Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Thinking of you, Tinkerbell. Everyone says the waiting is the hardest part, and although I haven't yet experienced the rest, I believe it. I worry about my parents too.
I haven't yet had the node biopsy; that's coming on Thursday. Someone recently was telling me about it the dye injection, assuring me it wasn't that bad, and I appreciated the concern, but also caught myself thinking, "You DO realize what I've been through over the past month, don't you? And you think I'm worried about a little dye?" Not that I'm looking forward to it, and I so wish I didn't have to do it, but honestly, what's one more stab/compression/unnatural substance temporarily coursing through my body at this point? You've gotten through all the yucky stuff so far; you can do this one too.
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Tinkerbell, I had surgery Oct. 5 and Im here to support you. You will make it.. And yes I was happier to have the cancer out of my body..prayers for inner peace for you and your parents..also a fast recovery..
Btw: movies help pass the time as u recover..
Sending you good vibes!
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Tinkerbell1- I had the same thing and I was scared, too. The wire insertion was not bad at all. I did not have the dye injected first. This was done while I was in surgery. You can do this. What time is your surgery? I am praying for you. The first two days home, I was sore and woozy. Things got better after that. Will you have a drain? Sleeping with that thing was the hardest part. My recliner became my bed for about five days. Stay strong and keep busy today. Tomorrow will pass and you will get through this. My heart is with you.
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Tinkerbell14- You will get through it and you can do this. The dye injections were manageable. They put a cream on me which helped a lot. No doubt- scary, but we've been there and are here for you. Hang in there.
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I had a lumpectomy on my right breast on 9/12. Radiation is recommended and I saw the RO last week. Radiation treatment should begin in Nov or Dec at the latest. I'm undecided if I want to go through with radiation and am investigating getting a double mastectomy. The tumor was 1.8 cm, stage 1 cancer and the type was hormone positive. It did not affect the lymph nodes. I'm so grateful that this was not life threatening for me. Nonetheless, I'm concerned about the radiation side effects (short and long term) and especially the probability of the breast becoming smaller and with permanent hardened tissue and having uneven breasts. My breasts are small (AA cup) so any amount of decrease in size will be significant, I believe. I'd like to hear others' experiences on this topic.
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jon808,
My surgery was in Jan 2018, a Lumpectomy with total tumor size of 2.1 cm (IDC 1.7 and DCIS 0.4). I had radiation in March and April and am taking Tamoxifen because I want to do whatever I can to avoid a recurrence. Other than a bit of fatigue radiation was not a problem, my skin remained intact throughout. If you do opt for radiation follow the skin care instructions carefully.
Remember that many of us post here when we are concerned and are more likely to go our merry ways when things are going well and post less often so any given thread may not be an accurate indication of the frequency of problems. To date I have not noted any decrease of the size of the operated breast post radiation--of course, it was the smaller one before the surgery which makes the comparison more challenging!I
Best wishes to you as you are making these decisions and remember you need to do what makes the most sense to and for you. (((Hugs)))
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Hi Jon808-
I am also small- not quite an A. My tumor was 1.8cm like yours. My surgeon told me, and this did happen that the void left by the surgery would fill with fluid. It did and remained so a year and a half later. In fact the only way you wold know I had breast surgery is by the scar, not because of any change in shape.
Post radiation it is a little larger (my onc said it is still swollen from the radiation) but not enough so that anyone else would notice. I feel like the hardness of the breast from the radiation is lessening somewhat. It still feels sensitive in that area, especially at the end of the day- like I just want to take my bra (bralette since I am not big) off. Otherwise, no issues. For me although I initially did not want to do rads, I feel for me it was a good price to pay for cleaning up any possible stray cancer cells.
These are hard decisions to make-- I wish you the best. Please let us know how you make out.
