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Chisandy. Ty. For your constant positive input. It is a constant source for me. And to all the rest of you guys
I met with MO and RO yesterday. Got my tattoos. Will start radiation Sept 10.
MO outlined all the risks for hormone therapy. Scarey. I'm going to do it, but I feel like I'm trading off death for a lower quality of life. cancer recurrence vs osteoporosis, heart disease, glaucoma, swesting, irritabity, depression... I'll check another forum for discussion on hormone therapy. Wow. I put this on the back burner. Yesterday it was laid out..hard to ignore. I know I may not have any side effects. But I feel so vulnerable
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Hello all. Hope you don’t mind s question. I think of you as subject matter experts and some of the stongest people in the world. I received two opinions on the treatment plan for my DCIS recently diagnosed. Both docs say lumpectomy with radiation. But one says she would have me awake while the other says asleep. I’m a scaredy cat unlike all of you - Any words of wisdom on why the difference and what is best ? Thank you so much. Hugs to all
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Tinkerbell, I have not heard of being awake during a lumpectomy. I only know about being under general anesthesia. The prep for the lumpectomy requires you to be awake because you most likely will have a wire guided mammogram to specifically locate the mass. This is unpleasant but doable. Then when you go into surgery you are placed under general anesthesia. Even though a lumpectomy is usually outpatient surgery, it is still major surgery.
Wishing healing thought to you
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Tinkerbell, if you are not having any lymph nodes removed (maybe you have DCIS?), it is possible to have a lumpectomy while awake. I didn't know this was still done but I had one many years ago under what my Gyn called "Milk of Amnesia" & it was no problem. I couldn't feel anything & I was draped so I couldn't see the surgery. A nurse stood by my head & chatted with me the entire time. The only problem was that the anesthesia really loosened my tongue & I had no filter between my brain & my mouth! I stayed in recovery for a short time, then went home with almost no discomfort. (An ice pack & Tylenol took care of it.) If that's the route you choose, I'm sure you'll be fine! However, do whatever makes you feel most comfortable & good luck!
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Tinkerbell, I was under general anesthesia too. I haven't heard of anyone being awake for an Lx but I suppose it is possible. I prefer being knocked out
HUGS!
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Tinkerbell- I had my lumpectomy in June 2017. General anesthesia. I have not heard of this being done with a local and being awake. I was awake for the wire guided mammogram but not lumpectomy. If you have a choice I'd say general anesthesia. Best of luck to you!
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Tinkerbell- I had my lumpectomy in June 2017. General anesthesia. I have not heard of this being done with a local and being awake. I was awake for the wire guided mammogram but not lumpectomy. If you have a choice I'd say general anesthesia. Best of luck to you!
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I had a general for mine--I had asked about propofol but it was explained to me that I would need to be perfectly still for both the lumpectomy & SNB.
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bella2013, wire guided mammogram is going to be painful?? Grrr, not ready for that. As I will be awake for the driving from one place at university to another. However I will be out for Lumpectomy and lymph node removal.
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