Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Sloan15

Chipsy83 - Welcome. I wore a sports bra 24/7 for 3 weeks --the tighter the better. I found that wearing a soft t-shirt under my sports bra was the only way I could deal with it. You should start feeling relief this week, but take Tylenol (or whatever they gave you) when you are sore or achy even if you are not normally a medicine-taker. I was not supposed to lift anything heavy nor lift my arm above my shoulder until the doc gave me the OK. Hope you feel better soon!

njnancy - I had TC. The A can be hard on your heart, so the doc has determined that the benefits of A do not out-weigh the risks and TC will do the job for you. Sometimes the A combination is given to people who have a more aggressive cancer, like Triple Neg., or are at a more advanced stage. Your profile shows that you are not those things, hence, the TC. The TC can also be given in 4 or 6 rounds depending how how aggressive the doc thinks your cancer is. Most people get 4 rounds, but people with more aggressive cancers or who have heart problems and should not the A often have 6 rounds. Make sure you ask your doc WHY she picked TC for you or it will bug you! Hope this helps!

Moondust -- Yay for finishing rads! Have you talked to your MO about your next step? I will be gone for 6 weeks, but I can help you or visit you in treatment to chit chat when I get back. I drove myself to and from treatments (since DH doesn't drive with his eye disease), so you shouldn't have any problems with that.

Iammags - I drove myself to and from radiation treatments, too, and I didn't have any dizziness. A person in my rads group said that she made herself smile when she heard the machine, and it put her in a better state of mind when she was done each day.

Beach and Karen - My MO said to make sure I had something to eat at least 1/2 hour before rads so I didn't feel nausea or light-headed. You can try that, too.

MLP3

Sloan- great news on the positive test results!

Welcome to all of the new people!

Lots to catch up on here!

I have my first rads consult next week just days before my last AC. Yay! They said I'll be getting whole breast for 6 weeks.

iammags

Hi to everyone new. Just wanted to mention that I bought some Bali sports bras at Costco for $15 each. I had a lumpectomy and a reduction on both breasts. They are comfortable for sleeping and recovering and, for me, they are great now, too. I'm almost 4 weeks out and I'm planning on wearing them for awhile. But I have to admit that a cute bra would be nice to wear again.

I'm off to the RO. I'm excited to go and begin what I hope will be the last treatment for a long while (forever!). (except for Tamoxifen)

Have a great day! It's going to be over 90 degrees here today. Yikes.

Kaneli

Iammags: I live in Clearwater, Florida....it's a beautiful 72 degrees here....and I'm lovin' it! It's usually the reverse whey you compare Florida to California! Congrats on your last rad treatment today! I'll find out tomorrow from my MO (haven't met him yet) what my next step is after Rads. Good luck!

PontiacPeggy

IamMags, I saw where you are going to be roasting today. That seems awfully hot for SF at anytime. Did you want a house guest? I can be there in a few hours. I love hot weather. Glad you are entering your last phase of treatment. Will you get tattoos?

Kaneli, have a good visit with your MO tomorrow!

HUGS!

Moondust

I am still wearing a bra 24x7 because I think it helps my radiated skin. If I take the bra off. some of the red areas stretch and it is not as comfortable. We're talking D or DD here.

Mags, good find at Costco! I may stop by and look. Good luck with your RO appt. Let us know if your RO is tall and thin like so many

Kaneli, I think I found the same bras at Walmart. I looked last time and didn't see the same model. Whenever I like a bra or walking shoes, they discontinue the model!

Sloan, thanks! When do you leave for Europe? My appt with the MO is April 18. I'll find out then what regimen I'll be on and when I start. Is the port insertion done in the office, or is it a surgery? My DH will be in Korea until the 24th, so starting chemo any time after that is okay with me, and the sooner the better! I'm pretty sure I can do the driving, but taking care of all the animals might be a lot to handle on my "bad" days.

MLP, so next week is your last chemo? Hooray for that!! Are you surprised it is almost over? I hope they give you a break of a few weeks before you start rads.

Welcome to the new people. Hang on, you'll get through this journey!

ChiSandy

Off to San Antonio in 3-1/2 hrs (off to airport in half an hour---Chicago’s construction system is in full swing, and there are NO alternate routes because everything is torn up. Might take us over an hour for a 35-min. trip).

brandford37

Hey guys haven't had all my results as yet but still waiting after my Lumpectomy surgery, all I know right now I'm doing Lumpectomy surgery April 12.... _Invasive Moderately differentiated ductal carcinoma. _Nottingham score 6/9 (2+3+1) in this limited material. _The invasive tumor measures at least 2.6cm. _No definitive Ductal carcinoma in situ identified. _No microcalcifications identified. _No Lymphovascular invasion identified. _ER- Positive, PR- POSITIVE, HER2_ negative

iammags

Kaneli- One of our best family friends is living in Clearwater and is starting a coffeehouse there. Guess it's the first one. And, I'm just starting rads. Wish it was my last one! Good luck with the MO.

PontiacPeggy Come on over! I'm outside San Francisco, actually. In Marin County. Not sure about the tattoos. I'll let you know after the consultation.

Moondust- The bras are comfy. Not sure exactly what they're called. I'll let you know about the RO.

brandford37- Not knowing is so scary.Don't get too hung up on the preliminary findings. You will know the real pathology after your lumpectomy. Good luck to you.