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Jom808, I am a small A cup, too. My surgery was over 4 years ago. The amount of tissue removed was 5 x 3 x 2 cm - so rather large. My surgeon was able to make my breast look full on top (tumor was at about 6 o'clock). I have no complaints. I had 33 radiation treatments. Never a problem with my skin and still none. My dermatologist recommends continuing use of Aquaphor especially when exposed to the sun but I'm not very good at doing that at all.
I was already extremely exhausted when I embarked on my BC journey. I did not notice any additional fatigue from radiation but I was concentrating on my husband who was hospitalized with life-threatening pneumonia and then getting him into a nursing home. I really had no time to concentrate on me until after he was in the nursing home. So I could have missed fatigue from radiation.
I never considered a mastectomy after my BS told an Lx was all that was needed. A mastectomy is very difficult with a much longer recovery. It is big surgery. I know we throw it around as a choice without necessarily considering all the pros and cons. For those of us that have a choice, an Lx is usually preferred. And you can always have a mastectomy later if you desire. Talk with the RO and see if he can reassure you. Radiation on the right breast does not have some of the rare SEs as the left side such as hurting the heart. Now they are very good at being precise with the radiation where it wasn't quite as possible in the past.
My take is stick with the Lx, do the radiation and aromatase inhibitors and find your hew happy place! Let us know what you decide.
HUGS!
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jon808,
I echo the comments shared with you. I also had a lumpectomy earlier this year. My identifiable lump was 3.5 cm, and I also had other cancerous tissue and lymph nodes removed as well. The surgeon did get clean margins, and he said my survival chances would not be improved by selecting a mastectomy, so I accepted his recommendations.
I also had 33 radiation treatments to kill stray cancer cells. My breast was a little swollen the first week of radiation, but that resolved itself, and other than the surgical scar, there is no visual difference between my breasts. Also, my radiated breast remained soft and I went to exercise every day, which I know helped me to not experience fatigue. My entire cancer team is great-I owe my life and my health to them
If you decide later on that you want a mastectomy, you can always do so. But I tried to do what was medically necessary, and not let my emotions push me too far. Know that with the great support of everyone here, you’ll make it through.
Best wishes to you.
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I am having problems logging into this website from my iPad, iPhone and iMac. I've have been using it for a year without any problems. It started about a month ago. I tried the Chrome browser on each device to see if it would work better but most of the time I can no longer log in. If anyone has experienced this and resolved it, please let me know the answer!
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Jon808, like those who've posted above, I can report that my radiated not-quite-B-cup breast looks and feels no different from the other. I do have scar tissue, which feels tough, but my breast tissue feels unchanged. I'd expect that if you are comfortable with the cosmetic appearance of your breast now, you will be comfortable after radiation. On the other hand, if you are unhappy with your surgical result, a double mastectomy with reconstruction might be right for you. The trade-off would be a great deal of discomfort and the risk of some pretty unpleasant side effects.
I'd urge you to meet again with your radiation oncologist and very directly voice your concerns. I usually find it helpful to ask them to quantify risks as percentages. Similarly, you could (and should) meet with a plastic surgeon and explore your options, along with their risks and rewards.
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if anything I would say my radiated breast is a little perkier, lifted and slightly larger but not noticeable in clothes etc.
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Shocked, what iOS and MacOS are you running? If you've updated them, you'll probably need to reboot. Sadly, that usually clears your history & cookies so you'll have to log in anew for every account & site that requires username & PW. You have your login info in your iCloud Keychain, right? On MacOS in Safari, go to the menu bar, click & hold Safari, scroll down to Preferences and let go. In the Preferences window, go to Passwords. It will ask you for either your Admin acct. password for the Mac, or—if you have a newer one with Touch ID, your fingerprint. That will reveal a list of all your stored usernames & passwords (there's an option to “show password" so you can write it down or type it into Notes in case BCO requires you to physically enter the password rather than use the stored one. Now go to the login page for BCO and type your username. You'll probably get a dialog box asking if you want to use the stored password from Keychain. Try that—otherwise, physically type in the password and check a “remember me" box if there is one.
