Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Melclarity

Jerseyrenee - You are a powerhouse! you are so ready for tomorrow, deep breath, you are going to do great! How was the Ativan?

Chisandy - OMG what a night!! glad youre feeling better!

Sloan - I hadnt heard of the oncotype, are you saying thats purely about node involvement or not??

octogirl

Molly, can't wait to see pics from your meet up with Sloan. And you look great ChiSandy! (and ditto the kind words for Peggy!)

Octogirl

octogirl

I think all the wigs are great, Brit, but I am inclined to agree with ChiSandy that I like number three the best. Beautiful smile!

Loosing hair is so hard. Have I mentioned that I finally have stubble back?

HUGS!

Octogirl

Melclarity

MLP3 - You are so right, in 2011 I had DCIS so it was super low risk, did Lx rads and tamoxifen 4yrs. Mastectomy I didnt give thought to then as risk of recurrence was sooooo low. June 2015 I was one of the super unlucky ones, I had a recurrence in the same spot, I had another Lx in June a big one and BS said in my case it was equivalent to a MX. BABY STEPS are good...and make decisions as you go. I now am facing choice of Mx eventhough I had really wide clear margins and no lymph node involvement..it was however Grade 3 and this is what warranted me having Chemo.

PontiacPeggy

Melclarity, Oncotype is about testing your tumor to see what the recurrence rate is. Oncotype Test perhaps this will help.

HUGS!

Melclarity

Pontiacpeggy - Oh ok, thanks!!! it does say its not widely used, so maybe its not used here yet. I admit if I had that test, they may tell me if I had a further risk again of recurrence, and that obviously would help me make a definitive decision. I see my Oncologist Jan 25th, so will ask all about this then.

PontiacPeggy

Melclarity, I had this test and I think many here have had it. It IS expensive. But for many of us, it helps makes the decision to do chemo or not. My MO (prior to the results) was for chemo but my BS and RO were not. He still thought I should have chemo even after the Oncotype results. I did not have chemo. Of course, ask about it, but it would not help since you've already had chemo.

HUGS!

Melclarity

Brit - The wigs look wonderful!!! My fav is No. 3 beautiful!

Peachy - Thats so hard after the fact! I did the research prior, my Oncologist said maybe if I did just taxol cold capping may work, but the other regimes of Chemo for Breast Cancer it doesnt work. Glad I did the homework as I wanted to keep my hair, but glad I didn't bother now. Uuuugh its been a tough part for sure, Im used to bald but have a little stubble around the back now yay!! LOL

Melclarity

Pontiacpeggy - Oh ok got it!! Interesting for sure...don't think it would have mattered for me. My Oncologist said the deciding factor for me having Chemo is that my tumor was Grade 3 and of course because it was a recurrence.

marijen

I like #1 Brit!

PontiacPeggy

Melclarity, I suspect that the fact it was a recurrence trumped everything else for you getting chemo. It's a very valuable tool.

HUGS!

Melclarity

Pontiacpeggy - Certainly sounds well worth doing, I'll still ask about it, I'd like the pathology on it to be honest. Though I've learnt first hand, it really is a lucky dip. All baby steps absolutely...

PontiacPeggy

Melclarity, it is worth doing but not sure you could convince anyone to order it now for you

HUGS!

LovesToFly

good luck jersey

Brit looks great. Every time I scratch my head I'm sure handfuls of hair are going to fall out, hasn't happened yet but I guessing I've got another week because I am now a full week past chemo they said it will take anywhere from 10 to 21 days to start falling out.

I wore a wig to work today but took it off between meetings, I don't think I'll be able to wear wigs all day. It's not exactly uncomfortable about wearing it is kind of like wearing a hat that you feel like you can't touch or take it off when you get hot or want to scratch your head. I think I see myself wearing them when I go out with my friends or family for a few hours, and don't want to wear a hat and want to look a little bit more like myself, but I think for the most part I will probably wear hats and scarves.

ChiSandy

Funny how during my college years inexpensive Kanekalon (“Peter Pan”) wigs were all the rage, either to try out different colors or styles or to camouflage a bad hair day (especially when we didn’t want to wash our hair and couldn’t go out with a wet head--remember, this was when home hairdryers were tabletop models with either hard salon-style hoods or vinyl shower-cap style bonnets, designed to fit over rollers). Used to stuff my below-shoulders wavy chestnut hair into either a blonde pixie-cut or short light brown shag wig!

