9 cm Lumpectomy, no pain!

June2268

Okay I am now on day 4 after my Lumpectomy and I have no pain.  I find this really hard to believe seeing the stereo tactic biopsy caused me weeks of ongoing pain especially in the nipple area.....How can this be with then taking out so much tissue and no pain.  I am waiting for my post op with which my Dr. did not get a good feel on the whole procedure so I guess it is a wait and see if I should go with another excision or mastectomy....9 cm's is an awful lot to take out and I am a c-cup however, but after reading so many people who have undergone lumpectomy and radiation and were told that they would have to reduce their size as opposed to having reconstructive kinds scares me.......is there truth to this and why wasn't I told this before choosing the lumpectomy?  Any advice you ladies can give me would be great! 

CrunchyPoodleMama

I didn't have any pain either (just some sensitivity around week 2 that lasted for a week or two)...  my lump was 4.5cm but they removed a mass that was 8cm long. I still have a whole bottle of Vicodin that I never used. I was also pleasantly surprised at the appearance afterward, considering how much they took out (and I'm not all that well endowed). I don't know about the size reduction thing other than that radiation does limit your reconstruction options... that's one of the reasons I'm not going to do radiation (will probably do a partial mastectomy instead).

June2268

You are thinking of doing a partial mastectomy?  I don't want to sound dumb, but do they have to go back in because they didn't get clear margins or is that another way of not having radiation?  I am unaware of all my choices as I find out how successful they were or were not with the surgery from Friday.  Or as reading from so many post here on this sight it seems that alot of people go from DCIS to something other.....I am praying that all looks good and I guess they will go over all my options from there.....I also have a whole bottle of viodin's as well......I am just really happy that I feel this good!

CrunchyPoodleMama

It's because they didn't get clear margins... 2/4 margins were clear, which is better than my surgeon had thought he'd be able to get, but the unclear margins have a LOT of microcalcifications still, so he's recommending mastectomy/partial mastectomy. Frankly, I'd rather have a total mastectomy than radiation... but that's just me. (But yes, having a mastectomy is a way to avoid having to do radiation.)

I'm glad you're feeling good too and hope you are able to avoid further surgery! Good luck and keep us posted!

June2268

Love your name by the way as well as the pic's, are they yours????  Thanks for the advice and good luck to you as well!

CrunchyPoodleMama

Oh thank you! Yes, those are my two crazy boy Standard Poodles when they were puppies (they're now a year old and still VERY much puppies)... we also have an older Standard Poodle who is a girl. They are hilarious, lovey and sweet, and too smart for their own good!

MaryDee

Hi, just to clarify...I don't believe a partial mast is enough to prevent the need for rads.  Reason, my first surg (that I usually refer to as a lumpectomy) was actually a partial mast - breast tissue removed all the way back to the chest wall - and rads were planned for me to reduce recurrence risk.  However, due to unclear margins (and amt of tissue which needed to be removed etc) I ended up having a total mast - which removed the need for me to have rads & therefore made an immed recon possible.

However, keep reading & researching, I'm sure I've read accounts of ppl having a recon after a partial mast/lumpectomy using the lat flap method - not sure whether this applies to you (might it depend on where the removed tissue is) but I also had 9 cm chunk removed first off and was surprised at how unaffected my breast was afterwards..there was a bit of a dip and a scar but not apparent at all in a bra. Before you proceed any further it is worth consulting with a plastic surgeon to find out exactly what your recon options would be either with a) further excision & rads or b) total unilat mast.  It's your body, you decide what you want.