On your mobile devices, the process is similar, except when you click in the Username window there will be a gray bar below that containing any username(s) you have for the account. Click the one you want to use. On an older iDevice w/o Touch ID, you'll probably be asked for the device password (or not). At any rate, the password field will auto-fill. Check the “remember me" box and hit Enter or the login button. On an iPhone 5S through 8, iPad Mini 3 or later or iPad Pro with Touch ID, you'll be asked for your fingerprint on the Home button. That should auto-fill the password, and proceed with login.
Alas, if you're using an X series iPhone with Face ID, I have no idea what to do (which is why I'm sticking with my 8Plus till it dies). I don't have Chrome, since friends report it's buggy on Apple devices. And I have yet to store any login info on Firefox (which I don't have on my mobile devices).
Jon808, My tumor was 1.3cm in a size H or Icup R breast, so I never reallly considered mastectomy—my surgeon gave me a choice but first showed me charts & slides comparing recurrence & overall survival stats. Especially considering the latter (identical survival with lx+rads vis-a-vis bmx) I chose lx+rads—and was eligible for the 16-session targeted protocol. No fatigue, no irritation or skin damage, just some pinkness that eventually faded to tan after my derm had me use cortisone ointment. No pesky drains, which always follow a mx (uni or bi). The rads made my seroma swell to the point where my R breast became the bigger one for awhile (I/J cup bras), but it's pretty much resorbed to where the R one is the smaller breast again. Splitting the difference between it and the 2 cups-bigger left, depending on brand I'm a 40F (Empreinte), FF (Goddess, Chantelle or Elomi), G (ThirdLove) or H (Prima Donna).
But if were a AA, I probably would have had a mx on at least that side—unless I could have an oncoplastic surgeon fill in the divot for reasonable symmetry.
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Alas, I seem to be the odd one out - Lumpectomy followed by radiation - I had 21 doses at a higher exposure (vs. 33 treatments). My skin did break down and was cracked and peeling. This was finished December 2017. 10 months later, my breast is visibly smaller, my entire pectoral muscle is hard and fibrotic, and I've developed trunkal lymphademia. I've been in physical therapy for 2 months....
Everyone's experience is different.
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Tinkerbell14 - how are you doing? I hope you are improving everyday. I had port surgery today. Sore and woozy again.
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tlfrank, you probably got the same 16 hypofractionated (stronger) treatments that I had, but yours were whole-breast and mine were only to the tumor bed. Then it appears that you got 5 even stronger tumor-bed “boosts.” No wonder you had skin, fibrosis and LE issues. Only my nipple & areola have some fibrosis (but still nipple sensitivity), and no skin breakdown. I slathered on Aquaphor after each session, as soon as I got off the table and into the changing cubicle. Then reapplied at bedtime, plus 100% aloe-Vera gel and sometimes calendula cream. Showered before getting dressed and leaving for the next session, so I did go in bare-breasted.
Hope you can stay high & dry down there in Austin—been watching the news about the swollen lake and possibly more towns flooding
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Hello Everyone, I will be having a lumpectomy on 8 of November. I am wondering a few things. How long was the hospital stay? How long were you out of work? What types of things did you need to bring to the hospital besides medication, and insurance information. I haven't had my pre opp appointment yet, I will get the date for that tomorrow
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Hi
Dyannah
I might not be the best person to advise since I had lymphnodes involved as well. but basic things like pillow for support when u drive home, someone to get medications for you. Plus meals premade for couple days and someone to help u as u change clothing or shower.
Sending well wishes and good vibes .
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Thank ypu for answering Urdrago71. Pillow and meals made is easy. Finding someone I will allow to see me naked not so easy. Lol
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Dyannah, I didn't stay overnight and most of us don't. I was at the surgery center about 7AM, surgery about 9:30 and home by 2PM. I didn't need help changing clothes or showering. I wore button up tops and pull-on pants. Ice packs were nice. I didn't use the prescription painkillers, just regular Tylenol. I had to wait a few days before showering. I had 5 lymph nodes removed and got the path report 2 days later.
