Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

ncollett

Rosie I am not going to PT yet. I go back to my BS on Tues to get my stitches out and talk about my path report in more detail and find out when I have to have my re-excision. I am still having some pain like under my arm, in my shoulder my side and now the side of my L breast. I am trying not to lift anything but its really hard when your by yourself most the day. My husband has to work and both of my children work and are grown and out of the house so I really don't have anyone until he gets home. 

My DH did get me a housekeeper who will be coming in once a month to do deep cleaning which will help. How much is too much though after surgery? It will be 3 weeks next Wed, so I have tried to do just things like putting dishes in the dishwasher but not putting them away kinda thing.  I find that when I go out and walk around I still get very tired and sometimes SOB, did anyone else experience that?

Rosiesride

ncollett...I think I was lucky with my lumpectomy...or just ignorant about stuff...I went home a few hours after surgery...remember laying on couch with pillows to prop arm...the next day I was outside...it was January 4 th and I was hanging around my fire pit, messing with the wood, but not using my arm too much, taking Advil and Tylenol ....sisters were yelling at me to sit down blahblahblah ....I stayed out of work and returned on January 13....very bruised but was ok teaching my kindergarten kids...then I left school on February 3 rd to start my treatment...

I think I didn't baby that side and that may have helped me with range of motion but I really don't know.  But I didn't seem to have the problems at that time...now 7 months later, I still have numbness in back of my upper arm and chording comes and goes...I need to be mindful of stretching it and doing my pt exercises as that does help.

Once you see the BS, ask about PT...but you still have stitches and need more surgery so your experience is a lot different than mine...no lymph node involvement so that's good!!  My surgeon saw me a week after lumpectomy and things moved quickly after that...it is a long process, especially if you need to do chemo but looks like you didn't so YAY!  Good luck to you !  Rosie

Su-CQ51

Hi everyone!   I've been trying to let all of this sink in the past few days.   So many thoughts and questions swirling around and starting to post then deleting it.  I guess it's the word "invasive" .   My surgery is September 25 and I'm wondering whether it could change from Stage 1 to Stage 2 during that time.   How often does the lumpectomy pathology report differ from the biopsy pathology report?

Sorry to hear you are having a re-excision ncollett.   It must be frustrating to know you have to have surgery again and start healing all over.    Best wishes to you for a speedy recovery!

PontiacPeggy

Su-CQ51, my diagnosis didn't change from biopsy in early June till Lx in late July.  It was spot on.  I don't know if it is that way for everyone.  I agree "invasive" sounds scary.  I was lucky in my case that it hadn't spread far at all (the whole tumor was 9mm, so small).  Keep thinking positive - that does help!

Su-CQ51

Thanks Peggy!  I'm early August to near end of September so very similar .   It's been almost a month for you now.  How are you feeling?  Will you be starting rads soon?

Thanks for the reply mripp.   Rush hour could be a problem for me too.  I guess I can't pick my times lol.

Hugs Everyone!

Debster

Su-CQ51 mine did not change. Mine is also invasive and it was scary for me too but since I have been through my treatments and have time to kind of digest it all the name means nothing to me now and I just focus on getting better. I am getting ready to be done with radiation and will begin tamoxifen this next week. I wish you the best and just remember you are not alone. Come here  ask questions or just vent we are all here for one another.

PontiacPeggy

Su-CQ51, I find out next week what my course of treatment will be.  Get the oncotype results Tuesday.  Everyone things radiation will do the trick; no chemo needed but want to be extra-sure.  As you know, all those radiation appointments will be challenging since I'll have to drag DH along (I can't leave him for more than 15 minutes).  

Debster, so glad you're almost done with radiation and ready for tamoxifen.  Must feel like you've crossed a huge hurdle.

Debster

PontiacPeggy Hope you get extra good news about your oncotype score Tuesday. and yes it does feel good to get over the hurdle. Now on to the next. Have a great weekend!

PontiacPeggy

Thanks, Debster!  Appreciate the positive thoughts.  DH's Parkinson's has been especially bad this week requiring more lifting than usual.  Of course, it pulls up on my bra which aggravates my incisions which drives me batty (not that it takes much to do that).  Tomorrow I'm going braless or something.  Argh!

