Poll on Sentinel Node Biopsy Pain

Hi everyone! Sitting here in the hospital waiting for surgery.  Just had the tracer dye injections for the sentinel node biopys.  I didn't feel a thing - it did not hurt at all!  Woohoo for Menorah Medical Center.  I did ask for the numbing cream which  was applied about 45 minutes before they took me down.  The needles were really tiny, they inject only a tiny amount of dye with a numbing agent and I really didn't feel the dye being injected.

I suggest anyone should have a talk with Nuclear Medicine before undergoing the test.  Make sure they are doing it using the most current protocols and you will be just fine.

Surgery in an hour or so...

Michelle

Michelle,

Great to know, now prayers are going up for you. Let us know how it went when you're feeling up for it.

Karen

Hi everyone!  We got home a little more than an hour ago.  I feel amazingly well.  Of course, that could be from the morphine they gave me in Recovery - at about 4:00.  I've got my pain meds and antibiotic right by my chair and a 48-ounce BubbaKeg of water.  I did not have any nausea at all thanks to the Patch I use to prevent motion sickness.  I had some left over from a cruise we took in January and the anesthesiologist told me yesterday that I could use it, so I put it on last night.

The Sentinel Node showed no sign of cancer cells in the pathology during surgery.  The tumor is just at 3 cm so I will be able to do Mammosite radiation and the placeholders are installed.  

I could not have asked for better results at this point.  Of course, the full pathology report will tell the rest of the story, along with the Oncotype score.

A big thanks to all of you who were keeping me in your thoughts and prayers! 

Deb - ask to talk to Nuclear Medicine and ask them these questions:

1.  what is the size of the needles used for the injections?  Mine were tiny like what's used for insulin.

2.  do they mix lidocaine with the tracer dye?  If they say 'no', then tell them to call Menorah's Nuclear Med department and get educated.

3.  What volume do they inject?  They used just about 3 cc's in my needles.  Apparently, they "used" to inject much more and now it's just a tiny amount.

I hope you get the right answers (which will reassure you) and that all goes well tomorrow.  I will be sending positive thoughts to the southwest!  We might have to get together for lunch in a few weeks!

Cancer has been evicted....yeahhhh!!!

Michelle

I am nearly three weeks post lumpectomy and my nipple is still tender, sore and aching.  I think it's from the tracer shots that were so painful.  The surgeon brushed aside the situation, saying, "The nerves all go toward the nipple, so any discomfort is focused there."  What?

Has anyone else had this after surgery in  the nipple?

Ninamat - Sorry you had so much pain.  Because of reading this thread - I asked in advance (more like insisted) that Lidocaine was put in the tracer shot.  I also slathered 4% Lidocaine on my boob and wrapped it in saran wrap an hour before. I also took a few  Ativans to relax me.   As a result my pain was more likely a 4 or 5 rather than a nine or ten.  Did you do any of this?  I've found that we need to ASK about everything.  No one is going to suggest we do this or that.   It is ultimately up to us.  I am really sorry you (or any of us) has to go through such a barbaric practice. 

I had three shots to inject the tracer fluid the night before my surgery.  Not going to lie - it was horrible and I didn't expect it to be so bad.  I knew it would be uncomfortable but really thought I could handle it.  It's funny how it seems to be so different for everyone.

Saddest thing to me was how I was feeling so up and positive about my surgery and this procedure just kind of broke me down, made me feel not as strong as I thought I was....like maybe I couldn't fight this battle.  Well your mind is a powerful thing ladies....I just focussed on mind-over-matter and sucked it up.  Feeling fine now, still a little sore from surgery, but just as strong

I would suggest that everyone ask for some numbing medication or a light tranquilizer.

i must put my 2 cents in here...i had the sentinel node removed and went to sleep.felt nothing.unfortunately the dr did not do the right thing as i have to do it again.by another dr.BUT again i am going to sleep...I am a chicken...i did not see any posts about anyone sleeping through this nightmare.WHAT AM I MISSING HERE????????????

