June 2014 Surgery Sisters

sandra4611

KLJ,

Google tamoxifen and see the side effects. They can be significant so the doctor has to weigh the pros and cons. Your onco should give you a percentage for change of recurrence of breast cancer. (Mine is 1% - 2% because I'm node negative and have no invasive bc.) The onco says tamoxifen CAN reduce your recurrence by half...so in my case that would bring my chances down to 1/2% - 1%. That's not enough of a reduction to warrant taking the drug, considering the potential side effects. My chances of developing leukemia is 5%...a small chance of course, but still higher than any benefit I would get. Your onco will be able to help you decide based on YOUR particular situation.

Mulligan

Hello sisters, just wanted to check-in and let you all know I'm doing fine and I get to go home today. Woo hoo they kept me here an extra day because my temp and blood pressure has been so high. Oh and excuse me if my sentences don't make sense, I'm still a bit loopy on my meds. It took a bit of time to figure out what works for me. Morphine wasn't getting it done. I ended up with a chain control of dilaudid and Percocet pills.hope all is well with everyone. 

kpmacmill

Hi Ladies,

I thought I would check in again 10 days after my lumpectomy and SNB. I feel really good, incisions are healing well according to BS. My surgery side arm was very swollen for several days, but it has finally subsided. I was afraid it was  lymphedema developing already, but BS it was just because of the tissue trauma in such a localized area. Not so good news on the pathology side unfortunately. I had one positive node, and the tumor ended up larger than expected, 2.2 cm vs. 1.5 cm, so looks like I've moved up to Stage IIB, I'm so sad - every test result seems to end up worse than expected during this journey. We're not going to bother with the Oncotype now because of the positive node, just moving onto chemo. I see a new oncologist on Thursday - I didn't care for the one I saw previously.

Hugs to all of those with upcoming surgeries this next week.

jbdayton

KP I am glad to hear you are healing well.  

I am so sorry you did not get better pathology reports.  I wish you did not have to join the chemo ladies but I know you can make it through it.  This disease just continues to suck.  I will pray for you to find a MO you really like and are comfortable with.

Keep us posted and continue healing.

jbdayton

Mulligan congrats on getting to go home. I hope you can keep the pain level in-check as well as blood pressure and temp.  Continue with lots of rest, protein, and fluids.  

Praying for continued good healing.

shycat

It's now day 13 with the left drain still very bloody and no substantial decrease in amount in the last week.  The right drain was fine, removed at the one-week drain check.  Yesterday, the nurse said my incisions looked great (I haven't really looked yet; I know our definitions of "look great" are not at all the same... I'm working up to it.).  The nurse also removed the outer dressing since my skin was starting to turn red under the adhesive and she didn't want my skin to start breaking down.  I'm much more comfortable with that gone even though I have to be careful not to scare myself catching my reflection in the bathroom mirror.  I'll see the surgeon on Wednesday, but I'm trying not to worry until then.  I dread the thought of something being messed up and having to undergo another surgery.

bethq

KLJ that's my question too and as a nurse I am ashamed I don't understand the pill I am about to ingest tonight! When they thought I had pure DCIS my BS seemed like she didn't care one way or the other if I took it. Now that it is IDC the oncologist told me I should and when I asked the BS yesterday she just nodded her head "yes"....like "no question". I surely don't like my odds of 1:10 of getting another cancer without Tamoxifen and I actually don't like the odds of 1:20 with it either!

thinkpink4ever

My commando days are over!  I put on panties today for the first time since my surgery!  Yay!  It's the simple things...

Sammyjokk

Thinkpink4ever

Congratulations!!!  

Wildflower50

kp-- glad you are healing well. It sounds like the waiting for test results is over and now you can focus on treatment.  That was a huge step for me.  I am sorry you have to do chemo---it's certainly a challenge but it is doable. 

Mulligan-- happy you got to go home.  Rest up and don't try to do too much.  

I wish you both good recoveries and hope you feel better and better each day.  

Helenna

Hi ladies. 24 hours until my surgery.

Feeling a bit anxious and scared but holding up pretty well. I developed a cold on Friday with a sore throat that has now gone into a slight cough, hoping they won't turn me away tomorrow. I am ready to get this surgery over and start on the healing and recovering phase.

We are going shopping shortly to load up on fresh fruits and veggies. I am going to make a vegetarian shepherd pie which freezes well in slices, and also pumpkin pancakes which I just switch out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the pancake mix for canned pumpkin (not pie filling) and then add walnuts, blueberries or whatever I'm in the mood for, keeps well in fridge. We eat those without syrup, great as a quick snack.

You guys have given me so much support in getting to this point, please keep me in thoughts and prayers for tomorrow. xoxoxo

Margie7121

Sandra and jbokland thanks for your inspiration and kind words of encouragment!

POSITIVE THINKING IS THE BEST WAY TO OVERCOME ANYTHING, KEEP ON BELIEVING!!

Thinkpink4ever: Congratulations!!

Helenna; good luck with your surgery, hope every works well and you are in my prayers!

