Healing after lumpectomy

WVSue

Found this site after searching why I am still sore after my lumpectomy which was May 13th.  I had no pain at all until after the stitches were out and was very careful not to lift etc (my husband would have killed me if I so much as lifted a pan!).   I feel so much better after reading these posts - I thought I was imagining things and felt like I should have been totally better by now. 

Anonymous

Hi, everyone.  Had my lumpectomy on February 27, and while the bruises have finally faded, the pain from the lymph node site is still there - mostly with nerve endings coming back to life.  Same for the scar over my breast - they are all coming back, so from time to time I get really horrible shooting pains across the scar.  Sometimes deep pain where the tumor was, but mostly around the scar.  Can't lift much with the lymph node side, and sore from port removal on 5/8.  Some day I'll have full function of both arms and shoulders!!

elisheva

Hi Sue,

Saw my Oncologist yesterday for the first time, and we spoke about whether to do chemo or not. She's very nice and all, but - although it seemed that she favors chemo, she was very careful not to make a recommendation but to leave the decision to me. Onco score of 26 means a distant recurrence risk of 17%. That sounds quite high until you realize that you may belong to the 83% who will not it have a recurrance. Anyway - now I don't know quite what to decide. Made an appointment for a second opinion, but chances are that the second Doc will behave like the first...And to add another factor - I'm 67.

I go to the St. Vincent Cancer Center, a very nice facility in the Village, because it is very convenient for me, 10 minutes on the A train. But Sloan Kettering of course has the greatest reputation of all, so I hope you got your answer and everything is well. Please let me know!

Elisheva.

Sydney6

Elisheva - Did the oncologist tell by how much the distant reccurrance percentage would drop with chemo?  For example, my Oncotype was a 12 which put me at 8% chance of recurrence and chemo would only bring that to 7%.  I know Sloan has a great reputation, but it totally stressed me out and I wound up staying local.  I just couldn't deal with the 2 hour drive down there.  I went to the Dyson Cancer Center in Poughkeepsie which is also about 10 minutes from me and was glad I did.  Let me know how you make out with the 2nd opinion.

Sue

Lizzy90

Hi,

I am treated at Memorial Sloan in NYC and believe that I am getting good care...but no matter where you will end up going you will get totally stressed out ...I just went where I thought they would be up on all the latest treatments and clinical trials if I need it.

There is a lot of waiting around but have to say everyone very caring and professional..they aren't therapist or social workers however so you have to recognize the fact that if you need help overcoming this unexpected diagnosis you might need a therapist to talk things over...I believe a good therapist - for me a woman therapist can really help getting thru it all...I myself didn't see one yet but consider a session just to get some of my thoughts cleared up and coming to terms with what treatments I have to have and the actual emotional trauma that goes with that.

Good health to everyone!



Lizzy and Hanna (my daughter and my support and rock all the way thru)

Lizzy90

Hi,

I am treated at Memorial Sloan in NYC and believe that I am getting good care...but no matter where you will end up going you will get totally stressed out ...I just went where I thought they would be up on all the latest treatments and clinical trials if I need it.

There is a lot of waiting around but have to say everyone very caring and professional..they aren't therapist or social workers however so you have to recognize the fact that if you need help overcoming this unexpected diagnosis you might need a therapist to talk things over...I believe a good therapist - for me a woman therapist can really help getting thru it all...I myself didn't see one yet but consider a session just to get some of my thoughts cleared up and coming to terms with what treatments I have to have and the actual emotional trauma that goes with that.

Good health to everyone!



Lizzy and Hanna (my daughter and my support and rock all the way thru)

eastender

Hi there, I had a lumpectomy last Thursday, the incision is very sore and I ended up having an infection - Dr put me on antibiotics.  The margins are positive so I have to have surgery again - which is a shame - I have yet to meet with the oncologist -hopefully this will happen next week!   I made a list for my surgeon before the appointment - I did experience and am experiencing numbness slowly the numbness is disappearing. I am being treated at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle.

elisheva

Sue - my risk of recurrence will drop 5%-6% with chemo, so that's not a lot - from 17%-11%. Still have not decided what to do.

eastender - your case is not pleasant, but you will see that after 3 weeks the breast will feel much better. Unfortunately, add to that another surgery so another 3 weeks... That's a huge tumor! I hope it all works out OK. Good luck to you.

elisheva. 

eastender

Thanks for you kind words - I was somewhat suprised too on the size of the tumor - they kept telling me I had three seperate masses and then come surgery he told me it was one!  Glad to know I also have a couple more weeks to go on the breast - it is uncomfortable but nice to know there will be an end to that part anyway.

dsandra

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and I requested this test.  No results yet, I see the oncologist Thurs. will let you know.  Clear margin, clear nodes.  Thank you all for being here

BlessedOne2

I had lumpectomy on June 10, clear margin, clear nodes too.  How long does it take for  the steri strips to come off? 

