April 2016 Surgery

Jacklin

A place for April 2016 surgery women and men, to help each other through.

Thank you to all the wonderful post in the past few surgery months, reading those have certainly been of great help! If you are new to the boards and facing surgery, I do encourage you to read through one of the surgery months to see how the stories unfold from waiting, procedures and then recovery.

I will add anyone to the list when dates are posted. Hugs to all joining us.

Let me know (using PM is best as I might miss your info with all the posts) your surgery type & date and I'll do my best to edit this original post regularly. Please let me know of any errors.

Discussion Board acronyms can be found here

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4/1 - Owens69 - lumpectomy

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4/4 - Lizzy1981 - double mastectomy (nipple/skin sparing) with reconstruction

4/5 - nightowlhoot - unilateral mx

4/5 - pauline - BMX with tissue expander placement

4/6 - bernr1309 - mastectomy

4/6 - Jr114 - exchange surgery

4/6 - GraceN - BMX with no reconstruction

4/6 - KammyMN - BMX

4/7 - Gammi4415 - rt lumpectomy, SN

4/7 - Eleanora23 - LUMPX and SNB

4/8 - Teejax - DIEP

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4/11 - Truffles1214 - BMX w/tissue expander placement

4/11 - DisneyDreamn - BMX w/tissue expander placement

4/12 - Betsy918 - BMX

4/12 - Brandford - Lumpectomy

4/12 - MelancholyInNC - Right Lumpectomy with Sentinel Node Mapping and possible node dissection

4/13 - MrsGreenJeans - bilateral exchange + fat grafting

4/13 - afmontenegro - UMX

4/14 - ClarkBlue - BMX with reconstruction

4/14 - Fe Princess - SGAP/Flap sugery to reconstruct my left breast (again)

4/14 - BBgirl22 - bilateral implant exchange with fat grafting scheduled

4/15 - raven4mi - bilateral (left side prophylactic) nipple-sparing mastectomy with tissue-expander replacement

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4/18 - LatiekakeB - 4/18/16, BMX

4/18 - Hopeful07 - bilateral mastectomy with direct to implant

4/19 - Heathet - UMX left, PUMX right

4/19 - vivorme - Bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction tissue expanders

4/19 - Seedsally - right breast mastectomy with sentinel node BX and left breast prophylactic mastectomy.

4/19 - Yoxter123 - Bilateral Tissue Expander placement with Serratus Flap

4/20 - LRGO2016 - PBMX & TE

4/21 - louise1955 - partial mastectomy with Biozorb implant

4/21 - Fleecelady - lumpectomy

4/21 - Nysa - 2nd lumpectomy to widen margins and insertion of the port for chemotherapy

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4/25 - birdysmom - uni mastectomy and underarm node dissection

4/26 - Jacklin - BMX with ALND

4/26 - craze maze - lumpectomy left sentinel node biopsy 4 nodes removed

4/27 - ramprat - exchange surgery

4/28 - Mom2Winston - Nipple sparing BMX with direct implant

4/28 - Alex276 -Mastectomy right side, Prophylactic Mastectomy left side. Tissue expanders placed at same time.

4/28 - Jenn 32214 - partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy

4/29 - baroque_bur_oak - Unilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement

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HELPFUL LINKS...

• Shopping/Packing/To Do List for surgery & recovery
• Preparing For Surgery
• Mastectomy Pre/Post Op Tips
• Top 5 Weird Reasons I Love My Mastectomy
• Lymphedema Forum
• Skin / Scar Remedies
• Wound / Incisional Care
• Dana-Farber / Brigham and Women's Cancer Center: Breast Surgery Guide PDF
• Enhanced Recovery Pathway using Propofol and Paravertebral Block

****Thank you Asante314 for the "March 2016 Surgery" template that I've copied here

Mckaylaleigh

Good luck and prayers to all who will be joining this forum. I had my BMX two weeks ago tomorrow and if any of you have any questions, you can PM me and I will do my best to answer. I am new to all this too so I am by no means an expert, but I sure can share my experience! HUGS to all!

Betsy918

April 12 BMX

MrsGreenJeans

I'm having my bilateral exchange surgery and fat grafting on 4/13.

Best wishes to all with upcoming surgeries.

Mom2Winston

Nipple sparing BMX 4.28 with direct implant.

