May 2018 Surgery Support Group
Anyone out there scheduled for May yet? I am having double mastectomy and reconstruction May 16 and would love to connect with others who are going to belly up to the bar in May.
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I’m seeing my surgeon on Friday the 27th after, hopefully, my genetic testing and other tests are in. I will decide whether to do a lumpectomy or mastectomy at that time and we will set the surgery date. So yes, I’m a May surgery person. When this all started at the first of April I thought that I would be an April surgery, but I’m learning patience. Grin...0
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Prairiedog, I found the stupid lump 3 days before Christmas and was diagnosed Feb 1. I definitely thought I would be entirely done with all treatment by April - had no idea that 80% of breast cancer involves waiting. I had lumpectomy on 2/23 (it was a breeze) and was going to start radiation but then learned that I wasn't a good candidate for rads since I have a vascular condition that could cause problems 5-10 years later. I am STILL waiting on Oncotype/HER2 because the tumor was misdiagnosed as DCIS and pathologists at Oncotype lab discovered it was invasive. We can put on a man on the moon but apparently we still can't diagnose a tumor under the microscope correctly. Anyway, glad to have you on board and I hope everything goes well!
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Hi ReadyAbout,
I know it doesn’t compare to what you’re getting ready for, but I’m having a lumpectomy and IORT on May 4th. I was diagnosed on March 28 but it’s taken awhile to coordinate the surgeon and the RO. I just want this tumor out and (hopefully) a good pathology report. I’m 50 and single so my mom is flying in to take care of me (you're never too old to want your mommy😊). Iwish you and Prairiedog all the best for your surgery and recovery.
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- ReadyAbout... it does seem that you are learning to wait. February first seems like a long time ago! I have been waiting two weeks for my HER2 test results. The longer it takes the more my imagination tells me that it is not a good result. Hopefully this is an over active imagination. But I must say, there is an advantage to the waiting. When I first found out about my BC I was ready to have a bilateral mastectomy, but now rational thought processes have prevailed and I will opt for a lumpectomy if the surgeon agrees. This is my second BC as I went through this 19 years ago so I should be an old Hand at this.
- Pleasantsa... you are right, it will be nice to have your mom to take care of you. You are still your moms little girl and she is no doubt glad to come and help.
Best wishes to both of you. Hugs...0 -
I am seeing the plastic surgeon again on 4/25. I have consented to a right side mastectomy with implant but am now unsure about it. Wondering if I should have DIEP flap instead? has anyone had this? Also trying to decide about a double M? just not sure which way to go?
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I am having my BMX on 5/9 with reconstruction. Good luck ladies
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Dear Primrose24,
Welcome to the BCO community. We are sorry for your diagnosis but glad that you reached out to our members for support and information. You may want to also look at the topic on DIEP Reconstruction or anyone of many topics in the Reconstruction Forum, Please stay connected here. Let us know what we can do to help you to navigate your way around the boards. The MOds
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Hi everyone, not that I want to join you all but here I am! I was just diagnosed so hopefully I will have a may surgery because I am ready to get it over with! My final decision is dependent on genetic test results but I am leaning towards a dmx. I’m young only 33 and want to be as aggressive as possible and give me then most peace of mind. Also according to ultrasound my tumor is small so hopefully the mri shows no surprises. I still have a lot of unknowns unfortunately. Best of luck to every
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Just met with my surgeon today and I’m scheduled for a lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy on Monday May 7. Confirmed ER+99%, PR-, HER2- . I had genetic testing last year and all results were negative. (We have significant family breast cancer history all on my father’s side). Right now feeling optimistic and positive. All of those who assured me that I’d feel better once I had a plan - even part of a plan - were right. After surgery, onward to oncology.
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PatsyKB, welcome to the Maypole! (can someone come up with a catchy name for our group?) FWIW, I have a friend who had breast cancer and also had significant breast cancer history on her mother's side. She tested negative for a breast cancer gene, but the geneticist said that she probably has a gene that simply has not been linked to breast cancer yet. The speed at which research is shaking up genes & cancer is staggering. I have an ATM VUS gene mutation and the VUS simply means that they don't know enough to classify it one way or the other yet. And I agree, having even a zygote of a plan does wonders for one's feeling of control and optimism! Here's hoping your lumpectomy goes well!
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ReadyAbout - thank you for your message and you're right about genetic testing; sometimes it doesn't mean squat, as my genetic counselor explained (though not in those terms). All the "negative" means is that at that particular moment there's nothing harmful or they don't have the technology to see it. Ultimately, life and cancer are crapshoots, right? (As I say frequently these days, I've dodged this particular bullet for 43 years since my first biopsy in 1975.)
Good luck with your surgery, SLL101984 - it sounds like you're making the wise decision to wait on final choices until the rest of the testing is done. That's where I am too - doing the lumpectomy largely because, after discussion with my surgeon about my cancer particulars, there is no overriding reason to have a mastectomy (single or double). The less surgery I have to recover from the better, as long as the long-term outcome (survival rate) is equal. (Lumpectomy+radiation vs mastectomy, understanding that recurrence chances are a little higher with lumpectomy.) We shall see...
