Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Sloan15

Health and Happiness in the New Year!

PontiacPeggy

Marijen, good news on the clear margins. Three incision probably did your nerves in Hopefully they will calm down soon. That's so weird that they can't find the IDC. Baffling, in fact. Let's hope it just plain old died off.

Happy New Year to you!

HUGS!

meme2006

Getting closer to starting radiation and a little more nervous. I had my CT scan today. I got my "marks" with a pen and then they covered them with tape. They don't do the tattoos here. It went pretty smooth and my tech was an angel! They will call me for my next appt. which I assume will be next week. They said my first treatment would be a bit longer than the rest, because they would have to get everything set up. What is the difference between a simulation and mapping? Or is it the same? I thought they would do everything today, but I only have three marks. None of them are on the tumor area. Maybe I am confused, of course lately that is the norm. for me!

Happy New Year and blessings to all!

marijen

Peg I was just thinking as far as I know I'm clear so maybe it'll stay that way for a long time! Thinking positive! But I still have to do radiation : p - bought myself a nice soft blanket for the occasion. Also will be getting the softest t-shirts and towels I can find.

PontiacPeggy

Meme, my tattoos are below the bra line and not near my tumor either. One in the center of my chest and one on each side (of my rib cage). I thought they would be closer to the tumor. Even with all the pre-radiation set up, there is still stuff to do. I found I wanted a rolled towel under my neck. I also tended to get light-headed so I made sure to sit up for a few seconds before standing up. Most of the treatments won't last long (10 minutes). You'll do just fine.

Marijen, I found radiation a breeze. I went braless (works well when you're barely an A cup). I finally started using Aquaphor on the bad breast about halfway through. Never had a burn though some of the hair follicles were red. That was it. Soft things are wonderful.

HUGS!

marijen

I hope so Peg! My skin hurts already just thinking about it... a breeze, it will be a breeze! I love breezes : ))

meme2006

Thanks for the info PontiacPeggy! You are always so helpful

Annie88

Meme2006-I also went w/o a bra for the entire Radiation therapy. The RO had told me to skip the bra to avoid irritation and no deoderant. Luckily it was winter, as I live in Texas. I wore a cotton tank or tshirt under my shirts and there were no problems. Just take it easy, as you may become very tired during the treatments. I continue ed to work and exercise throughout the rads. It will be over before you know it 😉. Hugs

PontiacPeggy

BTW, I also wore no deodorant during rads. I tried the one aluminum-free one I could find (Tom's) and I was allergic to it. Didn't need that so just stank Annie, is right, the time does pass quickly. It never occurred to me I'd have problems. I never had sunburns and I do like the sun very much. The RO and NP were both impressed with how well my skin did. I wasn't - that was what I expected

HUGS!

614

It may be possible that your breast center or hospital has wigs that they will donate to bc patients undergoing chemo.  It can't hurt to ask, just in case.  Good luck and I hope that the insurance covers the entire costs of the wig/cranial prosthesis.

That message on the slab is truly amazing.

I hope that everyone undergoing tx now feels better soon and that the se's aren't too bad.  Good luck to all of the ladies having chemo and new surgery.

Yes, I laughed with the hope to not reach the insurance cap!  It would be lovely to be independently wealthy.

You ladies have helped me so much so I am wishing each and every one of you the best new year ever with complete health, happiness, prosperity, love, NO SIDE EFFECTS, and all good things.  May all of your wishes be granted. 

LovesToFly

I have a kid with braces, I reached the cap efore I even got diagnosed!

etnasgrl

Happy New Year!!

Okay, I have a question. My lumpectomy and SNB was December 10th. According to both my Surgical Oncologist and Plastic Surgeon, I'm healing nicely. My Medical Oncologist was pretty impressed that I have full range of motion and no pain. I've been very blessed!
Anyway, my Medical Oncologist sent off for my Oncotype Test right before Christmas and I have an appointment with him on January 19th, to discuss the results.
Obviously, everything is on hold until the results come back. I have radiation simulation on January 12th. I guess they think the Oncotype will come back low? (My Medical Oncologist did tell me that, based on the pathology report from the lumpectomy, he is not expecting me to need chemo.)

Anyway, my question is....isn't this waiting a bad thing? I mean the surgery was almost a month ago! Is it normal to wait this long before beginning rads or chemo?

PontiacPeggy

Etnasgrl, naw, you're not waiting too long. I was close to 7 weeks between Lx and radiation. My Oncotype came back on a Friday and I was starting rads on Tuesday (the day after Labor Day). My BS gave me the results on Friday. I saw my MO before I saw the RO on Tuesday and off to the races They both gave me the results. So don't worry. You're fine!

HUGS!

