Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

mairew

Hi everyone!

I just joined today, but I have been lurking for a few weeks since my dx. I am going for my lumpectomy on Wednesday, so I thought this would be a good place for me to introduce myself. I am kinda of freaking out. I have lymphoscintogram schedule tomorrow and some pretesting.

I did go for a second opinion at MD Anderson, and the BS was very confident he could get clean margins and good cosmetic result on a medial 3.5cm mass. The surgeon here locally for me (at UTSW) is young and conservative. She has said if she doesn't get clean margins she will not re-excise but just do a mastectomy. My stress is way too high over making this decision. I think I am better to go get it done now since I plan to take a trip on Dec 22 to Ireland to visit my family for Christmas, and I don't want it weighing on me over Xmas. Obviously I am hoping I don't have any problems after the surgery.

Am I crazy? Should I wait it out for the MD Anderson surgeon? But then I will be 5 hours away from him if I have any issues post surgery.

Thanks to everyone on these boards. You all have kept from falling apart the last couple of weeks.

PontiacPeggy

Nash, I watched last season's Outlander series. Apparently lots of people who hadn't read the books enjoyed it, so go right ahead. The books are definitely long (900-1,000 pages) - but just think, you'd have years' worth of reading

Happy, it never ceases to surprise me at the things Claritin does! Quite a few of the ladies on Arimidex take it for the joint pain, too.

HUGS!

Moderators

Hi mairew,

Welcome to our community here at BCO. We are sorry that you had to join us but glad you found this group. This is a very difficult and very personal decision you have to make. Really you will need to think long term what will be the best solution for you, and your situation. We are thinking of you and really hoping that you are able to make it to Ireland for the holidays.

Big hugs,

The Mods

PontiacPeggy

MaireW, Welcome! Since you've been lurking, you've already discovered that we're a warm, loving, caring, comforting, informative and slightly zany group. Make sure you complete your profile and make it public (include your location!). Then we'll know all about you and can help you more.

I didn't have any pre-testing done like you are. They injected the dye for the SLNB just prior to my lumpectomy.

I'm not so sure about your trip to Ireland on the 22nd. You will likely feel okay. Please make sure your BS knows that you will be travelling that far. If you have lymph nodes removed you may need to wear a compression sleeve. Since we don't know your Dx, it's hard to counsel you, but I would consider postponing the surgery until after you get back. Much harder on you emotionally to wait but fewer chances for problems to crop up. Only you can decide what works best for you. Most of the time it doesn't seem to make a great deal of difference waiting an extra 2-3 weeks for surgery.

I understand why you wouldn't want to go 5 hours away for your surgery. That would be hard, though many women have done it. If you like and trust your BS, then that's all that matters.

Good luck with all your decisions.

HUGS!!!

Jclc83

Hi Mairew welcome to the group. It's only a decision you can make but like most people in this forum will agree that less is more . I had a lumpectomy in September and it was an easy recovery for me The drain was an annoyance but I had very little pain and I did not baby my arm I had lymph nodes removed from the same excision. Within a week I was amazed that I felt so good.My surgeon made sure the margins were clear during the lumpectomy so there was no need for additional surgery.

I work in the medical field and MD Anderson has a good reputation. You have to weigh your options and trust your decisions and don't look back most of all trust the team you pick you surgeon and your MO Best wishes for a speedy recovery...we're here for you .

etnasgrl

Hi Mairew!
I have to agree with the "less is more" approach.
If your surgeon doesn't get clean margins during the lumpectomy, she won't re-excise , just do a mastectomy? If it were me, I would NOT be comfortable with that. But, that's just me, as I've gone into this whole cancer situation with the mentality of doing what I can to kick it's ass, with the least amount of surgery possible. Granted, if it came down to it and I had to have a mastectomy, obviously I would....my life is more important than my boobs.....but this sounds like a mastectomy isn't needed, it's just what your surgeon would prefer to do rather than try to re-excise.
That being said, I go to MD Anderson for my care and love them! I feel 100% confident with my oncologists and believe that I am getting the best possible care that I can.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the very best! (((((Hugs)))))

MaggieCat

Hi Mairew!

I also agree with the "less is more" approach. I had several second opinions, one at MD Anderson in Houston. I wanted to work with oncologists and surgeons that were 100% in the breast cancer support arena ( as in a cancer research center or major university research center).

Not knowing what you are dealing with (estrogen, progesterone, Her2, grade etc).... the best advice I can give is not to rush into a treatment plan without confidence in your provider team (more than just the surgeon). I chose to travel for a team I had total confidence in. I am staying with that team for my follow-up care.

