Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Snazzyiron- I had chemo because I was/am Her2 positive. My tumor was a grade 3 but stage 1. Others who are/were Her2 negative can probably give you more information about the treatment they had. I understand about the worry though. I am still within the first year and already nervous about recurrence
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Jill, Happy New Year! I was thinking of you just the other day and it's great to see you post. (Though I never had chemo, I followed your makeup tutorials closely and am keeping Urban Decay afloat, buying their eyelid primers--Minor Sin for the crease, Eden for lids, Anti-Aging for my "natural" days).
As some of you know, I'm 4 years out (my lumpectomy was 9/23/15). What many who haven't frequented the other threads don't know is that I've lost 50 lbs. since last April--first, I got on the scale, butt-naked, in the locker room at a Dead Sea spa and it read 211 lbs. (Yes, it was an old-school balance-beam so I couldn't make excuses). Then a week later, my MO declared my a1c was headed in the wrong direction and referred me to the N. Shore system's weight-loss clinic...for which I couldn't get an appt. till June. (In the interim, I started Invisalign and dropped the first 15 lbs. due to snacking being a PITA). Long story short, one day in late Oct. I was in the shower and felt a huge, long lump beneath my surgical scar. Even though my MO hadn't noticed anything (at least not that she'd mentioned) a week earlier, I panicked. Turns out my seroma--which was originally 10cm, had gotten up to 20cm after rads, and had begun shrinking again, had collapsed in on itself--all that was left was the surrounding scar tissue which had contracted and consolidated. My BS and the radiologist both pointed it out on the ultrasounds & mammo--and my BS actually discharged me from her care, until & unless I want to have "Thelma" reduced to match "Louise." I'd just never noticed it when I was fat!
Meanwhile, HerRoom.com sells something called "Jump-a-Cup," which consists of a silicone "cookie" (larger than the removable pads in a contour bra, smaller than the partial prosthesis for which Medicare will pay); and a separate cloth cover, for stuffing under the smaller breast to even things out. (Mine are pendulous, bottom-heavy, and shallow on top).
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Snazzyiron...our diagnosis looks about the same. No chemo for me. My scores fell in the middle (the grey area).
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Hello Everyone,
I was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer with a Pten mutation in the fall. I went through a lot of testing because I also have an irregular heartbeat and am currently scheduled to have a bilateral masectomy on 2/26. I decided to do this because my mother had breast cancer, but did not die from that. She died of thyroid cancer. I decided awhile back that the masectomy was what I wanted to do because of this high risk gene and because I didn’t want to go through what she did. But now my blood pressure has spiked a lot, so much so that my doctor has had to put me on medicine. (But it’s not working yet.). And my surgeon says that I can’t have a surgery like this with such high blood pressure. So now I am wondering if I should just have a lumpectomy and radiation. But what if I can’t get my blood pressure down? Can someone have a lumpectomy with uncontrolled high blood pressure? My medical team has told me that I have to do one or the other due to the high risk gene and my mom’s history, but I am not sure what is best for me. Has anyone out there had a similar experience? I am so upset not that I can’t stop crying I know that I am not handling this well
Sincerely,Cynthia
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Cynthia451, Welcome! I don't have any answers for your questions. Just wanted you to know that someone WILL have gone through this before. It's okay to cry. Most of us do. You've made some very hard decisions. Make sure you discuss all your options with your surgeon (hopefully a BC surgeon) and see what he/she says or recommends. And then do what feels right for you. Once you make your decision, don't look back! You'll drive yourself insane if you do. Good luck!
HUGS!
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Did your surgeon tell you that you can have the lumpectomy, but not the MX with your blood pressure elevated? A lumpectomy is a very easy surgery and safer than a BMX. When I was trying so hard to make the decision someone on this board told me to "go small and then go big later if necessary". That sounded reasonable to me even though I knew that I would have to have a yearly MRI and Mammogram for the rest of my life. You are so lucky that you are stage 0. I hope that you can get your blood pressure down soon so that you will be able to have a choice between the two surgical options.
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Hi Cynthia chiming in with empathy here. I have had HBP for 30+ years with underlying autoimmune issues. I am on three blood pressure meds (3 different types) and controlled. I had lumpectomy but could have had either. It should not take long for your primary physician to figure out which meds work best for you to bring it down. Stay hopeful and keep us posted. We care!!