Rjmjt120, Primrose24, prairiedog, pleasantusa - I/we will all be watching as May progresses.
I am so grateful that this website is here.
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I am bellying up! LOL - My double mastectomy with reconstruction (expanders) is scheduled for 05/01/2018. I was diagnosed 03/19/2018 with invasive mammary carcinoma with lobular features, intermediate combined. I feel as though I have been moving through life in a daze everyday since. While I am thankful that I finally discovered this site, it angers and saddens me that so many woman have to experience breast cancer.
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Welcome, MiAnBu! We hope you find support within this community, and we wish you the best of luck on your upcoming surgery!
The Mods
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May 3, next Thursday I am scheduled for a lumpectomy. Let's get this over with is my mantra right now. I'm really tired of waiting around. So far all of my tests and reports have come back good. My previous bout of ILC was HER2 positive and this time it is negative... yah!!!! And my genetic testing all came back negative. Just a few more hurdles, node biopsy and oncotype dx, and this will be behind me, except for radiation and/or hormonal therapy which I know is ahead of me. My tumor is reported to be 1.9mm and I hope it doesn't turn out to be bigger than that. Fingers crossed for good reports next week.
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MiAnBu - good luck on your surgery Tuesday! I am glad you found us! I was diagnosed on 2/1 and this forum has become my Facebook/Insta/Twitter since then. You and I can share notes on the joys of TEs after mastectomy, lol.
Prairiedog- best of luck on the lumpectomy! For me, biopsy was actually a bit more painful than the lump. The day after lumpectomy I walked on treadmill, pruned all the hydrangeas in our yard, and went to grocery store. I had more discomfort a week or two later, as I remember guarding the "bad" side when walking in big crowds at school.
Y'all are going to do great. We can do hard things!
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Hi All;
I'm sked'd for a R Mx with 2 stage reconstruction and a SNB on May 1st. It's been a gruelling wait for me which began Feb 28, 2018 w an abnormal mammogram. I had hoped (?) for a lumpectomy and some radiation, but have autoimmune issues that make radiation too risky. So: mx for me.
I still feel unsettled w my decision to go for reconstruction: I'm a 48yo single mother of 2 teenage boys, and while the odds are against me, I would like to be in a relationship at some point. More importantly though, I imagine that looking at myself in the mirror w/o reconstruction would be a constant reminder and upsetting. I was always disappointed w my smaller breasts but wouldn't have undergone an augmentation. The decision to do so is such a 180 for me - but so was my diagnosis.
My surgery is in Vancouver BC. I think I reached peak anxiety about it this Weds/Thurs. I now feel like I want to get if over with but I know I don't fully understand the emotional impact. And - desperatley want the waiting game to be over and to have my pathology results in hand to know what lays ahead. In Vancouver I'm told it's a 3 week wait. Tough for a small 'a' type A : )
Hope you are all patient with yourselves while healing - I wish you all the best outcomes and speedy, 'easy' recoveries.
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Hi BlueSky1969. I feel you in terms of your reconstruction concerns. I am 38 and have always been small chested. Because of It, I was told that if we did the mastectomy and reconstruction on only the cancer side (right side) that I would still need an implant on the left to try to balance them. Therefore, since I was going under the knife anyway, I had a double mx with immediate reconstruction. They unfortunately could not fit the implant on the right (which I was prepared might happen) so they put in an expander. I will tell you...my left side looks beautiful. I really imagined an awkward boob with scars all over. The scars heal so quickly and I'm so incredibly impressed. And its only been a few weeks! It looks better than before (breastfeeding my little ones had left it's mark haha). My right side looks fine too...awkward shape with an expander but once swapped for implant should be fine. In my case, my margins came back positive so May 9 I'm having the expander removed in an attempt to get more tissue removed. I haven't heard of many ladies having to go back for more surgery after mastectomy...lucky me I guess
I just wanted to reach out to let you know that you'll be just as beautiful after all this! Luv and prayers! 0 -
My lumpectomy, SNB,and immediate reconstruction is 5/8. Getting nervous but tired of waiting to know exactly what type of cancer I have. Of course I got a cold yesterday. Since the day of my mammogram I've had pain in my left arm, shoulder and neck.trying to be positive but some days I don't do as well as I should :
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Same w me Mntx - its gruelling to wait, and impossible to be graceful about it when one is stumbling around in the dark.
I too have caught a cold, and am blowing my nose very 5 minutes. I was told by surgeon that as long as I didn't have a fever I would be ok for my procedure on Tues - but that's up here in Canada.
I had hoped for some quiet time before my Mx but, of course, I'm rushing to finish.
I'll send you all my 'good outcome' vibes next Tues
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Blue sky: thank you for your response. Im very grateful for this forum to connect with others.
I don’t have fever so you helped me with your surgeons advice. I don’t want to do this but on the other hand just want to get it over with.
Timing wise we r on a similar track. I see your surgery is tomorrow, my prayers and thoughts are with you. Hugs to you.
