Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

PontiacPeggy

JerseyRenee, just take the Ativan and don't give it another thought. You'll be glad. You won't be quite as tense. Well, I had to be at the center at 7:30AM and got home about 2:30, I think. My surgery was actually scheduled for 9:30 and I went in about 10. They did the wire locator thing (Lidocaine is also your friend, BTW). I think it took about 20-30 minutes and it was just upstairs from the surgery area. Eventually the BS came in and gave me the shot for the dye for the SNB (more lidocaine first). I was so lucky - they gave me a heated gown and I had that turned up high! They asked if I wanted to walk down to the operating room, I said yes. I'm sure I had something pre-op given to me but by now I don't recall. I felt so good and strong walking down there!

If you can keep the furbabies off your "bad" side, you'll be fine. They won't be much of a problem, most likely. Glad you have a lot of help!

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

HappyHammer, thank you. That's what I try to do.

HUGS!

JerseyRenee01

thanks again PontiacPeggy:

Maybe I will try one Ativan ona day before surgery just to see how I feel. Can you tell I paranoid! LOL

PontiacPeggy

Renee, does it matter how the Ativan makes you feel? You aren't driving. I mean, yes you can take it as a test but no matter how it makes you feel beforehand, just take it the day of surgery. I don't think you'll regret it. But I'm not familiar with it - just Valium. I understand paranoid!

HUGS!

HappyHammer

MLP3- PPeggy took Dramamine, I think...check with her.

HappyHammer

Renee- Ativan is my friend for procedures...just get too anxious and know it isn't good for me so...1/2 an Ativan it is.Do what you need to do to help your mind and body!

PontiacPeggy

HappyHammer and MLP3, I *did* take Dramamine. They offered it and I took it. I had no problems with nausea and was hungry and everything I ate settled just fine.

HUGS!

Peachy2

JerseyRenee I was also reluctant to take Ativan, but found that it really doesn't affect me that much. The MO asked in our first meeting "How are you sleeping?" and gave me a prescription, recommending that I take it for the night before the first chemo infusion, and the day of. I don't remember being too stressed on that day, but also was alert and didn't nap during the infusion.

JerseyRenee01

thanks, ladies!

What I have is the generic ( Lorazipam) .5mg.

I guess if I getting uptight already this far out, I better take it!

queenmomcat

JerseyRenee: Taking Ativan the night before a procedure makes absolutely perfect sense to me. Partly because it'll set your mind at ease about how you react to the drug, but also because you might be just a titch nervy.

JerseyRenee01

queenmomcat:

Makes perfect sense & you are right

ChiSandy

I drove to my surgery, but had my husband & son in the car. Housekeeper drove up there separately. She ended up driving me home. I took nothing before the surgery (though I took half a Valium before the biopsy--even though I had a ride up & back they very nearly postponed it on the theory it might have impaired my ability to give informed consent; I then talked to the hospital's general counsel who was confident I was competent to sign the informed consent form).

Your mileage may vary, but I breezed through lumpectomy & recovery (and I am a wuss, with a low pain threshhold). I didn't get a pain pill scrip--just one bolus of Fentanyl in the recovery room and then a couple of regular (not even extre strength) Tylenol in my little holding room did the trick. Took one Norco that night for sleep, but probably didn't need it. My normal BID Arthritis Formula Tylenol was all I needed after that (plus ice for a couple of days). I have two affectionate kitties--the one who's my “baby" is 18 lbs. and made (still makes) a beeline for that breast--so for the first three weeks I used a “Protective Pillow Purse" (“P3") given to me at my pre-op education session. I wore it over my shoulder between my arm and the incisions, but whenever kitty approached I moved it to atop the breast. I did get some severe upper-body soreness & stiffness from the succinylcholine (“scoline”) they had to give me once I was under in order to relax my muscles enough to intubate me without bruising my vocal cords--scoline make your muscles seize up strongly immediately before relaxing them. But that disappeared on the fourth post-op day. (If you don’t have a “crowded airway” or don’t need to protect your vocal cords (I’m a singer), they might not need to administer scoline).

I did develop a large seroma over the SNLB incision, because they had to remove 4 nodes--2 sentinel and 2 “tag-alongs." all negative; and my breasts are very, very large (I can't buy bras in normal stores, but have to go to specialty boutiques or shop online from sites like HerRoom, BareNecessities or Figleaves). Because of the size of the seroma and the weight of the breast, the SNLB incision did pop 3 wks later. In retrospect, perhaps it should have been sutured rather than glued & steri-stripped closed to begin with--suturing after the rupture did the trick. Also, the surgeon who sutured the rupture (my bs' partner, who is even better known and highly regarded than she, and that's saying something) said he might have discussed the possibility of bilateral reductions in conjunction with the lumpectomy. In all fairness, maybe the reason it wasn't suggested to me was my fervently-expressed desire to my surgeon that I be done with initial adjuvant treatment in time to take the Mediterranean cruise my husband & I had booked earlier that spring (before either of us had embarked on our medical adventures). Recovery from a bilateral reduction would definitely have delayed the start of radiation and probably made it impossible for us to take the cruise. I have some hard decisions to make, assuming my followup mammo in Aug. is clear--the shows I've started to book for my duo would definitely be impacted by another surgical recovery period, especially an elective one. (Nothing I can do to prevent the need for further cancer surgery, of course, should fate intervene).