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Hi, Cynthia. Has your medical team given you an estimate on how quickly the BP meds will start to work? Has your BP spiked based on readings at the Dr's office or self readings? Was it spiking when they were giving you the "news", which would be understandable. Although I take BP meds, my BP spiked when I was discussing BC results/options with the medical team. One thing to ask them when they do a reading - keep your arm at the height of your heart (an intern gave me this advice). When they do BP reads with your arm "dangling" it can give a false read. Also, make sure you sit still & do some slow, deep breathing. Hoping for good results on the BP meds. There are many factors that go into determining which surgical options works for you. Hope that your medical folks are fully explaining this to you. Lumpectomy, radiation and anti hormone meds were what was presented to me as the best choice, but there are so many factors to consider. Make sure you get all the answers you need!
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generally even with stage 1 cancer, there’s not too great of a rush to surgery.
For some people, blood pressure and stress and/or blood pressure and diet can be very related. Maybe it could be a good time to shift some of your energy to mental health (therapist, psychiatrist) and wellness (nutritionist, exercise/yoga) and see what kind of blood pressure impact that might have. And whether it does or not, these are likely to have positive impacts on your life and health in general, including cancer prevention.
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There's a psychogenic phenomenon called "white coat syndrome," in which blood pressure spikes whenever one simply sees the sphygmomanometer. The way to rule this out is to wear a portable monitor for a few days--it will take readings at random.
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Cynthia: hope you're doing a bit better psychologically now. Have your medical team gotten back to you about whether they can do a lumpectomy with your blood pressure as it is? (Has your blood pressure dropped?)
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ChiSandy It’s good to see you too! Glad that you’re doing well. I love urban decay, I still use Sin every single day!
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Pinkbean - I had lumpectomy, 3 nodes removed & radiation therapy after 6 weeks of healing - I went back to work in between. 1 week at home after lumpectomy. The surgery itself and recovery at Medical Center is no pain at all, they give you what is necessary and the anesthesia wears off completely by next day. The most uncomfortable was the node removal as it was under the arm, mostly numbness, not pain. The tumor incision site was not really painful either, but they will give you meds. I was fine with a strong Ibuprofren, nothing more than. Your first 3 months, you should not be doing heavy lifting on that side. I had more issues with the Radiation treatments making me very tired, so nutrition was key - green smoothies with added protein and nourishing foods - basically extra fuel for the fatigue. That can happen towards end of Rads. You will manage if you take these extra steps for your energy levels. And most important - ease your mind & heart - those 2 are the most important for any kind of healing. I learned to meditate and relax and put all aside during that time - AMAZING feeling to focus on myself, even with work/kids/husband. I learned the mind-body connection is key to help you get through ANYTHING. If you have any skin issues after Rads, please reach out to me. I have a few tips. I wish you much positivity and healing vibes.
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Hello!
I’m so glad there is a board for lumpectomies. I just had mine done on 1/29/20. DCIS Stage 0 ER + 95% not sure if I wrote that out correctly. It’s been a little over a week and I’m still very, very sore. I read that pain after lumpectomy can last quite a long time. I’m 36 and in otherwise great health so I’m trying not to fear the worst but it’s hard. I have a post op appointment today and will hopefully get some good news on clean margins. I will also start radiation in a few weeks as well. I’m not going to lie, I’m crying a lot today. I’m scared and feel alone, have a supportive husband but it’s just not comforting talking to him about everything. I worry everyday that it will come back and worse, I worry about radiation having long term effects that limit my quality of life. I have a one and half year old and think about how this is and will impact her life too. How do kids always manage to hit you in the boob, and at the worst time?! I find myself having to push her away a lot because of fear of her hurting it more which breaks my heart. I wish at the time I was diagnosed, they said the mental and emotional part would likely be harder than the physical. I’m sorry for the rant, I don’t have anyone who can relate.
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Abidu- rant away, we've all done it, and are here to listen. We can relate. I'm hoping your post op appt turned out great! I think my lymph node area hurt me way worse than the breast, but we're all different and experiences vary.
I think there might be a forum on here for younger ladies, which I'd place you in that group. Best of luck to you. And gentle HUGS!
