Calling all TNs

5thSib

QueenKong -- My breast looked horrible after my lumpectomy -- deep purple on my entire breast which then started spreading all the way under my arm and down to my waist. It looked like I had been in a car wreak or something. Found out it was due to blood leaking from the surgical site. It finally formed a very large, hard clot in my breast.

SherylB

russlle33, I too start my chemo in January on the 10th. I am very nervous about how I will feel during and after. I know I will get through it as there is no alternative, but I am so used to doing everything myself and for others too. It is scary to think that I may not feel well enough to care for myself. I had my surgery on 12/6 and I still have fluid in the breast tissue and under my arm where they did the SLNB, still very tender. Hang strong, I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts as we start this journey that has been successfully traveled by so many others before us.

Sheryl

OBXK

Loretta - well, that just sucks! I'm sorry you couldn't have a definitive answer today. We're all waiting with you.

russell33

Hi SherylB,

I had my surgery on Dec. 10.  It looks like we had the same surgery and the same diagnoises.  I still have fluid in my breast also, it's very painful and swelling.  Hoping it goes away before chemo. 

You stay strong too, we will beat this! Have a Merry Christmas.  Look forward to chatting with you as we begin our journey.  

QueenKong

5thSib, Shirley - Thank you for the feed back. I see you had surgery in October. Did that clot in your breast go away? I've got one near the incision site and on top of my breast where they injected the dye. There is dark yellow over my entire boob now along with all the rest. It's the ugliest rainbow I have ever seen. The bigger part does seem lessening, esp where it was pooling around the nipple. I was expecting blood to ooze out but never happened. 

Does anyone else smell weird after surgery? Esp in underarm are? I know I am so gross.

Russell & SherlB - What do you mean by fluid in the breast? I'll be thinking of you both in January. Keep us posted about the chemo treatments. Generally, you can keep active but you really do need to give yourself the space and time to rest and recoup after the sessions. Be sure to ask for what you need from family and make sure they know what to expect. Really make them keep up with the hand washing and you too. It's cold and flu season so you want to avoid that if at all possible. Try to get your shots, dentist and all that in before you start as well.

Browrl - that is a long time to wait for such news on a lump you found. Let us know what they say. That lump could be scar tissue or even a blood clot. Get is checked asap. I am sure you will.

Minxie - you found a 1 cm tumor? It's good you were able to palpate why it was so small. You been through so much. Expander bricks sound tough. I'm reading the article you posted aboutr HER- & stem cells. I see you are going to take the little one after all? 

HopeFaith - SEVEN PUPPIES! omg. I am sure being christmas will help. I wish I could have a puppy but I'm in no shape for a puppy yet. Once I get through all of this, maybe in 2013? I've always wanted one for my daughter & I. What kind of puppy?

LuvRVing - thank you for the kind words. Tylenol helps some but vicodin helps more. I only take them at night now but did take one before dinner yesterday and had a great time. I think I'll save one for my birthday as I get such pain in my breast and side when I move around a lot.

SherylB

QueenKong,

The fluid is just where the tissue swells from the trauma of the surgery. Some people will have more swelling (fluid) than others. I think because of my diabetes that the healing process is just slower. Fluid rushes to any site in the body that is injured and surgery is an injury. It is just the blood flow carrying all the cells to fight the trauma and aid in healing. 

Sheryl

Kayak2

QueenKong - Regarding your comment about a weird smell: - for several weeks prior to diagnosis, I too smelled a weird underarm odor, despite daily showering and using deodorant.  They say that some dogs can detect the presence of cancer through smell, so after diagnosis, I just attributed the smell to cancer, and hope to never smell that odor again!

LuvRVing

I've had a seroma in the area of my left breast (the cancer site) since my BMX in June 2011.  It's about 10 cm and it's been drained a couple times but it returns.  No pain, just annoyance.  It shows up on every PET/CT scan.

HopeFaithCourage

Found homes for all the puppies! Woot! Woot! Im at work and Im feeling great. One chemo done, three more to go before surgery. Still taking nausea meds as needed every once in awhile but it is so much better than I had feared. I can see how God is already using this disease to help me be a better nurse and person. I will be grateful today for all things and know that all things work for His greater good. Merry Christmas if I cant get on here again

yananma

Russell and Sheryl



I chose mastectomy because I had small breast ... Day 9 after 1st round TC, almost back to normal, except fatigue. From day 1 to 6 I did have fever, constipation, diarrhea , back pain, nausea... Day 4 was the worst for me, and sleepless nights too. Best of luck!

browerl

I still have a lot of swelling and fluid in my cancer breast after bmx ( 5 weeks Monday) the other breast is doing great.  I also have poor range of motion on the cancer side.  I can not wait till Friday when I go back to the bs to find out what is up with this hard lump.  The therapist thinks it is just hard fluid, but she new I was very upset so I am sure she would say anything to keep me calm.

Tazzy

Fifty Shades of Grey - A Husband’s View

The missus bought a paperback in town on Saturday. I had a look inside her bag; ...T'was "fifty shades of grey".

Well, I just left her to it, and at ten I went to bed. An hour later she appeared; The sight filled me with dread...

In her left she held a rope; And in her right a whip! She threw them down upon the floor, And then began to strip.

Well fifty years or so ago I might have had a peek. But Mabel hasn't weathered well; She's 84 next week!!

Watching Mabel bump and grind could not have been much grimmer. And things then went from bad to worse - She toppled off her zimmer!

She struggled back upon her feet a couple minutes later; She put her teeth back in said ...I must be dominater!!

Now if you knew our Mabel You'd see why I just spluttered. I'd spent two months in traction from the last complaint I'd uttered.

