MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Meece

Elimar, my situation was that I found the lump, showed it to my GP, who scheduled a mammo, US and a visit to a surgeon because she knew whether it was BC or not, it had to come out (It was large 1 1/2 cm and near the surface.)  She had sent me to a General Surgeon, who, upon examining me suggested a FNB right then and there.  He had a tough time getting the needle to draw anything because the lump was hard.  Anyway, he scheduled me to have the lump removed, and the night before surgery he called to cancel because the path report came back and he needed to see me in his office before surgery.  The rest...is history.  So I would say the FNB was accurate in my case.

NativeMainer

i was diagnosed with an FNB done by my breast surgeon in her office.  She also used ultrasound, but since the lump could be felt, the US wasn't really necessary.  FNBs, done correctly, are accurate in diagnosing, but because they take only a small amount of tissue there is a higher risk of "missing" the target area. If the target tissue is very hard, as in Meece's case, it can be hard to get a sample with the very small needle.  The needle is the same size used to give flu shots and other immunizations, and easily bent.  Local anesthesia usually makes FNBs painless, core biopsies usually cause some pain even with local anesthesia.  I've had both, and will NEVER have another core biopsy while I'm awake again. 

Also--if the target turns out to be a fluid filled thing like a cyst, the doc can drain it with the FNB needle, and sent the fluid for testing if necessary.  If they target is fluid filled it has to be drained with a fine needle before a core biopsy can be done, so it becomes a mutilple stick procedure--2 or 3 shots of local, stick to drain, then stick to get the biopsy.  Been there, done that, and that's part of the reason the remaining breast is coming off in 10 days. 

Meece

The CNB is a stressful procedure, at least it was for me.  The poor intern assisting, was wondering why I was crying.  Well, you'd have to have been through one to understand how uncomfortable and intense it can be.

elimar86861

Yeah, with the CNBx, it is kind of like a leather punch being jammed thru' your tissues, and it packs a punch, too.  The first punch they did on me did not get any tumor, so I ended up getting four walloping punches with that thing.  I do bruise easily, so half my breast was purple.  Now, a year later, I have no surface scar, but the tissue underneath the insertion area is still tender.

I'm not saying the procedure is bad.  I'm just saying, given a choice, I'm going to avoid it.  If my "mystery lump" does grow or act up in any way, I will see if I can have an excisional biopsy and be done with it. 

fmakj

Since they were trying to biopsy calcifications, I had to have 5 or 6 punches of the CNBx.  They weren't bad after having what seemed like 2 hours (reality was 20-30 minutes) of continual compressions in Mammography (ended up had to have it done in ultrasound!).  The last 2 "punches" though the local was wearing off and it did NOT tickle.  Elimar - the techs that day told me to refuse the FNB as it was not accurate (probably because it was not an actual tumor, just calcifications).  Not sure what I would do in your position either cause I think I would ask for them to just remove it and be done with it also!

cookiegal

I had a fnbx at the radiology facility where the little bastard was first found. I really think they are pretty common, and a lot less painful. They also inserted a metal tumor clip, and I think the whole thing was ultrasound assisted.

Good luck!

smithlme

Love the pic...the gang's all here!

Eph3_12

well, sign me up on the non-fan list of NCBx-mine hurt like hell.  But I was so clueless back then.  You gals are my search engines!

Love ya, Joni

Meece

They were checking on growing calcifications so they used "vacuum assisted" CNBx.  I think they only punched twice and then sucked around.  I also have the tumor marker clip.

drich51

Elimar, thanks!  I'm just starting to navigate this site and now I know how to sign up for the July RAD group.  

I'm off to bed, but the wine is chillin' and cheetos are bought.  

Kleenex

Just OWNING Cheetos is helpful.

My vacuum-assisted CNBx wasn't fun, either. They numbed the "point of entry" for the gun thing, but the area from which they were taking the samples was SO not numb. Way unfun. Quick, but still. And I too was shocked at how bruised and icky I felt. I'd envisioned a quick little nothingless procedure and a little bandaid. Instead, it was "don't do much for about 48 hours, and here's a little ice pack." It wasn't hideous, but I felt like I wasn't prepared for what I was going to experience. I do NOT like surprises. If it's going to hurt, SAY so.

cookiegal

On another subject....having nothing direct to do with bc, I hate moving.I am glad to be healthy enought to do it, but I always hated it. I turn into a crank, needy, whiney, baby.

Now with frozen shoulder and "maybe or maybe not" LE I really really really hate it. (Latest opinion is I may have boob only LE, unless it's still reacting to rads, but it's swollen for sure.)

On the other hand part of me thinks when I move cancer won't be able to find me. I mean we all know cancer loves the upper east side, cancer clusters and hospitals, maybe it doesn't do downtown.

