February 2010 Mastectomy

Good morning ladies---

Thinking good thoughts to those having surgery today and this week!!

Chalex- my muscles flutter and then get very, very tight over my chest.  sometimes it's just half my chest but usually will move across and be the whole chest.  As I am getting used to them it isn't as bad.  my ps gave me Valium for the spasms.  I have only taken it once, yesterday.  It helped a little.

Positive thoughts and prayers to everyone have surgery this week!!  

Hi all, I'm a newbie here!  This is my 2nd bout with BC.  Dr's says it's a new cancer, not a recurrence.  Had a bilateral mx on 2/9/10 with delayed receonstruction, supposed to start chemo in 6-8 weeks, but am having second thoughts about it.  Am in a foul mood today.  Have been pretty positive throughout this whole mess, but I guess everyone has their moments!  Great to meet y'all.  My online friends are what got me through the first bout.

Hi lilacsandoldlace,

Welcome to the group. Sorry, to hear this is your second bout with BC. I can understand why you want to vent. No worries, we get it. Why are you having 2nd thoughts over chemo? Did you have chemo last time?

ReginaR, Sorry to hear you still have that darn drain in. I think in my city they must do the drain thing different. I live in London, Canada and we only get one drain and it's call a HVAC. They do not look like grenades as you ladies have mentioned. I hope you get it out soon. Crossing my fingers for you b/c I think you may feel better once your done with those things..... I know I did. Also, we are getting a snow storm today in my neck of the woods. This weather is crappy, I think we need some warm air and sunshine.

Kayne, My chest does get very tight at times esp. in the morning when I am getting out of bed. It feels like I have a vice on top of my chest. I do get that flutter feeling and I also get twitching from time to time of my legs and arms. It is impulsive and it just happens... Does that happen to you as well?

PiscesMoon- Sorry to hear you were fevered over the weekend. Why is you oncologist making you wait until Mar 11 to find out anything? Do you mean path reports? I work in a hospital and I would be hammering for my path reports/test reports from my fam Dr or ask if the oncologist or surgeon can see you earlier. I am not sure if  you are like me b/c I am aggressive about getting my results quickly and I get copies of all my paperwork.... It's your call but if you are going to be upset/impatient waiting I would question what the hold up is.... To me it is counter productive to make you the patient wait for results if you are fretting.... I hope I was a help and not a hinderence to you.

Chalex

Hi olivia218,

Sorry, to hear about the path report saying the microinvasions were considered invasive. Did the surgeon go over the path report with you and if they did what are they suggesting?

Have you done chemo or any rads b/f surgery? I also had a tumour that was over 5cm and I was given chemo first b/f the mastectomy. The reason why I had chemo first was to shrink the tumour before surgery.

Did you have any lymphs removed with the mx? What kind of mx did you have?

We will get you through this, not to worry.

Chalex

Jen, that's good news about the BRCA results. Thanks for the good wishes tomorrow! See y'all on the other side.

Karen (caltex_catlady)

Hi Everyone - Been reading all your posts for a couple weeks.  Its been a big help. Can you add me to your list on the 25th bilateral nipple sparing with TEs.  Already had my sentinel nodes done 9 days ago.  Thank God they were negative.  Still super sore in arm pits and back of arms though. Keep having to drain off one side so they will put a drain in on Thursday so hopefully it can heal. Getting super nervous just want to be done and hear it's only PLCIS and not ILC.   That's what the random biopsies said, saying lots of prayers.

Praying for all the girls going this week and for healing for the ones that are on the other side.

Lost my mom at 18 from BC just have to keep reminding myself I'm doing for my kids!

Good morning, just logged in quick to add best wishes and prayers for Lee and Karen as they have surgery today.  Meant to post this last night but fell asleep PDQ.  {{hugs}}

Thanks Chalex!  Yes, I had AC chemo thie first time.  It wasn't so horrid, but I'm not sure I want to put all that toxic yuk in my body again.  This will obviously be a different regiment, but still highly toxic.  I just don't know that there is any advantage as my cancers are genetic.  My prayers will be with Karen and Lee today!  I also have tightness around the area where my underarms are.  feels like a steel strip is around my chest.  I'm the oddball, I mostly get that feeling at night. I don't much like it either.

Have my oncology appt today, will found out for sure my stage and all that good stuff, alhtough my own research points to stage 1.  Also having a tooth pulled this morning.  I get so tired of people poking, prodding, shooting and removing things from my body!!!!

That is great news Jen!  Hopefully you will never have to go through this again.  The problem with being positive for the mutations is that I don't think the dr.s know what to do with you.  Bad enough we're mutants!  lol  Anyway, that is great!

Take care all, I hope to be on tomorrow, but who knows.  Praying for all of you!

Lee and Karen - prayers and thoughts!! Cheering you on!!

Black-cat - I will be thinking of you tomorrow DIEP buddy!! 

I went back to work today for four hours and am so sore - I have a desk job but WOW this was a bit of a shock.  

Faith316 - I think I might have returned to soon! It was a lot more than I thought it would be to sit at a desk and do some reading of emails, talking to a few co-workers and trying to process how I will do all of this.  I did not ask how long I should stay off work and was feeling horribly guilty about being off.

I hope you lose that last drain - I know it liberated me! If I could have kicked up my heels I would have!! 

Just a quick note to wish CyndiS, Thibaultm and Black-Cat good luck tomorrow and hoping all the ladies who had surgery yesterday and today are doing well and recovering.

Hope everyone else is recovering nicely.  Will write more later. 

Thanks, Faith!  You're right!  I have been following everyone's experiences and it has surely helped...one of the biggest things that stuck out to me was lowering my caffeine intake before surgery so I dont get a headache.  Isnt that funny?!  Seems so silly, but that's what sticks, LOL!

I am going to Friendly's tomorrow with my friend Kari (who just lost her best friend to bc, SUCKS!), and we are getting a 5-SCOOP ice cream sundae, woo hoo!  

Thanks!  I figure I'll try to lose weight after I'm recovering in the OR...eating broth and jello, LOL.  I'm EATING and enjoying that yummy ice cream and crap while I still can, LOL!