ChiSandy

The waiting is par for the course--the most important part was removing the tumor, and you did that well within the recommended interval between dx and surgery. A month between surgery & rads is fine--in fact, some ROs like to wait 6 weeks to make sure your incisions are fully healed. A Grade 2 tumor doesn’t grow very fast, and was likely percolating for years before being discoverable. The fact that you have your simulation going forward as scheduled means that chemo isn’t likely--they usually give it before radiation. And the fact that your MO is waiting till Jan. 19 to see you is a strong indicator that your Oncotype score will be low enough that you won’t need chemo.

mustlovepoodles

Etna, I think it's pretty common for there to be 4-6 weeks between LX and other treatment. I know it was for me. My first LX was 8/20, then re-excision was 9/3. I got a massive infection in there so I had to undergo several weeks of antibiotics. I didn't start chemo until 10/20, exactly 2 MONTHS from the first LX. So far, so good!

IMO, I felt it was helpful to slow things down. Considering that my BC was small, intermediate grade, I'm not too worried about waiting 2 months to start treatment. Lord knows how long the tumor has been growing. Probably years.

meme2006

Thanks again ladies!

Annie88, Yikes....Im not so sure I can go without a bra. I have ordered some new ones to try out. My RO said no underwires and also the same as you mentioned, no deodorant. Like you said, at least its winter, so maybe it wont be so bad! I saw you are taking tamoxifen . Have you had any SE with it? After all the reading I have done, that worries me more than the radiation!

LoveMyVizsla

My nurse navigator said they like to start chemo within six weeks after surgery.

Yeah, there's no way I can go bra less for rads. And it will be summer too.

HappyHammer

Loves to Fly- feel your pain..our youngest- 21- needs Wisdom teeth out in next 3 months AND I am finishing rads in Jan and Herceptin in May..thinking we wil once again reach our cap...this time, by end of Jan. Thanking our lucky stars that 2015 aqnd 16 are the only years we have ever done that. Also thinking that we may be able to deduct on taxes much of our medical for 15 since I retired and hubby took on so much less work to be with me. We will see, Looking for another silver lining, right?

HappyHammer

Etnasgirl- think it sounds like you are in the right range..gives the tissue time to heal which is also important! Take good care!

Catfurr

Lol!! With Herceptin tx this week, 5 rads, physical therapy, RO and MO appt, I'll hit my max out of pocket by Thursday or before!! Herceptin alone is $18,000! Glad the hospital has a payment plan!

Btw, Has anyone else used Cleaning for a Reason? They have been wonderful! Had my house cleaned twice during chemo and scheduling the last one during the final radiation week. Certainly a blessing!

My labs contine to be low and I cancelled Herceptin tx yesterday. I've been hospitalized 3 times with neutropenia and my absolute neutrophils were at .09. MO not available but nurse agreed with me to wait. I'm 10 wks post chemo and 7 wks post surgery. I just expected my labs to be much better. Rads nurse explained that chemo was a huge hit to my body and it can take awhile for them to come back up. But they were better 3 weeks after surgery than they are now. Just frustrated and discouraged. Any advise???

Melclarity

Etnasgirl - Everyone is right, I concur exactly the same info, they like you to heal from surgery and its generally 6 weeks post surgery for Radiation or Chemo. So its very normal and definitely not waiting too long or anything to be worried about the timeframe you're doing great!

Meme - Everyone is different, but I had ZERO SE's on TAMOXIFEN for 4yrs, my BS was super happy as he has patients complain of SE's but not all get them. If anything my period became lighter or next to non existent, it was bliss

LMV - I agree I could never go braless for Rads 4yrs ago, I was just too big busted. I was ok the first 4 weeks, but was one of the unlucky ones due to being very pale skinned, I got radiation burn quite bad, it was at its worst underarm and side of armpit, I used a special gel to heal it, good news is it did heal quickly, but generally most women are fine, they may peel but nothing too bad.

Melclarity

Catfurr - I'm nearly 3 weeks post Chemo, and your nurse is absolutely right, your body has been hit super hard going through treatment, remember everything is depleted, so you'd expect to be low in everything and it does take time to rebuild and your body to bounce back. My Vitamin D level was 29 end of Chemo, its meant to be 75, theyve put me on Vit D pills 3 times a day for a month, then drop to 2 a month after then one a day 3rd month ongoing. Given some time all your labs will definitely improve.

Italychick

LMV, I'm a DD and after surgery I got these stretchy tank tops from old navy in a size smaller than I wear. They had just enough support to hold things in, and I could wear them under a sweater or jacket to work

LovesToFly

I am an F-cup, and very pale, not looking forward to radiation (probably in June at all. I'm hoping I can avoid getting burned too badly, but I'm not really counting on it as I sunburn very easily. I have some soft cotton wireless bras from surgery, hopefully they will work OK for me. I wore them for about two weeks after surgery, I found them comfortable and even though they didn't have my usual level of support, I didn't feel too uncomfortable out in public in them. I'm hoping to work through radiation. My colleagues all know what is going on, if I'm a little floppier than usual they will just have to get used to it!

LoveMyVizsla

Thanks for the tank top tip, ItalyChick.