I suspect I will sound like a broken record for a while.

Hugs to all

Have a good weekend all!

3jaysmom

hang in there, cookiegal, a new place, and ur thinking new job, too, right..might just be the thing. a fresh new start! i moved into where iam, and 3 mos later, i was still unpacking, was having dblmx, chemo..im ready just now, to start unpacking again. But, i dont have near the strength i had, and a good case of le 2 boot. ive been paying for storage over 1 1/2 yrs now. anxious and not, to get going..am having issues again, polops removed, dont look good, waiting for path.. lots of screwed up topside gi wise from chemo.looking at stuff again..and clean up surgery fro scarring, etc. with pm july 6th.. hope all goes well w/ your move, and its a good one for you !!3jaysmom

Eph3_12

Cookie-I hate moving too.  I hate packing up, but I don't mind unpacking so much, at 1st.  Initially, I'm all "OK, this time I can set-up the kitchen right & have everything where it needs to be." etc, but of course the reality is, once you get to the new place, it's unpack, throw it into a drawer so you can be done with it already!!!!!  Good luck girlfriend!  

NativeMainer

Moving is hard, Cookiegirl.  No matter how positive the move, it's an upheaval.  Please make sure you don't overwork yourself! 

Meece

Kleenex, I ditto your account.  I was surprised that they made an incision first then put steri-strips to seal me shut again!

Cookie, I hate moving, too.  When I first got my dx, I moved the following month.  I moved one month after chemo ended,  then 11 months later another move, and 9 months later moved again.  That was 4 full moves in 31 months.  I'm gonna stay put for now.  I still have boxes to unpack and we have been here four years!

elimar86861

Moving a whole household is so stressful.  I only had to do that once.   All together I moved just five times in my life.  (Six times, if you count moving someone else's household.)  I'd make a move right now if all that work was not a factor. 

Good Luck, Cookie!!!

The "average" person makes 11.7 moves in a lifetime.  It works out to once every six years or so, but I think that is actually skewed to more moving done at a younger age.  Thought I'd post those fun facts in case anyone want to see how close they come to the average.

gillyone

Between birth and finishing college my family lived in 5 different houses, all in the same town. My parents got a new house as the family grew. Lots of messing around places with college etc then DH and I have been in the same house for 23 years - our first and only house!! I definitely fit the move when young scenario.

Kleenex

Moving is ALWAYS a pain in the butt, no matter what the reason. Especially if you've been somewhere for a while first, OR if you are downsizing, OR if you either have to pay for the move yourself or worse, do all the work yourself. I had a wise friend tell me that "you're going to pay for it either way - you either pay someone to do it for you, or you pay to try to repair the damage you did to your body doing it yourself." Very wise. Take care of yourself and play the "C" card to get out of things that aren't fun. There has got to be an upside to being dealt the C card...

Love the "maybe cancer can't find me" idea!

Meece

I lived in the same home for the first 19 years of my life.  I lived in the next location 2 1/2 years, and the next for another 19 years.  I now have lived 7 locations an average of just under once every 7 years. 

robbiedrums

We moved 5 months ago and just found a box yesterday that had everything we could not find.  Moving is humbling, but change is good.  Hang in there, Cookie.  Remember- it's okay to throw things away, makes room for that which you need and the things you want.  And of course, remeber to pack the Cheetos.

NativeMainer

If I don't count moving into dorm rooms as a "move", then I have moved 5 times, the last time was in 1993 when I bought the house.  I don't have any plans to ever move again, but then we all know what happens to plans like that!  One thing I have been doing while getting ready for recon (7 days, 5 minutes, not that I'm counting)  is a lot of deep cleaning and purging--and my standard is "if I were moving would I take this with me?"  If the answer is no--it goes in the trash.  It's amazing how much junk I've gotten rid of and how good it feels to have it gone!  I've always been of the "don't throw it away I might want/need it for something sometime" school.  Problem is, I can never find it when I do need, IF I remember I have one!  Hang in there Cookie, and do play the "C card" as often as necessary, and I hope the beast can't find you once you get settled! 

elimar86861

NativeM, I'll countdown with you to your reconstruction.  I remember when you got it scheduled and on the calendar, and now the day is almost here.  You have a good plan to keep busy now in the final week, and get things out of the way so you can relax and recover without having to strain yourself.  I hope "Lasagne Man," or another friend or two will be stopping by with some carry-out, so you don't have to worry about meals for a couple days.  Do you have some helpers lined up?

elimar86861

Many doctors and nurses see online sites, such as this, as a place where a lot of misinformation is exchanged and a lot of "doctor bashing" goes on.  I'm afraid that I will have to prove them right once again as I have some "bashing" to get off my chest (breast) this morning.

