Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

JerseyRenee01

mustlovepoodles:

Thank you!!!!!! 😘

myajames

Good News! Just PLCIS, nothing more invasive. Only concern is that is was found extensively throughout the area. PLCIS is different than LCIS in that they want to achieve clear margins as it behaves more like DCIS. So, my tumor is being sent to the tumor board for recommendation.

Because PLCIS is treated like LCIS, radiation is on the table... As well as 5 years hormone therapy, with close monitoring. However, if given the choice... I'd rather have a double mastectomy with reconstruction and be done with it. I've been considered high risk since my intraductal papilloma 5 years ago, and think I've had enough of the poking and waiting, and poking and waiting. I know it seems extreme, but I'm so over it.

HappyHammer

Molly and Peggy... Thanks fr being in my pocket... Good news! Lump is fibrocystic and not BC! Yay! SO relieved!

Mya- so glad your sister came over to help you! Sisters are the best

PontiacPeggy

HappyHammer, what great news!! Now you can breathe.

MyaJames, I can certainly understand why you are leaning to BMX. Make sure you know all the options and remember, once the breasts are gone, there's no going back. Think hard on it. Then once you decide, whatever you decide, don't look back - that's a sure way to drive yourself crazy. No one can make that decision but you. And what is right for you might not be right for me. Perhaps live with things as they are for awhile before making any decision. Good luck deciding!

ShopGal, I can see why you were bothered by the comment. But I think she was complimenting you on your strength and she wasn't sure she had it. Awkwardly put but well meaning. Thank heavens for your sister!

HUGS!

mustlovepoodles

Yay for Happy Hammer! That's great news, and right here before Christmas!

Melclarity

Rosiesride...thanks. Ive actually emailed my Oncologist this morning, asking for all the medical diagnosis and asking if I should be tested for the Gene, its never been discussed strangely. I know I was told everything in June but the shock etc., was traumatic hearing you had it for the 2nd time I just remember it was contained Stage 3 aggressive and nothing in the lymph nodes. So all really great news..I like you am not convinced and hoping with more understanding of the diagnosis and the type of Cancer etc., it will help make the decision. I think its just so hard after having lumpectomy in July and then 4.5months of Chemo to then hear they want this?? really floored me as I thought this was the end of the journey that Id done all that I had to do. So was surprised and upset to think I have to endure more.

So I'll do the homework get opinions and most of all trust my intuition, its tough without my Mum as I know she always regretted her Mastectomy. Its not knowing will it or will it not return and will it or willit not return even if having this done.

I do consider myself lucky been in the system 9yrs and well ahead of anything, Ive never had a lump, DCIS 4yrs ago but treatment was aggressive even for that with radiation but crazy how it didnt work. Ive never felt sick as such, mentally super tough as youre battling something youve never had sypmptoms for or been unwell due to. So was picked up at my yearly visit 2015 June. Lucky for sure, I dont doubt. Still suffering from Chemo this week looking forward to improving in time for Xmas I hope.

Cheers,

614

Dear Everybody:

This thread is wonderful.  I'm glad that I found it.

I am glad that you laughed at my airport story.  I like to laugh as much as I can.  I'm glad that I could share.  I was laughing as I was typing the story.

It is good to know that I am not the only person who feels guilty because I only had a double lumpectomy, radiation, and I am taking Arimidex/Anastrazole.  I also had my ovaries removed so that I could take the AI's.  I feel guilty because my treatment has been easy and I am SOOO lucky that I was diagnosed at stage 1.  Lobular carcinoma is extremely difficult to detect and most people with ILC are diagnosed at later stages.  My bc was pleomorphic which makes it more aggressive, so I am even more lucky that I am ok.  I do not feel that I have gone through that much.  I feel blessed to have avoided chemo and a mastectomy.  I am thankful every day for my good fortune. 

