Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Creative. I hope you heal quickly. (BTW what era Vintage? My husband runs swing era bands so we do lots of 30-50s stuff)
KeepWalking Fantastic news.
I'm just checking in to whine for a minute. My temps keep getting permanent jobs and leaving. I am a magazine art director. We are an art department of two. My assistant is healthy but having her own medical events working through BRCA1 diagnoses.First temp was good. He scored a temp-to-perm job and left before we even started this issue of the magazine.
Second temp was even better. Good enough I knew I could really take the time off I need during radiation and the magazine would be under control. And now she's gotten a full-time job and is leaving me. : ( Good for her, bad for me. Just when my stress level about the situation was starting to come down. Doing deep breathing.
Thank Goodness I know there will be alcohol at the end of the day thanks to Class Parent Party tonight! Unfortunately by myself becaues DH is gone all weekend for gigs.
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creative vintage I love your screen name!! Congratulations on the good news. Keep walking Thank you for your support. Congratulations on your good news, too. Sloan, the rain didn't get to us this time. I enjoyed seeing your picture. It looks like a beautiful yard. Good morning everyone. I am heading to redo my simulation this morning.
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Reader425- thanks for the info on the lotion! I can't say I'm ready for rads, but I'm ready to move forward.
Molliefish – I have to tell you that I'm still kind of freaked out about touching the incision spot. Right now I'm still letting the MO do it. I'm in denial with it: Maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away!
Creativevintage – yay on negative nodes! (Also, for me it would be yay on the smaller cup size, too! Haha)
Keepwalking and kvgross –yay on negative biopsy! What a relief.
UPDATE: Remember when I talked about flooding? The mud on the MAJOR HWYs 5 and 58 near me is 5 feet deep in some places.
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We were watching that on the news yesterday. What a mess!!
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I have been lurking for the past couple months--I am not scheduled for surgery until mid-Dec. I am just curious how many of you had a lumpectomy but later had a mestectomy, or had a lumpectomy but now wish you had a mastectomy? I have seen so many ladies talking about this. My BS says I am a perfect candidate for lumpectomy--actually the chemo has already obliterated the tumor--and she is not recommending a mastectomy. But always feel she is giving me the choice. Wants to make sure I am 100% comfortable with the decision--how can any of us ever really be?
On the flip side, anyone thrilled with their lumpectomy decision? I am slightly concerned those who are won't be posting on here but happily out living their lives, but I would like to hear from you if you are here! -
Welcome Musogirl! I had a lumpectomy and later had to have a umx (left side) and will later have a prophy on the right. I was EXTREMELY happy with the results of my lumpectomy looks wise. My BS did a beautiful job. I had extensive LVI and she could not get clean margins on me. The question I have to ask you is how you feel about multiple surgeries for reconstruction if you choose mx. If I had a choice I would not have gone down this road because of the surgeries I am facing.
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MusosGirl, Welcome. Since you've been lurking, you know we are caring, comforting, informative and funny! I had a lumpectomy although I did not have chemo. When I was diagnosed I just assumed I would have a mastectomy but my surgeon said that wasn't necessary, that I was perfect for a lumpectomy. I have been very happy with my decision. I had radiation after my surgery and now am on Arimidex for 5-10 years or life or whatever. My situation doesn't quite mirror yours, of course. I would listen to your surgeon. My thinking is try a lumpectomy. You can always get a mastectomy down the road if you feel it is necessary. But go conservative. You said you had a great response to chemo so that's really encouraging. But you have to do whatever you are comfortable with - for me it was a lumpectomy. For you it might not be. Listen to what other ladies say in reply because we have had a wide variety of experiences here. Good luck. It is a challenging decision.
HUGS!!!
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MusosGirl....welcome to the lounge. I had LX and very happy with my decision. No regrets for me.
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LX and happy with my decision, not least because a) I live about five minutes from where I got rads--I could have walked there. and b) I have large enough breasts relative to what was removed that I could walk away at this point and look normal in clothes. Mildly asymmetrical in a bathing suit, but most people are too into doing their own laps to bother with whether I've got one headlight.
I did, however, have a re-excision because my surgeon didn't get clear margins the first time, and if that had gone very slightly differently, I would have HAD to have a mastectomy.....
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Musosgirl, my sister had a lumpectomy for DCIS and I had a lumpectomy for IDC. Both of us have been satisfied with the LX. However, now we have found out that I have 2 rare gene mutations which cause BC, so I will be having a BMX sometimes after the New Year (gotta be well past chemo in Dec.) If not for my high risk of new BCs, I would stick with the lumpectomy.