Best wishes! Do remember that most of us consider our first weeks after diagnosis to be the hardest of all.

Maggie

mustlovepoodles

Jclc, I have had the same experience with food. Chinese and Mexican work best, especially rice and refried beans. Oh, and pepperoni pizza.

queenmomcat, Little Debbie Cakes--that's hilarious! I haven't quite stooped so low just yet. Sweets, particularly chocolate, just don't do it for me right now. And I normally LOVE sweets of all kinds. About the only sweet thing I like right now is ginger ale. I normally don't drink full sugar anything, but for some reason the ginger ale goes down east.

Just talked with my mother--she's 81 and lives about 400 miles from me. She had a bad attack of vertigo last night while driving. She made it home, by the grace of God. Thankfully, my niece has just moved in with her. When the niece came home from work at 7pm, she found mother in her recliner, with vomit on her clothes and the cat was accidently locked in the car, for some reason. Mother doesn't recall some of what happened, but that has happened before. She has a long history of chronic vertigo and pretty bad tinnitus. When it hits her, there's nothing to do but just sit very still and wait it out, and keep lots of vomit bags nearby. Of course, my niece is very concerned, but I've asked her not to call 911 as it would only make things worse, at this point. Today, mother is better, just doesn't' feel good, which is par for the course after one of these attacks. I feel bad that I can't be down there to help, but I'm very grateful that my niece is there on the scene.

Jclc83

Mlp sounds like your Mom has Ménière's disease, just in case she isn't diagnosed

Nash54

Mariew.....welcome to the lounge!   Have you discussed your travel plans with your surgeon?   If you have a LX only chances are you will be fine to travel.  I can't speak to an MX.  Interesting that your surgeon said she would not go in for a re-excision. Wonder what her reasons are.   I think I read that something like 25% of LX require re-excisions so it is not uncommon.   Is your local surgeon a breast surgeon? How comfortable are you with her care plan?   It is so important to have confidence in your team. 

PontiacPeggy

MaireW, I agree. Going from a lumpectomy and dirty margins to a mastectomy is a huge jump. Most BS here seem to prefer to do a 2nd Lx. If the margins still aren't clean, then perhaps a discussion about a mastectomy might be in order. Most of us have preferred to do the least amount of surgery to achieve the best results (i.e. getting rid of the cancer).

Again, please tell your BS that you are going to be travelling a very long way very soon after surgery.

HUGS!!

mustlovepoodles

Jclc--Meniere's is exactly what she has. She's had it for over 15 years. Last year they put her in hearing aids, which haven't helped all that much. The roaring in her ears is so loud, it overwhelms the hearing aids. They tried some medication, but nothing worked and she had side effects. At this point, the only option left is surgery to remove the little bones. It would stop the roaring,but she would totally lose hearing in that ear, which she is not willing to do and I don't blame her.

Poor thing, she has a hard time following the plots of TV shows and movies now. Which is a shame, because she LOVEs to go to the movies. Whenever I go down to see her, we always used to try to catch a movie, even it if was a kids' movie. I think she likes the popcorn, LOL. Last summer I took her to see Jurassic World--same plot as the original, big dinos, lots of stomping around, big teeth. She loved it, even though she couldn't follow the conversations. I also took her to see Mission Impossible--loud music, but you didn't have to follow the talk to understand what was going on. Plus, Tom Cruise was thoroughly yummy.

myajames

Hello Guys...

I am having a lumpectomy on Thursday, with a lymph node biopsy... is it reasonable to think I could go back to work on Monday.

Molly50

Welcome MaireW, I had an lx originally only to need a mx (mastectomy) later. That being said, I would choose the surgeon who is the best fit for you. If the MD Anderson surgeon is not willing to re excise then I am not sure I would go with that one. I had time to consult with a PS and schedule my mx and wrap my head around the idea of losing my breast.

myajames, Welcome to our lumpy lounge! According to my BS, she had patients who had sx on Thursday and returned to work on Monday. I could not have. I had a drain in until Tuesday and my snb/alnd incision hurt like the dickins. I would advise you plan to take at least 2-3 weeks off and go back sooner if you feel great.

PontiacPeggy

MyaJames, maybe you can go back to work if you work a sedentary job. But if you can, please try to stay home for a week. This is major surgery even though it is outpatient. And your body will be working very hard to heal. Rest is vital. This all assumes that you feel good (I did). But you will be very tired. You likely will not be allowed to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk (and frankly, you won't want to!).

