Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

PontiacPeggy

Keepwalking, what fantastic news!!! I'm so happy for you. Bet you did a happy dance around the house! Certainly makes the holidays much more special.

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

My DIL, a colon cancer survivor, posted this story on Facebook yesterday. I'm not on a chemo board but many here are going through chemo and this drug seems to help alleviate some of the worst SEs of it. New Drug for Chemo SEs Hope it helps.

HUGS!

octogirl

yay, Keep Walking, great news on the oncotype score!

I am facing a few very busy work days, but just want to pipe in long enough to echo the 'less is more' sentiments in the discussions of the last few days. When I was first diagnosed, I was told (by the radiologist who did the biopsy) that he didn't think I'd be a candidate for Lx because of tumor location. However, when I met with bs, who I LOVED, she very confidently and patiently explained my options but did let me know how she could save the breast by doing a Lx with a nipple removal (tumor was just below the nipple) and a bit of oncoplasty. I was concerned about surgery recovery and went with her recommendation, and I've not regretted it at all. She got very good margins, which obviously was important to me. I think the key is to find a BS one is comfortable with (even if it takes talking with several) listening to their advice, and then making the decision that is right for you. Hugs and best wishes.

Love the tree! In my household we celebrate both Hanukkah (for me) and Christmas (for hubby). Time to start decorating. and lighting candles. Hanukkah starts Sunday night. It really snuck up on me this year! (gee, I wonder why...)

Hugs to all! and may I just add, in this season of gratitude, I give thanks for Peggy for being there for all of us. Such a great source of support...thanks Peggy and all of you!

Octogirl

Shopgal2

keepwalking mazel tov on no chemo!

JerseyRenee01

Good Morning!!!!

PontiacPeggy:

I am reading Dr. Susan Love's Book! Thank you!

All of a sudden she mentions Dr. Czierniecki, whom I saw at Penn Tuesday.

JerseyRenee01

octogirl:

Thank you for taking the time to post! I really appreciate all the support & advice!!!

The holidays have snuck up very fast for sure!!!

keepwalking

Octogirl - I second that motion - thanks Peggy for all that you do and have done for all of us!

Thanks everyone!

I hope everyone has a great holiday, whichever one(s) you celebrate, and may we all see great progress, be done with treatments in good time and with minimal SE's, and return to complete health!

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

Renee, glad you got the book. I found it a great source of information. I even bought the newest version when it came out this fall so I would have the latest information.

Octogirl, thank you for the very kind words. You don't know how much the mean. I was just thinking I hadn't seen you post for awhile and was hoping you were just really busy. How fun to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas! Enjoy them both!

HUGS!!

PontiacPeggy

KeepWalking, thank YOU! The kind words are deeply appreciated.

I think I read that there are 26 holidays being celebrated this month by 7 different religions. Amazing. Hope whatever you celebrate that it is joyous, filled with love, family, and friends.

HUGS!

JerseyRenee01

Well I now have an appt at Md Anderson next week as they have my Gene Testing Results. UGH!!! This could change everything!

Shopgal2

JerseyRenee my heart goes out to you. I was in your same place before surgery. I saw bs first, got genetic testing the following week, and waited 2 weeks for the results. I have fam history of mom & grandmom dx at 69 but they did not have IDC or TN. I was neg for brca 1& 2. It helped me make my decision for a lumpectomy. I hope that results help you like they did for me. Hugs

JerseyRenee01

shopgal2:

Thank you!!! I feel like the anxiety & worry is never ending in this process!

Well I dont know my family history at all so I did it for myself & 2 daughters. I am so uptight!

PontiacPeggy

Renee, I don't blame you. I'd be a mess, too. I hope the results you get are definitive - nothing worse than "maybe" or "could be." At least you will be able to make a more informed decision. It must be very difficult not knowing your family history.

HUGS!!!

JerseyRenee01

thank you so much PontiacPeggy!

Molly50

I third the thanks to Peggy for being our constant cheerleader and support. I try to keep her in my head every time I post to a newbie.

mustlovepoodles

JerseyRenee, I wish you good findings on your genetics testing. I had the 32-gene panel because my family history is rife with cancer--32 cancers in 1st & 2nd gen relatives. Yikes! Mine came back with 2 mutations, which the genetics counselor estimates gives me a 45+% chance of getting breast cancer and a 3x chance of colon cancer (there's a LOT of colon cancer in my family.) Ugh. But I'm glad to know, at least. The findings did change my treatment plan from LX & close surveillance to BMX & ovary removal. The jury is still out on radiation. I figure, I'd rather know than not know.