Anonymous

BlessedOne2 - Your dx is very close to mine, except my tumor was 3 cm and I am HER2-.  It took about 2 weeks for the steri strips to come off.  If you've already seen your breast surgeon for your post surgery followup, then you can remove them when you are ready, unless your surgeon wants to see you one more time, then they should stay on until then.  after this much time, you might need to use some olive oil or vitamin E oil, or a little gentle soap to loosen them - that's what I had to do because they were really stuck on there.  Good luck!

elisheva

BlessedOne - I saw my surgeon one week after the surgery (because I complained about swelling so she told me to come in.) She took off those strips herself then. Then I had re-excision, and I took off the steri strips myself also a week later, in the shower. It took some work but I managed without pain.

dsandra - in my case the Oncotype test results took 2 weeks to come back. Let us know what happened. I decided to go for chemo, but will request the milder treatment. I think this will be CMF, so I will move on to that thread here. It helps so much to read of the experience of others! I also learned that no cases are exactly alike.

What's doing with you, Chelev, and where are you heading next?

Best to you all, elisheva.

Anonymous

Elisheva - Hi!  I had my lumpectomy on 2/27/09 and while the breast has healed for the most part, except for the shooting pains periodically either where the lump was in the middle of the right side of the right breast and from the scar itself as the nerve endings heal, the area from the lymph node biospy is still number and tender.  I had an Oncotype score of 17%, and my onc, rad onc and bs all voted for me doing chemo.  I reluctantly agreed and was set for 4 tx of taxotere/cytoxan.  Started on 4/2 immediately following a port placement.  Made it to round 2, on 4/23 but decided to stop after that because I was getting secondary side effects on top of the "normal" chemo se's that ended me in the ER following both infusions.  Once from an allergic reaction to the Nuelasta - I was having respiratory problems, and once from my port and the area around it swelling, a very rapid irregular heartbeat - both of which lasted for five days.  So, with my onc's blessing, I stopped and began rads, which I'm finishing by Friday of this week.  Rads was much easier, with the main se of pink / very tan skin, some light blistering on the last day of regular tx, I'm doing the boosts now, and waves of strong fatigue, again only towards the end.  I believe once I am done, I will have follow ups with all of my doctors, and then start on the 5 year AIs to block estrogen production.  Looking foward to being able to work out a little more each day, and get back on the road to feeling and looking and being better!

BlessedOne2

chelev, my tumor at its widest was 2.1cm.  I go to see bs, rad-onco and onco on 6/29 and 6/30.  I suppose I can wait another week.  I'm a little concerned that perhaps some of the strip in my rt armpit may be tucked in the incision due to a littl swelling.  Bu then it may just seem that way.  I think I'll keep the olive oil close by though.  Just a few more questions.  Are you taking hormonal therapy for Er+/PR+?  What's that like?  How soon after your bs follow-up was your port put in?  When did the chemo begin?   Oh, maybe you answered it already "5 year Als to block estrogen production". Als?

Elisheva, I keep reading about re-excision.  Just what is this and why might it be done.  I appreciate you both.

I live in Houston, TX.

Anonymous

Blessedone - if you have appts to see your docs, you can definitely wait to take off the steri strips, although they typically can come off within a week or 10 days after your initial follow up to your bs, especially if one seems to be digging in a bit.  You will have to really work it with the olive oil and some soap - I used a q-tip to start wiggling it around under the edges and worked my way to the center.  took a few days.

I will be starting on hormonal therapy more than likely in August or early September.  Am finishing up with rads this week and then have followups with bs and medical onc in July.

My lumpectomy was 2/27, and by the time we got the oncotype score back, it was mid-March, so I had my port inserted on like 3/27 and first chemo on a Thursday, 4/2.  My onc and I decided about the chemo, and scheduled the port, which happened literally the next day.  I saw the onc on 3/26, cut all of my hair off the same day, and went in for the port the next day which was placed by my bs on a Friday morning.  For the chemo infusions, they like to do them on Thursdays, at least my doctor did, so you are getting the worst of the se's over the weekend (usuallly Sunday is the bad day), and pulling out of the chemo fog and se's by Monday or Tuesday.  Each body is different though, so for me, it wasn't until Wed. that I was feeling better. 

The AI's I mentioned are the aromatase inhibitors (hormonal therapy) I will be on, since even though I'm only 46, I've been in surgical menopause for 10 years.  Otherwise, I would be on tamoxifen instead. 

