Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

MLP3

No systemic treatments yet to cause low white blood cell counts.

No flu shot... Haven't had one in 10+ years and haven't gotten the flu(fingers crossed). I'm meds free including Tylenol. The CT scan barium drinks and contrast felt like poison to my system and I felt lousy afterwards. I've been living so clean via diet and exercise for years and now this... Like a shock to the system.

mustlovepoodles

Jclc, i also have electrocuted chia pet hair. I hate it. I wont even walk around my own bedroom without a hat on.

LovesToFly

buzzed:

PontiacPeggy

LTF, you look adorable! Good move! Your daughter is a cutie, too!

HUGS!

614

I love the "electrocuted chia pet" look. I laughed so hard.

BC is so nerve wracking.  So sorry that you are worrying about a recurrence.  I worry too.

I hope that the tx plans go smoothly.  Good luck with the tests and I hope that the results are benign and no BRCA or other genetic mutations.

Good luck with all of the doctor appts.

You and your daughter are gorgeous.

Sorry that I did not include names.

 

LovesToFly

thank you! So glad I did it. Feel more in control.Of course I know I will lose the rest of my hair, but I think it is a good transition, and I am not as worried about when my hair grows back now, because I actually don't mind it this short!

Sloan15

Looks great! (Your daughter is so cute. She looks like you!)

brithael

Wound up in the ER anyway. Will were more when I gat home. On my second night in hospital.

LovesToFly

oh no Brit. Sorry. Healing vibes.

Thanks Sloan :

PontiacPeggy

Damn, Brithael, that's rotten. Hurry and get out of there, feel good, be well and healed!

HUGS!!!

Melclarity

JCLC - Good luck with last woohoo!!! Ohhh makes sense then, I'll be a slower recovery as Taxol was my last, 8 weeks of it!

Loves to Fly - Im laughng, I has some hair too I didnt mind saying goodbye to, I lost hair over my entire body, not an ounce left anywhere LOL. I got through the first round with eyebrows and eyelashes, started Taxol for 8 weeks thinking Id kept them. Awww I lost them too, trick I learned very late if I put eyeliner on my top eyelid you couldnt tell I had no eyelashes!!

Marijen - Recurrence of course is in the back of everyones mind..I was devasted after 4yrs that it returned, having said that my Oncologist said the stats are quite low for recurence...so the fact I did he said I was such a small percentage and just plain UNLUCKY

MLP - Good luck with everything!! I'd say you'd be fine, I too had low WBC and Ive been concerned of colds, flus etc especially as I worked with special needs kids, but honestly?? I got one chest cold first infusion and I had NO problems even now. No infections, no colds, no flus, who knows why and I was concerned of the environment I worked in, but I was fine.

Melclarity

Sloan - Looks GREAT!!!! Your daughter is a sweetie! I agree I felt in control that way too!

Brithael - So sorry to hear, hope you get well quickly!

HappyHammer

LTFly- that cut is ADORABLE! You looks so cute and like you said- helps to see what you will look like again...and, it's GREAT! Daughter is a cutie too.

HappyHammer

Dang, Brithael..so sorry that you are in the hospital but glad you went to the ER when you did. Get better SOON!

blamoms

Hi I am Lisa. I'm 40 and was diagnosed dec 10,2015 with invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast. My lump aka "Lumpy" yes I named it was 3.5 cm. I had a lumpectomy on dec 30 and they also did a sentinel node biopsy and removed 4 lymph nodes. I go back to the breast clinic on jan 19 to get my results and discuss treatment. I still feel quite swollen. How long does it last?

PontiacPeggy

Blamoms, welcome to the best place you don't want to be. If you've read a bit then you know we're warm, comforting, and informative. While waiting for more answers, please fill out your profile AND make it public, including where you're located if you don't mind. It helps us immensely, especially since this is a very active forum and the info you just provided will be "lost."

It's not too surprising that you feel swollen. You've had a big "chunk" removed from your breast and most likely fluid has filled the cavity. If it gets painful, red or feverish, immediately call your BS. It will go down after some time. Probably not as fast as you'd like. I hope you're able to still take it easy. How old are you?

Most of us with lumpies have radiation. Sometimes chemo is indicated, dependent on many things: Oncotype score, ER/PR and HER2 status, node involvement.

I hope you're feeling pretty good aside from being swollen.

HUGS!

blamoms

 Hi PontiacPeggy the first few days were rough. I napped when I could but since last weekend I have been feeling pretty good. I work full time in retail as a cashier and I took 3 weeks to recover. I don't know yet what treatment I am going to be having. the doctor thought chemo and then radiation but they are waiting for the results to come back. I think that is the hardest part is the waiting.

PontiacPeggy

Blamoms, Waiting is AWFUL. We all feel that way. We want to know what we're facing and what we're doing about it. (Good that you did your profile and made it public. Did you know you can put how many nodes were taken?) Are you having an Oncotype test done? Are you pre- or post-menopausal? I'm glad you're able to take 3 weeks off. You should be feeling pretty good by then. Sorry you had a bad few days though. Continue napping. Your body is working very hard to heal and it needs for you to rest as much as possible. Do keep us posted on your results. I'm sure someone will chime in with more on your swelling. I didn't have much.

