Recent diagnosis

Skyblanket

Aug 26, 2021 left breast at 11 o'clock and at 3 O'clock.

At 11 an invasive mammary carcinoma ductal type with papillary features. Overall grade 1. 2.5 x 1.4x 2.2 cm HER2: positive score 2+

At 3 an invasive mammary ductal type carcinoma. Overall grade 1. 1.2 x .06 x 0.8 cm

I have my Stat appointment next Thursday the 16th of Sept. where I will hear the recommendations for treatment plan. If a mastectomy is recommended which I am thinking will be I am pretty certain I will ask for an aesthetic flat closure.

Anyway as all here know a multitude of thoughts have gone through my head. Overall I am staying pretty balanced but have brief and fleeting moments of terror. I just want to make it through surgery well and it's dealing with the pain afterwards that most concerns me.

If anyone here can offer insights on recovery from pain and time involved and on choosing no reconstruction (going flat) I would really appreciate it.

I am trying to be as well informed as I can prior to this stat meeting.

Thank you

Spookiesmom

I had very little pain after bmx. Didn’t even need Tylenol. The drains are annoying but not painful. I didn’t do recon either. I’ve been flat and happy 9 years.

Skyblanket

WOW thank you for that. So encouraging to hear this.

MountainMia

I didn't have mastectomy, but did have lumpectomy on one breast and reduction on the other (which was much more extensive in terms of incision, etc.) Neither one created much pain. I didn't use anything but tylenol for the lumpectomy, and for the reduction, I may have used 1 pill that was stronger (can't remember!) but only tylenol otherwise.

Good luck and let us know how things are going for you.

Skyblanket

Thank you. I will update as I know more.

LivinLife

I had a BMX. No prescription pain meds once I left the recovery room. got back to my hospital room around 5 p.m. ish. I asked for a Tylenol around 8 p.m. Surgeon gave me 6 tramadol for the 4 hour trip home and beyond if needed. I didn't need it. Instead they had also talked with me about tylenol then 4 hours later Ibuprofen then 4 hours later Tylenol, etc. I did this for a little less than a week (5 days??) and then began forgetting to take them so maybe a few or less per day and in about 10 days taking nothing. Good self-care, not lifting more than a gallon of milk the first 6 weeks, not putting your hands, elbows etc. above your shoulders, taking it easy with other tasks, not reaching too much though also doing gentle range of motion exercises just after surgery (ask surgeon), etc. will make all the difference. I ended up with cording which complicated things and took some months and a lymphedema therapist to remedy though it all worked out..... Best!!!

ARmom4

I initially went flat. I was flat for a year. I was fine with it until I had to do chemo and lost my hair. No hair and no boobs was too hard for me. It dealt a major blow to my self esteem. That lead me to decide to do delayed reconstruction. The only regret I have is not doing it to begin with. I feel back to somewhat normal. My advice, consider all the possibilities and know that you can change your mind at any point.

None of my surgeries were painful. Not the mastectomy and not the reconstruction. Just a bit uncomfortable and the drains are a pain in the ass. Good luck to you!

TB90

Pain is such a personal thing. Like the others, I had minimal pain with my Mx, but my friend really suffered with her lx. I think she wanted to slap me for describing how little pain I had, so struggle between assuring others and minimizing others’ experiences.

ubershop7

When I first learned I had cancer, I panicked and thought I wanted a bmx, too. A few days later, I met with the surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon the same day. The surgeon thought a bmx was too extreme, and asked me to think about it for at least 24 hours. He also prescribed me some low dose lorazepam. I was fine up until that appt. Pretty level headed about it all. But when the nurse gave me this "Welcome to Breast Cancer" binder (it didn't say that, but thats what it was) with all sorts of bc info, that is when I completely lost it. I did not have any nodes involved, and had two small IDC (under 1 cm) within an inch of each other. Mine were not Her2+. When I met with the plastic surgeon, he explained that implant surgery was a long process, and risky in a former smoker. He said the better option would be a-DEIP flap surgery, where they harvest fat from your tummy, inner thigh or butt. He said it is about a 6 hr surgery. I ended up having a lumpectomy, rads and AI and ovary and tubes removed. Listen and think about what the surgeon tells you. Really think about it and decide what's best for you. My lumpectomy surgery was 45 minutes. I spent more time in pre op than the actual surgery. I had no pain. Was given a bottle of oxys which I never took. Take care and hugs to you:)