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I'm not scheduled as of yet but I am assuming it will be in May. I was diagnosed on March 30th with Paget's disease on the right side and will opt for a lumpectomy. I am having an MRI guided biopsy on the left tomorrow morning for a really tiny spot that showed up on the MRI. Really hoping its nothing but assuming that it is also DCIS I'll do the same for that side and sentinel node biopsy for one or both. May is already a crazy busy month with high school graduation for my daughter and middle school graduation for my son along with all the fun activities happening in the weeks leading up to it. Why not add in surgery to the mix! Hoping to at least let my kids enjoy their big days without knowing what's going on(Can I hide the surgery from them???) I really don't want this darkening such a happy time for both of them. I really don't know what to expect as far as the surgeries or how quickly you bounce back. I feel a bit behind compared to others on the amount of information I know and feel like this keeps stretching out longer and longer! The waiting is horrible! I do feel extremely lucky that it was even found so early. It was pure luck! I had a cyst show up overnight which is what started this whole journey which has now disappeared completely of course! Normal mammograms and ultra sounds didn't register it at all!
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Kelligirl5, FWIW, I had a lumpectomy in February and it was much easier than I expected! I had no pain the following day and ended up doing some yard work and errands. I did keep those little ice packs on for the first 24 hours or so. I did not have SNB done at the time, so that may be painful post-surgery. I went back to work a couple of days after the surgery. I did have some discomfort the following week, mainly I noticed that when walking briskly, the incision site was kind of painful and I kept holding my arm against my side to keep the breast still. As for your kids, I think teens are often a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. My kids (19 & 16) got very worried when they realized we were keeping something health-related from them, but when we told them what was going on, they did fine. I think because I was very matter-of-fact and upbeat, they responded accordingly. (Or maybe I have done a superb job of raising them to not be emotionally attached to me, lol.) I feel you on the timing of surgery with end of the school year! It's terrible timing with all the festivities and chaos of the end of the year, but we can't control everything. I am a teacher and will miss the last 10 days of school because I'm having a mastectomy. No idea how I will write all those sub plans but somehow it will get done. Let us know how the biopsy goes!
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ReadyAbout thanks for the info on your lumpectomy! I'm hoping to take a couple days off but want to make sure I can participate in all the commencement activities to. That's had me really worried. I know my kids will be fine with it all once we tell them. They've watched several family members go through similar issues so they know what to expect for the most part. I just don't want my diagnosis to take away from their special days if that makes sense? We will definitely tell them what's going on as soon as I have a full diagnosis and actual plan but if that could be sometime after their commencement ceremonies I'd be happier!
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What better way to spend work time than to list the May surgeries:
Here's a little key since most of us are fairly new to this world.
MX = mastectomy, BMX = bilateral (double) mastectomy, SNB = sentinel node biopsy, TE = tissue expanders, IORT = intraoperative radiation therapy
5/01 MiAnBu - BMX w/ reconstruction (TE)
5/01 BlueSky1969 - MX w/ SNB and reconstruction (TE)
5/03 PrairieDog - Lumpectomy
5/04 pleasantsa - Lumpectomy w/ SNB, IORT
5/07 PatsyKB - Lumpectomy w/ SNB
5/08 Mntx - Lumpectomy w/ reconstruction
5/09 Rjmjt120 - BMX w/ reconstruction
5/09 Tanmcl - TE removal and re-excision after previous MX
5/16 ReadyAbout - BMX w/ reconstruction after lumpectomy (left) 2/2018
Unscheduled: Primrose24, SLL101984, Kelligirl5
My prayers are with you MiAnBu and BlueSky1969 on your surgeries tomorrow. I know you'll both do great. Keep in touch as you are able.
Angela
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Angela: Thank you for summarizing our May Sisters. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in this battle. I will pray for each of you as your surgery approaches and wish forspeedy recovery.
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Good luck tomorrow ladies! Hoping to be posting a surgery date in the next week or so! Ready to move on!
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Pleasantsa: You the real MVP of this board! Thanks for putting the list together!
MiAnBu and BlueSky1969, I will be lifting up you and your medical teams in prayer tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. When you feel up to it, please post and let us know how it went. You can do this!
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I am so moved by all of your good wishes and thoughts. It makes me feel safe knowing that some of you are keeping tabs on me - and MiAnBu - and sending healing vibes. Thank you for the lift.
Thinking of you MiAnBu and sending healing thoughts.
Will log in as soon as I can.
With deep gratitude, xo
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Thinking about you MiAnBu and BlueSky1969! Hoping your surgeries are going well and you'll be on the road to quick and easy recovery!
I wrapped up my Biopsy this morning, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Hoping the results come back quickly and are nothing! I just want to move on to a schedule suregery plan!
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What point is everyone at? I just had my mri yesterday and I go for genetic testing Monday. I’m meeting with the surgeon Friday and hopefully we’ll be scheduling surgery (of course things may change with the results of of the genetic testing). I’m so anxious waiting for all the puzzle pieces to come together so I can make a choice
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