Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I had my lumpectomy on the 21st with one drain. The drain was removed last Friday and now I have what feels like a hard sausage under my 5 inch incision. It scared me to death until I read your explanations --- called the surgeon and was told if it is not gone in the next 2 or 3 days I will have to come in to have it drained. The doctor originally told me to message it so that is what I'm going to concentrate on. I"m exhausted and kind of becoming depressed with all this doctor stuff.
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I still have 2 seromas near my scar line under my arm pit and my lumpectomy was in Jan 2018. These can be very painful and draining helps release the pressure. However, mine keep filling up again after being drained like 5 times. Hope you get some relief from having yours drained. I've never had seromas that went away on their own and certainly not in 2 or 3 days.
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Veeder -- well, that's not good. Does everyone get seromas? Mine feels smaller or maybe I'm just getting used to it. It's a long sausage type feeling.Does it hurt to have them drained? The shot for my two biopsies didn't hurt so I'm hoping this is also painless. I'm just sick and tired of going to doctors offices --- all that testing before the surgery and I even had extra to make sure I would be fine for anesthesia. That wasn't necessary, but I did it on my own because I was terrified of anesthesia. Does radiation make the seromas worse? Wonder why they keep filling up.
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Was told by the surgeon's NP even before the surgery not to freak out about a lump beneath the incision, as it would certainly be scar tissue; nor about sharp "zapping" pains as severed nerves reconnect. Way too soon to have a recurrence.
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lamlove - I just went through getting my lump where my lumpectomy was checked - had an US too - it was determined to be scar tissue. Kind of freaked me out because I never had a lump and now I have one! Always good to get confirmation.
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Hello,
I dont know if I should really described it as swollen or even say that its inflamed, I think I got that word from the dr at my follow up appointment, I remember them saying "your gonna have some inflammation from the surgery" what I'm noticing is more of a skin change... Anyway my lump was located on the outer right side of boob. That area is not where I'm noticing the inflammation/skin change at, its on the lower half of my boob, that part of the boob that hangs, so almost like the u shape of the breast. The skin has the look of an orange peel, almost like the look of inflammatory breast cancer when u look up those symptoms just not red. Is this normal for being 5 weeks out? Also just had my cat scan of my breast this past Friday to prepare for radiation therapy. Would the cat scan pick up a new cancer?
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That's how my seromas felt when they formed. The skin was swollen and red, and very tender. I had to have them drained several times. I think they said a couple of times they pulled out over 130 ml of fluid! Like we're not already going through enough!
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I had a similar experience you are describing only mine happened about 1 week after surgery. Ended up having to take antibiotics for about 3 weeks. They did an ultrasound on it and then wanted to drain it. I opted to go to my massage therapist who is trained in myofascial release. 1 session with her somehow released the fluid. Now that was my personal experience I would not suggest anyone ignore their doctor's advice. I just figured it was worth a try before I went back in for surgery. So I'm glad it worked out for me. When I called my surgeon and told her that I was worried I had inflammatory breast cancer she and her good humor suggested I worried about something else like world Peace 🤣
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Iamloved,
I called my dr and she calmed me down and let me know it is normal. I go in Tuesday for my first rad treatment and she will look me over then. I literally just laughed out loud at your Dr's recommendation, thank you I needed a good chuckle.
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CarrieSt,
Thanks for sharing your experience, I hate that we are going through this $hit!
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Hi lumpectomy gales. - it's a bad enough shock when you go to your 1st visit with your surgeon & he tells you what the biopsy results are & what kind if cancer you have & then the big question ... would you want a lympectomy or a mastectomy? Your head is spinning in shock & you don't know anything about breast cancer or the procedures. Surgeon told me I would need radiation if I opted for lumpectomy & if I opted for a mastectomy I might have to have radiation. Didn't like the idea of radiation & risking lung cancer or heart disease since the large tumor was on my left boob, but couldn't bare the thought of losing my big beautiful girls. So opted for lumpectomy. It's been 8 months since surgery & a little more than 5 months since rads & I shrunk a whole size on my surgical boob & an ugly 5" scar horizontal right up to the nipple bud which is death-gray in color. Won't opt for more surgeries
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BadLuck,
I know what you arer feeling. I am going through a divorce while going through all of this...and I look at myself in the mirror, and wonder if anyone will ever think I'm beautiful again. I have three scars, two from surgeries on my left boob, and one from a biopsy on my right boob, where they must have really taken out a large sample! Not that I'm focused on finding a new love in my life...I'm definitely not! But I can't help but not like what I see. I hope with time, the scars won't be as bad, and that maybe my boobs will be the same size one day. Cancer is scary enough, and all of the aftereffects are just icing on the cake! Sorry about how bad your experience has been, you are not alone. Hang in there and we will hope for the best for healing and restoration in the future.
