October 2021 Surgeries
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Oh also I took some old t shirts, cut squares & sew-ed them inside button down pajama tops. I store the 2 drains there. It’s been handy. The drains are not too bad.
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Aram
So happy to hear you are home and doing well!!
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Mamacure - You're home already? I was told 3-5 day's. Glad the pain is manageable. Been thinking of you.
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Hi Kayce234, I’m sorry that you have to wait 3 more days. I’ll be thinking of you.
Aram, I hope you are healing well. These drains are a pain to sleep with. At least they don’t hurt. The sticky parts of the bandages are irritating my skin.Sending you healing thoughts.
Best wishes to our October ladies!
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Thank you manacure and kayce.
Kayce, you are doing DIEP, correct? I think that might be the reason for your hospital stay. The hospital kind of rushed me out the door too. I got nauseous in the first two tries and the nurses moved me back to the bed. Third time I could put on my clothes and that was enough for them to discharge me. I would have preferred to stay one night there but apparently that is not the practice when there are no complications.
I am healing ok. The pain is much more manageable. I saw the nurse yesterday and she said everything looks good. I will be seeing my PS on Oct 14th.
Good luck everyone! We can do this.
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Aram and mamacure - glad you are through the surgery! I just had to have another biopsy from a new finding from the MRI my surgeon ordered (other breast unfortunately, so I feel like a pin cushion at the mo). The good news is that it was benign (a papilloma?), but it was something else to mentally deal with.
Thanks to you all for the feedback on the COVID vax - I'll follow up with my surgeon as I've got some time.
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I'm brand new to the site, but I had skin-sparing BMX and sentinel node removal with direct to implant reconstruction yesterday. I'm 42, diagnosed with IDC (grade 1, ER+/PR-/HER2-) tumor measuring 3.5cm, and DCIS (grade 3) with comedonecrosis that spanned about 6cm. BMX was recommended due to adverse family history and likelihood of recurrence. The procedure went well, and I'm really in minimal pain. Just waiting for Oncotype/pathology info now.
The only complication is that I tore my calf muscle 10 days ago, and it's still super swollen/bruised/non weight bearing. The anesthesiologist was quite nervous given the risk of clots, and I'm now giving myself Heparin injections for the next 10 days. I also can't use crutches, so I'm kinda getting around on a knee scooter. The leg is giving me far more issues than my chest!
Glad to hear everyone's surgeries seem to be going well. Hang in there!
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NNS121317 poor dear calf injury on top of your surgery! Hang in there, you’re a trooper. Sending you healing thoughts. Hope everyone is doing well, including those who are patiently awaiting surgeries.
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Mamacure and Aram, I hope you are both recovering well and easily! Now that you’re a few days out from surgery - any surprises? What of all the presurgery advice was the most (or least) helpful?
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Thanks mle42. Getting & prewashing pajama tops, compression sleeve & glove ready (for those getting lymph nodes removed). Incision site is not bloody or too scary, cleaner than expected. Pain is manageable. Weird sensations & numb feeling. Especially underarm. Viewing post surgery excercise videos on YouTube helped too. Get stool softener or laxative ready as well as Advil & extra strength Tylenol. Natural Arnica tablets to help heal from the inside. I also put Arnica cream on chest bruise & that helped. I didn’t need post surgery camisole. You will be able to walk around the house the next day. Able to do light things if surgery is just on one side. Able to sleep on the bed with 3 pillows propped up with another one to elevate the affected arm. My next challenge will be a full shower.You can do it!
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mle42, the main surprise for me is that it is easier than what I imagined. Don't get me wrong, it is hard just not as bad as I thought. I have lots of help and that helps too I guess. Today I had only had one anti inflammatory pill, one antibiotics and two acetaminophen 500 and my pain is at around 2, and only when getting up. So much better.
I also didn't buy anything special for mastectomy. I put 3 pillows on the bed for the first couple of nights. The nurse used safety pins to attach my drains and that is working well for me. I am wearing very loose button up shirts.
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Good luck to all the October surgeries! Those of you who have gone already I hope you are recovering well. I'm scheduled for DMX and immediate DIEP on 10/26. Not gonna lie, I'm pretty scared!
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Hi Jellydog, wishing you the best, glad to see you have no node involvement, that is so great
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Hi all! New to this site, so this is my first post. I was diagnosed in April with right breast invasive lobular carcinoma T2N?M0, about 8 cm with lymph node involvement. I opted for chemo first, and had 4 cycles of Taxotere/Cytoxan which went much easier than I expected. Had skin-sparing mastectomy on Sept 22, then second surgery last week, Oct 7. That was to insert a tissue expander, which was planned, and do additional axillary node dissection (Levels I & II) which was not planned but needed as a result of pathology from the first surgery. Pain and mobility from the second surgery are easier than the first, and I was off all painkillers with nearly full range of motion at the two week mark with the first, so I'm hopeful the recovery will go smoothly.
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Well, pathology was not as awesome as I had hoped. IDC is now grade 2, not grade 1. Also, a 4mm macromestatses was found in the sentinel node they took. I wonder if the surgeon will feel the need for additional dissection. Still waiting for Oncotype, but surgeon is already guessing I'll need radiation and chemo.