Thanks again to everybody with their help, advise and positive feedback and wishes, you girls have been a TRUE blessing and help!

sandra4611

Pink Bus Emergency! Helenna has just posted her surgery date...TOMORROW...so I'm sending out an SOS. Who will join me on the virtual Pink Bus as we escort Helenna to the hospital in the morning? She'll be having a mastectomy on her right side. No time to shop, so I'll pick up breakfast tacos on the way.

 

sandra4611

 

thinkpink4ever

Sandra, I'm on the bus, and the breakfast tacos sound delish! 

Helenna, I pray that all goes well with your surgery. I'm sure it will be fine, and I remember the nervousness I experienced myself, just 10 days ago.  It will soon turn into relief at some point or another...

shycat, try not to worry, and we will pray that you get good news at your follow-up appointment on Wednesday.

Mulligan, glad you got to go home. I hope each day, you feel a little better...

kpmac, glad your post-op recovery is progressing well. Sorry about those path results, but despite your sadness, it sounds like you're ready to move forward and tackle this upcoming chemo. Stay encouraged, my friend.

Margie, I know you're scared.  But seriously, once you show up on surgery day, they'll "give you a nap", and you'll wake up with it all behind you.  You'll do fine...

One love,

tp4ever

Sammyjokk

kpmac....happy your surgery is over, sorry about your path report. 

Helenna....sending good thoughts and positive energy your way.

With all of these wonderful surgery sisters on our side, we can get through!!

bethq

I will just add to what some have said about worrying before surgery. It is true, the last thing I remember is the anesthesiologist saying "I am going to give you something to help you relax" and then I was awake in recovery and I swear the nurse came every time I made a sound and gave me more pain medicine. Worked like a charm, I was pretty comfortable in recovery and actually purposefully switched myself to Percocet once I got to my room because  I knew that's what I'd be going home on.

worryocd

Helena-wishing you a successful surgery tomorrow.  You will be in my prayers.  

trish01254

well still in hospital even though everything is great as far as my incisions walking pooping pain.  Haven't been too hungry struggled a bit day 3 with vomiting.  Holy crap that was painful.  I'm on Tylenol and Valium as needed.  Narcotics gave me wicked headache.  I'm pretty blue and I have buyers remorse.  I think the whole hunched over backache thing is bringing me way down.  Hopefully this too shall pass 4 nodes were removed so still waiting for pathology.  Better be a good one cuz I feel I can't get much lower in the emotional department.  

jbdayton

Trish hang in there you just had major surgery.  I was in 5 days for my DIEP and again 5 days for my next flap that is normal.  The hospital days to me were easier than if I had been home.  

As for the hunched over problem you will have to give yourself time.  It does hurt but a few more days days will make a great difference.  I am just getting to the upright position again and today is 2 weeks post op.  It is amazing how the human body can heal but not overnight.  I had lots of complications with my healing and yet I am getting good results by being patient.

Are you reading the DIEP 2014 thread, lots of extremely good conversations there for this type of surgery, recovery, and life after DIEP.

Praying for a great pathology report.

Lots of hugs for you Trish. 

jbdayton

I just jumped on the bus for Helenna.  Hey guys ready to roll.   Sandra thanks for breakfast.

Helena praying for good surgery and great pathology reports.  Hope your cold just disappeared.  

See you on the flip side.

Slappy-Squirrel

got my drains out today!! Happy dance!

jbdayton

Congrats slappy, I know you are feeling free.  Good luck with your continued healing.

jbokland

Yeah Slappy!  Makes everything a little easier, doesn't it?

thinkpink4ever

Go Slappy!  I know that happy dance feeling!!!

One love,

tp4ever

rose111

Helena, Hope all goes well for you.   Sending prayer s for a successful survey and speedy recovery!

kcat2013

Trish, sorry you're having a rough time.  I also felt buyers remorse immediately following surgery because of what recovery was like and I felt really discouraged.  Once I healed and started finally feeling better I didn't feel remorse any longer.  

Kendra

kcat2013

Helena, thinking of you as you are hopefully recovering now!

Kendra

Sammyjokk

Yayyyyy Slappy-squirrel!!

Happy for you.

kitkatmo

Hello everyone. I cannot begin to tell you how glad I am to have found this forum. I will have a wide excision and SNB on the morning of the 18th. While I'm nervous, I'm grateful that we're finally doing something. This nightmare started for me on April 5th when I found the lump. I had the mammo on the 11th, then the needle biopsy. The surgical removal of the tumor was on May 12th but it took forever to get the final pathology back. My oncologist tells me that less than one percent of breast cancers are spindle cell carcinomas and because it's rare, there is really no standard treatment. I feel like it's taking forever to get this started. He says I'll have radiation for sure and probably chemo since it's triple negative. PET scan last week looks good so I have that to be grateful for. I'm just a basket case. Trying to work while I have all of this anxiety, wondering why everything has to take so long, and everyone's comments about how brave and strong I've been have me worn pretty thin. I don't feel brave, I really just don't have other options. I know that having been through this, you ladies know what I mean. I know I'm ranting, there's just so much I need to scream about.