August 2024 Surgery Support thread
Please gather here to get and give support. Feel free to share your type of surgery, date, and let us know how you're preparing and how you're doing post-surgery. We're all here for you!
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I have lumpectomy surgery for removal of DCIS in my left breast on August 7th. I had the SAVI SCOUT clip placed in the area to help my breast surgeon locate and remove hopefully all of the DCIS. Now I am isolating at home so I don’t get sick. Glad to have all the pre-op work done. Now just counting the days to get this surgery done.
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My lumpectomy went well today. At home recovering and some mild pain. Next Thursday I meet with breast surgeon to discuss referrals for radiation and medical oncology based upon pathology results. So glad this surgery is finally behind me.
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We're so happy to hear this, @dmataraz1! Keep us posted on your next steps. Thinking of you!
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I’m having a lumpectomy on the left side on Wednesday 8/28. I had the savi scout placed last week and have the sentinel node injection tomorrow. I have stage 1(for now pending surgery results) IDC on the left side. Estrogen + progesterone - HER2 - No genetic markers for any cancer. I was also just diagnosed with osteoporosis. I’ll be 60 next month.
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I am having a double mastectomy on 8/28 as well. I am quite nervous.
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Good luck to you! I am nervous too. I think I am more nervous for the sentinel node injection tomorrow, I heard it can be quite painful (and others say it didn't hurt at all).
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I met with my breast surgeon on Aug 15 and am happy to report the margins were negative. No further surgery needed. I will follow-up with surgeon after my six month post surgery mammogram. Have appointment with Radiation Oncologist on Aug 30th and Medical Oncologist on Sep 5th to discuss my treatment plan. Still having some scar healing discomfort, but Tylenol and not wearing a bra helps. I heard corn starch helps with moisture under breast where my scar is. So I plan to try it!
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That is great news! I'm hoping this is my story after surgery. The MRI didn't show any lymph node involvement but you never know I guess. Please update how your 2 appointments and your healing goes!
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@dmataraz1 That's great news! Congratulations! Best wishes on the next stage of your treatment plan. As Eileen said, please keep us posted.
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@eileenmk64 You'll have to update us on how the sentinel node injection goes. I have node involved so I will be having a ALND. I am meeting with PT today for my pre surgical measurements. I think most of my nerves right now are coming from the fear of it being even worse that they have suspected. It's already bad enough. I don't know how much more bad news I can handle. But I read someone say on the boards that your success rate for handling tough things is 100% so far. So I'm trying to keep that in mind.
Best wishes for your injection tomorrow. I hope it's painless. And good luck with your surgery. Update us please when you feel up to it.
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What is ALND? I think most of my nerves are from worrying about results too. From what I've heard the lumpectomy recovery isn't too bad. I hear you about not knowing how much more bad news you can handle. First the diagnosis, it took me a while before I could sleep all night without waking up in a huge ball of anxiety. Then I got some good news - my genetics testing all came out negative and my MRI looked good. But then last week I got the news about having osteoporosis and that sent me in a tailspin again. I started feeling better about that but now the nerves for the surgery are setting in. On July 14 I knew NONE of this, life was going on as usual. I had my annual mammogram on July 15, had to come back the next day for another one, then a biopsy a few days later then the diagnosis, whew this all happened in just over a month! I'm sure you've been through similar. I will let you know how the injection goes tomorrow!
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@eileenmk64 It's an axillary node dissection. They are going to need too take some of my lymph nodes because it's in there already. Hopefully they won't have to take too many.
I was diagnosed July 18th. So right around the same time. Unfortunately though it just kept getting worse. Mine didn't show up on my mammogram so they told me there was no cancer. But I had a couple spots on my nipple that I was concerned about so I went to a dermatologist for a biopsy and that's how they found it. Since my mammogram looked so good and they really couldn't feel anything they thought it was going to be small. But my MRI revealed a lot more. Biopsy confirmed more spots including my lymph node. Even at this point they aren't entirely sure how much is in there. There's a large area of non-mass enhancement that they aren't sure what it is. Hence my nerves.
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Oh man I am so sorry that is rough. I am going to have a few lymph nodes removed also. I am thankful they found my cancer at my mammogram because I have dense breasts and mammograms don't always show the cancer. They think my cancer is small but you never know. Praying for you!
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That is my issue too, dense breasts. I feel like MRI should be given to all women with dense breasts in addition to mammograms. I'm so glad they found yours early! That is very good!!
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I will pray for you too Eileen. We all could use all the prayers we can get!
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Silly me, I always got the note with my mammogram results that they're not as reliable on dense breasts, but I didn't think this would happen to me. I agree about MRI. Thanks for your prayers, we'll get through it!
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I also have dense breasts, but was recommended to have a mammogram with higher magnification and an Ultrasound. This is what lead to biopsy to confirm I had DCIS. I haven’t had an MRI, but will leave future recommendations for imaging in the hands of my breast surgeon.