I didn't expect to have so many other treatments after electing a BMX. BUT, if there is a ray of sunshine in this, it's that pathology uncovered some suspect calcification and inflammation in my right breast. While it didn't have cancer yet, I feel much better knowing it's gone, and believe I made the right choice to do BMX.
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Jendleb, I am sorry you needed more node dissection. I hope the results are good and you have easy recovery.
NNS, unfortunately BMX doesn't mean no more treatment. I hope you get good oncotype score.
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I finally have a surgery date of 10/25, going for BMX skin sparing on the cancer side, nipple sparing on the non cancer side. I didnt even know it was an option to remove the nipple on the non cancer side for symmetry until they asked me if I wanted to do that today? I honestly didn't know what to say, but figured I would keep it unless there was a reason not to. Anyone else with input on that decision? I also tested positive for Lynch syndrome, which was quite a surprise, all I was really worried about was the BRCA1 and BRCA2, I hadn't even heard of Lynch syndrome, but they said it may not have anything to do with the breast cancer diagnosis. I think the thing I am most worried about with the surgery is the drains and the help I will need from my husband emptying them - he is quite willing and not a squeamish person at all, but somehow it just seems quite unsexy on top of everything else. Is this a foolish worry with all the way more important stuff going on right now?
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Lstagg, I decided to remove both nipples because nipple is breast tissue and with more tissue left, more chances in my mind. I am BRCA1. My PS said the chance is 3 4 percent more. To him it wasn't a big deal, to me it was. It is not a big risk really so it depends on you.
I have no comment about the drains but I understand. I asked my mom to help me with them. Though from second day I didn't really need help.
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Also posted on IBC threads. Had post-op with the surgeon today. She is amazing, flat closure, clean, looks like no need for plastic surgeon. Pathology is not what I had wished for…………..all that nasty chemo, the whole kitchen sink of awfulness (T, carbo, AC + keytruda) barely shrunk the tumors. But surgeon got clear margins 2mm, thankful for that. 8 lymph nodes were taken ( less than I expected). 5/8 had cancer cells ugh. I was hoping zero or max 1……. Radiation will be helpful. Nipple taken was cancer free LOL. I'm still on keytruda every 3 weeks, so afraid they might throw more chemo at me. At least the cancer is gone from my body. Also got 1 drain removed, last one hopefully on Friday.Hope everyone doing well, keep us posted.
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mamacure, I am sorry for the path report. I hope Keytruda is not hard on you.
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mamacure - sorry for the crappy path report. Extra prayers heading your way. Hope the added treatments arent too bad
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mamacure, I'm sorry the tumor hadn't shrunk as you hoped, but this sentence you wrote is the one to focus on: "the cancer is gone from my body"
And who knows, without the chemo, you might have had more cancer cells spreading out and not had clean margins. How long do you have to stay on Keytruda? Will they do radiation at the same time?
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I saw my PS today. They took out the drain on the non-cancer side. For the other side, he is waiting a little bit because the color was very dark. He said we are being very conservative, and we could have taken it today too. I am ok with being conservative in this matter.
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Hi Aram, being conservative probably helps with swelling too.
Thanks Aram, Kayce234 & Mle42. Yes I’ll focus on the positive. I will be moving off of keytruda after radiation and be on Xeloda. Anyone here have experience with Xeloda?
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mamcure, I don't have any experience with Xeloda but I have seen this thread called "all about Xeloda". Have you seen that one?
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Wishing thebest of luck to all of you who are having surgery in the next few weeks! I can't wait to hear the updates on what I hope will be excellent healing.
I found out today that my unilateral, skin and nipple sparing mastectomy will be Thursday, October 21. I have multi centric disease with tons of DCIS in the outer side of my breast, so lumpectomy was not a good option for me. I met the plastic surgeon today and really liked him and his willingness to allow me to be a partner in my care decisions, but I was a bit surprised when the Care Coordinator called a couple of hours later and asked if Thursday surgery would work for me! I did have genetic testing, but it isn't scheduled to be back in until tomorrow or Monday, so that would be the only thing to change the plan or date. Like many of you, I am ready to get this done, but also apprehensive about everything.
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Thanks Aram!
Good luck on 10/21 Jen2957! Keep us posted.
Kayce234, how are you feeling, are you still having surgery on Monday? Wishing you well.
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Mammacure - I was actually switched to Thursday. I'm feeling a bit better, still tired and randome temps but sinus pain is gone
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Kayce, did you have your surgery already? I hope it went ok.
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Thank you, Mamacure! I hope you are doing well and will get that darned drain out soon. I have been trying to stave off the anxiety and keep myself busy by trying to do everything I can to get myself prepared, but sometimes I feel like I’m just zooming around in circles and getting nothing done. One of my closest friends calls this “Flight of the Bumblebee” frenzy. I will be so happy to get this part behind me and move on to whatever comes next.
Kayce, It looks like we will be having our surgeries on the same day! I hope everything goes smoothly with both your surgery and your recovery! Check back in with an update when you are up for it.
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