Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Peachy2

Hi Chipsy! Glad it was benign. My surgeon said that it takes a year for healing to complete, so you may notice some changes over time. Keep doing self exams, but though you are young, don't skip mammograms if your doctor is ordering them. Both my sister in law and I had tumors that were detected with mammograms that even our surgeons couldn't feel on exam when they knew they were there. We were older, 47 and 49, but are now "You Need a Mammogram" poster girls. (Climbing down off my soapbox now!)

mustlovepoodles

I'm ba-aaaack! San Diego was beautiful, if chilly. I wasn't expecting it to be so cold, but we were less than a mile from the beach so we had constant cold wind. It didn't stop all the little kids from playing in the pool, but they had to be freezing their noogies off. It was a nice working vacation for DH and I.

Just wanted to update on my wounds--they are looking so much better! The one of the right (zombie breast) is now down to 1.2cm 1cm x 0.1cm (0.4in x 0.3in x 0.03in) from 8.7cm x 7.6cm x 5cm (3.5in x 3 in x 2in.) HUGE difference. The one on the left had been a 6cm (2.3") deep pocket, is now down to about 2cm (0.7in). At this point the wound vac is gone forever and I'm only having to change the special dressing on the right every 3 days. The one on the left still needs packing twice a day, but with only about 5in of skinny iodoform tape (it was 15-18 in of tape, that's how big that MoFo was!) The fact that none of this has gotten infected in the past 2 months is nothing short of a miracle to me!

I'm getting used to having no boobs. In fact, it's kinda nice to not have to wear a bra. Although I was "selected" by TSA for a pat down at San Diego airport. Apparently, it looks suspicious if you go through the scanner with stuff taped to your chest and no bra. When the lady patted my chest I leaned in and told her I had bandages on my chest from a recent double mastectomy. She pulled her hands away like they were on fire! I bet she thinks twice before she "selects" another flat-chested woman with 1" of hair on her head. No further problems after that, LOL.

PontiacPeggy

Poodles, glad you had a good, fun, productive time in San Diego. The change of scenery had to be welcome. Pretty damn amazing that your wounds are finally healing with no infection. It certainly has been a long time coming. Progress is good. That's funny-sad about the TSA lady. Maybe she thought mastectomies are catching. At least she believed you. Sounds like you are feeling pretty good, too! Hope the road to "completely healed" is quick.

HUGS!

Heathet

I slept until 9:15 this morning - it felt great! I have my list of things to-do but I can't seem to get off the couch. I might give myself another hour or so to relax and watch old movies! My surgery is 12 days away, I'm starting my count down. I met with the PS yesterday for my pre-op. Went over the drains and some other pre-op things I'll need to do. I go back to school next week. It will be my last week and I'll be off the rest of the school year. I think work will help the time fly by.

PontiacPeggy

Heathet, how nice to sleep in! My pets seem to think that they will DIE of STARVATION if I don't feed them at 6AM. By the time that's done, I'm awake It will help that you are working next week. And nice that you'll be off for the rest of the school year. A relaxing recovery!

HUGS!

Heathet

Peggy - it's funny my two cats do the same thing! But this morning they both just stayed in bed with me ! I'm going to have a lot of cuddle time with them soon!

Kaneli

Peachy2: I hope there's room for me on that "You need a Mammogram" soapbox! My less that one cm tumor was detected by a routine annual Mammo. In fact, I'll go a step further to say that I doubt they would have found it this year had I not consented to the new 3D Mammos they offer. I had to pay a little extra ($12, I think) for it since insurance covers what a digital costs. There was no discernible lump, and it was even difficult to find on an ultrasound, because it was so small, and deeper in the breast tissue. The point is, this Mammo found it early and that's a biggie for good prognosis and outcome,

So, Chipsy, if your doc orders getting yearly Mammograms, well then.....Get thee to a Mammography!

Peachy2

Glad to have you join us on the early detection soapbox, Kaneli! Mine was also too deep to be felt. There were a few years that I had too much going on and didn't get around to scheduling my mammogram, and thank God 2015 was not one of them. You go to your annual primary care and OB/Gyn appointments where they ask if you do self exams, and you say yes and think "Okay, I'm good!" Wrong!

MLP3

moondust- my last chemo is 4/19 and then I have 3-4 weeks off to recover before I start rads. Glad to end this chapter:)

Iammags- you're almost at the end... I'm jealous;)

Grouches- you lucky girl!!! Congrats:)

Poodles- I bet you changed the way that tsa agent will "profile" in the future!

Heathet- my labs do the same with me as your cats do when I sleep in. It's actually relaxing isn't it

Sloan15

Lovinggrouches - Yay for low oncotest score!

Poodles - I think it's such an emotional shock for women to talk to any breast cancer patient because every woman I know is scared it will happen to her. You told the TSA lady something intimate, and I bet she was afraid of hurting you. On another note, glad you had a nice time in San Diego. I'm surprised it was cold. I went to college there, and it was rarely cold. That's what I love about a temperate "Goldilocks" zone by the ocean: rarely hot, rarely cold, mostly just right!