Hugs,
Carrie
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Iamloved,
I love your Dr!! I wish they all had a sense of humor like that! Stay positive!
Hugs,
Carrie
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CarrieSt - my thoughts are with you. I went through a divorce 24 years ago and wouldn't wish it on anyone, let alone to have BC while doing it.
All I can say is to take care of yourself, pamper yourself when you can - mani pedi- and eat well. I lost a lot of weight going through my divorce, stress took it off. With dx of BC I also lost a few pounds. I have no magic wand to give you, wish I did, but I can pass on a big HUG to wrap you up in.
You are stronger than you know, your scars will not define you.
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CIndyNY,
Thank you for your words of understanding and encouragement. I actually started to cry, I think because it never really comes out in the open with my friends and family about how hard all of this is. I'm trying to stay strong. Moments like this (when tears are streaming down my face) I feel relief at letting go and hope for the future. I joked with my mom the other day, that I hit the "trifecta", BC, divorce and moving out of my home of many years into a new home to start over all at once. It just feels good to know I have a place where I can receive words of encouragement. Thank you again.
Hugs,
Carrie
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Carrie, so sorry for the triple whammy life has dealt you--but you will get through this. "Start over" is the operative term; think of it this way--you get a reboot. It may not seem like it right now, but there are possibilities ahead.
Just curious, though: your profile says "IDC" but then "Stage 0." "IDC" is Stage I or later; "Stage 0" is DCIS. So which one do you have? It'll be easier for us to advise you if we know.
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Carrie - I'm just getting use to this huge breast cancer.org sight with all the forums & I cant seem to find the forums I posted on very easy. Also have log in issues that can't be resolved. Anyway, I'm so sorry you have to be going through the devastation of a divorce on top of all the hell you're going through with having breast cancer. A double whammy! You don't need the stress to be able to heal from cancer. I too have similar stress since I had the surgery & went throughout rads.
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Carrie - anyway back to a double whammy, somehow my husband of 45 years found a replacement for me while I was going through treatment. Found out he had excepted a friend request from some desperate whore who is looking for a veteran! She lives in the area of WI he is from & was on his cousins Facebook page where she found him attracted & wouldn't stop sending him messages, etc. he pointed her out to me & told me he wasn't going to accept her friend request, but I found out he lied. They've become very close according to my little Facebook friends. So recently I told him I know all about my replacement he found & I wanted her deleted.
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Carrie - after begging him to delete her, he did so in front of me but only with so much anger! Then I found out she won't leave him alone & friend requested him again. He told me he private messaged her & told her his wife was jealous of her & that I was psychotic, etc. At least this is what he said he told her, but never let me see any of their conversations or her Facebook page. But recently found him on her sight again! We don't need this stress
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To all the other lumpectomy friends out there who chose to opt out of more surgeries to perfect our disfigured breast. Has any one experienced a double whammy of their boyfriend or husband looking to replace us
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Hi All,
I'm new here and I was advised to post this on this forum since I posted it elsewhere and haven't gotten any replies:
I have reading and rereading all your posts since I was first diagnosed in late December. I am two weeks out from a lumpectomy and recovering nicely although I have nothing to compare it to. Margins were clear and lesion was small. I have early stage I Invasive Breast Cancer that is estrogen receptor positive. Two nodes were removed and they were negative so I am considering myself lucky. I went to my first post op visit with surgeon yesterday and everything looked good except I had a concern of a very small lump near the top of the skin in the aerola near the injection dye site that is a bit sore. She doesn't seem to be very concerned but can't dismiss it so I will have to go back in a month for a mammogram. She did do an ultrasound and saw something that was very round and smooth. It was not there prior to surgery. Has anyone else had reaction near the injection site?