Our Canadian friends often have different experiences than here in the States so perhaps they will respond.
The thing to remember is that the Lx is major surgery even if it is outpatient. Your body needs to heal and requires you to take it easy. Take off work for two weeks if possible, at least a week if your job doesn't require too much movement and little lifting.
Others will chime in with more thoughts on what you will want to have with your or need. Good luck.
HUGS!
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I had one fewer node removed, but my lumpectomy experience was exactly the same as Peggy's. Heck, here in the States, even some mastectomies are same-day surgeries.
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Dyannah, same here about it being outpatient surgery. Wear something easy to get on and off as others have said. Take something to read or do as there may be waiting times involved --my wait time was increased because there were problems with the surgery before mine so instead of going into surgery around noon, it was closer to 3 p.m. (after being there at 6a.m.). I still went home that evening--basically the last one out the door of the outpatient recovery room. I took the prescribed pain med for the first 24 hours as a precaution but probably did not really need it as ice packs, rest, and walking around helped the most. I was surprised how much walking around the house helped.
My surgery happened at the height of a bad flu season so I pretty much stayed at home for a couple of weeks until cabin fever overcame caution
and I went to the grocery store! Had someone drive me, push the cart and lift things so it was basically walking somewhere else. I'm retired so timing to return to work was not an issue but that is certainly something to discuss with your surgeon.
Best wishes for a successful surgery, good path report and rapid healing. Please keep us posted.
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ChiSandy - Thank you. We're saturated here in Austin. The entire city is now under a "boil water order" and there's more rain on the way.
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Dyannah - will you have a drain tube? I did after the surgery and lump node removal. A lanyard is a must if you have one. The hospital sent me home with one. It is a great help in the shower. Safety pins to pin the drain to clothes while you are resting. I echo what was said above - Lx is major surgery. Let yourself rest. I was unprepared for the recovery time I needed.
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Annie 60, I honestly don't know much about it. My brain froze after I heard the news, and I couldn't think of any questions. Now I have a ton, but don't need pre operation appointment. He said due to my age. What does 45 have to do with it?
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Dyannah, age shouldn't matter for a pre-op appointment. I didn't have drains - hopefully they won't be needed. Write all your questions down as you think of them for the next time you see your surgeon/oncologist/PA/NP or whomever. Too hard to remember everything. I recommend that you read Dr Susan Love's Breast Book. It is virtually the bible of breast cancer and a good source of information. It will help you learn what you don't even know you need to ask about. Not knowing what you don't know is a huge part of the initial craziness. Keep asking your questions here.
HUGS!
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I didn't have a drain either--most lumpectomies aren't so extensive as to require one. If you will have one, a good way to hold your drains in the shower is to poke holes in a terrycloth wash mitt and run a long piece of grosgrain ribbon through the holes so you create a little "shoulder bag" for the drain. That's what my friend who had a BMX did. There are also shirts, nightwear, camisoles & blouses with drain pockets. My. friend's hospital sent her home with a zipper-front cami that had both drain pockets and removable "foobs." She took the latter out, as she never had that big a bust in her life and said she found it disconcerting to look down at her shirt and see a "balcony."
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PontiacPeggy, that is what I am doing. I bought a hard cover note book just for this reason. I will look for the book tomorrow
ChiSandy: I can imagine how hard it was on her.
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Dyannah, one other thing. You want your own personal copy of every darned lab/surgery or any other report! You keep those records. You need the unfiltered version of the results even if they are indecipherable. And they often are hard to get for some reason. Guess no one in the medical field remembers it is actually YOUR body! You'll like the book or at least appreciate the information in it.
HUGS!
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Not only is it YOUR body, it is your record and you should have access to it if you want. I have referred back to my reports often.
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