Wow, I wished I had read this thread before I had my surgery on 7/28.  I have a high pain tolerance but I almost lost it when the radiologist was injecting the radioactive stuff.  They also had to put a wire through.  So I think altogether 5 or 6 pricks.  It was very very painful for me and I asked him why is he struggling with my skin?  He said that because of my age, the skin is tougher (I'm 48).  After he was done, they had to cover it with a gauze and I could see that it was bleeding.  The pain went away an hour later. They never numbed me

I had lumpectomy and 1 lymph node out (out patient surgery).  I was given percocet but did not require to take any.  I have 2 incisions and they are about 2.5 inches each. 

It is 4.5 weeks post surgery, scar healing nicely but the nipple is a little swollen and it is very tender to the touch.  My breast is a bit stiff too.  Will see BS tomorrow so will see what he said.

BTW, one week post surgery, I have developed ringing in the ears and mild fever, under 100.2 and I will find out more tomorrow.  Will keep you guys updated.

Ok. I'm one who breezed thr my SN biopsy. My sis asked before I went down to surgery if this was a painful surgery and the nurse told her yes.  I had it done, went home and back to work the next day.

Yes, we are all very different.

I don't remember the pain being too much, (it wasn't more than I expected) when the dye was injected hours before my mastectomy. I mostly remember how wierd it was when the assistant was holding my breast steady for the injections and wondering why I was feeling so modest about it since  it is a medical setting and the breast was a goner anyway . It was very surreal.

When you woke up after surgery, did you have electric shock sensations where the removed nodes were? That hurt!

I wish they had injected the lidocaine for me...the shots without it were really painful.

I'm a newbie here and just had to post.  1 week ago today I had a lumpectomy with SNB and I am furious at how painful the radioactive injection was and at how uncaring the staff appeared to be.  I'm scheduled to have my follow-up & test results tomorrow.  I'm hoping for clear margins and no node involvement!!!

I love my BS but if I have to have any more procedures, I think I will have to switch to a different hospital and give up my BS.

I've had numerous surgeries over the years and this hospital was the absolute worst and I refuse to ever go there again in my life!

I will make it my life's mission to inform women to not allow themselves to be subjected to unnecessary pain!

 My SNB wasn't painful, just a little weird with everyone's attention focused on my boob!

I didn't get the dye, just the radioactive tracer the day before my surgery. I can't remember whether it was 6 or 8 shots total (I started to look down and check! LOL), but it was mixed with lidocaine and the first couple stung a little. They put a heat pack inside my bra and told me to come back in 3 hrs for the scan itself, and to massage the breast for at least 5 minutes, preferably sooner rather than later. I went back home to finish uploading my vacation pics to Facebook. I felt very silly massaging my breast and watching the clock. Five minutes can be a long time!

When I went back in, the first view showed one node lit up, but the tech doing it said that there can be more than one SN sometimes, so she did a lateral view and up popped 2 more! One was brighter than the other 2 and she said that could just be my body processing the dye faster than expected and it had had time to go beyond the 'true' SN, or there could be more than one and that it would be the surgeon's decision the next day.

He ended up taking 2 (the one that lit up the brightest, and the next closest one that was marked). They were both negative, so he didn't feel the need to take the third one, too.

They put me under before the bilateral SNB so I consider myself lucky.

I feel the need to say that if you have the opportunity to use the numbing agent, I would.  I was not given a choice, and I found the injection to be very painful.  With everything I have been through since Dec 2008, when I look back I definitely think this was the most pain I have ever experienced.  It was very quick, but the intensity of the pain in such a short period of time made me scream then cry.  Someone was holding my hand, unfortunately I don't think that helps unless the person volunteers to take the needle for you! 

I find it amazing how it effects everyone differently.  Hopefully the pain is less for most people.

Kristi