No Pain...Sentinel Node Biopsy. No Pain!!

Hehewuti

            On April 22 I had an attempted Sentinel Node location procedure. The shots were given and they hurt me horribly. I had no lidocaine added to the tracer shots and no lidocaine topical cream provided. The tracer never made it to the nodes, so surgery was cancelled, and would have to be rescheduled. The prospect of having those tracer shots again was pretty awful.

            As soon as I got home I searched the bc.org discussion boards and discovered the existence of lidocaine topical cream and plastic wrap, and thanks to "plantdoc4", the ability of radiologists to add lidocaine to the tracer shots.

Here is the site of the research that "plantdoc4" had put on a blog last year.

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/new_research/20090806.jsp

I gave this research to the administrator of the hospital who gave it to the radiologist. I then requested (demanded) to have lydocaine in the shots and the topical cream. The radiologist said he had not been trained to use lydocaine and was not familiar with it's use in tracer shots. But, after reading the research study from this legitimate and respected source, he agreed to use it.

Yesterday, May 6, 2 hours before tracer shots were scheduled, I covered my breast with lidocaine/prilocaine topical cream and wrapped it with plastic wrap. The doctor, as had been agreed upon, had added the 1% lydocaine to the shots. I felt nothing, no pain, couldn't even feel the injection going in, and he put 7 of them in. The sentinel node was located about an hour later and removed in surgery.

The radiologist  was amazed at my zero amount of pain and said he will now use this procedure in Adrian Mi. and the hospitals he is affiliated with in Ann Arbor and Toledo. He said it has not been easy to see the pain this procedure has caused women and that he will be happy to offer them relief from it now.

I say spread the word. http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/new_research/20090806.jsp  I don't know why hospitals/radiologists don't have this info, and I would hope that this info could be given to all radiologists everywhere who are performing these tracer shots. Also, Linda G. told me you have to "drive your own bus". So, let's not be afraid to speak up for ourselves. With all the bc "stuff" we have to deal with, a little less pain couldn't hurt.   

Thanks "plantdoc4", LindaG., and everyone else for all of the important/helpful info over the past few months. Gratefully, Wendy

ICanDoThis

Women throughout SE Mich will be grateful, believe me!