Have a good day everyone! Luck to all of you

PontiacPeggy

IamMags, Enjoy your hot weather! Hopefully you'll sail through your rads like I did. Maybe a tad fatigued and barely pink and no issues!!

HUGS!!

Grazy

Kaneli - thanks for sharing in my excitement about finally wearing a real bra today - haha! It's the little things!! It's the first time the underwire didn't aggravate the SLNB area, but only because I added some padding. What I did to make it comfortable is take the molded foam insert from my sports bra and insert that in the cup of my regular bra, not only to fill some of the now empty space, but to pad the area between the underwire and my skin - I pulled the foam out a bit from the edge of the bra so that it acts as a buffer, if you know what I mean. So I can sleep on my right side again, I don't have to wear a sports bra to bed anymore and I can wear a real bra again. I'll enjoy this little reprieve until my treatment starts

I'm jealous of those of you in warm climates today - we should be having mild Spring weather here in southern Ontario this time of year, but instead we've got lots of snow again and very cold temps. I can't even see my poor daffodils any longer. Enjoy your warmth!

iammags

Ok. Moondust- First of all I'd just like to say that when my RO walked into the room I could barely contain myself. He's like 7ft tall and so super skinny. Seriously, I'm surprised that I made it through the first 5 min of the consultation without a fit of laughter! Why are so many tall and thin? Hmmm..mysteries...:)

PontiacPeggy- I am going to sail through rads, no worries. I just have to get through one more mammogram and I hope it's not too painful.

Grazy- I like the hot weather but to be honest, I'm not ready for 90 yet. It's April!

One mammogram, one CT, and 20 or so rads to go...then on to tamoxifen...then, freedom

Lovinggrouches

got my oncotype score in today, it is 14, they said no chemo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grazy

Oh, Lovinggrouches, I'm SO happy for you! Wonderful news.

Lovinggrouches

Grazy, hope yours comes out good too!!!!!Prayers for you!!!!!!!!

Grazy

Thanks, Lovinggrouches, appreciate it!

PontiacPeggy

IamMags - wow that's really quick for a mammogram. I didn't have one until 6 months post rads or maybe 7 months. Surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable. But it had been 9 months since my surgery too. Fingers crossed that it will be the same for you.

LovingGrouches YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HUGS!

KarenR0618

I had a monogram before starting my rads. My RO wanted to make sure the cancer was gone and nothing else showed up.

LovesToFly

yeah lovinggrouches!!

Grazy isn't this weather crazy? It was hailing when I was driving home from work today!

iammags

I thought that it was very soon, too, PontiacPeggy. I'm so hoping that they will be gentle!

Loving Grouches- that was my score, too. Congrats! Grazy I hope you'rs turns out to be ok too.

HappyHammer

Loving- YAY!!!

HappyHammer

Sending an invitation to any and ALL of you who may be able to join us May 22 for a benefit concert by our very own CHiSandy (Sandy Andina) at American Honor Alehouse in Hickory, NC. Would love for you to join us!!

PontiacPeggy

IamMags, I'm sure they will be gentle.

Jill, we had sleet this morning. At least it was above freezing (barely). Though it got warmer during the day. Back to cold tomorrow. I'm ready for winter to go away!

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

HappyHammer, I wish I could join you. That would be such fun (and Sandy is a lot of fun!). However, I can't leave right then. Close to the celebration of life for DH, kids coming in and hopefully packing up more stuff for my move (i.e. this house has sold so it doesn't have to be kept so danged neat and clean!).

HUGS!

Molly50

Congratulations on the low oncotype Dx, lovinggrouches!

HappyHammer

Peggy- We will MISS YOU!!!

PontiacPeggy

HH, I will miss you all, too! I've never been to S Carolina.

HUGS!

chipsy83

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Peggy and Sloan, thanks so much for the warm welcome. I had 11cm taken out for a benign tumor with a chance of regrowth. I think even though it is benign I should def have a careful watch. A few women on my moms side have had breast cancer. So I want to learn as much as I can.

My surgeon told me to do what I felt I was ready for with wearing a bra and exercising (I wore the wrap they gave me for 6 days because I didn't bounce at all). I did not have any lymph nodes taken out.

Is being super numb on that part of the breast normal. I can't feel a thing. She cut to the left of my breast and I'm numb all the way past my nipple. It sure is weird to look and touch and feel with my finger tips but not feel at the same time.

Here is a question. My boobs do not feel the same at all so it is hard to compare the 2 to find differences. Anyone have any tips for self breast exams after lumpectomies? Will I always feel that hollow spot and hard edges surrounding it?

Thanks again

PS : Peggy I am 32 and live in Bentonville AR. Home of Walmart and Arkansas Razorbacks 😊

PontiacPeggy

Chipsy, I really don't know how to answer your question. But it could be that that will be your new normal. Keep doing your self-exams. I think that it won't take you too long to determine what is normal and what isn't.

You might put that information in your signature or maybe it will work being put in your profile and make it public (along with your great hometown). We find it impossible to remember everyone's details and that info makes it so we are quickly reminded of all your particulars.

Glad everything was benign! Did you have genetic testing since you mentioned breast cancer on your mother's side? You are very smart to learn all that you can now in the remote chance something does crop up (I sure hope not).

HUGS!!

DisneyGirl16

Lovinggroucches, Congrats on your Oncotype score!

Grazy, hoping for a low score for you!