Su-CQ51

Hi Debster and thanks!  Rads almost done?  Congrats!   Good luck with the Tamoxifen.  

Hi Peggy   I had to look up what an oncotype test was .   I'm such a newbie lol.  It's a big deal.   Good luck on your results!  Sorry to hear about your DH.   My DH can be the same way.  I was wondering how it will work with radiation treatments and how much time is involved.   I know he would prefer to sit in the car.      Hope you can go braless tomorrow  even if it's only a short while lol.   Will have to research best type to use, if there is one. Lol.  

PontiacPeggy

I learned about the oncotype from my reading and from this forum.  There's so much to learn!  

I wore a Genie bra after surgery.  That was fine except (as with all bras) it kept riding up and really being annoying.  I love going braless but I prefer to not advertise the fact  I think I found my cotton camis and will wear them under my t-shirts.  

Wonder when my steri-strips will fall off?  The ones under my arm are about there.  But the ones on my bad girl seem to be well stuck still.  No hurry but I am curious.

I'll let you know how it goes with DH and radiation, Su-CQ51!

mripp

Peggie, they said my steri strips would fall off too ( I had 3 incisions) and only the under arm lymplh one came off in shower. My MO removed the larger ones at my 12 day post op appointment. After that the incisions were pretty much healed so I then used the vitamin E oil and 100%  Aloe gel on the whole area. It healed really nice. Hope you get your steri off soon. Are you pretty well healed?

mripp

Peggie, they said my steri strips would fall off too ( I had 3 incisions) and only the under arm lymplh one came off in shower. My MO removed the larger ones at my 12 day post op appointment. After that the incisions were pretty much healed so I then used the vitamin E oil and 100%  Aloe gel on the whole area. It healed really nice. Hope you get your steri off soon. Are you pretty well healed?

PontiacPeggy

Mari, I think I'm pretty well healed.  It's 3-1/2 weeks and I usually heal fast.  I see my surgeon Thursday so, if the MO and RO haven't removed the strips, she can.  I don't do well with aloe but I may try the vitamin E oil.  Where do I get it?  Everywhere?

Rosiesride

debster...an early yahoo for being done this week...I am back to work on Tuesday so life will be crazy again...yahooey!!  I also find out what drug I will be given on Tuesday....praying for few side effects!  Students start august 25 th and I hate to feel sick with being in school and all!  Keeping you all in my thoughts as lots of you are finishing up rads this week or soon! Rosie

ncollett

My steristrips fell off last week. I am really hurting today though. I go to the BS tuesday. I feel like I am swollen too and having really bad hot flashes without any tx. This is gonna be a long night. 

PontiacPeggy

My SNB steri-strips came off last night (at 3-1/2 weeks post surgery).  The ones on my afflicted booby are still fairly solidly on.  Judging from the underarm, I'm well-healed.  I don't mind the extra support of the steris on my breast.  I am going braless now - everything I own rubs the incision.  Argh.

Nancy, I'm sorry you're hurting.  My swelling has now gone down though not away.  Bummer on the hot flashes.  Hopefully they will become manageable.

Puffin2014

For those with sore incisions, I found it helpful to slip in one of those soft bra pads in between my bra and my tender incision. Also, keep a tiny (like 6") pillow in the car to wear under your seat belt - works to wear it either over your breast incision or over your sore port site. Volunteers at our infusion center sew up little pillows and have them in a basket to be given away. Didn't know why I needed that little pillow. Then realized it also felt good just putting it in my armpit as a cushion between my arm and my sore breast.

panthrah

Hi there heres the short version. Im 38, no kids, no family
history. I found a lump, they found lots
more. I have busy breasts. *shrug* Hardest
part about the MRI for me was not dancing to the 80s music in the headphones. Dx of LCIS with calcifications that they don’t
like so Im getting a lx sept 2^nd.
I work at a high school with mod/severe kids and I do wheelchair
transfers and get hit often (not out of aggression ) so the doc said she will give me a week
off. Has been a whirlwind summer of
appointments and me obsessively reading this site. I had no pain before during or after the
biopsy (us guided needle core) but I think this time will be a tad different.
Im an A cup on a good day so removing stuff worries me about the visual
outcome. Scars don’t bother me. I also know that things can be found in the
tissue after removal. So again more
waiting…