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Abidu - Go ahead and rant! Please do not beat yourself up about how your body feels. Lumpectomy is surgery, involves nerves & you are only about 1 week out. Not sure if you had removal of any nodes, but the sentinel node incision area was (is) more painful. Still bothers me when doing certain exercises. Lots of us also feel what we call "zingers" as well. Lots of women on this topic are here to support you. You can even PM (private message) if you wish. Please continue to use us as a "sounding board". Healing thoughts & gentle hugs,
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ohhh i can relate i just had axillary lymph node dissection and lumpectomy on 31/1/20, i am 31 years old and i have 19 months toddler i understand every word you wrote your not al
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Thank you ladies! Yesterday was just a hard day. Got good news from my post op, clear margins and nothing different from my original diagnosis. I asked about the numbers if I skipped the rads and tamox, I read some too but my surgeon is a numbers guy like myself so he was straight with me and it made me feel better. We are out in Washington State with no family here so it’s felt very isolating. I am grateful for these boards though. You all do more than you know for women all over.
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Abidu, I'm also in Washington State - Spokane. Are you near me? Waiting for path reports is tough. You are definitely in the right place for support and information. This site truly is a godsend. PM me if you wish, I'd be glad to connect with you.
HUGS!
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hi
Just had a lumpectomy w sentinel lymph node removed and u have bad lower back pain unsure why ? Any understanding of this would be appreciated
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Debiii,
It might be from how your were positioned on the operating table...supine with your arms extended out from your body. Being in that position could cause some discomfort in the lower back.
Hope you get relief soon.
Bella2013
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oh thank you removed a patch from that area wasn’t sure maybe they inserted pain made thru lowered bac
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Hi, Everyone,
I will have a lumpectomy on February 18. I am stage 1 IDC, her2- er/pr+. I have a client who ran a breast cancer program in Dallas for many years. He is advising me to look into whether or not I really need to have my sentinel node removed, mostly because he said the majority of side effects come from that part of the surgery. I will ask questions of my surgeon but not having the node out does give me some anxiety in terms of wanting to make sure this cannot spread. My radiation oncologist said I only have about a 2% chance of the cancer being in the node.
Just wondering if anyone on here questioned the node removal or decided against it? Thanks so much.
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Elizapt, Even thought the SEs of the sentinel lymph node removal are annoying, they aren't devastating. I would not have considered NOT having them removed. Peace of mind ranks high with me. What SEs do we have? For awhile after surgery - zingers, since those nerves were disturbed. Tenderness, sometimes aggravated by the clothing you wear. Bras, tight armholes. And lymphedema.
You have to decide what is important to you. Everything. I mean EVERYTHING to do with Breast Cancer seems to be a trade-off. So we wind up doing what seems to be best for us. My answer may not be yours. I will say this: No matter what you decide on the lymph nodes, DO NOT LOOK BACK AT THAT DECISION EVER! You will have made an informed decision and decided, yup, that's the way I'll go.
Good luck!
HUGS!
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Agree w/ PontiacPeggy, it's such a personal decision matrix.
I will say that while the sentinel node surgery recovery was more painful than the lumpectomy, I've had zero issues with that incision post-op. I've had more issues with radiation (have radiation damage to my pec, and I have to work always to maintain full range of motion in my left arm). However, even with that and as annoying as it's been, I do not regret having radiation. I knew I was pretty likely to pass on tamoxifen (and I have) so for me, radiation was a no brainer to kill any stray cancer cells that were thinking about moving elsewhere in my body.
But again, PontiacPeggy is right. Once you make your treatment decision (and make no mistake, it's YOUR decision), no regrets. Sure, I may have a recurrence because I'm not taking tamoxifen. I'll be sad, no doubt about it. But I chose this path.
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elizapt- I had 8 nodes removed during my SNB and even though I developed a seroma, have lymphadema risk, still have a numb armpit and some pretty good pain zingers, I would still have it done again.
Good luck with your treatmentwhatever you decide.
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definately feeling more pain in arm than breast but I do would have worried if I didn’t do it .. again confused about my lower back pain more than anything
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Debiiii, Pleas help us help you by going to your Profile and the Settings tab and making all your Dx, Treatments etc PUBLIC. Most of us can't remember everyone's profile and it does matter when we try to answer questions. Thanks!
HUGS!
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ok think I did it right
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Debiiii,
Not yet. This is the hardest part of the site - making things public. Each and every item has to be made public. Thanks for trying!HUGS!
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