Chipsy - A lot of people get numbness or tingling because the nerve endings are trying to re-connect. I didn't get numbness, but my arm and the side of my breast tingled for months! Ask your surgeon. That always have me reassurance because she heard about side effects from thousands of women.

PontiacPeggy

Heathet, Sleeping in for me is 6:15! isn't that sorry? My dog and cat both sleep with me. My dog resents the fact that the cat walks this earth and sharing the bed with her is almost more than she can bear. So I often have growling going on. Once the dog finally figures out that the cat is more intent on going to sleep than harassing her (which the cat does do), things usually settle down. I have a cat on my feet, knees or thighs and the dog (a rat terrier) plastered to my side. I really am unable to move once they settle down. And heaven help me if I have to get up to go to the bathroom. Major event - and sometimes I can't even get back in bed before the cat is walking up my body to get settled. But I love it!

HUGS!

Andy1205

I have microcalcifactions in my right breast, They did a needle core biopsy and it came back at ADH Atypical ductaul hyperplasia. And some precancerous cells were found. I am 41 yrs old, My mom had breast cancer at age 43,she survived. They sent me to a Surgeon and on May 13,2016 I am havinga wire guided breast excisional biopsy _(lumoectomy) I heard that about 85% of the time it comes back not cancer or dcis. Is it really a must to do this ? Has anyone else ever gone thru this for ADH cells ? And how is the surgery and recovery time ? Please help...feeling lost.

PontiacPeggy

Andy1205, Welcome! I had that type of surgery 10 years ago. It wasn't considered a lumpectomy then (at least no one called it that). And it was due to microcalcs. No ADH mentioned. Everything was fine and my recovery uneventful. I had no restrictions. It was rather a non-event. My lumpy was an "event." But this time I knew it was cancer. Your recovery should follow traditional paths of somewhat restricted activity for your "bad" side. If you can, take a few days off. A week off work will give your body time to start healing from what is major surgery. You can rest, gently exercise. If you job is strenuous, you might consider taking more time off. You should feel pretty good after a week (or sooner). I'll let others chime in with their experience. I'm 30 minutes from you in Pontiac. If I can help out, PM me.

HUGS!

MLP3

Peggy- I have the same deal with two 90lb labs at my feet that lock me in for the night. And my hot flashes from this chemo-inducedmenopause were brutal last night! Add the dogs and my side of the bed is like a sweat box! And I don't want to kick off the 11 yr old for fear hell break a leg. What we do for our kids and pets;)

Sloan15

MLP - Is your daughter going on the trip? I'm leaving at the end of the month. I can be a contract person for her as I'll be there for 6 weeks (although not always in the city), but I'm sure she will be in very good hands with the team and coaches. When I was on the team, I thought flying to Berkeley was a big deal. Haha.

I decided to have my kitchen and baths remodeled while I'm gone. It'll be like one of those HGTV home shows where I leave and come back and it's all done. I'll have to settle for my contractor, though. It's hard for me to give up control, but I don't need the stress. My poor house sitter (DS) will have to be in charge and deal with the noise and mess! Then, I'll come home, "Oh, it's so beautiful, but look how old the couch and chairs look next to that new kitchen...." haha. I started out being cheap, but I think my husband is so scared I could die before getting the kitchen of my dreams that he told the guy to do everything. In some ways I agree --You can't take your savings account with you -- but it just makes me think about pre-cancer days when life was so carefree and I didn't appreciate it. So, I'm going to take the kitchen and baths, appreciate the hell out of them, and not feel bad about the money spent. (And try to get those damn tumor marker tests out of my brain!)

mustlovepoodles

Kaneli and Peachy, i am right there with you on that soapbox!, I had a physical , including breast exam, just 3weeks before the mammo and neither my doctor, not I ever felt a thing.. The 1.8cm mass was located high up almost in my armpit. Thankfully, they caught a glimpse of it on mammo in July and were able to immediately get a better look with ultrasound. I suspect that it may have been there for a couple years, but went undetected due to location.

So, is mammography perfect? No. Things can still be missed, on occasion. But it's a heckuva lot better than having no surveillance at all.

mustlovepoodles

HH and Chisandy, I am planning to go up for the gig in Hickory, NC. I know nothing about the area, though . Where are y'all planning to stay?

mustlovepoodles

And since I am Posty McPostalot today, I might as well tell you that I'm at the hospital with DH. He's having a prostate biopsy because his PDA has doubled from 5 to 11 since last spring. Yikes! His best friend has stage 4 prostate cancer and it has been absolutely horrible. I swear, DH & I are a matched set. First, he gets sick, then I get sick, then he gets sick... Hoping they don't find cancer. We'll know by next Wed.'

sarajaneevans

Hi shippymom, of course you are nervous and anxious- a very normal reaction too- this is a good place to come and chat about your fears. I had a lumpectomy then a second to take wider margins- I don't recall any after effects, except the normal healing process- but I did wind up with a swishing sound on the left side when I walked- looking back it was kind of funny- from coming to this site I learned that the condition was called Seroma, fluid which builds up in the empty space where the tumor once was- My surgeon said he could stick a needle in and aspirate the fluid, but he preferred not to as it would heal itself- which worked for me.. I was not into more invasion- and it did clear up/dry up or however you choose to describe it on its own. I am sorry for the anguish you are feeling ): unfortunately, the only way to get rid of it is to get it over and done with-sending good thoughts your way!!