I feel my nipples 100% - even more great luck.       Yay! - but most of my left breast is still numb.  My breast feels "tight".  It is hard to explain. When I raise my arm above my head, I feel pain at the top of my breast.  I have felt that itching sensation that cannot be scratched due to the numbness.  It is so weird.  I am starting to have a little more feeling in my breast but not much.  My surgery was on 7/22/14.

I can relate to just about everything that everyone is saying.  Thanks.

 

HappyHammer

Poodles..YAY for sure....found the lump on Sunday morning but didn't have the heart to tell DH..til SUnday night..didn't tell anyone else as I just kept thinking that it's Christmas and didn't want to worry my mom and sister or friends.....When the ultrasound machine cane into the room I held my breath...and, thanked the good Lord when my surgeon/friend said it was ok....the damn radiation is making me a crazy person....adding the other breast would have taken me over the edge. You gals have been so wonderful..thank you all.

LoveMyVizsla

Well, I got the call from the surgeon. Good news: stage 2A (early), and none of the 4 lymph nodes had cancer in them. Bad news: she doesn't feel like she got wide enough margins and wants to do a re-excision after chemo. So overall good news, but more surgery.

HappyHammer

LMV...dammit....news IS good but sorry about margins.....something to think about another day...damn grade 3 cells.....

marijen

I would want the re-incision surgery before the chemo.....

LoveMyVizsla

Marijen, she said some patients feel that way, that they want all the surgery out of the way. But she said if we wait, it gives the breast time to heal and can help to leave a better looking breast in the end.

marijen

I would prefer a cancer free breast rather than a better looking one. Especially at grade 3, I am grade 2. Just a different perspective. Unless chemo works 100% which I don't believe it does. I could be wrong.

LoveMyVizsla

She said the margins weren't dirty' just not as big as she would like. She said it would minimize the risk of recurrence. I will ask questions at my post surgery follow up on Monday.

Melclarity

LMV thats Great News! bummer about the re incision, they do it both ways, surgery before or surgery after depending on the results. I've had a recurrence after 4yrs, in which I had DCIS, lumpectomy, radiation and was on Tamoxifen all that time. July this year it came back same spot, 2.5cm I had another lumpectomy, and just completed 12 rounds of Chemo. I get placed on a post menapause hormone end of January as Chemo through me into menopause worse luck. Oh wel! thems the breaks. So just finished chemo monday and my Oncologist is now wanting me to think of having a mastectomy, like you thinking OMG more surgery, when I had clear and wide margins and lymph nodes were clear. Uuugh...we just have to stay positive and I do feel lucky that Im ahead of the game.

I love reading this thread..talk about incredibly strong women!!!

Shopgal2

lovemyvizsla good idea to ask your bs about why the wait. I also am tn but had 2 separate foci in the margins of 1 & 2mm. Bs did a reexcision a month later after we did an MRI to rule out cancer in the other side. Bs was surprised about the margins as tn usually doesn't behave like that. Reexcision got clean edges and it was good that I had it because there was also a micro area of dcis in the area. I am very grateful that my bs was so diligent and thankful that there is chemo to help tn gals. My ro told me that lumpy, chemo, & rads are very effective for Tnpatients. She told me I am fortunate to still have my breasts to do a mamo on because after mx it I makes it harder to detect with tn patients. And you will be ok on chemo; tn reasonds very well to treatment. When you find out your date join the board here for that month. I was soo grateful to have the support from bco ladies to get me thru chemo. It's a good thing to know you are not alone in this because cancer can make you feel like you are the only person in the room esp when we get scared. The wonderful support makes me hold my bald head up high, be proud that I am surviving and doing everything I can to beat this.

bluedog

LMV, for another perspective, I had chemo before ANY surgery for my TN tumor, so lived with the cancer for 6 months after diagnosis. It was great to feel the chemo shrinking the tumor over those months, but I think there are advantages and disadvantages to every treatment sequence.

