Scheduled for Surgery in February 2024? Gather here to support one another!
Please share with us your surgery date, type of surgery, and any questions you have. We're all here for you!
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I got my diagnosis 12/27, today I put wheels in motion for SMX with DIEP immediate reconstruction, revisit nipple recon and contralateral lift/fill in about 6 months when swelling settles down. It feels like a weight off and hoping for late Feb/early March surgery. Lumpectomy just wasn't giving me any sort of peace, just want the invasive one gone. I know husband is probably questioning my sanity, but he's have been dealing with my mental state more if I keep this little traitor intact.
Here's to hoping for good news in the form of negative nodes and then I'll be off to the oncologist.
Update: no surgery until 3/28. Cancer for Christmas, new boob for birthday :)
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I was diagnosed on 1/2/24, but I "knew" on 12/19/23….the vibe was off. :) I kept saying to my family, brace yourselves for a cancer diagnosis. I'm 50 and they were watching an entirely different spot very closely for the past few years when they found 2 more out of the blue. I'm just glad they were watching so closely!
Because of my family history and how stressful the biopsy was, I'm opting for a BMX with expanders on 2/28. I have a pre-op today with surgical onc. I just want it over and to get this out of me! Reconstruction is scheduled for 6/28.
I am loving this little community and how all the ladies who have gone before are so generous with their time and information. The only silver lining of this ridiculously dark cloud.
DX 1/2024, left, Stage 0, Grade 3, ER+, PR+, HER2-
DX 1/2024, left, Stage IA, Grade 1, ER+, PR+, HER2-0 -
I totally know what you mean @1troublemaker when you said you “knew”. I tripped over my lump putting on a sport bra- you know how you have to wrangle those babies in sometimes when you put on a sport bra…Anyway, once I found it something in me just knew. I had been ridiculously fatigued and feeling off for about 6 months prior and that had seemed to come out of nowhere. I called to get in right away and no matter how many times the doctor would say “it may be nothing-it happens all the time” I just knew it was something. So anyway, can totally relate to that feeling and I will never forget that moment of certainty.
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I am POD# 7 from prophylactic right mastectomy and bilateral DIEP flap reconstruction. I was freakishly unprepared. I think I was trying to pretend I could have a normal life again after 9 months of being on leave and doing chemo, etc. When I got my surgery date for this, I wasn’t in the same frame of mind in regards to preparing and researching as I had when I was initially diagnosed and getting the first mastectomy. So I’m finding that I am frustrated and angry with myself for being so casual about such a big surgery. I spent the week in the hospital going from one panic attack to another causing me to struggle to get pain under control. Ugh- so at this point I’m trying to problem solve silly things like the general discomfort of living in a chair. In the beach chair position, my back will start hurting so I lean back a bit to sleep and my butt will eventually hurt. So I sit up so my butt doesn’t hurt and my back starts to hurt. Any suggestions? I didn’t have but a cheap manual recliner that I can’t really recline in. But it has a nice posture and sits high enough that it’s easy to get in and out of. That’s where I’ve been since I got home. Not quite ready to traverse the stairs to my bed which itself is high set so will need a step stool to get into the “log roll” position. Any advice on this and whatever would be appreciated!
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I am scheduled for surgery this Thursday, 2/22. This is a recurrence for me. I have opted for a second lumpectomy and additional radiation. I would like to say I feel 100% confident in my decision, but I don't. Am I making a mistake not having a bi-lateral mastectomy? Even though five of my doctors agree that you cannot get 'all' of the tissue even with a BMX and still have a recurrence? I know my fears are normal - but has anyone else wrangled with this decision with a recurrence?
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@lb13 i absolutely wrangled with the decision. Initially when I got diagnosed, I was insta-decided that I would do bmx. Can’t even say why - didn’t have the full genetic picture when I decided it. Then I second guessed myself-thought I was overreacting and overdoing it. While I was getting the imaging done for surgical planing they found another lump near the first one and weren’t sure if it was just a tail off of the first or a separate one. Because I waffled in my decision, we decided to peruse getting a biopsy of it and if it was nothing I wanted to change to lumpectomy. It was small enough that an ultrasound guided biopsy was difficult to get a decent sample so then I was scheduled for an MRI guided biopsy. It took another near two months to get that done and results back (had to go out of network so it took more time). Anyway, not only was it something, it was angrier. So now it was important to just get to an OR and get the thing off of me. So I sacrificed my well planned out initial path of bmx with DIEP recon at the same time to having a somewhat emergent single mastectomy with the rest of surgery after treatment. I kick myself for not just following my gut but at the same time, how was I to know there was another tumor? You just do your best with what to have. The shoulda woulda mentality will only drive you crazy! The thing is, you can always get mastectomy later if you need to.
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@creativezoo Thank you for your response. When I got my second diagnosis - I was also immediately thinking BMX. I am also trying to do the very best with the information I have.
I feel for you for having to wait, when in your gut - you knew! I 'knew' this diagnosis as soon as I got called back from the screening mammogram - my gut never lies to me. Mine is angry too and I just want it out. I had mag seeds placed for bracketing (should have been two - ended up being three) so now, the surgeon will have to take more than originally planned anyhow. All five docs still agree - lumpectomy and more radiation. I just hope and pray (and pray, and pray) we never have to go through this for a third time. Cancer is such a B**#$.
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@lb13 agree cancer is such a B**#$!!
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