HUGS!

mustlovepoodles

Oh, foo~! Got some bad news today. No, not about cancer. It's our camper. We have been avid campers for 17 years. A year & a half ago we had to permanently park it, due to DHs failing health. He is no longer able to hitch and set up, and I struggle with that because of the arthritis in my hands. We thought parking it at our favorite camping spot would be just the ticket. And it has been, for the most part. We have gotten great enjoyment from being able to just show up in our Prius and start camping. Then, at the end of the campout we just clean up and leave.

Well, last summer I smelled mildew, the bane of all RV owners. I cleaned everything well with bleach--walls, ceiling, cabinets, even the windows. We returned in Sept and I could smell mildew again, although DH swore he couldn't smell it. Once again, I cleaned everything, this time with vinegar, which is said to kill mildew. I even doused the dinette cushions and window treatments.

Today, we decided to ride up and see how the camper was faring. When we opened the door we were immediately assailed by the scent of mildew. Everywhere I looked there was evidence of light, powdery mildew. We are both so upset. Obviously, we can't be in the camper--we don't want mildew all in our noses and lungs, especially with DH having stage 4 lung disease! It's so bad in there, we'd have to call in a professional mildew remover, which would be very expensive. So, we're going to have to say goodbye to the camper.

Ah, well. I guess it's for the best. To everything there is a season, everything a time. Our camping season is over. From now on, our camping will have to be done in cabins and hotel rooms.

HappyHammer

Blamoms...as PPeggy said, welcome to the club you do not want to be in but, hey...this is a great group- so much info and so many funny stories and great attitudes...really cannot get better unless you don't have BC in the first place.

You are right- the waiting IS hard. Please do let us know your story via the info you can provide and make public on this site. Then, the gals around can offer invaluable insight and info to you specific to your situation. Sending healing mercies and positive energy your way.

Melclarity

Blamoms - Welcome! Peggy is right, it will take some time for the swelling to go down and until you get results on the 19th, you won't know your treatment plan. It does also go on the size of the tumor and the grade. Mine was 2.5cm but a Grade 3 plus mine was a recurrence so Chemo was the only option for me. Generally it would be Rads and a hormone pill. Waiting is super tough, but until the results are inn keep healing!

HappyHammer

MustLovePoodles......wow....am SO sorry for you and your husband...to lose something you have both enjoyed so much. You have such a great attitude about it, though and I know that will help. Again...I can imagine that this is a loss and am sending you lots of hugs as you deal with it!

Melclarity

Mustlovepoodles - Oh no!!!! that's terrible!!! and can tell it was such a source of enjoyment for you both for many years! Everything for a reason yes...hoping you both continue to holiday no matter what, cabins or hotel rooms!

mustlovepoodles

Thank you. DH and I have been all over the US with our camper. Literally from sea to shining sea. In 2007 we took our two younger kids cross country, 6000 miles over 2 months. It was a long-time dream come true and not a week goes by that someone doesn't mention that trip. I'm glad we did it when we did, because DH's health would not allow for it now.

We have a small tent and all the gear we'll need for camping. Maybe when it warms up this spring we can try tent camping at a nearby state park. We started with tents, so maybe we can go back to tent camping when the weathr is good. We are waaaay past the time of camping in the rain and the cold, LOL.

PontiacPeggy

Poodles, that's rotten about your camper. It holds so many happy memories. Your cross country trip must have been great! Maybe you are supposed to enjoy the amenities of hotels and meals you don't have to cook now! Definitely rain and cold are a no-go if you decide to camp with a tent. (They were a no-go when I was a kid!). BTW, what will you do with it?

HUGS!

OH_dear

Melclarity - thanks for the comment! Lumpectomy was a breeze - and nodes are clear. I guess I'm confused about the additional pathology - or the course of events that follow the lumpectomy. Unfortunately - the doctor spoke with my husband while I was in recovery...Husbands tend to not ask the right questions.. When do they determine the hormone receptor status? I tho't they gathered information from the biopsy.. Arrgghh...

LovesToFly

hi oh dear: you will get hormone receptor status from pathology of the lump. I see sometimes it's earlier (from biopsy I guess) bug I think it's typical. Her2 took another week. For me I had a meeting with the breast surgeon in a couple weeks after my lump back to me, she gave me the results of pathology, after that I had a meeting with a medical oncologist about a week later, and that's when my treatment plan was discussed

Poodles, I'm so sorry about your camper

Thank you for all the lovely comments about my haircut, and my beautiful daughter

614

Dear Brit:

I hope that you feel better soon.

Dear Blamom:

The waiting is absolutely horrible.  I am sending you positive wishes and good luck with the pathology results.

Dear MLP:

I am so sorry about the camper.  At least you have the wonderful memories.  I am sending you hugs.

LoveMyVizsla

Lisa, my lump was the same size. It took a good three weeks for the swelling and node pain to be noticeably diminished. If I overdo things, I still have some discomfort in the evening. At that point, I swap out my underwire bra for a sports bra.

Poodles, sounds like you had some sort of water leak. Sorry about your camper.

OH Dear, I got my hormone receptor status from my biopsy. Call your doc's office and see if you can at least get that info.

ChiSandy

Jill. you rock that pixie cut! And your daughter is adorable.

Brit, so sorry to hear chemo is knocking you for a loop. ERs suck--we spent four lovely (NOT) nights in them this past summer when Bob had his gastroenterological surgery adventures. Hope you can get some needed rest & renewal from your hospital stay, and that your treatment can be tweaked to be more tolerable.

Lisa, welcome to the sorority nobody wants to rush. We’re sad you had to come here but we’re glad to gather round and support you. The waiting IS the hardest part (and it’s not just a Tom Petty song).