Best of luck to you.

mustlovepoodles

Yay! finally got my Christmas tree up last night. I always have it up by the day after Thanksgiving. I had a rough day yesterday, day after chemo. Just really tired. I got the tree put together and about 1/4 fluffed out when the fatigue hit and all my energy drained out my feet. Had to go lie down. Thankfully my 22yo daughter came over and finished decorating. I think we're going to try to find a smaller tree after Christmas. This 6-1/2 foot tall tree is overwhelming to me.

My Sunday School class brought a good dinner over last night. They have really stepped up, bringing meals 2-3 times a week since chemo started Oct 20. Most times there is enough food to give us another meal, too. I find grocery shopping to be very tiring and by the time I'm done I am too fatigued to cook anything. Bless his heart, DH used to be a good cook, but since becoming disabled with lung & heart disease, it's all he can do to just warm up things. He is unable to handle more than about 10 minutes of meal prep and he can't concentrate long enough to get through an actual recipe these days. Thank goodness my DD is a chef!

PontiacPeggy

Molly, it isn't hard to remember how scared and ignorant we were when we first came to BCO. I didn't know enough to know what questions to ask and that is the scariest part. It's wonderful that we can share our experience and help the newly diagnosed to ask the right questions and then know what to do with the answers.

Poodles, it has to be hard for you to feel rotten and not be able to do the things you want to do. And your DH must be frustrated, too. I'm so glad that your Sunday school class is helping out big time. Wish I were closer to help you out.

HUGS to everyone.

Musosgirl

I spent 5 hours hanging out at the hospital today. I had pre-op, but the anesthesiologist took over an hour to come talk with me after the nurse was done with my history, in-take, and blood work. Even then he didn't fully look at what all I am having done--going from an hour long surgery to three since we added the oncoplasty reduction. He had never heard of it. That makes me feel SO much better. Not.

I was late for my lymphedema consult, and that office apparently runs a tight ship and makes a big deal about being late. I honestly have been waiting for this appointment to make my final decision on the reduction--I want to still have one good arm and if she said anything that would jeopardize that I would call it off. For some reason her .5-1.5% chance of lymphedema on my good side still bugs me....

Then I went back to other side of the hospital for the chest x-ray I had skipped racing to get to my lymphedema appointment. At least that went quickly and smoothly! I am now home and starving. Food or nap first?

PontiacPeggy

What a discouraging, maddening time you had today, MussoGirl. At least you were able to see and do everything that needed to be done. I'd be real impressed too with that anesthesiologist...NOT.

HUGS!!

JerseyRenee01

Musosgirl:

What a day!!! Hope you are able to now relax & got something to eat!

Mustlovepoodles:

I only did the basic 7 gene test. It was all I can handle & not even sure I ready for that!

HappyHammer

Visla...sorry you have BC but glad you are here with this great group! Agree about putting the tree up....like PontiacPeggy, I had LX with not much pain and/or issues with ROM. My incision is at 10;00 and is about 3+ inches long toward underarm. SNB was done thru same incision so I really lucked out with nothing in the underarm area. Took pain meds for 2 days because my family was trying to "stay ahead of the pain"...finally told them I had to stop and go with Tylenol so I could stop talking to the people...when they asked what people....had to tell them there were peeps around that I did not know and knew weren't real and I had to stop talking with them. Haha...that was my biggest issue. Also agree about rest, rest, rest! Seriously, put the tree up and sit on the sofa and enjoy the beauty. I do think strolling the street or neighborhood as you regain your strength is helpful. Can't believe your Visla was able to stay so stil and be so good under the tree....our neighbor has one and it is hy-per!!

HappyHammer

Oh, Poodles...so glad your SS class is stepping up. Sounds like you and DH need the help and I am sure they are glad to do it. Where do you live? Wish I was close enough to help you. My friends were fabulous during chemo and we needed the help!!

april25

JerseyRenee01 -- Is it possible to contact the docs you spoke to and tell them about the other opinion and get their thoughts? They might explain why they thought which is best, radiation or not, and you might have a better idea of what you think would be best for you by hearing what they say. They may tell you to consult with a RO, which could help, too.

It is very possible that the treatment, rads or no rads, may change somewhere along the line with both docs! It could depend on you or on them or on what they find...

