August 2019 surgery support group
Comments
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thank you for the list!! I’m very excited for this long journey to slowly end and things can become somewhat normal
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Welcome to our little group Dawn and Arizona!
I've been in “nesting" mode all weekend. I've steam cleaned all of my carpets, cleaned every room top to bottom, and thrown out a lot of clutter. I guess I want to be in a good place since it'll be a while before I feel great again (starting chemo a few weeks after surgery). All I need to do now is stock up the kitchen and I'm ready for surgery.
Oh, and I even went out and visited a wig boutique today in anticipation of hair loss from chemo. The lady there was wonderful and very compassionate. I was so nervous and just wanted to cry, but she had both myself and my husband laughing. She even gave me a discount since I'm a cancer patient. I'm happy with the wig we picked, and I've also got some soft beanies from amazon for those days I don't want to mess with a wig.
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hi fellow August surgery warriors ! L mastectomy with sentinel node bx Aug 2. ( this coming Friday😱). DCIC. Had lumpectomy 3/1. Close but clean margins. Large hematoma with architecture distortion. Opted for nipple/skin sparring ( hopefully) MX direct to implant in nodes are clear. Otherwise tissue expanders for radiation.
Biggest anxiety for me right now is worried about outcome of sentinel node bx. Any DCIS mx with comforting words re: lymph nodes?
Good luck to everyone... you are all in my prayers 🙏🙏
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Welcome Sage!
Given that DCIS is non invasive, it’d be rare for it to be found in the lymph nodes. I would think as long as they don’t find an invasive component during MX you have a great chance of clear nodes
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Updated list, some of us are getting close. Prayers and positive thoughts to LMS and sagelady who are having their surgeries this week
August 1 - LMS458412 - bilateral mastectomy w/o reconstruction
August 2 - sagelady - L mastectomy with sentinel node bx
August 5 - tmh0921 - bilateral mastectomy, latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction on my left breast, and tissue expander placement bilaterally
August 6 - okjoan - lumpectomy and axillary node biopsy
August 8 - laurencl - Right mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August 8 - dawns1962 - nipple sparring (hopefully) mastectomy of my right breast and expanders, left breast lifted
August 13 - arizonaboundgal - bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction
August 19 - ucfknights' mom - bilateral mastectomy
August 19- notdefined - unilateral mastectomy with diep reconstruction
August ? - Nadia_D - right breast mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August ? - Margun - bilateral Goldilocks
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Add me to the list: BMX 8/5. I had LCIS for which I had 3 lumpectomies on 7/8. Pathology found ILC so the girls got to go. Scared to death that pathology will again upgrade my diagnosis. I’m meeting w plastic surgeon on Wednesday. Hopefully he can put me back together. Single mom w 2 girls. I’m hoping recovery is manageable. Anyone here going to Sloan or in NY area
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Adding Peggy814
August 1 - LMS458412 - bilateral mastectomy w/o reconstruction
August 2 - sagelady - L mastectomy with sentinel node bx
August 5 - tmh0921 - bilateral mastectomy, latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction on my left breast, and tissue expander placement bilaterally
August 5 - Peggy814 - Bilateral Mastectomy
August 6 - okjoan - lumpectomy and axillary node biopsy
August 8 - laurencl - Right mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August 8 - dawns1962 - nipple sparring (hopefully) mastectomy of my right breast and expanders, left breast lifted
August 13 - arizonaboundgal - bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction
August 19 - ucfknights' mom - bilateral mastectomy
August 19- notdefined - unilateral mastectomy with diep reconstruction
August ? - Nadia_D - right breast mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August ? - Margun - bilateral Goldilocks
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Welcome Peggy814!
We're having surgery the same day.
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Welcome sage and Peggy. Thanks everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts. I'm trying to think positively, too.
Only 4 days to go for me, so I'm trying to get the house cleaned, bills paid, and laundry done. I'll go to the grocery store on Wednesday to stock up.