I too had/have questions about those who had lumpectomy and then the mastectomy- I had decided when I was told I had to go back for a second lumpectomy to take wider margins that if they didn't get it all that time, the third time around would be for a mastectomy, fortunately it didn't come to that. My surgeon explained to me that doctors are into preservation for the breast these days it possible so I was never given the choice for a mastectomy over a lumpectomy.

I do recall the second lumpectomy recovery was more painful than the first, which is understandable as the first surgery had not yet healed.

Good luck to you(:

sje

MLP3

Sloan- thank you! She still wants to go but we want her to hang back, so does her current coach. Today is the final day to give our decision. I'm in a similar situation with remodeling and appreciating things. Who knows what could happen. I'd rather go out on a limb now with things and enjoy them every day to the fullest. We just remodeled our master bath and I'm so happy that dh let me put the nicest finishing touches on it. My shower is a little hideaway sanctuary for me and it feels like a spa getaway. Can't say I might have appreciated it as much before the dx. Tip.... Sprinkle Eucalytpys oil under the shower head for a true spa experience;)

((Hugs)) poodles! Positive energy coming your way...:)

sarajaneevans

614- I am doing well ): thank you! I had not heard of your particular diagnosis. I am sure that for all of us cancer returning is a constant worry whether we verbalize it or not- I only do that here with you all.Like you, my peace of mind does come from the fact that I trust my team of doctors-I pray they don't let me down- so far so good(I guess,vicious circle)- still, I would like some kind of scan at least once a year that covers every inch, ya know? I go over my path report on occasion and usually find something I missed the last time I looked at it- How close is your surveillance? I see my docs every 6 months now.

Pontiac Pegg- I guess we both have little chance of 'forgetting' these important dates.*smiles*

sje

PontiacPeggy

MLP3, That must be brutally hot with your labs sleeping with you. Dogs do tend to be furnaces.

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

Poodles, I'm with you today. Hope the biopsy comes back negative. The only man I knew with prostate cancer did have surgery and was monitored but he did fine for 10-15 years and died of c.diff picked up when he had his knee replaced (he was nearly 80). And you know, it really isn't necessary to go in lock step

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

SaraJane, so true!

Sloan, I like you going away and coming back to a new kitchen. We lived through adding on to our house and never again. I'd move out. Of course, since I'm moving I don't have to worry about that. The house is newer and I doubt I could get HOA approval to add on even if I had any money!

MLP3, Love your spa shower!

HUGS!

ORknitter

So I had an interesting experience today. I saw the PA for my MO (whom I love) today and she said "it's not really cancer." Huh? My husband said jokingly that I had been lying to him! So I know I heard her right. She went on to say that it's not really cancer because it's not malignant. So, following that trail prostate cancer that is caught early isn't cancer? Malignancy defines cancer? I was so surprised by her remark that I couldn't even respond sensibly. I really wanted to say something but thought wiser of it since it may not have been very nice. And I do believe they will eventually redefine DCIS and it will not be called cancer, but until then it is right??????

LovesToFly

I've heard there are different views regarding whether dcis is cancer or precancerous.

Mlp we share final chemo dates!!!

Heathet

my dh and I are in the beginning stages of remodeling our kitchen and dining room. We bought the new fridge, stove and dish washer today. We were going to have the contractor start in April but we're postponing it till July/August. My surgery is the 19th. It's a total gut job so l'm glad we hired someone to do it! Less stress for us!

Here's a pic of one of my sleeping buddies ! He's a heating pad!

Lovinggrouches

I'm so glad that most of Hal seem to be animal lovers. Me and my hubby never have had children, so our cats are our babies. I have 5 that range from 9 years to 13, my baby is my 3 legged calico miracle. I bought a new double recliner couch right before my surgeries to have a comfortable place to sit or sleep, and it is covered with about 3 quilts so the claws don't tear and the occasional hacked up hair balls don't end up on the furniture lol!!! Thanks everyone for the congrats!!!! Onto radiology tomorrow!!!!

LovesToFly

Phoebe!

brandford37

Heathet did ur doctor told you what to wear prior to the surgery? I'm doing Lumpectomy tuesday April 12 my doctor didn't tell me anything about the drain didn't even tell me about sport bra