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Went today to visit the Vascular Radiologist about a port. I asked about having a PICC line instead, but my MO nixed that since she wants to port to stay in for about 5 months. I made sure to tell the VR doc about my recent "free bleeding" episodes--scared her just about witless, I think. So, she drew some labs and we'll go into it with all that in mind. I'm not looking forward to having this thing implanted on Monday. At least they're going to allow me to take my Xanax prior to the procedure and they're planning to give me twilight sedations (Versed & Fentanyl--nectar of the gods!) And then the chemo starts on Tuesday! Ugh. Gotta get my house cleaned this weekend and get a supply of easy-to-fix food.
I got my hair cut yesterday, gel nails taken off,and mani/pedi done. I'm going to try to highlight my hair this weekend. Going to go get a massage tomorrow--I think I deserve that, at this point.
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You most certainly do deserve pampering just now! (weekly massages during rads from my regular massage therapist kept me held together--someone touching me all over whose only intent was to relax me, wonderful!)
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Poodles, not a fun week coming up but I think you'll do just fine. Xanax will be a big help. I'll definitely be in your pocket Monday. I'll try to not jiggle you too much. Loving arms surrounding you. Do lots of fun things this weekend!
HUGS!
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Wow! Thank you ladies. Feeling so much better about my LX. I do feel conservative is better and after, well being in the middle of chemo, the less of anything I have to do sounds nice. I am already worried about rads. I believe the chemo did it's job, and then some, and I'm not done!, and surgery is a given, but rads seems like overkill. My MO said it's totally reasonable to feel that way. He seemed to think in certain cases it is too much but it is the standard of care and without a clinical trial no one is going to say "oh, we don't need to do that.". Eh, rads aren't till next year...
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Museo, I will just jump in to say that I also believe in the conservative approach, and I am also happy with the lumpectomy...it was the right choice for me. I am also nervous about rads, but still have to finish getting through chemo....
Hugs
Octogirl
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Musosgirl, perhaps I can ease your mind (and Octogirl's) about radiation. While I did not have chemo, I did do 33 rads. I had some pinkness and itchiness at the end. Nothing else. Of course, everyone is different. But just realize that like so many things with BC, many have no problems with many of the treatments (excluding chemo). Some people have trouble with Arimidex, I have none. I would say, be aware that there can be SEs but often there are not. Many posting on the radiation and Arimidex lounges do have problems and are looking for solutions; those without SEs don't post very often. Hope this helps!
HUGS!
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Peggy...You always give such level-headed advice. That's why I keep coming back to this thread.
Musogirl...I had a lumpectomy with intrabeam radiation. My post-op path report came back with ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma). Because of that, I also had whole breast radiation. I, like Peggy, had no major issues with radiation. I worked all the way through radiation. Surgically, I'm very happy with the lumpectomy. My recovery was fast. I was literally able to work from home after 3 days and then go back to the office the next week. If I would have known about the ILC before my lx, I might have chosen an MX. But there is always time for that later. And it can be planned. You have to make your own decision. Please realize that you are different than most women on this thread in that you are HER2+. I don't know how that changes the decision making process. My ILC diagnosis puts me in a 10% category of breast cancers. So I am different than most women on this thread also.
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keys-plez, you had intrabeam radiation? Is that where they radiate before they close up your wound? My surgeon said they don't do that with positive lymph?
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Marijen....Yes. I had intrabeam while still in lx surgery. I was node negative. But they don't really know if you're node negative until they do the surgery or do a node biopsy. You have to meet a certain criteria for intrabeam. Initially I met the criteria with minimally invasive ductal carcinoma. If not for the ILC discovered in the post op pathology, that would have been all the radiation I needed.
On the plus side, the intrabeam counted as boosts. So I did not have to have boosts after my whole breast radiation. I think that was a blessing. It doesn't sound like boosts are fun. Maybe they should look at that as a regular practice.???