Brit, do remember that since you’ll be needing this wig throughout winter and early spring, #3 is probably the warmest on your neck!

PontiacPeggy

ChiSandy, call me really old-fashioned but I still use a tabletop hair dryer with vinyl good and use foam rollers (had been using velcro ones until a year ago) and, yes, I sleep in them. I absolutely cannot manage to blow dry my straight, fine hair to look anything but....straight and fine. Some of us totally lack (hair) talent and I'm at the head of the class.

HUGS!

Jclc83

Peggy, just noticed that your number of posts doesn't add correctly. You are probably well past 3,672...your fingers must hurt lol

PontiacPeggy

JcLc83, the past couple of weeks it seems all I'm doing is posting. Fingers don't hurt but the derriere is a bit worn

HUGS!

Jclc83

Maybe it's just my computer but nobody's posts are adding up correctly. Just an observation.

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Brightsocks

When you all got your results back after the lumpectomy did the size change at all either way?

Molly50

My tumor was larger than the ultrasound 1.5 cm in ultrasound and 2.1 according to pathology.

ChiSandy

Brightsocks, my tumor according to the final surgical path report was nearly TWICE as big as the ultrasound indicated!

Peggy, what a hoot! Here I am spending the big bucks for keratin treatments 2-3x/yr--and blowdrying/flatironing it when it grows out--to keep my fine hair smooth & straight, while you’re trying to get waves! Wanna trade hair?

Brutersmom

Brightsocks. My tumor was smaller. I had a fatty necrosis not cancer in part of the area which was about 4 mm.

queenmomcat

Brithael: another vote for wig #3--primarily the style, though the color appeals. Second choice wig #1 for the reverse reason: I like the color (on you) and the style's nice. But I don't know how well either matches your original hair color and style, and how much that matters to you! It is, after all, you who is to wear the thing, and you who has to face your friends in something that's patently a different color and style from what you had before chemo. And you who's the one to decide how much that difference matters.

ChiSandy: (drooling puddles over your dinner) Just came back from a long weekend in Chicago, to a driveway drifted shut with snow. But the food was good. Not as good as yours though

PontiacPeggy

Sure, ChiSandy. My best friend has curly hair out to "here" and she hates it. I'm envious. We all want what we don't have

Molly, my tumor was the same as the US. However, the lumpy came with the added bonus of DCIS that hadn't shown up.

HUGS!

brithael

Thanks for all the replies on the wigs. I'm glad I have such different looks so I won't get bored. I don't have any problem wearing a wig since I've done wigs so often (theatre.) 

I'm wearing a knit toque now just to catch any hair that falls out so I'm not molting all over the house. 

ChiSandy- I remember when everyone had "falls"- you pinned it on your head with your own bangs sticking out and a headband between the two. 

Molly - my tumor was only .5 cm bigger, but they also pulled out a DCIS that hadn't shown up previously.

Melclarity

Brightsocks - The Ultrasound is only an indication, approximation, not unusual for it to be different, go by your pathology, thats what matters

Sloan15

Britheal- I like them all!

MLP - You asked for our thoughts... Well, like you said, if any of those genetic tests came back with BRCA pos, then I'd do the Mx. I can speak for the LX being a more simple procedure. My tumor was removed through an opening next to the aerola, and now I can't even see the incision scar. So, for me trying to put all this behind me, I don't need any more surgeries and my breasts still look the same. It was less traumatic for me, I guess you could say. When you have all the info, the right decision will just feel right. ( I'm in your pocket with those tests, too. It's crowded, but it's just us!)

Melclarity

Brit - Well they all look lovely! Its summer here now, so Im wearing a short one, but the one in my Avatar is the length Ive been wearing. Gosh its hard when it starts to fall out, I had alot of hair, I had cut it up short then when it really started falling out it was everywhere!!! in clumps very distressing, so buzzed it all off, I felt so much better then and started wearing my wig.

Loves to fly - You're doing so well, like a duck to water, going with the flow. The wigs are hard yes, I agree with what you say, once I went bald though I was stuck in my wig at work for 6hrs, it was tough, I just couldnt rock it bald there and couldnt do hats or scarves really, just didnt want the attention.

Melclarity

I agree with Sloan - MLP3, depending on the genetic testing will help with your decision. Like Sloan my first Lx in 2011 my incision was around the aerola, so you couldnt even tell, was wonderful. Unfortunately my latest Lx I have a 2 inch scar across the top. To be honest, its fine, hasnt worried me.