Shopgal2

good point bluedog. Glad to see another tn gal with a lumpy. And I shouldn't have left out that perspective. Lmv you and your bs are the best judge for what is right for you. Stay strong!

april25

Yep, I had neoadjuvent chemo for 5-6 mos before my surgery (TCHP--because of HER2+ -- the current protocol with Herceptin and Perjeta is to apply the chemo before surgery, although it's being used after surgery in trials so that's probably coming down the road, when approved by the FDA). It does help to know that the chemo is actually affecting the tumor, which is something they can't tell if you get surgery first. I'm not sure enough studies are being done about that, however (they really didn't check my progress enough, to my mind!--but that's basically because it wouldn't do anything: the treatment would remain the same! Maybe in the future this can be fine-tuned so that treatments can be changed depending on how effective it seems to be??).

I figured that at least the chemo would be killing any roaming cancer cells and attacking the tumor itself. That was reassuring.

Some people with neoadjuvent chemo actually find out that there is no evidence of live cancer cells in their tumors when they get the full path report after surgery. I didn't have that, but my tumor did shrink by around a third, which I'll take. Anyway--it's not a bad thing to have chemo before surgery, I think!

-------

There's nothing all that lucky about cancer of any kind, but I certainly feel lucky that my case hasn't been any worse than it has been.

There will always be people who are luckier or less lucky. Life is like that and it's something humans don't really like thinking about because it's so random and out of control and can be very depressing to think about. It's not just cancer, it's just everything. Our genes can betray us. Our luck, in getting exposed to an illness or in being in the wrong place at the wrong time for some accident... Anyone can wake up in the morning and something terrible can happen. It's an uncomfortable thought and not something that we need to dwell on AT ALL, because for one thing, that won't help anything and it will just make us all miserable. I think the only thing to do is try and do the best we can to be safe and healthy, and to try and enjoy every bit of life we can, since that's something we CAN control!

It's a weird balancing act, trying to watch for a cancer re-occurance and to not let that mess with our lives.

Going through treatment, the whole issue of our mortality is smacking us in the face all the time. The up-side is that it makes us fight. As things taper down, the fighting feeling has less of a place, so that's another thing to adjust to. We go back to life as usual. But we know more about risks and percentages than we did before. Hopefully that can be turned into something more positive than negative, in that we appreciate what we do have more...

Heh. I sometimes have these thoughts that I am so lucky to be alive and I should go out and change the world or something. But then I just get caught up in the same stuff that I did before all this cancer stuff and I get distracted. Oh, well! Maybe I should just concentrate on doing the laundry right now...?

Jclc83

There's always laundry April. Lol

Molly50

Great post, April! I feel the need to do laundry now, too.

Melclarity

Excellent post April!!

Totally agree with you, everything you said. As I recover from Chemo, I'm looking into my diet, so moving forward am proactive on just wanting to eat better. I love chocolate!!! LOL but I have a new outlook on alot of things as everyone does, I have this urge to want to eat better, more healthy and get back into shape...then the ultimate get BACK INTO LIFE...I dont know about anyone else, but through treatment it was tough and it really felt like my whole life was on hold. It's given me time to put back into myself which I think is part of the point.

Doing the laundry LOL can so relate too! I look at it though, isn't it great to have such a simple normality? It's a tough road for us all, though our paths are all different, but one thing that is absolutely the same..is our SPIRIT...super strong women!!

I so agree, gosh!!! I have moments too that I want to go out and change the world somehow..interesting you say that and its interesting what you learn about yourself through this journey.

So great to have others to talk to as nobody else seems to quite 'Get it' the whole thing.

have a super great day everyone!!!! Its 10am in Australia LOL and a scorcher!!! over 40degrees today that's like 104...Whoa!!!

Planet

Great post, April!

It does all come down to luck. Some of us are luckier than others and I hope my bad luck was mitigated by my "early" detection. At the time of my Oct 2014 mammogram, the report said it showed no issues. My Nov 2015 mammogram showed the tumor and then the report said that it was present in approximately the same size the previous year! WTF! BS said that it is all a matter of odds. He said only 3% of suspicious films are actually BC and the radiologists have to apply those odds. Thank God I go every year!