Hope you guys have a good day 

ncollett

Get my stitches out today and find out when re-excision is. My mom made me a small heart pillow for my surgery that I use. She put flannel on it and it really does help. I use it alot under my arm

panthrah

I bought a Disneys Stitch pillow pet  yesterday. Very sweet of your mom to make that for you. Good luck with stitches removal  

PontiacPeggy

Panthrah, welcome to the Lumpies.  Sorry that you are going to have to walk with us but it's a great support group.  My DH is 200 lbs and has Parkinson's so I have to "throw" him around a lot - in and out of chairs, to the table, support him while he walks, on and off the toilet, in and out of bed.  My BS told me I could not do this for 3 weeks.  And she was right.  Not that I wasn't able but it hurt and pulled things I didn't want pulled.  You may want to take this into consideration.  I suspect you really shouldn't be doing transfers for longer than one week.  Will you have SNB?

PontiacPeggy

I saw my MO for the first time this morning and really like him. Medicare rejected my oncotype first time around, so more paperwork submitted and he said it should go through.  I see the RO tomorrow and my MO said to get everything all set up through simulation but not to start until he (the MO) gives the okay - probably in two weeks.  There's a 98% chance I won't need chemo but he wants to be 100% sure and so do I.  Although I sure would prefer not to do chemo, I'll do whatever it takes.

panthrah

PontiacPegg- Im not having SNB at this point, that I know of. Since we are starting a new school year, we have new students...14 total, 7 wheelchairs 13 need toileting and feeding, all non verbal. If at the end of the week off Im unable to lift pain free Ill be happy to tell them to I need to wait. I also plan on getting a turtle shell bra (sports bra with hard plastic shells) Its for roller derby but it will help to not get bumped at work. depending on where the incision is..Ill just buy a bigger cup size. *crosses fingers for no chemo for you* 

PontiacPeggy

Panthrah, Most of us get very soft sports bras (I use Genie bras).  You don't want anything rubbing against that incision.  Not only is being pain free helpful (well, duh!), but the internal stitches need to heal.  My BS said nothing heavier than a gallon of milk for 3 weeks.  You might check with your BS.  One week just seems awfully short for a safe recovery.  And yes, you definitely don't want to be bumped.

I read everything here too.  It was a huge help.  Now reading the Summer Rads group and will join the Fall Rads forum as soon as I'm positive that's what's next.

Thanks for the fingers crossed on chemo.  Me, too.  I don't know how I'd handle all DH's care if I have chemo - hard enough now.  But we all do what we have to do to live cancer free!  

Hugs to you, Panthrah!

panthrah

Thats what I said!! After the biopsy I wasnt allowed lifting or activity for 1 week.. I couldnt even lift up my cat! (11lbs).. now they are cutting me open and stitches and she said 2 days...I call shenanigans. I also havent heard if Rads are in my future. Either way.. Netflix and I will have a date on the couch . I bought the seamless sports bras at target. I have lots and lots of sports bras ( I do roller derby and races) but the seamless ones are comfy. I got the front zip up sports bras for the few days after . makes it easier to add and remove ice packs. 

*hugs right back at cha*  

PontiacPeggy

I'm glad you're not blindly accepting the one week of no lifting.  It just seems so totally unrealistic, especially what you had with your biopsy.  Keep harping and nagging your BS to be realistic.  Or isn't it the BS who is telling you one week?  

Roller derby?  I'm impressed!  You are one tough cookie.  

xoxo

panthrah

*takes a bow* yep I even coach the lil guys  I will speak up if needed for sure. Not sure Ill go back to derby (ill still coach) now that Im highly breast aware... being shouldered and hit in the chest for hours no longer seems like an option or a good idea

PontiacPeggy

Panthrah, I have to agree that all that hitting isn't probably desirable now.  Coaching the little ones will be good.  

panthrah

Sometimes its like herding cats.. but they are so cute on roller skates