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August 2024 Surgery Support thread

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Comments

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    @psychgirl24 I had a lot of these same thoughts as you as to which procedure to choose. After my initial meeting with the surgeon, before I knew for sure if I could have a lumpectomy or not, I had set my mind on a mastectomy, I had several reasons. But then I had an MRI and she confirmed that I could have the lumpectomy it threw me for a loop. I made a list of pros and cons of each, prayed about it, talked to my husband, and talked to the nurse at the surgeon's office, and decided on the lumpectomy. Before making the decision it was all I could think about for days. But I knew once I made the decision I could not second guess myself. My surgery was yesterday and I'm so happy I went this route. Of course I might feel differently if my margins and lymph nodes aren't clear which I will find out next week. Anyway all that to say I understand and sympathize with your ambivalence about it. I know you will figure it out.

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    @dmataraz1 Thank you! I do have a little more soreness today than yesterday but it's totally manageable with just tylenol. I can even lift my arm up which all I heard going in is that I wouldn't be able to.

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    @psychgirl24 Thanks! I'm only taking tylenol and it's not too bad. We'll see what tomorrow brings….

  • psychgirl24
    psychgirl24 Member Posts: 3

    I'm so glad to hear your pain has been manageable with only tylenol. Praying you continue to heal with little pain.

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    I guess I misheard how long it would take to get results from my surgery. The nurse called already about an hour ago. No cancer in the 2 lymph nodes, clean margins! Well I have IDC as well as DCIS, and one of the margins on the DCIS was "close" in her words, but they weren't worried about that and radiation would take care of it. I think that's what she said - she said my surgeon would go over that with me at my follow up next week. She said they actually got most of the tumor out when I had the biopsy. And the last thing, they are doing the oncotype test and the results for that will take 2 weeks - she thought it would be unlikely I will need chemo but we have to wait for that. I think that's most of it, I'm very happy! I didn't expect to hear anything until next week.

  • cmre00
    cmre00 Member Posts: 39

    @eileenmk64 I'm glad to hear your surgery went well. That is great that it's not in your lymph nodes and they got good margins. Congratulations!

    My surgery went well my doctor said. Pathology will take a week but she said she felt like she got great margins. She took the cancerous lymph node and there were two more under that one that she didn't like the look of so she took those too. We aren't sure exactly how many she took because they were clumped together. Hopefully we will find that out in final pathology. I got to go home same day and I am managing my pain with Tylenol and ibuprofen.

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    @cmre00 I'm glad your surgery went well too! One more step down. Keep me posted!

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    How is everyone doing? I am waiting for my oncotype score which should come in sometime this week. Very nervous. My post-op appointment last week went well. She said I am healing well. I am still fairly sore though but getting better. I wonder when I'll be completely healed from the surgery, as in no soreness/pain. I started with this pain in my hip last night. So I'm wondering is it the osteoporosis, is it because I went for a really long walk yesterday, is it nerve stuff from my back surgery (6 years ago), all the way to "could my cancer have spread to my hip bone even though my lymph nodes were negative and margins were clear?" When I was first diagnosed I thought "I'm going to die" and then as things progressed I felt like "I'll be fine" and now I'm back to "I'm going to die". Anyone else have these back and forth feelings?

    I have my radiation oncology consult set up for next Friday 9/20 and my medical oncology consult on Tuesday 9/24.

  • eileenmk64
    eileenmk64 Member Posts: 52

    My oncotype score came in ….. 47, so I need chemo. My oncology consult appointment isn't for 2 weeks but my surgeon said she would try to see if I could get in sooner. My niece works at the cancer center and she said the oncologist is pretty busy so I'm not sure if I'll be able to. So port placement, chemo, radiation, hormone blockers. I guess that's my life for a while. I'm doing okay with this news. I was half expecting it but holding out hope it was lower. But it is what it is. One day at a time…