My PCP, who I like, has really let me down.  He has not been an active part of my "cancer team" but I did have copies of all cancer reports go to him as well.  In February, he started me on Cymbalta, partially for anxiety over the terminal illness of my mom but even more because I had fibromyalgia (?) pains in hands and feet.  I remember asking if I should discontinue the Tramadol that I had been taking for the fibromyalgia and he told me they should not be taken together.  I remember asking him if it was o.k. to take with Tamoxifen and he said it was.  

Just over the weekend I was online looking up drug interactions with Tamoxifen.  OMG, there was Cymbalta under the heading of drugs that have a moderate interaction with Tamoxifen.  What Cymbalta does is reduce the effectiveness of Tamoxifen, raising my chances for a recurrence.  Now that is the LAST thing I want to do.  What was my doctor thinking?

What was I thinking?  Because I like my PCP, I took his word about drug interaction.  Sisters, and breast friends, allow me to be a cautionary tale for the rest of you.  No matter how great your doc is, and how fond you might be --- do all your own drug research. Go online, read the labelling or instruction sheets from the pharmacy, talk to a pharmacist, everything you can do for yourself. This is not even the first time something like this has happened to me, so I should have known better myself.

O.K., that's my "bashing,"  but I just think of it as a first person account true story.  I feel like crying tears of frustration that I have been compromising the effectiveness of the Tamox. for the past four mos.

Kleenex

Remember that they don't adjust the dosage of Tamoxifen based on ANYTHING - we all take the same amount - and you're not that big of a person, so the "net effect" of your "moderate interaction" is probably negligible. The rest of your five years will more than make up for it.

That's kind of what happened to me with Benadryl, which was "fine" to take with the Tamoxifen according to the oncologist. Um, NOOOOO. Part of why it helped me sleep so well is the same thing you experienced: it interefered with the Tamoxifen and therefore reduced my hot flashes. I suppose if you took it once in a blue moon for allergies, no problem. I was looking for a nightly sleep aid, and had LOVED the non-addictive nature of Children's Benadryl for this purpose. Then someone on a thread mentioned that it was a no-no with Tamoxifen, and sure enough, I found it on a list. Allegedly operates on the same pathway. Bummer.

In a not-very-heartfelt-defense of medical personnel, it seems that over the last six months to a year LOTS of new information about drug interactions with Tamoxifen are being revealed. But shame on them for not being up to date.

3jaysmom

im so sorry the learning curve has been so steep for all of us. just reminds me to be ever so grateful we can band together here in this "gang" see top pic, and warn each other, or cry together, and yes, pray, and rejoice with each other!! more and more, the outside world just doeasnt seem to "get" it.. be well all of u.. catch me up. maine..what surgery, and when? i ll count with u too, if u like...     light and love, 3jaysmom

NativeMainer

elimar--Yes, I've got a whole list of projects to do to keep me busy between now and Sunday when I leave for Boston.  "Lasagna Man" has been helping me with the heavier/bigger projects, and will be continuing to help with things like yard work.  My church is providing 2 weeks of meals, I have another week's worth of meals ready to go in the freezer, just thaw and cook.  Got lots of other help with everything else, too.  I'm using the Lotsa Helping Hands site and it's really helpful.  As far as "doctor bashing" I think you have a real reason to be upset.  If I, as a simple nurse, can use the free software available to physicians to check drug interactions, then there is no excuse for doctors to not do it.  Nor is there any excuse for the pharmacist not doing so.  It is just WRONG that we have to take on that responsibility after paying a doc to do just that task.  As far as docs and nurses thinking sites like this are for exchanging misinformation, but when the info we get here is more up todate and CORRECT, then they better just get used to it! 

NativeMainer

Woops, hit submit before reading all the posts--

I'm having right prophylactic mastectomy, bilateral DIEP reconstruction at Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center in Boston on June 21 (one week from today--specifically 6 days, 16 hrs, 16 mins, 32 secs). 

I'll take all the prayers you are willing to give--especially next Monday between 6 and 7:30 am--the time between my checking in and surgery starts.  I'll need the support to get through the IV start process in particular. I'm terrifed and needles and a very hard IV start, so I'm not looking forward to that part of things. 

cookiegal

Hester Hill is the chief of oncology social work at BIDMC and she wrote a really good book on BC. I was just in Boston last week!! I hope it all goes well, and you love the results!

Are you staying over the night before?

cookiegal

Hester Hill is the chief of oncology social work at BIDMC and she wrote a really good book on BC. I was just in Boston last week!! I hope it all goes well, and you love the results!

Are you staying over the night before?