Sentinel Node Biopsy Radioac. Tracer Didn't Work?!

Wendy -- my SNB failed also, although we went ahead with the surgery and the BS removed the first 4 nodes (negative).  She told me that I was only the second patient she'd ever had where the SNB failed (she's been doing this for over 20 years).

I don't remember too much pain involved in the injection although there was some.

Linda

Wendy,

There was a lot of discussion about SNB a few months ago. LOTS of women thought it was very painful. Some had lidocaine added to the injection which had a numbing effect. Some had a salve rubbed on the skin first that helped with discomfort.  In my own case I just got the injections and thought it was pretty painful. It helped that the technician was slow to push the solution into the tissue. 

I didn't know it could not work. Did they massage your breast after injection? I guess anatomy could be different in some people. I think the assumption is that the solution drains thru the lymph system to the axilla but maybe yours drains medially? Was your urine blue or green that day? That shows the dye moved through your body.

pam 

Wendy,

The doctor who gave me my injection right into the breast told me this is really going to hurt. I had nothing before hand.   However for me it didn't hurt at all.  He said I was one of the few who didn't have pain.  Thank goodness I had this for I had positive nodes then besides my mastectomy and SNB, I had a auxiliary node dissection.  Just to let you know they gave me the injection and waited for four hours then checked to see if it was working into the nodes.    I hope this helps and that you find a place that will be more understanding that this hurt you, and that they work with you to numb the area ahead of time LMX (lidocaine cream) can be given to numb the area.  I was given this for my guided image biopsy of my tumor before they did a lidocaine injection, it really helped and I never felt a thing.  

Hi, I had mine injected into my breast near wear my lump was (and yes it hurt!).  They only waited around half an hour then tried to scan but nothing showed up. I had to massage the area for a while and then it worked and they got the scans they needed.

I had my sentinel node biopsy right during my lumpectomy surgery (California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco--and boy are they wonderful). No pain, no nothing.  I can't believe the pain you all have to go thru--it sounds like torture.  Hehewuti, talk to your surgeon and make them give you a numbing agent--if they won't i would have someone else do it. I just can't believe what they do-i'd have post traumatic stress disorder after something like that. 

Good luck, sweetie. 

I had the tracer injected the day before.  It was painful.  I've posted most of the details on other threads.  They had me wait about 30 minutes and did a scan and you could see all of the little bits moving out like little ants.  I went in the next morning for the SNB and went straight to radiology to make sure everything had dispursed over night.  The blue dye wasn't injected until I was out for surgery.  I had bright blue (think raspberry sno cones) urine and I still have a blue discoloration on my breast and it has been 2 years since the procedure.

I don't have the blue discolouration on my breast anymore because my breasts came off....sigh. I kinda forgot about that blue spot....

My surgeon used a lidocaine spray for the SNB. Some people will apply EMLA cream themselves, so if you're told they don't give anythiing that would be something you can do.

I think you're supposed to apply it beforehand and then cover your breast in saran wrap (yeah, sounds weird, but that's what people did).

Best of luck.

Leah

I had it done as well and experienced no pain whatsoever.  I received a numbing cream first, then lidocaine and never felt a thing.  I was petrified however, after all the stories I had heard.  I just don't understand why some of us are given creams, lidocaine, etc., while others of us are made to suffer greatly.  There is just no excuse for that to happen at all.  My tracer didn't work either, but they used some kind of radioactive thing on them and ended up taking only one which was clear.  I did have some blue spots for a little while but if I remember correctly, the dye only lasted for a little over a week or so. 

Linda