Healing after lumpectomy

Hi, everyone.  Had my lumpectomy on February 27, and while the bruises have finally faded, the pain from the lymph node site is still there - mostly with nerve endings coming back to life.  Same for the scar over my breast - they are all coming back, so from time to time I get really horrible shooting pains across the scar.  Sometimes deep pain where the tumor was, but mostly around the scar.  Can't lift much with the lymph node side, and sore from port removal on 5/8.  Some day I'll have full function of both arms and shoulders!!

Elisheva - Did the oncologist tell by how much the distant reccurrance percentage would drop with chemo?  For example, my Oncotype was a 12 which put me at 8% chance of recurrence and chemo would only bring that to 7%.  I know Sloan has a great reputation, but it totally stressed me out and I wound up staying local.  I just couldn't deal with the 2 hour drive down there.  I went to the Dyson Cancer Center in Poughkeepsie which is also about 10 minutes from me and was glad I did.  Let me know how you make out with the 2nd opinion.

Sue

Hi,

I am treated at Memorial Sloan in NYC and believe that I am getting good care...but no matter where you will end up going you will get totally stressed out ...I just went where I thought they would be up on all the latest treatments and clinical trials if I need it.

There is a lot of waiting around but have to say everyone very caring and professional..they aren't therapist or social workers however so you have to recognize the fact that if you need help overcoming this unexpected diagnosis you might need a therapist to talk things over...I believe a good therapist - for me a woman therapist can really help getting thru it all...I myself didn't see one yet but consider a session just to get some of my thoughts cleared up and coming to terms with what treatments I have to have and the actual emotional trauma that goes with that.

Good health to everyone!



Lizzy and Hanna (my daughter and my support and rock all the way thru)

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and I requested this test.  No results yet, I see the oncologist Thurs. will let you know.  Clear margin, clear nodes.  Thank you all for being here

BlessedOne2 - Your dx is very close to mine, except my tumor was 3 cm and I am HER2-.  It took about 2 weeks for the steri strips to come off.  If you've already seen your breast surgeon for your post surgery followup, then you can remove them when you are ready, unless your surgeon wants to see you one more time, then they should stay on until then.  after this much time, you might need to use some olive oil or vitamin E oil, or a little gentle soap to loosen them - that's what I had to do because they were really stuck on there.  Good luck!

Elisheva - Hi!  I had my lumpectomy on 2/27/09 and while the breast has healed for the most part, except for the shooting pains periodically either where the lump was in the middle of the right side of the right breast and from the scar itself as the nerve endings heal, the area from the lymph node biospy is still number and tender.  I had an Oncotype score of 17%, and my onc, rad onc and bs all voted for me doing chemo.  I reluctantly agreed and was set for 4 tx of taxotere/cytoxan.  Started on 4/2 immediately following a port placement.  Made it to round 2, on 4/23 but decided to stop after that because I was getting secondary side effects on top of the "normal" chemo se's that ended me in the ER following both infusions.  Once from an allergic reaction to the Nuelasta - I was having respiratory problems, and once from my port and the area around it swelling, a very rapid irregular heartbeat - both of which lasted for five days.  So, with my onc's blessing, I stopped and began rads, which I'm finishing by Friday of this week.  Rads was much easier, with the main se of pink / very tan skin, some light blistering on the last day of regular tx, I'm doing the boosts now, and waves of strong fatigue, again only towards the end.  I believe once I am done, I will have follow ups with all of my doctors, and then start on the 5 year AIs to block estrogen production.  Looking foward to being able to work out a little more each day, and get back on the road to feeling and looking and being better!

Blessedone - if you have appts to see your docs, you can definitely wait to take off the steri strips, although they typically can come off within a week or 10 days after your initial follow up to your bs, especially if one seems to be digging in a bit.  You will have to really work it with the olive oil and some soap - I used a q-tip to start wiggling it around under the edges and worked my way to the center.  took a few days.

I will be starting on hormonal therapy more than likely in August or early September.  Am finishing up with rads this week and then have followups with bs and medical onc in July.

My lumpectomy was 2/27, and by the time we got the oncotype score back, it was mid-March, so I had my port inserted on like 3/27 and first chemo on a Thursday, 4/2.  My onc and I decided about the chemo, and scheduled the port, which happened literally the next day.  I saw the onc on 3/26, cut all of my hair off the same day, and went in for the port the next day which was placed by my bs on a Friday morning.  For the chemo infusions, they like to do them on Thursdays, at least my doctor did, so you are getting the worst of the se's over the weekend (usuallly Sunday is the bad day), and pulling out of the chemo fog and se's by Monday or Tuesday.  Each body is different though, so for me, it wasn't until Wed. that I was feeling better. 

The AI's I mentioned are the aromatase inhibitors (hormonal therapy) I will be on, since even though I'm only 46, I've been in surgical menopause for 10 years.  Otherwise, I would be on tamoxifen instead. 

BlessedOne2 - you know they won't - it's just riiiiiiip and they'll pull it off!  Good luck and once you get it loose on both ends and just a little left in the middle, what I did is yank it off in the shower when wet and soapy - it didn't hurt as much. 

Hello ladies...I am fascinated by this site,and living with 3 males,feel I'm not alone! Had a lumpectomy 6/15..like I have read,no-one told me what to expect and the numbness,stretching feeling under my armpit is very disconcerting. I just read about the olive oil trick for getting the steri-strips off..good idea cause man o man they are really on there. Good luck to everyone.

I had a lumpectomy..BS said all lymph nodes clear so no drain. I haven't been told what grade my tumor is/was,hopefully all my questions will be answered by onc at 7/7 appt. YOU WOMEN ARE ALL SO FREAKING BRAVE AND SMART..just had to get that off my chest. Glad I'm part of this...I def need to vent!!!!

It's part of your profile - go to your profile and there are pre-set questions you can fill out, plus add some info about yourself.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I got that right. The sun finally came out here after no joke like 24 days of rain. I'm not sure what the next step for me is..how much do you read into the Ki-67(proliferation index)..it seems to be a tumor marker..anybody have any ideas?

It's been about 3 months since my lumpectomy. My breast isn't as hard , buy still swollen a bit. My surgeon's nurse told me to expect sweling & lumpiness for several months. Als o, with the damp rainy weather I've been getting a little more pain.