BTW, it would definitely help us help you if you'd fill out your profile and make it public. Then we know exactly what is going on (we'd like to know where you are, too).

Good luck Thursday and keep us posted on how you're doing. I'll be dancing around in your pocket - please don't swat at me to make me stop!!

HUGS!!

CyndiNic

MayaJames - if you are able to take a day or two off next week I would. Your body has to recover from the trauma of surgery. I work full time and trying to fit all of the surgeries/appointments/treatment in is very challenging at times but its so important for us to put ourselves and our health first to give our bodies time to heal. Best of luck to you on Thursday!!

octogirl

I agree with those who say, take two weeks off of work if you can: I work at a desk job, and I felt ready to go back after two weeks. The Monday after my Thursday surgery I was definitely not ready...(though I had no drains). Just felt like sleeping. I could have dragged myself back if sick leave were an issue but I am glad I didn't have to!

We will be in your pocket MjaJames, and good luck!

MaireW: are you going to have any lymph nodes removed for biopsy? Assuming you are, you need to let your surgeon know that and you should really get evaluated for lymphedema risk before taking such a long plane ride. Personally, I think it is too soon. How long will you be in Ireland? I'd consider postponing the surgery a few weeks if you are just going for the holidays, which also can help you make the decision about which surgeon/team to use. Best of luck to you!

Hugs!

Octogirl

ps: Claritin is great stuff. I took it with each set of neupogen shots during chemo and had almost no bone pain. Of course, I took it with the shot, so guess I will never know if it really helped or if I didn't need it...but thanks for mentioning the use with AIs Peggy: think I will try that also. xoxox Octo

myajames

Thanks Ladies. I filled out my profile. Was told I have pleomorphic LCIS. Lumpectomy is to remove mass associated with biopsy. MRI showed a larger area of concern that looked like something more invasive. Doc says that both LCIS and DCIS sometimes looks invasive on MRI. Hoping that's it. Lymph nodes were enlarged so we are biopsying those at the same time.

I'll take a couple of more days off. Thanks for your help.

octogirl

mya: best of luck and will keep our fingers crossed that it is nothing more, as you say. Let us know how it goes, and welcome to the lounge!

Octogirl

octogirl

Just an update: had my rads sim and finally start Monday. Onward...

Octogirl

PontiacPeggy

Octogirl, Big step starting your rads! For me they were just a small blip on my radar. Hope that's all they are on yours. If you are going to be taking Arimidex, you might want to join the forum on it: Arimidex Forum Keep mind that most of us have few if any issues with it and don't post that often. Those that do have problems are the ones most often posting. But lots of good information on coping with SEs if you have them. I've had no problems and been on it 14 months. I did take Claritin for awhile and it made me feel less creaky (which I had before Arimidex) but it was worthless for my allergies. Sometime I'll have to ask my pharmacist if I can take both Claritin and Benadryl (which works very well for my allergies).

HUGS!

myajames

Thanks OctoGirl! Good luck with your Rads.

ChiSandy

Peggy, I currently take Zyrtec & Singulair for my allergies & asthma, and some people take Singulair alone for allergies. For me, Zyrtec is broader-spectrum (more indoor allergies) and less drying than Claritin--but if switching to Claritin from Zyrtec is what it takes to beat the AI pain, I’ll do it and hope that the Singulair picks up the slack. My shrink’s wife had some serious osteoporosis (not from AIs, but discovered in a routine baseline DexaScan offered by her HMO at Rush) and wasn’t happy with the SEs of the bisphosphonate Rush put her on. She consulted the city’s top bone health specialist down at U of C (brithael, are you reading this?) and he switched her protocol; she has partially reversed the degeneration, and is now just “solidly osteopenic.” Will contact him about my situation, hopefully before I start Femara. My shrink says Cymbalta (an SNRI) is a good antidepressant if I get pain with Femara, but won’t switch me from Wellbutrin (a DNRI) until I’ve been on the AI long enough to develop any SEs. DNRIs are better than SNRIs or SSRIs when it comes to maintaining the discipline necessary to diet or quit smoking, so on Cymbalta it’d be tougher to exercise the degree of vigilance necessary to stay low-carb in order to avoid the otherwise inevitable AI weight-gain.