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Sassycookie welcome, I had my surgery in December but I had reconstruction at the same time. I have a lump where my tumor was and my Plastic Surgeon wants me to massage it several times a day. I'm thinking it is a seroma or the start of scar tissue. All of my tests have come back great so I'm trusting her judgement. I think often you can get little sacs of fluid and the start of scar tissue. I have a follow-up with my BS in another month so I will have her take a look at it too. I also think it might be a little hard from radiation as well. Good Luck.
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Thank you, Mymomsgirl for your reply. This bump is nowhere near either of the incisions. It is in the center of both and right under the skin and BS wants me to come in a month to see if it is going away or its something to be concerned about. After the surgery and getting good news, I now have something else to worry about.
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BadLuck, sorry that you are even asking that question. I hope it doesn't apply to you and you are just placing that question out there. My opinion is if he is that shallow, who needs him! I did read your post about the social media deal and I hope he is not making you feel inferior. "We don't need this stress". I think YOU don't need this stress. Maybe you should let him read my thread, lol! Best to you.
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Sassycookie - thanks for your support. I tried over & over explaining to my husband how it makes me feel & to try to put himself in my position. I'm disfigured for life & he's not Mr Perfect by all means. But he has lots of money & likes the empowerment it gives him. This crazy women after him on Facebook is so desperate & obviously using Facebook as a way to find men. She post her panties with sayings on them too! She's a real piece of work.
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BadLuck,
I'm sorry to hear your husband is putting you through that on top of the awfulness we are going through with BC. I know in my case my husband found a "replacement" for me, but it started before all this BC junk. Don't ask me how I knew, some things you just know-like the way he worded things and such. We have been living apart for 3 months now (just signed our separation papers), but have to see each other almost daily because of our son. I try not to think about it, but I still do...I'm sure his new girlfriend has not been disfigured so to speak. God, I hate even putting it into words. I know my surgeon (who I think is wonderful) did her best, but the scars are still there. I feel like no one would want me the way I am now. But this is still so fresh, so I think with time, just like the scars, it will get better. It's just hard right now. Ladies that have loving, supportive husbands, cherish that. It's scary being alone.
Is there another forum, for support for women with horrible men in their lives? If so, I could rant on that form on a daily probably. I'm not a negative person, by nature, but when you've gone through hell and someone leaves you in the middle of it, it stings and there is just plenty to rant about.
Hugs to everyone, we all deserve it<3
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ChiSandy,
I'm sorry I had the stage wrong on my diagnosis. Until I started posting/reading in breastcancer.org, I wasn't paying much attention to the numbers and what exactly my diagnosis was. It's all been hell, but I want to be informed and know what to talk about with other women. I still don't know the answers to some of the questions for my diagnosis, but I will ask at my next appointment. Like mammoprint???And a lot of women are using abbreviations for things and I don't know what they are talking about, but I am trying to catch up. Most women probably asked tons of questions when they were diagnosed...me? I just went numb and then did everything they told me to do, trusting that the plan they had for my care was the best one. I should have asked more questions. But I was at a top notch hospital with excellent doctors and surgeons, so they told me.
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Just went for a second opinion on lumpectomy scheduled for this Thursday, March 14. Agrees completely with first BS - lumpectomy, no chemo, no radiation, Arimidex for 5 years. The lightness of this is because of my being 84. Told to have the lumpectomy, stop the Arimidex if SE too difficult and I will definitely not( because I ‘m already so old) die of this. First time I’ve relaxed and felt hopeful in 2 months.
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Hey CarrieSt, you handled it exactly how was right for you! No 'should haves' necessary! You'll get more information as you want or need it, and that's totally fine.
I'm so sorry about your husband and all the extra stress and burden it puts on you.
keywestfan - So glad you are feeling relaxed and hopeful! It sounds like you have an excellent plan ahead.
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Carrie - yes it sucks to go through any extra stress on top of going through breast cancer. Life can be so very unfair. The last thing I want is more surgery so opting out of any reconstructive on my breast. Some women have to go through multiple surgeries to get them normal or have the good breast done to match the surgical breast. The only way I'll have reconstructive surgery is if cancer came back in the same breast. Would probably then get a mastectomy & reconstructive surgery. For now, I'll live with the disfigurement & get the support I need from my girls on BC.org
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