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I think they should be more uniform in how they test us to begin with. I had mammo, US, Pet-scan, Mri, biopsy. Some here don't seem to get all that it's so hit and miss. And then with treatment I think they should take the time up front to explain things in detail with real literature provided, not the corny brochues. The doctors should have a directory with all of their experience and degrees, certificates, awards, journals, articles. Doctors should be required to give us a transcript of what they tell us. So that they are transperant and we don't have to figure out who they are and if we can trust them. The hospitals should also be transperant with uniform statistics so we can know how safe we are. And they should offer us the best of care up front, not little by little. I didn't realize how patients are second class citizens to such a degree as I have this week. Well this is off the top of my head. Am I asking too much? 😒
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Keys, Thank you for the very kind words. I must say that I didn't notice anything different on the boosts from the whole breast radiation. Nothing changed for me. I wonder (and do NOT know) if the boosts seem to be more challenging because they are done at the end and if you are having SEs just the extra radiation is not helping.
Marijean, Oh my. It sounds like you have not had a good experience with your oncologists and I'm sorry. I think that not all the tests are needed for every situation. I had mammos, US, MRI and more US because my biopsies caused awful hematomas and they couldn't tell if the cancer was more widespread than initially thought. The surgeon was sure it wasn't but the tumor board wasn't convinced. She turned out to be right. My nurse navigator game me lots of good literature - that was how I found BCO and Dr Susan Love's Breast Book. I never felt like a second class citizen - ever. My BS, MO and RO all were dedicated to ridding me of my BC and now 15 months later I have NED. You don't indicate on your profile what treatments you've had. Would you mind updating it so we know where you are on your journey. And of course, you are not asking too much!! Where are you located? Wrapping my arms around you.
HUGS!!
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Sloan...hope you do well in rads...most do fine! I just wanted to share what one doc said about those who have accelerated burn...they don't have an answer really why it happens...it's a genetic thing is what I was told! Don't use any creams 4 hours before rads session...I stupidly had a massage on upper back before a rads session and she used oils...I didn't think about my upper back and rads...I don't think it made a difference, but t was too late anyway when I thought about oil used an hour before session!
Just mark a huge X on your calendar each day you finish...one day closer to being done!!! Rosie
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Rosie, my rads were at 8:30AM and most of the time my DH was in the hospital next door so no time to do anything fun like a massage. I'm not into lotions so it was hard for me to remember to put the Aquaphor on each night (which I didn't do until halfway through). Definitely cross off each day!
HUGS!!
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Hi gang, habitual lurker reporting in again. Think of me as the cat on the windowsill. The re-excision for stinking 1mm spot of dirty margin went well, all clear now. Four days post-op finally met the grandboy and spent a v-e-r-y long but wonderful day with birth family & adopted family, so we could all adore the little nipper. Got a big seroma in the armpit which has reduced somewhat. Consult with RO yesterday, smart & kinda quiet, so I threw some charming into my wild woman show. Altho' he did a bit of double take when I ignored the silly gown & unbuttoned & bared chest in front of him & my posse (who have seen my boob so many times they're bored with it). So cute! He threw the gown back in the drawer & said, "Well I guess we don't need this!" He says my BS will probably drain the seroma when I have surgery f/up. And- great news! I don't think I'll need chemo, but we discussed the Oncotype, which my BS didn't want to do, which really p.o.'d me because I'm adopted & half my hx is a blank. He asked if I would do chemo if indicated, I immediately said Absolutely (I am Not taking this journey twice if I can help it) and he immediately ordered. So if that comes back in the green zone (about 3 wks wait), it's on to rads. BS f/up 22nd, MO consult 28th, 2nd appt with RO 11/6 for CT & set-up.
Have also posted in smoking thread, but I absolutely HAVE to quit smoking. RO says smoking during rads increases risk of lung cancer by FOURFOLD. Absolutely must not go there! Anybody w/experience on Chantix v patches? Have had limited success w/patch, have them on the shelf (instead of thigh, lol). With bipolar II, not sure will be effective, but need to try anything! RO happy to prescribe, have never tried the Chantix, but he says can have good success if watch for nightmares & bad ideations. I need, need, need to DO this! (with 23 y. sober, know I have it in me if I can find it) Son is sending baby pics to help motivate. I am beyond blessed with such stupendous support of family & friends!
Oh, and just for keepwalking and octogirl and peggy, here's the "drama" story of the week. Tues. when I was absolutely slap-out tired, DH picked up thyroid Rx at the pharmacy. Took out the blah blah drug paper and the meds, threw the envelope away, which went to the dump in the p.m. So Thursday p.m. went to organize for RO visit Fri. No insurance card in wallet. Realized I sent with DH my drivers license, bank card and both insurance cards. Frantic search including sorting thru coffee grounds in current trash bag. Yep. All gone. Frantic drive to town (illegallly of course) to get temporary license & whip to the bank before they closed to order replacement card, then on-line to request new insurance cards, all done by 6:30 p.m. On the way to town, called Biederman Cancer Center & they said my info was on the Munson network & not to worry. First time being on a network has been a plus. :-P Note to the unwary. Make a note if your DH picks up your meds & takes all your cards; I actually did that once myself & fortunately caught it at next stop when I went to pay for groceries. Guess I won't be shopping except for on-line for a week or so, and I didn't like my other d.l. pic anyway. Hard way to learn to check the envelope -completely- every time!