Maire, don’t want to rain on your parade but though I only had a lumpectomy and SNLB, my bs forbade me from flying for 30 days thereafter. Speaking as someone who went off to New Orleans and performances several other cities in the two-week interim between my diagnostic mammo/ultrasound (knowing in my heart of hearts I probably had cancer) and biopsy, if I had to decide, I would definitely have done it in the same order. Having the actual diagnosis hanging over your head was for me less stressful than the waiting to have my suspicions confirmed. And the worry about what surgery would bring was less stressful than either. OTOH, though I was able to drive only four days post-op (and take long walks two days post-op), I waited a good two and a half weeks before traveling only 90 mi. each way by car to play a show and four weeks before driving from Chicago to Iowa City and back. You won’t know in advance how you’ll feel post-surgery, and you won’t know about complications that could scuttle your trip even if your surgeon were to let you fly that soon.

Mya, I had my surgery on a Wednesday, did my first driving on Sunday and did a long grocery-shopping session on Monday. So if you have a relatively sedentary job and can take nap breaks, you should be okay going back to work. As a retiree (who made her own hours while I was still practicing law), I sometimes fail to realize how little time most people are able to take off from their jobs. Only you and your employer can know whether you’ll be able to take a week or two off without consequences.

mustlovepoodles

Maya, I'm glad you decided to take a few extra days. I was surprised at how much energy my lumpectomy took out of me. I had planned to take off a week and good thing I did. I had some complications, a huge hematoma at the site. Then I had re-excision to get clean margins and clean out the hematoma. Then I developed a very large seroma, after which I got a massive infection and ended up with a drain and several weeks of antibiotics. In all, I ended up taking almost 4 weeks off! Thank goodness I had enough vacation to cover it (and a very understanding boss!)

HappyHammer

MarieW- sorry you have BC but glad you found this group. APonPeg said- it may be harder emotionally to wait until after your trip- but so many variables and so far away from your team if you have any issues...I would suggest waiting.

Just saw that ShiSandy said no flying for 30 days. Makes so much sense to me. I only have one incision, didn't have a lot of pain and felt pretty good by 2-3 says out. However, developed a seroma that caused some discomfort and still hasn't completely reabsorbed and it didn't happen until about 2.5 weeks after surgery. Needed to have it checked though not drained- my surgeon is not big on that and, having had a staph infection earlier in treatment she didn't want to add another opening unless absolutely needed. Guess I'm saying that even with really good LX results- little things can come up that can become big things and being so far away- well, just would not want to tempt fate.

SO much to think about...again, glad you are here with these Goddesses who will help so much!

HappyHammer

ChiSandy- Do you ever perform down South- I'm in SC and would love to see you!

PontiacPeggy

ChiSandy, I've tried many different allergy meds. Frankly, the one that worked best is no longer made Benadryl is close. I've tried Singulair and it didn't do much. Nor any of the others. I am generally not a fan of 12 or 24 meds. I prefer something that actually works for 4 hours and then I take more if I need it or skip it. After doing it that way for 70 years, I'm not apt to change because it works for me. But I wouldn't mind adding Claritin if I can take it with Benadryl.

HUGS!

ChiSandy

HappyHammer, I’ve never played in SC (except at a friend’s wedding), but have in the past played in Wilmington, NC twice, in Cary, NC and Little Rock once, had several “room showcases” at the SERFA folk conference in Montreat, NC (about 1/2 hr. from Asheville), several times at Folk Alliance Int’l when it was in Memphis. My singing partner & I are looking to expand our touring through the mid-South--but because of my and both of our spouses’ health issues are a bit reluctant to travel more than 2 days’ drive from Chicago and Madison, WI.

meme2006

Hello ladies! I received exciting news today! I finally got my oncotype score back, it is 14, so NO Chemo! I am having surgery again on Weds 12/9, praying to get clean margins this time! I have read this surgery should be easier, since I wont be having lymph nodes removed this time. I am worried though, as he will have to remove my nipple to be able to get clean margins, because it is under it. I will then begin rads sometime in January, then hormonal therapy.

Hugs to everyone on their upcoming surgeries! Thank you all for sharing your stories, they have helped me tremendously

octogirl

Yay for no chemo, Meme, that is great news! Congrats on the good score!...

I had to have my nipple removed as part of the Lx surgery because of the tumor location, in order to get those clean margins. It doesn't look bad....much easier than losing the hair in chemo, for sure. (anxiously waiting for hair to come back). Pain post surgery didn't seem any worse than others have described, although complete healing was slow. You RO will have to take that into account in scheduling start of rads. But overall, I am very happy, and glad that they were able to save the breast even though they couldn't save the nipple. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Hugs and best wishes for your surgery!

Octogirl