Do you have a better feeling for one doc over the other? That is very important.

Take your time. Yes, it's creepy that the cancer is there... but unless you have something super-fast-growing (Grade 2 or 3 and HER2+, etc. or some other reason to really freak out... even THEN, don't freak out!). Just getting diagnosed and having all this thrown at you is seriously one of the most stressful parts of this whole thing. (I was a total wreck, anyway. I never lose weight and I lost 10lbs in the first weeks, just from trying to run around and make appointments and do tests and all the other stuff... and this time of year was THE WORST, too because everyone is busy--they kept telling me, oh, we're here doing stuff through the holidays, but getting a hold of doctors was NOT easy!) Just try and take a breath and take the time you need.

You really have caught things early. The extra areas of concern will most likely be nothing (they found some calcifications RIGHT before I went into surgery! and they removed them and it turned out to be benign--) there really are all kinds of suspicious things in breasts... at least they are looking hard at everything and checking them out!

I have dense breasts, small cups... There is a concern that if they take too much tissue it is more noticeable in smaller breasts... but your cancer is small, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Try and find out if you have any family history... cousins, aunts, etc. I found out I had a few more with BC than I had realized! I didn't have any in my immediate family, though. I still got tested genetically. Usually they will discount a bit if the relatives are older (over 50) and haven't passed from bc... but I had some cousins who got it earlier. Nothing came up positive--but they told me they only know to test for certain things, so while there could be tests in the future, they can only do so much now. Anyway, you might not need testing if you don't have relatives who had bc early. But if you do, test results is one of the things that may affect your treatment and your docs, whichever you choose, may have to change your treatment to suit. But that's down the road! Make the decisions you can now, but don't fret too much about what's down the road because you can't know, nor can your docs, at this time.

I had no problems with radiation. Most people with LX do it, but if you don't have to do it, that's great! But definitely talk to your doctors about it.

And don't over-do your surgery unless you feel strongly about it or have reasonable concerns. LX is breast-conserving and less dramatic than MX. Yes, it is possible you might need extra surgeries, even with that (for margins or you might even need an MX eventually), but an MX is a lot more surgery and means more if you reconstruct, so many doctors and patients don't want to go there unless it's necessary. But you are the important person here--it's ultimately your body, your choice (within what the doctors can offer, anyway).

And yeah, as others have said, if you need to, go with a 3rd. opinion!

You have time. Some people don't start treatment for several months, although most want to try for a month or so... What's important is that you have to feel good about your decisions and your doctors!

JerseyRenee01

april25:

Thank you so much! Tonight isnt a good night! I am so sick to my stomach with worry that it worse! Yes, I am googling & reading other stories on here like recurrances after LX. I am so scared! This has taken over the past 2 months of my life! My daughters 14th birthday party is tomorrow & I cant even focus on it.

I didnt have a personal issue with 1st BS other than felt rushed & wouldnt allow me to wait til January. This BS is highly recommended though. Their communication at MD Anderson also isnt satisfactory. I then pursued 2nd opinion at Penn. For example, took 2 weeks to hear MRI results from MD Anderson & i finally had it & called to get myself. They told me 2 months ago their pathologist would read my biopsy report & never to this day heard a thing! Oh & gene testing was done Oct 28. Never heard from them so again on my own I contact them for results myself & then they schedule me for next week to go over results. It is like you have to push them but yet it ok push me to rush my surgery.

I went to Penn 2 days ago & guess what within 2 days their Pathologist read report & called me today. Said seeing DCIS but that other area still questionable which right next to the DCIS. That says alot to me! They care, they on top of it!

On & off i get this weird like burning/ sweaty feeling in my left arm pit . Now I worried it in my lymph nodes. Left arm pit & cancer in left breast. Or is this all from stereotactic biopsy done Oct 16?

I need to turn the cancer switch off & try to enjoy my daughters birthday & weekend. It so hard! I dont have a definitive diagnosis until whatever surgery I decide and pathology report so I am worried sick thinking the worst!

One minute like yesterday I felt good about LX then I start 2nd guessing.

Oh & the whole family history, well forget that! I dont even know it! That is why did gene testing. For myself & 2 daughters.

I have lost weight too! 😞

PontiacPeggy

Renee, stop right now. Take a deep breath! You are NOT going to die tomorrow from BC. You DO have time. Do not let your very understandable fear drive you to doing surgery until you have all the information. It sounds like you are much more comfortable with the docs at Penn. Then go with them! Let them guide you. You're reading now and gathering the facts and data you need. Less is more is definitely true in BC surgery. Start small.