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My surgeon was unable to tell the size of the tumor from the mammogram that's why she ordered an MRI. The report on my online chart doesn't show the size but I guess it's small enough she was good with a lumpectomy. I was prepared to need a mastectomy. But I guess if I ever do need one I've already come to terms with it. No reconstruction for me, that I am sure of. I will just go flat. Okay I'm rambling due to nervous energy from my injection coming up in 3 hours. :-)
Are you all comfortable sharing your first names, I can pray for you then by name and it's easier to keep track of who is saying what. If not I understand.
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@eileenmk64 My thoughts and prayers for a comfortable injection today. Debbie
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Well, it was NOTHING! I had two shots. I barely felt the initial sting, followed by a very slight burning sensation that I hardly felt either. All in all both shots took maybe 30 seconds total? I can't believe I fretted about it for nothing. Thanks for your prayers and support! On to surgery tomorrow!
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@eileenmk64 That's great news! I'm sure surgery will go smoothly tomorrow as well!
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Praying your surgery goes well too!
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Well I made it through! My surgery was at 7:30 and I was home by 11:00 (I only live about 10 minutes away from the surgery center.) The surgeon said she would take 2-4 lymph nodes but if anything didn't look right she'd probably take more, but she only took 2 so that is good. Everything else went well. I'm just sooo tired. But it's getting better. The incision near my arm pit is fairly sore but not too bad, and that is it for any pain and discomfort. My breast doesn't hurt at all but I think she injected some sort of pain killer during surgery that lasts a day so we'll see if that changes tomorrow. The pathology results will be back next week some time, and I have a follow up appointment with the surgeon on Thursday 9/5. I think that's it for now! I'm glad to be done with this part.
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@eileenmk64 so glad your surgery went well. I too did not have pain the first day, but I sure needed medication the next couple of days, especially so I could do the arm exercises prescribed by my breast surgeon. Take care and rest.
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I had a lumpectomy on 7/24 to remove a papilloma with ADH in my left breast. My recover was good with no complications. The pathology results came back indicating it was DCIS. Margins were clear. A follow-up MRI was completed on 8/6 which showed another spot of concern in close proximity to the area just removed. A MRI guided biopsy was completed. Results came back that it is IDC, Stage Ia, ER+, PR+, Her2-. Now I need to have another surgery. My surgeon is confident that it can be removed successfully with another lumpectomy, although I have the option of having a mastectomy done. I'm just having a really hard time trying to decide whether to go with another lumpectomy and radiation or just go all in an have a mastectomy and reconstruction done. To add to the decision making, I have a cluster of calcifications in my right breast that was biopsied and came back clear but they are monitoring. I'm just so torn. Since the beginning of april I've had Mammos, diagnostic mammos, ultrasounds, an ultrasound guided biopsy, MRIs, two MRI guided biopsies, and the lumpectomy. I've met with doctors or had procedures done just about every since week since the beginning of April. It's all going so fast and is quite overwhelming. I have a great support system of family and friends. But trying to decide between a lumpectomy and mastectomy right now is so hard. I've met with the breast surgeon, radiation oncologist, and plastic surgeon to help gather as much information as I can to help in deciding but I'm still torn. Does the decision making get easier? How did any of you make your decisions?
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@eileenmk64 So happy your surgery went well! Praying your recovery goes well also and your pathology results are good. When I had my lumpectomy I was in some pain the first two days and then it was intermittent the next 4 to 5 days. It was interesting b/c I would occasionally have shock of pain, for lack of a better way to describe it, run across my chest at random times but it wasn't too painful. I only needed the stronger meds the first two days and was able to manage any pain with tylenol the rest of the time.
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@psychgirl24 It's a very difficult decision for most! Especially when there is no clear right or wrong answer. You really have to focus on what you're comfortable with; sometimes it comes down to aesthetics, sometimes the tipping point is being able to avoid subsequent treatments. It helps to talk to as many people as possible who've been faced with this decision. Doctors and surgeons can offer their professional and medical expertise, but hearing the stories of those who've been through the lived experience can provide a really unique perspective.
We suggest taking part in one of our Virtual Community Meetups. There are a number of different groups and times, so if you're interested, please check them out here: Virtual Community Meetups. The In Treatment groups that meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays have participants that are often in the same position, or have very recently come out the other side. It can be a wonderful and supportive place!
The Mods
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@eileenmk64 Congratulations on a successful surgery! I'm glad she didn't need to take too many nodes. That's great news! Rest up! You are one step closer to putting cancer behind you.
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@psychgirl24 Wow! It sounds like you have been through a lot. I took has some trouble deciding on my treatment plan. Although it was different options. I had to get a mastectomy. I don't have any advice on what to do on your specific situation. But one piece of advice I received that help me is once you have made your decision, don't go back and second guess yourself. There's is no "right" decision. That's too much pressure. Just make the best decision you can at this moment with the best info you have. That is all you can do. Best wishes on your decision. Others in this situation may have done better feedback for you.
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@cmre00 How did things go for you yesterday? Update when you're able.
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