Gami4415

4/7 rt lumpectomy, SN

OrlandoSurgeons

I has a bilateral mastectomy in September 2016 and my DIEP in December 2016. I have touch up reconstruction scheduled for June almost one year after my DCIS diagnosis. Try to think positive thoughts and go into surgery strong. As a side note, I had no post operative nausea. I had an colonopsy two days prior. I was told that the prep process and cleaning my intestines and colon probably helped. I was so happy that I prepped myself the same way for the DIEP surgery. Again, no post operative nausea. I was in surgery for 6.5 hours with my DIEP and had no nausea afterwards!

Teejax

Hello All.

I am scheduled for diep flap April 8th.

ClarkBlue

4/14 BMX with reconstru

bernr1309

My surgery is on April 6th (mastcetomy)

ER+ / IDC

Lizzy1981

I will be having a double mastectomy (nipple/skin sparing) with reconstruction on 4/4. I'm pretty scared but looking forward to getting it out of my body.

grandma3X

Hi everyone! I'm just popping in from the January surgery group to give some encouragement. I had a UMX with TE on Jan. 13, so about 10 weeks ago. I would say I'm 99% recovered - went back to work at 3 and a half weeks post -op. The recovery was much easier than I anticipated with very little pain. I wrote about my surgery experience in the surgery thread - just search for "no pain, no nausea" with my login name "grandma3x". I'll be having a prophylactic MX of the right side in May, with the same anesthesia regimen. PM me if you have any questions.

Moderators

Hi everyone and welcome to the newbies!

We wanted to share some good information for you and future posters to help prepare for your surgeries:

Check out some good info from the main Breastcancer.org site on Surgery, including:

• What to Expect with Any Surgery
• Lumpectomy: what to expect, side effects, and questions to ask
• Mastectomy: what to expect, side effects, and questions to ask
• Lymph Node Removal: what to expect, side effects, and questions to ask
• Reconstruction: all types of reconstruction, what to expect, side effects, and questions to ask

Also, the Treatment Side Effects section is a great resource for tips to help manage any side effects you may experience.

Lots of practical advice here on helping to prepare for surgery:Shopping/packing/to-do list for surgery + recovery....

Also, you may find it helpful to chat with ladies from past months' surgery threads to get first-hand stories of their experience; see Last Month's Surgery thread.

Hope this helps and good luck with all of your surgeries!

--Your Mods

Truffles1214

Thank you for starting this board Jacklin! It is comforting to be able to connect with other women who know what I'm going through. I will be having a BMX w/tissue expander placement on April 11th.

Jacklin

Hi Truffles, you are welcome, I am glad to part of such a wonderfully support group of women who are going to have surgery we really wish we didn't have to have, but know we need to get the cancer out of our bodies.

Jacklin

Jacklin

Lizzy1981 - know you'll have my thoughts and prayers for your surgery on Monday. When you have a chance, can you let us know how you're doing? Just take care of yourself first and foremost.

Big hug,

Jacklin

Nextyear

I'm waiting for April date. Surgeon wants mastectomy, but I want to try lumpectomy, both sides. Appears no real safety issue long term. I have to make a decision by Tuesday with the understanding that when they open me it may necessitate the mastectomy. I recently recovered from uterine cancer and this new diagnosis was a complete surprise. I just don't want to end up without any feeling! Suggestions?

LatiekakeB

I've been told to expect surgery in April, but do not have an exact date yet, as I just recently decided which type of surgery to proceed with.

I'm only 35, have two young kids. Although I was negative for BRCA mutations, was told I'm at a high risk for recurrence, so my doctor told me if it was her she'd take his route as well. I have existing sub muscular silicone implants, so hopefully that helps with reconstruction /expansion.

Ready to get this out of me and move on to what's next.

Eleanora23

Hi, My lumpex was postponed so now Im going in for the LUMPX and SNB next week on April 7th.

Good luck to everyone and wishing you a speedy recovery!

Ellie

Truffles1214

Best wishes tomorrow Lizzy1981! I'll be thinking about you. I know it's scary. I'm very nervous about my surgery as well, but I just think about the relief I will feel once it is over and done with and the source of my cancer is gone! We will be one step closer to kicking cancer's butt and moving on with our lives....cancer free! 😊 Hang in there and let us know how you are doing when you are feeling up to it. Sending hugs and good thoughts your way

Fe_Princess

4/14, having SGAP/Flap (replacing implant with fat from my bottom). Cannot wait to get the implant out!

louise1955

I am scheduled April 21 for partial mastectomy. I have DCIS in my left breast. Originally thought I wanted a mastectomy, but instead will be having the partial with a Biozorb implant placed. Will help with radiation treatments and will allow new tissue to grow into the void l. May not have such a large indent when the tumor is removed. Not looking forward to ANY of this, but have to.

Jr114

Exchange surgery April 6

GraceN

Hello all!