BlessedOne2

chelev, thank you so much for sharing your story with me.  I've started with the olive oil just a little at a time.  Helping the doctor out, why don't I?     She may not be as gentle as I. 

Anonymous

BlessedOne2 - you know they won't - it's just riiiiiiip and they'll pull it off!  Good luck and once you get it loose on both ends and just a little left in the middle, what I did is yank it off in the shower when wet and soapy - it didn't hurt as much. 

BlessedOne2

Elisheva,  how are you doing?

pammyj

Hello ladies...I am fascinated by this site,and living with 3 males,feel I'm not alone! Had a lumpectomy 6/15..like I have read,no-one told me what to expect and the numbness,stretching feeling under my armpit is very disconcerting. I just read about the olive oil trick for getting the steri-strips off..good idea cause man o man they are really on there. Good luck to everyone.

Anonymous

pammyj - yes, those steri strips really hang on, don't they?  Don't feel bad about the underarm pulling/stretching feeling - everything I read about the lumpectomy covered how the breast would heal, not the underarm area!  I had my lumpectomy on 2/27/09 and my armpit is still numb in spots and I've been slowly trying to stretch the muscles in my forearm!

elisheva

Hi Blessed, and y'all,

I will start with chemo next week, Thursday. It is to be CMF, supposed to be the milder regimen. Feeling fine otherwise. Both scars have healed nicely and there is no more pain. Oh, you asked about re-excision: this happens when the margins - usually just one end of the tissue they took out - still contains some cancer cells, so they do a second surgery and take out another little chunk. That's what happened to me. Had 2 surgeries 3 weeks apart, last one was on 5/28. And how about you? How are you feeling?

pammy - take heart. Although I don't know of course what kind of surgery you had for the lymph nodes, it is true that the cut under the arm can really be more painful than the breast. But you may be sure that it will heal well. In 3 weeks you'll feel much better. Let us know how you're doing, and good luck to you. Chelev - thanks for your notes and take care! You look really cute in your picture, hair-less and all!

elisheva.

Anonymous

Thanks, elisheva.  Good luck on starting chemo - that's where I had my problems, but I was on TC and proved to be allergic to the taxotere.  Glad you are healing well - its such a relief when you realize you are not in pain or uncomfortable anymore.  I can't wait to post a new photo in a few weeks when the hair is grown in more (it had better be!).

pammyj

I had a lumpectomy..BS said all lymph nodes clear so no drain. I haven't been told what grade my tumor is/was,hopefully all my questions will be answered by onc at 7/7 appt. YOU WOMEN ARE ALL SO FREAKING BRAVE AND SMART..just had to get that off my chest. Glad I'm part of this...I def need to vent!!!!

pammyj

How do you put all your med info at the bottom of your post??

Anonymous

It's part of your profile - go to your profile and there are pre-set questions you can fill out, plus add some info about yourself.

Irishred

Hi, I had a lumpectomy with full node removal on june 18.  I was cut across the top of the breast and under my arm.  The breast really hasnt bothered me much, but I was swollen to the size of a softball under my arm and that was the big problem.  I visited the surgeon today, he drained about a pint of fluid out of that area, what a relief.  He said is was normal, and I feel 99% better already.a  Only one of my nodes had cancer, the rest were clean.  I see the oncologist monday and the radiologist thursday, with probably 6 weeks of radiation.  But, I think since you are the boss in this situation, you should call the doctor with anything that is bothering you.  Even if its perfectly normal side effect, your peace of mind works wonders.  Good Luck

pammyj

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I got that right. The sun finally came out here after no joke like 24 days of rain. I'm not sure what the next step for me is..how much do you read into the Ki-67(proliferation index)..it seems to be a tumor marker..anybody have any ideas?

BlessedOne2

Hi ladies, i hope that you are having a 'good' day today.  According to PA, last path report shows clear margins and no lymph node involvement. YES!!!!!!! So no re-exicision at the breast for me.  That under-arm excision is the pits. I'm not complaining because I'm left-handed and surgery was done on the right side. It could be worse.  I have some fluid build-up too but aftering calling in have decided to wait until my appt. on Monday with surgeon followup  to see if draining is needed now.  I thought it interesting that DCIS was noted on the final path but not on any of the numerous test reports.   Will see the surgeon and radiologist on Monday and med-onco on Tuesday.  I'm just so ready to move into the next phase, well not really, but I have to go there and so I will.

Ladies,  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Do something good for yourselves!.   Whatever I do I hope to avoid the heat outside.  It is 104 in Houston today.  See 'ya!

MBCR

It's been about 3 months since my lumpectomy. My breast isn't as hard , buy still swollen a bit. My surgeon's nurse told me to expect sweling & lumpiness for several months. Als o, with the damp rainy weather I've been getting a little more pain.