Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

PontiacPeggy

Brithael, thank heavens you're home. What an awful experience. Glad you're done with chemo. Being hospitalized after 2 of 3 chemos is not good. Now recuperate and start your rads. FEEL BETTER!!!!

HUGS!

Molly50

(((Brit))) I am thankful your MO agreed to skip the last chemo. What a nightmare for you.

LovesToFly

yeah Brit!!! Sorry you went through that, glad you are done like dinner with chemo!!!

anniekaja11

Hi everyone,

I'll read and catch up on everyone a bit later today. My procedure went well yesterday. Surgery went as expected with 1/3 of my central breast getting taken out, thank God. I told the surgeon to be like the Seahawks and go wide...he only took the sentinel node as it was clean. The big problem i had was with the anesthesia - . We got there at 8am and they had us in pre-op by 8:20 and into the surgical area by 9:30. Surgery was 1.5 hours total for the doctor. The anesthesia recovery was the worst part -headache and they kept giving me vicadin which didn't help and made me feel sicker It think - dizzy and uhhhhh. Finally had and epic hurl at 10pm into a big pot and felt better.

Feel pretty good today, pain is not bad. Gonna go for a walk later at a lake near by and rest up. tomorrow my daughter and I are going to a gorgeous resort 35 minutes north of here to recover together on the beach.

Thanks for thinking of me, means a lot.

Annie

MLP3

so sorry to hear that you are stressed Sloan.

Brit... You poor thing!

I honestly think that because of my clean lifestyle and healthy eating... Along with not being a med taker... This toxic concoction just hit me hard. Took a nap this am and feel a bit better but still very weak. The food aversion is already starting and anything starchy or mushy makes me so nauseous. My daughter made me the best lentil soup and I can't even think about it! Just had a banana this am and an apple for lunch with almond butter. That's doing ok in my belly thank goodness.

MLP3

glad to hear that you're doing well Annie! And the recoup by the beach sounds wonderful... I'm jealous?

LovesToFly

waiting for the iv. I've got the bad nurse....grr.

Molly50

Annie, enjoy the resort and time with DD. MLP, sorry about the food aversions. How is our other surgery sister doing?

PontiacPeggy

Annie, glad you got home. The getaway sounds perfect!

MLP3, sorry about the food aversion

LovesToFly, Crap on getting the bad nurse

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

Froggie, how are you doing?

HUGS!

Melclarity

MLP - Oh NO!!!! I really hope you are ok!! I experienced that with my first infusion too, uuugh Im so sorry!!! hopefully things settle down quickly!!! and you pick up. Thinking of you! x Sounds exactly the same as mine, unfortunately as my BS and MO pointed out, I have a severe drug reaction, so Chemo hit super hard too. Everything you just described is how I felt, uuugh the food aversion, just do the best you can, you'll pick back up again x

LovesToFly

mlp hope you feel Better ASAP

Nurse was okay today. Almost done!

Melclarity

LovestoFly - You go girl!!! You are AMAZING!!! I had a couple of bad nurses too OUCH!!! Glad you are blitzing this!!!

Peachy2

Brit, a TSA pre-check for cancer patients, great idea! Glad that you are on track for radiation.

Annie, "be like the Seahawks and go wide" -Haha! Happy beach recuperating.

MLP3, sorry that the Red Devil is giving you a devil of a time. You may have something about always eating clean and the reaction to the drug.

Sunnyone22

Hello all lumpectomies!

Like Annie, I too had my lumpectomy yesterday. So far so good. Sentinal lymph node was negative. Of course, I'll know much more tomorrow, after final biopsy is in. I also had IOERT (radiation boost) while in surgery. I feel pretty good today - just taking occasional Tylenol for discomfort. Taking it easy because I only slept a few hours last night. I'm eager to get to tomorrow's follow up appt with my surgeon to find out tumor stage, final lymph node status, etc. Fingers crossed and prayers raised!. Also have appt. with my MO - she did a genetic test on me due to lots of cancers in the family and we just got results back: no significant genetic cancer mutations that would affect my BC treatment. Glad to hear that.

So glad I found this lumpectomy lounge. Our situations and concerns can be so different and reading all your posts is incredibly helpful to me.

BTW, I've stayed at the resort Annie is headed to - it's AWESOME!. We should ALL go there

Peachy2

Fingers crossed with you Sunnyone22!

