Oncologist want mastectomy/surgoen node disction.help!

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lorijo1993
lorijo1993 Member Posts: 40
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

only me, I had what we thought would be a simple treatment, the tumor looked small, so I went in for a simple lumpectomy and a sentinal node biopsy, tumor was only 8mm. Then the path report came back...one of 2 lymph node had a micrometastis. I had a MRI yesterday to determin  if there are any other tumors. My Oncologist want me to have a mastectomy regardless of the MRI but my Surgeon only wants me to have the node disection only, I know I will have to have chemo and radiation after surgery (no radiation if mastectomy). I am a CCU RN and get alot of medical advise, most suggeste mastectomy before I even had the lumpectomy. Is a bilat, mastectomy over-kill? My breast are very large and I have looked into having a breast reduction in the past but chickened out.

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited May 2009

    For women who are BRCA+, bilateral mastectomy is frequently recommended. If you are unsure and getting conflicting advice, you may want to consider getting another medical opinion - or two. You have to be comfortable with your decision

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  • bre
    bre Member Posts: 89
    edited May 2009

    Hi Lori,  Some questions to ask yourself.  Do you want to go through radiation treatments?  If you do lumpectomy and nodes then you will need rads.  Do you want to worry about something hiding in large breasts?  Will that be more stress than it's worth?  It's a very personal decision.  Collect the facts, list the pros and cons of each, make the best decision you can based on the info you have, and don't look back.  Surgeons today are really into breast sparing as much as possible and may try to pressure you that direction.Sounds like you have caught it really early.  I wish the best for you.

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  • jeezy
    jeezy Member Posts: 32
    edited May 2009

    Lori,

    In the end the choice has to be yours and you need to be very informed even if that means getting a second opinion.

    I do want you to hear my story because of your concern about overkill.  My mom had BC when I was six and had a mastectomy because that was all they did then.  When I was 28 my OB/GYN suggested I have a bilat and reconstruction so I wouldn't have to worry about it because of my family history.  I thought what he was suggesting was overkill.  At age 34, I was diagnosed with Stage III BC had a lt mast and had strong chemo and 30 rads.  I survived for 12 years wondering why I didn't have the rt breast removed because I had very dense breasts.  I even met with a plastic surgeon 6 years ago and discussed the surgery, but never followed through.  In February my routine mamo found a new lump which has turned out to be a new primary cancer at stage II so I'm going through chemo again.  I refuse to say "what if" because of the choices I made at the time. I believe God has a plan and obviously this is his plan for me and I will go with it and fight the battle again the same way I did the first time. 

    Whatever you choose to do will be the right thing for you and I will keep you in my prayers.  Please keep us informed of your decision and progress.

    Jeezy~ 

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  • lorijo1993
    lorijo1993 Member Posts: 40
    edited May 2009

    Jeezy,

    First of all It is in God.s hands and I should give it to HIM, I keep trying to guide him instead  of HIM guiding me, fear and doubt keep creaping in. You touched me and sound very stronge, the one word that keeps comming back to me is dense, the Radiologist (during my biopsy )kept saying how increadably dense my tissue, it took 3 different needles and over a hour to do a needle biopsy, he also said how luck I was that the small tumor could be found in such dense tissue.

    Thank you

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  • lorijo1993
    lorijo1993 Member Posts: 40
    edited May 2009

    I dread radiation, not really afraid of chemo, but I live 1hr away from the Hospital I work at and will have to make the trip in every day, and leaving  a very busy ICU for a short time is really hard.

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  • jeezy
    jeezy Member Posts: 32
    edited May 2009

    Lori,

    I am glad I could help in some way.  I think all BC survivors are brave and remember you are a survivor the minute you are diagnosed.  I also had to drive an hour to and from the hospital for rads.  I did my best to schedule it around work and I'm so lucky that by boss is very compassionate and worked with me on my schedule.  I know ICU is a very important and can see why you being there is very important, but you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others and you will be needed in the ICU long after you've completed surgery and treatments so right now you have to put yourself and your health before anyone else.  Sometimes we have to make hard decisions and this is definitely a hard one.  I didn't work during my chemo in 1996 and I just decided this weekend that I'm probably going to take off this time too.  I'm very lucky because I have leave available and a disability and cancer policy that will pay my salary while I'm off so that made the decision a little easier.  I know everyone is not so lucky, but please take care of yourself and rest when you need too.  Let your body be your guide and don't push it too hard.

    Let me know if you have any questions, I certainly don't have all the answers, but I have a good ear. 

    God Bless You!!

    Jeezy~ 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2009

    lorijo,

    Have you spoken with a plastic surgeon?  The reconstruction options that are available to you may help you make your decision.  All of your options will impact your ability to lift patients in the short term, and some may include long term restrictions on lifting.  You want to know about those before you make your decision.

    For me, I decided on a bilateral mastectomy.  My breasts were large, so I would not have been able to come anywhere near symmetry without a reduction on the "good" side.  Because I was going smaller, I was able to have a skin sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with silicone implants.  I am very happy with my results.  They may not be original equipment, but they are real, and I don't have any clothing issues. 

    I was able to avoid radiation, and  there was ADH tissue in the "good" breast, so if I hadn't had the bilateral, I'd have been going though this again soon.

    That is what worked for me.  You have to figure out what will work best for you not only right now, but going into the future as well. 

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  • lorijo1993
    lorijo1993 Member Posts: 40
    edited May 2009

    Thank you all for the advice, I as for taking off for any other surgery, my earned time off is rappidly depleting, before all this happened I had taken a week off to take my 14 year old daughter toWashington D.C. for spring break (of course before the mamogram) then took off for 2 weeks for the lumpectomy, My 31 year old daughter is having my 1st granddaughter by c-section 6hrs away from here in Cincinnati (her husband has to go to Europe 3 day;s later X10 days for his work, this trip is very important for his future)and I am taking a week to be with her, I don't know how long I will be off for the next surgery (how long will I be off with a mastectomy with reconstruction?) all but 1 week of the next surgery will be with out pay, but I have short term disability that will pay a percentage of my pay, we have a little savings but a big house payment. As for work, my co-workers are very supportive and will help me all they can, I have been in the CCU for 11 years. I do have a peace that every thing is going to work out.

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  • nelia48
    nelia48 Member Posts: 539
    edited May 2009

    An 8 mm sized tumor sounds large to me.  I was staged at 3b.  Did chemo first to shrink the tumor.  Then mastectomy, and 35 rounds of radiation.  I just went along with what the oncologist told me to do.  My surgeon never suggest anything else, so I didn't have or know of any other choices other than maybe having BOTH breasts removed.  I wish I did now.  I wouldn't be worrying so much about it coming back in the other one and having to do this all over again!

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  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited May 2009

    Nelia - Lorijo's tumor is 8mm - not 8cms. 

    Linda

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  • tnmtnmomma
    tnmtnmomma Member Posts: 20
    edited May 2009

    First, if you are willing to turn it all over to the Lord you will find that he will give you unbelievable peace and strenght through this journey.

    Second, I was VERY aprehensive when faced with radiation. I found that I had all the wrong misconptions. I'm in my 4th week of 6 1/2 weeks of rads and it really is no big deal. Ever have an x-ray? That's about it.

    I'll be adding you to my prayer list,

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