I also developed a large mammary seroma in the tumor cavity (pretty much everyone does at first). It was large enough that except for the scar, you couldn't tell I'd had any tissue removed from my breast. But radiation did both further enlarge it (to the point where it is a very visible swelling on the side) and cause it to be encapsulated by thicker and harder tissue. Will find out tomorrow from the LE doc whether anything should and can be done about it (and what if anything I may have been doing wrong that aggravated it).

MLP3

White tattoo...? Gotta check that out.

Idk... At this point I don't really care about a small tattoo on my inside wrist. It's a pine tree, not a prison tat! Lol! Just like I didn't care about flipping the bird to the guy that tried to steal my spot at Whole Foods today... And when he approached me inside I pretended not to speak English.😁 At least my 21 yr old and I had a good laugh.

I just got a name of a great bs at Brigham n Women's in Boston. Do I set up a second opinion appt now, to be seen after my appt on Wednesday? Or see if I like what Wednesday brings? They told me to prepare for sentinel and lumpectomy within a week of wed

MLP3

ChiSandy- I need a P3. I have 3 labs that are my nurses after surgery and can sniff a surgery from a mile away! But even at 90 plus pounds, they are super gentle when I've had surgery. But just in case..

JerseyRenee01

ChiSandy:

Thanks for writing all that info & good luck at your Dr appt tomorrow!! Hoping you get answers!

MLP3:

When this all started for me back in October, I had a BS name to go to from many friends who used her. Then a few things happened there, lack of communication & rushing me. In the beginning I swore no 2nd opinion was needed. Well it turned out S*** happened for a reason! I ended up going for that 2nd opinion & chose them.

Are you satisfied with your current BS? It doesnt hurt anything to seek info from a 2nd opinion. Then you make your choice. Good luck!!!

ChiSandy

MLP3, wish they had a website or FB page for the ladies who sew the P3s--they’re all volunteers in the Chicagoland area who donate the pillows to the NorthShore and other hospital systems’ breast centers. You might inquire of Dana Farber if MA has a similar program. I know that many sites sell heart-shaped post-surgical pillows--perhaps you could sew or glue a sling or shoulder strap to the top. My P3 has a kangaroo pocket containing a smaller cushion to slip between shoulder belt and breast to avoid irritation when driving. Next time I’m at Kellogg (seeing my MO in Feb.) I will ask the surgeon’s nurse--who gave me my P3--how to get in touch with the P3 gals, who might be able to send you the pattern.

Peachy2

ChiSandy, this sounds like such a good idea! I had my surgery at Faulkner, which is Brigham and Women's and Dana-Farber's suburban outpost. One of these pillows would have been great to have!

LovesToFly

dammit wish I had Ativan. I've never tried it, but I'm sleeping pretty badly now and could use it for tonight and tomorrow night!

As for wrist tattoos, I have one it was my 40th birthday gift to myself. My husband hates it, but since it turned out to be on the same side I had lymph nodes removed, it's there for good now!!! He can no longer send me Groupon's for tattoo removal #silverlining

PontiacPeggy

LovesToFly, that's one way to silence the opposition!! Pretty tattoo.

HUGS!

Melclarity

Loves to Fly - it depends on what your Chemo regime is, cold capping wasnt an option for me, and generally with BC treatment as the Chemo used unfortunately you lose your hair. Its crazy isnt it? BC is one of only a few that you lose your hair!!!! As for icing, I had 8 taxol and NO neuropathy whatsover, icing isnt something done here, people suffering from that would just look at stopping Taxol. I'm in a Chemotherapy Discussion thread too, they have them for different months, there might be some really great advice there too for you.

PontiacPeggy

MelClarity, I believe that there are many chemo regimes for different cancers that cause hair loss. My DIL had colon cancer, chemo and no hair. Leukemia patients seem to lose their hair. My thought is that most chemo patients lose their hair. Perhaps it depends on the drugs used rather than the cancer.

HUGS!

MLP3

Love it Loves to fly! Very sweet;)

I have yet to meet with bs... That's all Wednesday and thank god it's getting closer. Hurry and wait is brutal, as we all know.

Melclarity

Pontiacpeggy - It is definitely the Chemo treatment yes, as to why patients lose their hair. For Bowel Cancer down here, the Chemo is different, patients don't lose their hair, it thins. Leukemia yes, but I remember having this conversation with my Oncologist and there are such a different variety of Chemo as in drugs used, so not all Chemo causes hair loss. I thought typical LOL ohhh Im so used to being bald now, it will be odd to have hair again. Amazing what you just roll with lol.

Jerseyrenee - Hello my lovely!! My goodness I cannot keep up with this thread!!!! time difference I lose like 3 pages by the time my day starts LOL. Are you ok??

