Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Nash54

Welcome to the lounge Jamie and Marcy !   

Outrunning...I have the same pain on my incision side that you described....goes from under arm and out thru my pinkie.  Seems to bother me more when I overuse that arm.  But I don't feel any cording.   Also, if I sleep on the incision side my arm and back go numb.   And I'm a year out from surgery!    

Hope everyone had a great weekend. !!!

april25

The BS isn't the only one you can get a PT prescription from. I had a sort of mucktymuck BS (he was in the pbs Emperor of All Maladies documentary and pioneered SNBs)--very busy guy, anyway-- although SO worth it because I he got clean margins, left very minimal scars, healed fast, no pain, no numbness, no limited motion--so I don't get all chatty with him (his Residents are the ones who do most of the talking and examining). Anyway, I went to one of the seminars offered at the Breast Center where he worked from (at C-S in W. L.A.) and they had a nutritionist, PT person, social worker, etc., all lined up to talk with us individually and I got handed a prescription for PT for possible LE, just by saying my SNB incision was a little easily irritated (that a few weeks post surgery).

I haven't used it yet, but probably should... I don't have any swelling or pain or limited motion. But lately I have this weird weakness when trying to pick up a coffee mug! I can do it ok, but I have this urge to use both hands! I have NO idea what the deal is... nerves? some slight LE? joint problems from anastrozole (since this didn't start until after I was on it for a month, and 5 months after the lx)? ==It's not bothering me enough to make an appt for PT yet, but I probably should at least go to some to get ideas on possible exercises, just in case...

Molly50

My PS ordered my PT.

Sloan15

Who are you two going to go to for PT in LA? I'm not happy with the guy in my town, so I'll go to LA. I can get a perscription, I just need a name of someone good.

Molly50

I haven't gone yet. My appointment is Friday. I will let you know.

Sloan15

Thanks. Ha, that might be the place where we can meet for a coffee, too!

zinny

Hello newbies:) welcome. As a relative newbie, I find this forum a really helpful place!

Molly, so sorry to hear about your mother. 3 years is a long time, but that doesn't make the end any easier.

Marcy - I wonder if that is a seroma forming - I had increasing pain and a heavy feeling in my breast from about day 6, and then the sloshing sound started. Ultimately I had the seroma drained ( twice) and it stopped reaccumulation when I put on a tight sports bra. However, no I have a divet where the tissue all sunk in.

To those with cording - I have had some too, though it has stretched out to fairly minimal. My MO told me there is a physio here who treats it and "cracks" it - not sure what that looks like - looking into it, as that is what is limiting my ROM on the one side. I am now 6 weeks out. AT about 4.5 weeks, I massaged the thickened area around the scar where they did the axillary incision and that seemed to get things moving a bit...

Lovely pics keep walking.

Outrunning

darn Nash I thought these other problems would resolve when the cording did. Maybe not huh?

Sloan no tamoxifen until after rads. But it is waiting for me to pick it up at the pharmacy.

RO ordered my PT to save me a visit to BS office. MO would have if RO hadn't already.

Going out for a run and then the pumpkin farm with the family. Hope I have enough energy for all this!

Nash54

Good morning lumpies!   TN sunrise

Brutersmom

Octogirl, How difficult for you. My brother and I went through that with my mother. We finally stopped taking her out after she became so agitated and angry after a visit at my brothers on Christmas eve. She actually got violent and broke a locked door at the nursing facility. We were shocked as to how much strength this little woman had. We always new she had a temper but she was never violent. Everything can be done at the nursing facility. He needs consistency. I felt like the stage where my mom was still somewhat aware of her circumstance but not able to care for herself the most difficult and where my brother and I felt the most guilt. Encourage your step mom to visit regularly and keep her visits consistent.

Molly50

Hello Brutersmom, nice to meet you. Are you in the middle of rads now?

Marcy71

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome.

Molly and Sloan thanks for the advice. I thought I could only use ice first 24 hours. I am not typing this with an ice pack on!!! :-)

Zinny...I have never heard of Serena. Going to look that up! Thanks.

Supposed to return to work on Thurs. I don't know about this. Just taking a shower wears me out. Gotta find my inner strength. Seems to have been buried last few days.

Marcy71

darn auto correct!!!!!! *now have ice pack on. And Seroma not Serena!!!!

Sloan15

Beautiful sunrise!

jamigb

Thanks for the advice about cording. I called my doctors today and neither of them got back with me....quite frustrating! Keep the advice coming! I have chemo ed tomorrow and port Friday...starting to get more and more nervous.

Sloan15

Yay, I'm done with chemo!! I told my chemo group thank you, but like someone else in here mentioned, I love this group and will continue my journey in here with all of you. Thank you for all your support!

Oh, and I saw the dermatologist. He said my scalp looks good, and ti start looking for hair regrowth about 4 1/2 weeks after the last chemo. So, for those of you wondering about hair, there you have it. (My avatar pic is a wig).