I can dwell on that false negative and bemoan some of my lifestyle choices or I can just move forward and try to do better, knowing that I can't undo all the damage (Lord knows I can't go back and have a baby in my 20's now to reduce my risk! LOL!)

I'm still thinking that maybe I don't want to spend my time doing laundry. Fluff and fold, anyone? 😀

Shopgal2

well said April, my thoughts exactly. And laundry is calming to me. It's a routine mundane activity that is cathartic.

Sloan15

I shared this in the Hair thread, but I wanted you guys to see my 1/2 inch locks. And I have eyebrows! YAY! This is 11 weeks PFC. Molliefish calls the stubborn grey hairs "Viking Blonde" hairs.

Melclarity

Hi Sloan!!!

You look fantastic!! I soooo cannot wait to see my hair start growing back, its exciting!

PontiacPeggy

April, loved your post. I'm doing laundry, which I don't mind. Now if you want to talk about cleaning house - well, I just don't do much of it unless really pressed

Sloan, love the hair and brows! You're doing good!

I've spent the week fighting computer. Current one is dying (the error message on booting up says so). Got one Monday and it was awful. Returned it Tuesday (that was an online purchase). Got a new on Tuesday and by the time I felt up to fiddling with it Thursday, I discovered that it had an aversion to the internet. Absolutely hated staying connected to the internet, so it would disconnect and sit in the corner until I fed it the right stuff to try again for another 10 minutes of bliss. Returned it today and they exchanged it for a new one. Since playing with computers and making cookies for my very first cookie exchange (at 70), are not compatible for me, the new computer sits in its box scolding me for leaving it unattended and non-functioning. Okay, computer. Tomorrow. And by golly, the damn thing had better work right! I've had enough. I may go back to my REALLY old (10 yrs?) 14" Windows XP (yup, you read that right), laptop that weighs as much as the dog and cat combined (just a bit of an exaggeration).

MelClarity, get your guest room ready! I'm coming. Love love love hot weather!

Have a good weekend, dear Friends.

HUGS!!!

Rosiesride

Sloan...you look beautiful! I loved when my hair was finally at that stage...super easy...and chic!

So, today is 2 years since diagnosis...party day in kindergarten...déjà vu with one of my parents coming in and singing with the kids...just like 2 years ago...I teared up when she walked in my classroom to sing...then she sang my favorite...Mary, Did You Know?...she was my prayer warrior! So...I can't believe it has been two years...I don't think about cancer much...but it has changed my life...I know we are not promised our tomorrows and I find myself telling my twins (22) different things about life...finances and how to manage things, etc...it's always in the back of my mind that I may not be around to help them with these things like my mom did for me. I don't dwell on it, but it's just thought about more I guess...

We need to live life...be thankful for this day...and remain hopeful...Merry Christmas and be blessed...Peace, love and Joy...Rosie

Musosgirl

Ugh! I hate recovery. Fever is mostly gone, but nausea has become a constant companion and food is risky. My PTSD anxiety has kicked into high gear. I upped my anxiety meds and took a zofran. Birthday party and holiday plans are too much. For me and DH. He is on the verge of a breakdown as well.

But my Frankenboob is healing well according to both surgeons (well, the PS's PA). The big news was the path report my BS had today. 4 nodes taken--all negative. No sign of cancer. The path said a "foreign body" was removed and she explained that was the tumor bed, but the margins said they could not be measured because there were NO cancer cells to measure from! Thank God and chemo!!

Tonight my sister brought my niece and nephew over for the cousins' 2nd annual gingerbread house decorating "contest" (there is no winner). My little artist takes his time and was the last one done. Sis and I had been cleaning up and getting the others settled with a movie. We came back into an empty dining room and looked down at DS's gingerbreadman. There were two, little, green, tree shaped sprinkles in the breast vicinty. There was also a lovely thick icing/candied scarf that partially covered one boob, but we could not stop laughing. I guess when you are 8, and your mom goes through breast cancer, two (in)appropriately placed green trees is a coping mechanism.

614

What is TN?

You ladies are amazing.  Thanks.