She stood there nude and naked bent forward just a bit I went to hold her, sensual like and stood on her left tit!

Mabel screamed, her teeth shot out; My God, what had I done? She moaned and groaned then shouted out "Step on the other one"!

Well readers, I can't tell no more about what occurred that day. Suffice to say my jet black hair turned fifty shades of grey.

mags20487

waiting with you browerl  hugs to you!

Maggie

BernieEllen

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
love
Bernie.

EnglishRose75

browerl: Keeping everything crossed for you.  Hang in there.

OBXK: I've wondered too why treatments are not the same in the US as in the UK.  I think that it probably has something to do with money and politics.  Seems that treatments used in the UK are more similar to those in Canada.

Merry Christmas everyone.  Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2013.

gillyone

English - you may be right, but I think some of it is just different names for things.

Sjesse12345

Hello Ladies, I have been lurking on this thread now for a few weeks since I found out I was TN.  I was diagnosed on Nov. 13th.  I am currently doing Neoadjuvant chemo, started on Dec 3rd, I have been pretty lucky in that I have not really had too many SEs, a bit of nausea here and there and a bit more fatigued than usual.  I have still managed to do 1/2 to 1 hour of cardio most days.  Obviously when I first found out I was TN and did some research on the Internet I was terrified, since then though I have spent hours on these boards and you ladies gave me hope back, so thank you!  My next treatment is on the 26th and I am actually looking forward to it (does that sound weird?), I am so glad now to be doing Neo since that is supposed to take care of any little "strays" that may have wandered off.  Question for those of you who also did Neo, when did you first start noticing any changes, ie. shrinking or softening of your tumor?  I haven't had any changes yet, I talked to my GP on Monday and she said that is normal and that I wouldn't notice anything until after the second one, made me feel a bit better.  It also doesn't seem to have grown in the last 3 weeks and she said that was really good too, the first chemo stopped it in it's tracks, (it was growing fast before chemo).  I guess I am being impatient, but that's normal for me .  Anyhow, "talk" to you soon I hope. 

HopeFaithCourage

Ive only had one chemo treatment as well. Thank goodness its going so well. Im like you, looking foward to the next because I know its gonna kill the "beast". Sorry your here with us but glad youve found this sisterhood.

HopeFaithCourage

Im just getting A/C so far.

Paintingmywaythru

Welcome to all the newbies. Sorry you have to be here but it is the best support in the world.

I was diagnosed 5/26/11 and had surgery 6/8/11. To those of you who had swelling after lumpectomy, I had such outrageous swelling I looked like Dolly Parton on one side...had an immediate surgery again that night where they put in a drain for all the fluid/blood but it did not stop and so I had surgery on 6/11/11 again...My daughter got married on 7/8/11 and my massive brusing was actually all gone and I wore a low cut sleeveless dress.

I want to wish everyone wonderful holidays. I really work at staying in the moment and enjoying my present. It makes a difference and helps me focus. I hope all of you find peace, comfort and joy throughout the season with your family and friends.

I am over a year out from finishing treatment and find I feel quite good. I do still have breast pain but was told by the surgeon I may have that all my life. Otherwise, a tad of neuropathy but no other side effects.

Love to all.

russell33

Hi paintingmyw, I was just ready to get on here to ask some advice on the pain and swelling before I call my doctor.  I had a lumpectomy and sentinel biopsy on Dec. 6. My breast is still really swollen and pain all the time.  I quit taking  pain med 1 week ago but the pain has come back so I am just taking mortrin.  It just looks like the swelling is not getting any better. No bruising though. Any suggestions.  Thanks.

browerl

sjesse-it was after my second treatment that I notice a big change in my tumor and after the 3rd you could not find it at all by feel.

SherylB

russell33, we had surgery the same day and my swelling didn't really get bad until about 8-9 days after surgery. Today though I believe that I am seeing a decrease in the swelling in my breast and under my arm. My problem is that I have also developed "cording" which I have been reading about, known as axillary web syndrome. Hoping it doesn't get worse because I don't know when I would fit physical therapy in there too. I suggest you call your doctor tomorrow to chat. I was off the pain meds too but had to take some last night, ibuprofen and tylenol weren't getting it.

Hang tough, Sheryl

Sjesse12345

browerl - thanks, that's pretty much what my Onc said to expect before my first one, nice to hear some "real world" experience though.

russell33

Thank you Sheryl.  I will call my surgeon tomorrow see what she says.  I hope the "cording" gets better.  You don't need anything else to have to worry about.  Your in my prayers.  Anne

jenjenl

russell33 - I had the cording and it was awful.  I did a few PT sessions and now I can raise my arm and have 90% range back. 

Hopex3

Sjesse: I am also doing neoadjuvant chem. I started with 4 doses of AC and I am having my fourth taxol on the 27th. I and my dr. Noticed the tumor had shrunk by the second treatment and now we can't even find it. I have pain though in my breast and under my arm but can't find anything there either. My surgeon just told me she had operated on a TN patient and her tumor was completely shriveled up. Did you know that the tumors live inside a casing? The tumor builds a structure to live in that is made up of fibrous materials. I thought that was interesting. I'm glad you joined this thread. Stay off the Internet. It totally freaked me out too. I don't go there anymore. Best of luck to you!

Hopex3

What is cording?

SherylB

The official name is axillary web syndrome. From the trauma of the surgery the lymph vessels that carry the lymph fluid get hard and tight. Causes a decrease in range of motion and usually have to go to physical therapy or it may get better on it's own. Based on what I have read it is common in about 20% of patients having the lymph nodes removed, just the sentinel or all of them. You can actually see the hard rope like appearance on many people under their arms.

Sheryl

Hopex3

Thanks for the info Sheryl!