PontiacPeggy

Welcome, Sunnyone22! Glad you found us. Looks like you've been reading and lurking here for awhile so you know we are kind, warm, caring, informative and a tad crazy. Glad you're feeling so good! And nice that you're getting your path report quickly. It's hard to wait for it. I'm glad we've been able to help you on this unwanted journey.

HUGS!

Molly50

Welcome sunnyone22,

I see you are also in California. I am in LA. I will be in your pocket for tomorrow's follow up appointment. You are only the second person I know that has had radiation during surgery. How was that? Do you have more radiation later?

iammags

I had my MRI on Friday. I went with my fam to LA and Universal Studios Hollywood, for a few days, which was great. Except that I haven't heard from my doc or the radiologist yet . My imagination is really running wild now imagining the worst . And, I found swollen nymph nodes under my arm and behind my ear. Yikes. 

Molly50

iammags, It took over a week for me to get my MRI results. I am sorry about the swollen lymph nodes.

ChiSandy

Annie, that resort sounds wonderful! (Assuming you're in w. WA, and it's 35 min. n. of you, would that be Semi-A-Moo? We stayed there when Gordy was little, and it was terrific--especially the whale-watching cruise through the San Juans).

Suzanne, sorry for what you went through (diverticulitis sucks) but glad you're done with chemo. ER TSA for cancer patients? In the case of breast cancer, “Global" Entry takes on a whole new meaning!

MLP, hope you feel better and that the rest of the chemo isn't as traumatic. (You may be correct--you'd been treating your gut so considerately that it wasn't expecting this kind of onslaught).

Jill, glad that the “bad nurse" in chemo didn't turn out to be Nurse Ratched.

Froggie, check in when you're up to it. I didn't post (still on FB rather than BCO back then) immediately after my surgery--obviously, you've got a lot more on your plate right now.

Spoke with my friend with DCIS today. She's got another biopsy--MRI-guided this time--because of a second mass the MRI scan found last week. She's scheduled for surgery Mar. 10, both to give the path lab enough time to weigh in and because that's the earliest she can get in at Advocate Christ, where Bob (who's her primary) is on staff. They're not sure whether they're going for a wide-excision lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and won't know for a few days. (If the latter, she's not interested in reconstruction). But even if it is a lumpectomy, they'd rather do it at Christ instead of the breast surgi-center closer to home, because of preexisting heart issues (2 stents and an emergency arterial-wall-separation repair). That way both Bob and the interventional cardiologist can keep an eye on her. If she stays in overnight, Bob & I'll probably hole up at the Oak Lawn Hilton to keep the driving down to a minimum. (More HHonors points). Despite the working diagnosis right now being DCIS, because it's Grade 3 with extensive cribiform & conedonecrosis, they're preparing for the possibility they'll find some IDC tomorrow or during the surgery--therefore, they will be doing an SNB regardless of whether they're doing the lumpectomy or mastectomy. They're assuming there's a not insignificant chance of node involvement. She will also get radiation (whole breast. 33 sessions), even though it's her left side and she may get a mx, because they will administer it prone. Nobody's discussing chemo yet, given her age (70) and heart history. Hormonal therapy is off the table unless the new mass turns out ER+, because thus far the DCIS is ER/PR-.

Yesterday I had my first biweekly stress reduction class (provided free at Kellogg Cancer Center). First hour QiGong, second hour guided meditation. I had been intrigued by Qi Gong before--saw it being taught on both the Viking River & Ocean Cruises, but was afraid to try it because it looked a lot like Tai Chi, and my balance stinks. But the exercises we’re doing are done on both feet, so I didn’t keel over after all. And the meditation relaxed me so much I began to drool! (Last time that happened was during the guided-imagery portion of my Bradley Method pre-natal training...over 31 yrs ago). The class is small--one other bc survivor (11 yrs, knock wood), a Stage IV lymphoma patient and a woman just starting rads for an astrocytoma. (And a partridge in a pear tree).

PontiacPeggy

Sandy, that's a lot of unknowns for your friend. That has to be hard. Plus all the other health issues. Ugh. Glad you're going to be there for her. You're a good friend!

HUGS!

iammags

Molly- good to know that it took so long to get your results. It makes me feel better about getting mine. 