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Kitty, so glad you got to see that grandbaby! That's an upper. Boo hiss on the seroma
It is impossible to remain modest and embarrassable with BC 
I'm really surprised that an Oncotype wasn't done especially since you don't know your family history. Sounds like your RO is a good one. I'm rather surprised he asked if you'd do chemo if the test came back indicating it. Isn't that the whole point? To decide if you need chemo? I'm with you. If mine came back in the chemo zone, I'd have done it. Like you, once is quite enough with BC. I really felt for you with the lost d.l. and insurance cards. That is scary! Glad you were able to get replacements so quickly!! On the smoking, I quit cold turkey 17 years ago. I know that doesn't work for a lot of people. For 6 months I carried cigarettes in my car. I went on the "one day at a time" quitting schedule. If you've been sober 23 years, you can do this! What I found hard was not having anything to do with my mouth (after all it had had a cigarette in it for 35 years). So I munched pretzels when my mouth was having cravings for something to do. I did not have cigarette cravings (now THAT is VERY strange). My brother used Chantix with no problems but he didn't manage to quit. Good luck with it!!! HUGS!
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Musogirl....wow...your post about decisions that had to be made brings me back to the start of my journey January 2014...I was also a good candidate for a lumpectomy...surgeon went in and found 3 positive nodes and took out 11...she was surprised and saddened that it went to nodes...I had clear margins and recovered easily from the surgery...on my post op visit to discuss treatment she strongly suggested a bilateral mx with reconstruction (and I could even be a C cup!)....I also had ILC like Keys...and hyperplasia throughout my breast...I knew I had to have chemo, then rads...I did not care about a C cup size and I kept my lumpectomy....did chemo for 6 months and had lots of opinions and did research which helped me make the decision to keep my lumpectomy! I also feel I can get a mx down the road if necessary and would probably go flat ...too many stories with recon surgeries and such...so that's my story and I am happy right now with my decision...until I start feeling uneasy about scans and such...good luck and I know what a difficult decision process you are in right now! Rosie
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Musogirl I'm happ with my LX. I have a bit of an indent from the outside to under my nipple. But nothing that will show under bathing suit or clothing. I'm starting rads next week. I'm a little worried about shrinkage from that as the left is already the smaller side. If I'm lopsided oh well.
I'm firmly in the LX camp. In my case there wasn't even a question of MX thankfully. But there was no way I was doing MX unless I had to. Iwould have had to have multiple oppinions saying it my only option to do it.
To me more surgery = more risk. Period. Not going there unless needed.
Maybe I'd feel differently if my cancer were more advanced. But since, at least at the moment, my cancer is more a nuance than life threatening, I'm not going to risk lifelong side effects of more extensivesurgery if it isn't required.
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Rosie...What is your follow up monitoring and maintenance schedule? Mammo, US, MRIs ? I'm still getting mixed info regarding my ILC.
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Rosie...What is your follow up monitoring and maintenance schedule? Mammo, US, MRIs ? I'm still getting mixed info regarding my ILC.
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Outrunning, the name comes from a small business I had for years. I made custom wedding gowns from vintage (40's, 50's and 60's) dress patterns. I stopped when I moved to Florida about eight years ago and took up painting. Most of my free time now is painting the local landscape in pastels.
Today ispost op day two and I'm doing pretty good. A bit sore, especially in my armpit, but I am able to get up and get around. Trying to figure out how on earth I am going to wear a bra...the surgeon was fantastic, but the incisions are under the crease of each breast! I thought it was interesting that I have no bandages, just dissolvable stitches covered in surgical glue. Hoping that this method means faster healing. The girls are basically the same size, no smaller...darn! But he did a beautiful job. There is a small dent in the bottom inner curve of the breast that had the tumor which will probably. Not be very noticeable at all once I am healed. The funniest thing is the after affects of the blue dye. My girlfriend who brought me home after surgery said I looked like a smurf. My face had a blue tint to it! I think most of the dye has cleared out of my system, as my urine is clear this morning...no more blue!
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