Italychick - I took your advice and talked with my doc about the neuropathy. He agreed that I shouldn't do the last treatment, so thanks for giving me the idea to talk with him. Yep, quality of life. I need to tell the TC group what I decided. Also, I decided to get the oncotestdx even if it is after chemo. When the study results come out, I want to know my risk for recurrance because I'm a worrier. Thanks for everything.

octogirl

Sloan...yay for you! Happy dance!

octogirl

Molly, thinking of you: how is your Mom doing?

xox

Octogirl

Italychick

Sloan15, glad to help. For what it's worth, anecdotally I have observed that people posting say two rounds of neoadjuvant chemo either did their cancer in or it didn't. So you probably got plenty of chemo. Personally, i think they overdose us. Plus you also have anti hormonals, and don't discount how powerful they can be

How good does it feel to be done with that part?

Look into alpha lipoic acid, benfotiamine, B6 and B12 for neuropathy. Also acetyl carnosine. Might be worth going to a naturopath for advice. I know for sure my MO said for me to take alpha lipoic acid and I did. I think all my neuropathy is gone.

PontiacPeggy

Sloan, so glad you are done with chemo. You have to be doing a happy dance! Get that hair growing and getting back to normal!

HUGS!

BAT

First off...Bless all of you.

Been awhile since I've posted...just wanted to update you on my wife's status. Her lumpectomy was on 14 Aug and she just started radiation yesterday (for 7 weeks.) Her incision was not healing right...and this is the reason for treatment delay. Her Dr. at OU Medical did not seem concerned with the delay. He stated that radiation must be accomplished within 6 months of surgery.

Wife is doing great except for excessive fatigue (can someone tell me if that gets better?).

Again, bless all of you.

V/r,

BAT

PontiacPeggy

BAT, yes, the fatigue does get better. But keep in mind that radiation also produces fatigue. Your wife has been through a lot with chemo, surgery and now radiation. Her body is telling her to rest so it can heal. I've seen others post that their doctors say it can take up to a year to be rid of the fatigue. I'm sorry that her incision was such a problem. Thank you for the update.

HUGS!

octogirl

BAT, I also had issues with incisions not healing properly....or as fast as expected...in the end though everything turned out fine. In fact, I have what I hope will be my last apt with BS today for a bit: for a while there she was seeing me very often, but it is FINALLY almost fully healed! Woohoo!

I think her doc is right about the delay, especially since she already had the chemo. And yes, fatigue does get better, although it probably won't get fully better until after the rads, based on what I've read. And don't believe the docs if they tell you rads doesn't cause fatigue. That is actually a running joke on the fall rads thread ('It's not Rads') which you might also find helpful. Some of the posters here (SweetMammaJ: calling you out) are on that thread (SMJ just finished, lucky girl) and might pipe in here too.

You and your wife are in our thoughts. Sending hugs

Octogirl

Nash54

Sloan...👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.  No more chemo!!

Outrunning

Running back to my lumpies. Read a bit on the Rads board. I think, like in being pregnant, there are some things one shouldn't know about until it is too late. (Although I guess I should go buy some lotion of some kind.)

Reminding myself I'm only getting 4 weeks. And that many do not have such an extreme reaction at those with the extreme SEs on there. But since my skin is definitely my weakest link I'm a little scared of this. But still a week to wait to even get started. I wish we'd started this week as I thought I would so I could get this over with.

On the positive news, my assistant's biopsy came back negative. Thank God. For many reasons. This means she can wait to have the prophylactic MX until after my treatments are done. There's only the two of us. And now a great temp. So even the current situation is a strain.

Brutersmom

Outrunning. Our RO's recommend Auquaphor. It is a little messy but so far so good.

PontiacPeggy

Outrunning, I had a bit of pinkness with the hair follicles (called punctation). That was it. I used Aquaphor starting about halfway thru my 7 weeks. Just find a lotion that you can use and use it. I can use Dove sensitive soap so used that. No deodorant since I was allergic to Tom's of Maine. Remember, like many of the boards, people experiencing SEs are often the ones posting. And they need help. If you aren't having problems you aren't likely to post. I have found that on the Arimidex board. But it does tend to give a lop-sided view of how many people have side effects that isn't necessarily accurate. And I know that these SEs are real and need solutions but not everyone has them.

Very glad for your assistant.

HUGS!

queenmomcat

Outrunning (and whomever else finds themselves in this position): Another vote here for 'the people likeliest to post on the boards are the ones with moderate to horrendous side effects.' The ones who sail through treatment, who never get a recurrence.....are far less likely to post!

Molly50

BAT, hugs to you and your DW.

Molly50

Outrunning, we are starting rads just a day apart! I don't finish until December 7th though. I already told DH I probably won't want to do a full Thanksgiving dinner this year. I usually do the whole works by myself. I think I will see if any of our friends want to do the dinner together. My kids are usually gone anyway.