LovesToFly

my dad had colon cancer, kept his hair! I am in the chemo threads, it's very helpful, but you ladies are so wonderful so I hope it's OK if I ask questions about it here too!

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of people that Have had our protocol ( it is very popular in Canada, and Australia it seems), there are a couple threads for it, but they are very old and when I posted on one of them, the person who started it suggest that I just posted in the regular chemo threads. I read them though!

I did find one woman who did cold capping with fec-d and pmed her. she said it wasn't really very effective and she had a lot of shedding. She was still happy she did it because she has piles of thick hair. Because I have a small amount of fine hair, it would be a whole different story for me! I'd Be very pissed off to spend the money and effort and have my hair look so awful that I felt like I had to wear wigs or hats all the time anyway!

Melclarity

LovestoFly - Yes I love this thread too!! and I love that we can talk about Chemo here too and everything else. These girls are sooo helpful! wonderful ladies and so damn welcoming! with great advice and just love hearing of their journey too. Yes I did the research too like you, absolutely worth doing, am laughing, you're alot like me...highly organised and ahead of the game. I'm planning to get back into fitness but was sad as through Chemo was too unwell to even walk, so Im determined and will start walking in the next week, bit by bit will rebuild!!! Am pumped!

Jclc83

Cytotoxan is the main cause of hair loss for those with that regime. And breast cancer is a whole different ballgame for those undergoing chemo.

I never had great hair anyway ( fine and straight). So I'm anxious to see what kind of hair I'll end up with. Just not sure I'm ready for a head full of gray hair

Melclarity

Jclc83 - I admit, I'm interested to see what sort of hair I get, I never cared really about it, but I was lucky to have really lovely blonde hair that I never fussed with or spent time, and it always looked good, go figure. I have a few mm's of grey hair right now LOL be interesting to see what I get..

LoveMyVizsla

http://www.cuded.com/2014/02/60-white-ink-tattoos/

614

Dear VioletHope:

I had a double lumpectomy at the same time.  One lump was at the 11:00 position and the other lump was at the 2:00 position. 

My doctors in Florida told me that I had to have a mastectomy.  I went to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas and they recommended the double lumpectomy.  It took me a while to wrap my head around the idea that I did not actually have to have a mastectomy.  I am very glad that I went for a second opinion.

I was referred to a plastic surgeon who recommended that I have a breast reduction and a breast lift so that my breasts would be symmetrical after surgery.  Approximately 12cm of tissue had to be removed during surgery so my breasts would not have been the same cup size and my nipples would not have been even without the reduction/lift to both breasts.  My breasts look amazing now.

I had to have extensive surgery because one of my lumps was large.  If your lumps are not large, then there is no reason that a double lumpectomy could not be performed without the extra surgery that I had. 

I say this because years ago, I had a double excisional biopsy to my other breast during the same surgery and my breast looked fine.  Those lumps were close together though.

I also had 2 other excisional biopsies to my bc breast prior to my bc dx.  Those surgeries took place a long time apart from each other and many years before my bc dx.   To date, I have had 4 lumpectomies in my bc breast and 2 lumpectomies in my other breast.  I have also had a toltal of 8 biopsies in addition to the all of the lumpectomies listed above.  I am fine and my breasts are gorgeous.  My doctors in Texas had no trouble with the surgery. 

Even after my lumpectomies for my bc, doctors who I went to interview for radiation told me that I needed to have a mastectomy.  My doctors in Texas said that it would be barbaric for me to have that surgery because I was healing nicely and I would be fine from the breast surgery, the radiation, and the Arimidex/Anastrazole.  The mastecomy would be unnecessary.

Please go for a second opinion.  As Peggy said, you can always have a mastectomy later.  However, you cannot undo a mastectomy once it is done.  I am living proof that you can have a double lumpectomy in the same surgery.

Dear Loves to Fly:

From what I was told, you have to bring your own ice and ice buckets to put your hands and feet in during the infusions.  The infusion center does not give this to you.  Many patients are not told about icing.  I would imagine that icing would be extremely uncomfortable but it may be worth icing to avoid neuropathy and losing nails.  Good luck with your chemo whether you decide to ice or not.

Good luck again to all of the other ladies undergoing chemo, lumpectomies, and radiation.  Also, good luck to those of you who are starting Tamoxifen or AI's this week.

Regarding Lumpectomies:

I have always been fine with lumpectomies.  No problems at all.  The lx surgery was easy for me.  My double lumpectomy/breast reduction/lift surgery was no problem either.  I recovered immediately.  The surgery that was more difficult for me was the SLNB surgery and I only had 2 nodes removed.  I recovered quickly and I was fine but that surgery was more painful and much more annoying than the lx's were.

Good luck.

I hope that everyone enduring S.E.'s recover and feel better quickly.

 

JerseyRenee01

614:

Ugh I DREAD the SNB!!!!!

Melclarity:

My friend from Australia!! It is hard to keep up on here for sure! It is nice to come on here & just have such support even from the greatest distances!! It truly helps withthis bumpy road we have all come onto.

HUGS to all of you!! Oh how I wish we all could meet & have one big group hug!!!