I have my BMX with no reconstruction April 6th.

Best wishes and prayers for all my April Surgical Sisters!

LRGO2016

4/20: PBMX + TE. Trying to prepare - Can anyone who's been through this process (BMX, TE, new nipples, tattoos) tell me how you feel a year later? I've opted for full reconstruction because I want to appear "normal" to my DH and the world. I'm trying to mentally prepare for my new "normal". Just wishing now it was all over with....

I'm nervous, anxious and a bit frightened about this journey. How long before you feel physically fit again once this is all done? Once I'm released to return to work (anticipating about 1 month post surgery).... Will I be able to stand up straight - and carry off the "nothing is wrong with me" front that is required by my high-stress job place?

Jacklin

To my April surgery Sisters, like you I am not looking forward to my surgery (BMX) and just want it done and over with, but perhaps I can encourage you by sharing with you what I am trying to focus on: the cancer is being removed from my body, it'll be gone, done with, bye bye!

This forum is a great way we can support each other as we prepare for, recover from and move forward with life. If I look back at what others have written about their experience, I know we can do this together.

afmontenegro

Hi ladies!

I am also scheduled for April, good to connect with other people going trough the same. April 13th, one side mastectomy NO reconstruction because I am having radiation afterwards (no lymph nodes involved so far in the images but my docs want to be aggressive since I am TN with large original tumor size (5.5 cm)) I am really nervous about having no reconstruction. My docs say I can have the other one removed and both sides reconstructed around 6 months after radiation when tissues are healed. Has anyone gone though the same thing? I am afraid the delayed reconstruction wont have the same cosmetic results as if I were reconstructed right away. I know this is secondary right now but I am only 37 and makes me very anxious. PLEASE SHARE EXPERIENCES IF YOU HAD DELAYED RECONSTRUCTION. Good luck everyone on your surgeries!

Heathet

hi everyone - I'm scheduled April 19th for a mx on the left and prophylactic mx on the right. My PS is confident l can go right to implant without TEs. I previously had implants that created pockets. It was interesting, he actual drained my implants a week and a half ago to start preparing me for surgery. They were saline. I was diagnosed March 7th with DCIS in the left breast, grade 3, stage 0. We'll know more after the surgery about treatment. I'm hoping that the mx will take care of everything ! But whatever it takes, I'll do it! I feel so ready for this surgery / ready and nervous! It seems like April 19th is so far way but so close. I keep thinking it would be great if they called and said we can get you in next week! But I know these things take a lot scheduling with my BS, PS and the rest of the hospital team. I'm wishing everyone an easysurgery and a speedy recovery.

Jacklin

Hi afmontenegro, your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have cancer in my left breast and require a mastectomy followed by radiation. I have opted to have a bilateral mastectomy for personal reasons. Since I will have radiation after the surgery, I am ineligible for reconstruction now and have to wait 9 - 12 months after surgery to allow the skin to heal. My tumour was close to the size of a baseball by the time neoadjuvant chemo started for me. I have spoken to a number of surgeons here (in Canada) and they all tell me that it is more important to allow the skin to heal than to have reconstruction. I hear you when you express your anxiousness in not having reconstruction right away, but ultimately, you want the best result and if that means to wait, then please try to take comfort in knowing the doctors want the best results for you. If you do some research online, or ask you PS, you will learn that some women who had reconstruction followed by radiation had nasty outcomes - when I saw some of the photos, I agreed to wait, it wasn't worth the risk for me.

I hope this helps you in some way. We're on this mountain climbing journey together, we're here to support each other.

All the best,

Jacklin

baroque_bur_oak

Unilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement, 4/29.

Pretty fudging anxious about recovery, and how I'll feel about my appearance afterward. Won't know about radiation (and therefore timing of reconstruction) until after surgery. Best case scenario (PCR to neoadjunct TCHP) is that I'm in a "gray zone" for rads due to the tumor's original size and location (medial), as well as my relative youth (I'm only30).

Was told Mx would be the better cosmetically than a lumpectomy because my 32B was full of microcalcifications. Opted for the single because it means less recovery time, and I want my fudging life back already!!! (Tested negative for alterations/mutations on all 49 testable, cancer-associated genes. Go figure.)

Can anyone attest to whether Mx recovery is easier than chemo?

Lizzy1981

I had my surgery yesterday. I'm writing this post from my hospital bed. I can't sleep. Getting in and out of the bed is horrible even with help from the nurses. My tissue expanders feel like rocks on my chest. This is no fun. Not at all. I thought it was going to be easier than this.