When was your surgery scheduled?

KotchAJ

For those of you that are going onto surgery after chemo or already did, has anyone gotten a surgery date while undergoing chemo? I only have three more Taxol treatments to go and I'm wondering when we will discuss this? I'm just curious and am a planner by nature, plus it will be running into the holidays and I don't want to wait until after to get anything done. Hello deductible among other things. I was told I'd get about a two week break before surgery, but nothing's been planned yet.

Just curious what other's timelines were who went before me.

mle42

I met with my Surg Onc for a check-in at the halfway point of chemo and we penciled in a tentative surgery date, then met again when I went in for my final chemo infusion and finalized the surgery plan and date. She wanted the surgery to be 4-6 weeks after the final chemo so that my white cell count would stabilize and I would heal OK. It would have been at the 4 week mark, ended up at the 6 week mark because my last infusion was canceled. I'm glad I had that time for my body to recover from chemo, 2 weeks between last infusion and surgery seems really short to me!

ThreeTree

I finished chemo during the first week of June of 2019 and my surgery was the following July 19. My surgeon wanted to do the surgery around the end of June or early July, and I told him I wanted as much time as possible to recover some from the chemo and have my numbers come up a bit, so he said OK, but that he didn't want to wait too long. I think he would have been willing to wait until the end of July, but the surgery schedule, etc. needed to be taken into consideration, so I got a couple of weeks beyond what he had initially suggested, and I'm glad I had them.

1982M

Good question KotchAJ! I'm following. I finish Dec 8th and won't see a plastic surgeon until AFTER I'm done chemo during our surgical planning meeting…. even though I don't know what surgery I am having yet or what my options are (I mean detailed options for reconstruction etc. I know it’s mastectomy or re-excision but not the details of reconstruction for either).

I was wondering if they do it a little sooner with the 12 taxol just bc white counts don't drop usually as much as AC + Taxol? I'm hoping for a early January date so I can be healed for my 40th bday. Or atleast healed enough to enjoy a small celebration.

LW422

My surgery was 4 weeks after my last chemo treatment. Like the others, my SO wanted my blood counts to recover before surgery.

MinusTwo

It is your choice to meet with a surgeon & a plastic surgeon NOW. You don't need to wait until you chemo is completed to start having those discussions. You may have to wait for blood counts, but at least you've explored the possibiliteis

1982M

MinusTwo: I'm in Canada. Definitely not my choice. I need the surgeons referral. I would like too, but I called and they won't put a referral through for me. The nurse navigator is the gate keeper to the surgeon for the referral. No real way around it. I’m frustrated and annoyed for sure. Even though healthcare is free here, I live in a crap province for healthcare.

KotchAJ

Follow up from my question on this thread. Thanks for the responses everyone, it helps!

I spoke with my MO yesterday and I will go over to the surgeon on November 16th after my final chemo to discuss surgery dates. Since I didn't have AC + Taxol, only Taxol, my numbers are actually pretty good with the exception of my magnesium. I've been very fortunate with that, I think!

Since it is only Taxol, they will do bloodwork to make sure my numbers are good, then schedule my surgery. Two weeks is the norm here for that. I will be having a lumpectomy and axillary node removal. I had two nodes that had necrotic cancer tissue in them when they did my biopsies back in June.

1982M-I hope that you get in when you want in January. And celebrate that birthday regardless. You can always do half birthday celebration as well you know:-) Who makes the rules anyway?

1982M

That’s a great suggestion KotchAJ. I’m going to celebrate my 40.5 birthday like I envisioned celebrating my 40th ❤️

Also thanks for the update. Seems like I may get a late Dec or early Jan. I’m pretty compliant 😂. My bloodwork on the 12 week taxols been pretty good. I had drops in my neutrophils but turns out that was the flu shot and I’m back to pretty michbaseline

1982M

I wanted to update for others searching. I did only 12 taxol. I finished chemotherapy today (Dec 8th) and the surgeon said she would co-ordinate with the plastic surgeon between Jan 10th-21st. I'm hoping closer to the 10th so I can feel ok for my 40th. A very low key 40th I'm sure it will be. I already put my my 40.5 party in my husbands calendar thanks to you KotchAJ 😂.

Update: Surgery is last week of Jan- 7 weeks out from taxol. Omicron and my surgery literally days before my birthday I will def not be celebrating my 40th as planned. It will suck