I'm dreading tomorrow. We haven't told our son anything yet. He's only 9 and didn't want him to worry any longer than necessary. We're going to tell him then. He'll spend the day with me on Wednesday, so he can ask all the questions. Then, he's going to his grandparents to spend the night and hang out with his cousins while I have surgery on Thursday morning. We'll be calling him often to keep him updated, so he doesn't worry too much.
Good luck to you, too, sage - I'll hopefully pop back in here before the 5th to check on the rest of you and let you know how it went.
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Telling the kids is HARD. My husband and I told my boys (11 & 16) last week. My youngest keeps asking why my hair has to fall out, why I'm not going to feel good for several months, and am I going to die. My oldest makes small comments here and there, and worries I'm going to die, but mainly doesn't talk about it.
I didn't have kids when I was Dx the first time. Having to watch them worry breaks my heart. I try to be as honest as I can at an age appropriate level. They both know I'm having surgery and chemo to kill the cancer so (hopefully) I won't die.
My youngest is on the spectrum (Aspergers, high functioning Autism) and he's a little worrier.
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Mom is scheduled for left breast mastectomy 5th August . I tried so hard to convince the surgeon to do a bilateral mastectomy with no success. He thinks that a bilateral mastectomy is not necessary.
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Thank you for the list Tmh0921! Hopefully we can get Ucfknights to pin it in her original message, so it will be easily visible. I too have a son on the spectrum. He is 7 and is a worrier as well. I think that (telling him and his twin sister) was the worst part of this nightmare so far. I will be keeping you in my thoughts for the 5th. Hope it all goes smooth.
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Adding Kkmay
August 1 - LMS458412 - bilateral mastectomy w/o reconstruction
August 2 - sagelady - L mastectomy with sentinel node bx
August 5 - tmh0921 - bilateral mastectomy, latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction on my left breast, and tissue expander placement bilaterally
August 5 - Peggy814 - Bilateral Mastectomy
August 5 - Kkmay - Mom is having left breast biopsy
August 6 - okjoan - lumpectomy and axillary node biopsy
August 8 - laurencl - Right mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August 8 - dawns1962 - nipple sparring (hopefully) mastectomy of my right breast and expanders, left breast lifted
August 13 - arizonaboundgal - bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction
August 19 - ucfknights' mom - bilateral mastectomy
August 19- notdefined - unilateral mastectomy with diep reconstruction
August ? - Nadia_D - right breast mastectomy with tissue expander placement
August ? - Margun - bilateral Goldilocks
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Welcome Kkmay, I definitely think the choice to have unilateral or bilateral Mastectomy should be up to the patient. How frustrating
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Unfortunately, my mom is refusing to do a bilateral mastectomy. I think she is in shock and not thinking rationally. However, BS expressed his opinions regarding bilateral mastectomy before mom did. I don’t think mom (or BS) is making a good decision. Otherwise, he is a great surgeon and mom feels very comfortable with him.
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Thanks Tmh,
Went for mag seed placement on the other side yesterday. I have benign but atypical cells on that side that are going to be removed when I have the mastectomy on the L. Kind of getting real at this point. Starting to get nervous. You know, all the what if's are creeping in. What is node is positive, what if I get lymphedema. What if they can't do direct to implant. etc...etc...
Need to get this over with and move on !!
Good luck to all the August sisters !!!
Sage
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I'm going through the same what-if's, Sage. I know I have one positive node, pretty close to the lump, so I'm just praying that's the only one. Every ache makes me think the worst, even though it's probably just because I'm tense from the waiting and wondering. I'm basically expecting to get lymphedema, so if I don't get it, it will be a bonus! Trying to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Did my pre-surgical check-in with the nurse and went over everything. Just "nesting" now. And, spending time with my son.
Good luck!!!