Sunnyone22

Thanks Pontiac, Peachy and Molly!! Amazing how many of us must be online at the same time. So great to get such quick replies.

Molly, about the radiation during surgery:

It's called IOERT (Intraoperative Electron Beam Radiation Treatment). It's a boost of radiation delivered directly to the open tumor bed, right after the tumor is removed. Although not ;an extremely new procedure, some insurance still considers it experimental. (Mine included, sadly). But my BS is an expert at IOERT and what I read was highly positive about how it delivers radiation to the most likely tissue to have stray cancer cells (escapees as I call them). IOERT delivers radiation directly onto that tissue before the tissue is manipulated for closing the surgical wound. Very precise. I decided to pay the extra $$$ for this and appeal to my insurance company after the surgery. Eventually, it is likely to replace daily external radiation but until all the clinical trials are in, my radiation onco still recommends external rads (which my insurance WILL cover).

Now that I've found you fine ladies in the lumpectomy lounge, I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with good news from my f/u surgeon appt. and final path report. In the meantime, thanks to all for being here - WHAT a relief to have someone to "talk" to...................

Molly50

Hugs and prayers for you friend, ChiSandy. I am glad your DH is taking good care of her.

Molly50

(((Sloan))) I must have missed your post. I am sorry about the extra stress and truly hope it is nothing. Thanks for the explanation Sunnyone. I figured that is what it was. Someone else out of another forum had it. I had all of my lymph nodes in the radiation field so I would guess that would just replace the WBR?

PontiacPeggy

Sunnyone22, that's why we're here - to talk to. And it is the same when we meet up in person. That's because we "get" it. Your IOERT is interesting. Over time I've seen several women who have gotten it online here. There's so much happening in BC treatments plus so many different approaches that it is hard to keep up with everything.

IAmMags, sometimes I feel that the radiologists just don't realize the anxiety of waiting for results. After a surgical biopsy 10-15 years ago on my breast (not the one that came up with BC later), I went to the surgeon for follow-up. I got some smart-ass intern/resident who was all chitty-chatty when I asked for my results. I quickly snapped his head off and then he realized he'd made a very big mistake. I never want to see him ever again. Thoughtless turd.

HUGS!

ChiSandy

Peggy, the very thing she loves about her retirement--living in a very small town just beyond the suburbs, in a subdivision of mostly young families who shovel her sidewalk & driveway for her, a solvent village gov't, no crime and fast EMS response--makes it a challenge in other ways. Her next-door neighbor and his wife, former Chicago neighbors who bought on spec the same time she did, is available for her only on Mondays & Thursdays because he hasn't yet retired and commutes up here. Christ Hospital is a good hour north, and the local hospitals (one town over in Morris or Joliet) leave much to be desired. All her other friends live up here in the city. So I'm coming down the night before--we'll go out to dinner and maybe stream a movie (she ditched her cable and uses her TV as a monitor for her PC). My guess is that like for any other surgery, she's gonna have to be at Christ “farmer-early." They want someone with her 24 hrs. after discharge, so if they spring her the same day I can do the handoff to her neighbor. I may posit the idea of maybe staying at the Oak Lawn Hilton the night before, to make the morning drive much shorter and let her sleep in a little--besides, they have a decent restaurant (Bob can even meet us for dinner), nice TVs and fast wi-fi. And maybe after, in case she needs to go back to the hospital.

HappyHammer

Sunny- welcome! Interesting stuff about the radiation you rec'd. Glad you are feeling strong enough for a walk- sounds like you are on top of it! Will be in your pocket tomorrow for the doc appt.

LTF- sorry about the nurse but glad you are done for the day. You're 1/2 through chemo, right?

MLP- bet you're right about your clean eating and body saying, "What the &^@) did you just do to me??? Remember, you are evicting cancer! The food thing will ease up. Warrior on, sister!

Sandy- your friend is really going through it- so glad you and Bob are there for her.

iammags- the waiting can be so hard. Hope you get some answers soon. Hugs!

Annie-What a nice idea to recoup at a resort. Sounds heavenly!

PontiacPeggy

Sandy, Guess I don't see the appeal of a small town. I don't live "downtown" city but I'm not in burbs either. Your friend has made it very hard for herself for her medical care especially since she obviously still goes into the city for her care with your DH. She's lucky to have you there for her.

HUGS!