Put the BC in a little room in your brain and shut the door tightly so you can enjoy your daughter's birthday. Do you have a DH, partner or significant other to support you? I know that my DH wasn't able to support me - he was too sick. Perhaps there is a nurse navigator at Penn who you can talk to. They are an excellent resource. Call over there and find out.

I have itchiness in my "good" arm pit every so often. The lymph node there feels swollen to me and has for about 15 years. It's fine. I think it is closer to the surface than they usually are. I find that deodorants can irritate it. Or sweat. I normally don't sweat or even perspire. So I wouldn't worry that you have "problem" with the lymph nodes. Besides I don't recall anyone ever mentioning that they "felt" nodes where there was cancer present. Toss that thought out of your brain.

If you do meditation, now might be a good time to do it. Your brain is going in circles and you don't have answers so round and round you go. Make a conscious decision to stop worrying. You don't KNOW and worrying isn't going to change a thing. Practice that deep breathing while meditating. In. Out. Slowly. Empty your mind. Concentrate on your beautiful daughter. Tell your brain to take a vacation! And it might even work!

HUGS!

JerseyRenee01

pontiacpeggy:

I am married, 2 beautiful daughters. 14 & 21. My husband is getting mad at me. He wants me to stop worrying & thinking the worst!

So just have hubby, daughters, brother ,sis n law & friends there for me. A time like this would be nice to have a Mom. 😞

I am a strong person but damn this has brought out my weak side!

I truly could cry from the support from all these wonderful women all over! I cant thank you all enough! {{hugs to you all}}

I will get a good night sleep & start fresh tomorrow.

april25

JerseyRenee01 -- My biopsy caused a bigger lump around my lump AND some swelling under my arm. I'm pretty sure that's what's happening with you, too. That, and just worrying about everything! Seriously, it's an INSANE time going through all of this--getting suddenly hit with it and having all plans and everyone's lives thrown out of whack. Everyone here can tell you it's a rough time for them and for everyone around them.

So far your diagnosis is as best as it can be considering it's cancer! You caught it early. You are ER+/PR+ so there are treatment options (hormonal). Do you know your HER2 status?

It's really unlikely anything has spread to your lymph-nodes. And they will be checking for that, don't worry. But hopefully you will get through this with the least amount of treatment necessary and be on your way. It DOES kind of consume your life for a while! No question! Just know that the next few months, more or less, will be busy. But you really should be OK going through all this. The LX is out-patient for most everyone (need to make sure you're OK with stuff like anesthesia or the adhesives used for tape/bandages, which can make for a less comfortable time, but that's it). It's best if you can rest a solid 3 or 4 days, but after that you can pretty much go about again, just taking care not to left heavy things, or do anything too rigorous for a while. Radiation, if you do it, is totally out-patient. I went in every day for a month (I had the longer course of treatment, some have shorter), and it took less than a half-hour and I was out again!

I switched doctors/facility when it looked as if one set were easier to work with. It makes a difference. At times like this, you really don't want to be fighting to get things done. They really need to help you out at least a little! And you really have to trust them to do that automatically! So it sounds as if the Penn folk are going to make you feel more confident about their care of you. If you have questions about the treatment, radiation or not, etc., definitely contact them with questions and concerns. They should be able to listen to your thoughts and help put your concerns to rest!

This is a terrible thing to happen to you (and your family--everyone is affected!), but you WILL get through it. And it won't be as bad as you think it will be. We always tend to worry about worst-case scenarios. It's human. And bad stuff does happen. But worrying won't make that better or worse. Just keep that in mind! And the bad stuff may never happen. In a month or two you might be cancer free and back to your regular life! Just do what you need to do now, and you'll get there.

I have a friend who had DCIS, diagnosed a year ago at the same time I was. She was shocked and devastated at first (as everyone is), but worked all through it and is totally back concentrating on normal life now.

PontiacPeggy

Renee, I'm not close but I'd be glad to be your virtual mom. Actually, my oldest son's in-laws are in NJ (transplanted from NYC).

Are you a glass half full or half empty person? My DH was definitely a half empty person and that was very hard for me to deal with. Aren't you lucky to have so much family handy?! Take advantage of them. No need to cry from the support here - just a nice, big sigh will do just fine.

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

Well put, April!!

HUGS!