Mel,,what was the name of the gel you used

Melclarity

Loves to fly - the soft cup bras sound perfect, I'd do that too, I'm also a EE cup, I don't too worked through rads, was only towards the end I had to take 2 weeks off, my radiologist insisted as fatigue was hard. Yes like you I sunburn easy too, it's all manageable though. Keep us posted.

LMV - I don't know the Name of the gel, it was given to me by the nurses at rads, apparently it is used for burn victims, it's a soothing clear gel so just ask the nurses. Really was fantastic.

You girls will fly through rads I found it heaps easier than chemo xx

Annie88

Etnasgrl-I had my surgery in December and had my Oncotype results by mid January. My Rads started right after the results came in.

Meme2006-I am only a B cup so no bra, no problem. I did have a cream that the RO prescribed that I put on the radiated breast daily, which prevented any skin issues. My skin is fair and I due burn, but had no issues.The Tamoxifen I started as soon as my Rads ended, as my MO suggested it as both can be hard to determine where the SE is coming from if they are started simultaneously. The only real SE has been a couple of hot flashes and some insomnia. The insomnia was more prevalent on a particular generic manufacturer. The hot flashes may be also more frequent due to my recent total Hysterectomy. It really hasn't been that bad.

molliefish

Hey Ladies, I just finished rads on 23 December. I was working so I wore a bra for the entire time up to when I finally started working from home on Dec 16th. Even then I went to a pull over cotton sports bra. It was quite old and well worn and soft. I couldn't go without something though, as while I'm a C cup, I also have prominent nipples and the rubbing of the nipple against a cotton tee or other garment was incredibly uncomfortable. I specifically purchased two bras from La Vie en Rose that were cotton semi rigid cups but no underwire. When the skin started to peel I took some 'Mefix' (-self adhesive dressing that you don't tape to your skin but to the bra, with the nice soft side toward yoru skin) and a cup insert from one of my daughters old bras. I lined the insert with the 'mefix', then treated the nipple/breast with polysporin and aloe vera as often as possible. I put the insert inside the cup of my bra and I was much more comfortable that way. The insert inside my bra stopped the nipple from rubbing and moving. The mefix stopped the skin from sticking to or staining the bra. I am happy to report that as of yesterday I had no more raw, sore spots and today there is just the last of the peeling skin.

614

Dear Etnasgirl:

There was a gap of 7 weeks for me between my surgery and my radiation.  It takes time for the oncotype test to be run and for the results to come in because genetic testing is a slow process.  The waiting is difficult but you will not have any harm from waiting.  It sounds like your doctors do not think that you will need chemo.  Thank God!  

It says MDA, Texas near your name.  Are you being treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center?  I was treated there and I absolutely love my RO there. 

I wore bras throughout my radiation.  I am a D cup.  I had a breast reduction/breast lift.  I could never have gone without a bra.  My surgery was extensive and I definitely needed the support from a bra. I never wore underwire bras anyway.   My skin was very red and it peeled from the radiation, but wearing a bra was not a problem and it was not painful.

I started the anastrazole immediately after I completed radiation.  I have no side effects from the AI.  Hopefully, you will not have any side effects either if you will be put on preventative meds.  Good luck with the radiation.  As Melclarity said, you will sail through the radiation.

Good luck.

ChiSandy

Going braless was never an option for me, as before rads I was an H or I cup and now am an I or J! I was lucky in that the locations of both my incisions were out of the way of underwires of my bras. Nonetheless, before surgery I bought some soft knit front-close bras to wear immediately post-op (I’d been warned that the standard-issue surgical bra my surgeon uses might not fit me and I might wake up in an Ace bandage). Leading Lady makes them in several colors, up to an F/G/H. I’m normally a 38I, so 40F/G/H was perfect for me. Another trick is “sister-sizing:” as the band size increases, so does the cup size for a given letter designation. For example, the cups of a 38H, 40G, 42DDD (F) or 44 DD (E) are all the same size even as the bands are different. Of course, a 44DD won’t support as well because the back will ride up, but it will at least “contain the girls.” It’s a godsend if you wear a very large cup size but need to temporarily wear a wire-free bra and don’t want to pay specialty-shop or upscale-website prices for bras you may need for only a couple of months. I was able to get some 44DDs at Kohl’s much more cheaply than 38Hs or Is at Rigby & Peller (formerly Intimacy) or from HerRoom.com, Figleaves.com, or BareNecessities.com. Ironically, I found I was able to wear most of my underwires as soon as my incisions were healed. (I had my SNLB-incision rupture from the size of the underarm seroma, complicated by the weight of my breast pulling it open, but 2 weeks of sutures did the trick and the incision held after suture-removal).

I also got some shelf-bra camisoles by Amoena in a couple of sizes larger than I normally would have worn had I been wearing a bra beneath a regular tank. I am a 16, but the Amoena camis in 20 fit me after my lx. (Because I developed a mammary seroma that kept my lx breast the same size as before, and radiation then enlarged it, I might get a couple in 22 or even 24 for comfort).

I too am quite pale, and often used to sunburn--but I had no burning from rads, just pinkness and slight tanning.