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I had my pre-op appointment with my plastic surgeon today. I'm so ready to get this over with. I still have a couple of weeks to go, so I will start nesting too. I am meeting with a Radiation Dr. tomorrow to find out if I can get radiation after surgery. I am post chemo, so I am praying for a pCR, and if I don't get one I will probably push for radiation. Everything is on hold once again until I get my path report.
I also am ready to have my port removed, but no one has really talked to me about it. Just sent a message to my Oncologist, as I guess it is his call. Does anyone know when that gets taken out?
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notdefined,
I was told that taking out the port was a decision for your MO. My BS’s office called and told me that my MO said that the port could be taken out during surgery. Have your surgeon check with your MO. Saves you another procedure
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sage and LMS
I'm right there with you on the what ifs. My Mammogram and Breast MRI both showed 2 suspicious nodes. When I had my core biopsy they sampled the tumor and one of the 2 nodes. The tumor was malignant, but the node sample was benign. I should be happy with that but the pathology report said 'scant node tissue' was benign. It makes me wonder if they didn't get a good enough sample.
I had my final pre-op at the hospital today, I've cleaned and prepared about as much as I can, so now I'm just counting down until Monday
Wishing the best to us all for good results, and peace while we're waiting!
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hi LMS- how do you know about a positive node? It was discovered by ultrasound ? By MRI? I thought that the node involvement or not invis known after the surgery and pathology report. Thanks
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Laurencl-Thank you! I was hoping to have it removed at the same time as my surgery. Just messaged ON, and he said that sometimes they leave it in just in case everything wasn't taken care of by the chemo. Then I asked him if I needed more chemo would it be intravenous, as my prior MO mentioned something about chemo in pill form after surgery--if necessary.
He responded that if I did need more chemo it would be in pill form. Ugh. I am getting really frustrated with him. I need to change ON's. The first one I had was awesome, but she left my medical group
I hate having to change this late in the game, but I just don't feel this ON is on top of things.0 -
Margun - They saw an enlarged node on my ultrasound, so they biopsied it along with the lump. The report said they found a mix of cancer cells with lymph node cells in it. Just hoping that's the only one!
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Hey fellow August surgery stars. I'm sad that there are so many of us on here. Geez, so frustrating that after all the research and $ spent, we aren't further along in winning this stupid battle. I really hope that treatment grows in leaps and bounds in the next 10 years.
Yikes...it is getting pretty real now that July is almost over. I'm going to get one more trip in before surgery; just booked a nice spot on the Cape. The past couple of trips were taken pre diagnosis and although I was able to forget things for a while, I can't say that I wasn't completely preoccupied. I think this trip should be better.
LMS and Sage! I will especially be thinking of you both this week and hoping for a smooth surgery/recovery/and good news all around.
We've got this, ladies.
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Thanks, arizonaboundgal. Enjoy your trip!
We did a nice long vacation in late May/early June, pre-diagnosis, that was so fun. I'm looking forward to doing that again in a couple of years. Until then, we'll stick closer to home. Lots to do here in Florida, anyway.
Told my son tonight and he took the news very well. He's only 9...and such a happy, innocent kid. I was honest with him about everything and he took it like a champ.
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Enjoy your trip Arizona!
I was Dx in May, and we already had our yearly vacation planned for the second week of June. I figured with surgery and chemo in my near future, there was no way I was canceling our family vacation. My oncologist agreed, and it took a while to coordinate surgeons and the OR anyway.
I hope we all find pockets of happiness and normalcy while on this journey.
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LMS-Thank you and so happy to hear that your son took it well. That had to be tough for you.
Tmh-Glad that you got your trip in! Yes, pockets of happiness and normalcy are pretty critical. Sorry to see that you've had it so tough. Not fair.
Wishing everyone the best as we close down July. Onward and upward!
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LMS
Good luck tomorrow, we’ll be thinking of you.
Tracy
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I’m have Bilateral Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy with Prepectoral Implants on August 19th
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Thanks everyone! Popping in the shower now and then heading to bed. I'll post an update when I can.
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