December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

Spunkybooster, I have 2 boys - 10 and 13 (5th & 8th grades). I called both of their guidance counselors, and told them what was going on (my surgery is tomorrow). I told the 8th graders counselor that I just wanted the teachers to cut him a break in case we doesn't turn in a homework assignment. It's not because he didn't want to do it, we might have had a bad night at home. I also spoke to my 5th graders teacher (on top of all this BC crap, he's being evaluated by child study team for ADD and learning disabilities). She's going to work with him as well. They were all very grateful that I let them know what was going on. My 8th graders counselor called him into his office and told him that he's had first-hand experience with BC and that whatever they talked about stayed in that office. My son won't even tell me any more than that 'cause the counselor told him he didn't have to. I'm comforted to know that they're going to get additional support.

Sisters -

Had  my BMX on Monday - got to the hospital at 9:30 a.m., had the dreaded radioactive isotope shot in my boob, and mostly it felt like a bee sting. They told me to massage the breast to help dissipate the material and the pain, and it helped. BMX started at 3 p.m. and went fine - initial SN biopsy result was clear!!! Had TEs inserted, finally got to my room at 8 pm.

Awake off and on most of the night, chatting with the nurse. Pain was never really under control after anesthesia wore off - I was such a weenie about the morphine pump (PCA) that I only pushed it once an hour instead of every ten minutes. Big mistake.

Good news, though, never felt one minute of nausea!

Was planning to stay another night, but the nurse talked me out of it. Hospitals are not the best place to recuperate, if you have someone to help you at home. She made my put on my big girl panties and get the heck outta Dodge. I was glad I did.

The rented hospital bed at home has been a lifesaver! Started taking the max doses of Norco every six hours for pain, and have gotten some good sleep. Still on Cipro and Benadryl. Haven't had to take any nausea drugs.

The ace bandage around my chest is so tight I thought my arms would turn blue. They didn't.

Friends have been bringing meals. DH is on drain and med control. He likes charts.

No constipation yet, but oh - the gas!!!! I feel like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon with a small leak - sssssssssssss!!!

SOOOO glad to be home, thinking about all y'all going in for your procedures this week.

xoxoxo

Thank you for the teachers' insight.  My son's counselor is going to contact my son's teachers and let them know what's going on. 

CharB22-Good luck tomorrow.  Prayers and thoughts going out to you for a successful surgery and a full and hasty recovery.

blessings2011-glad to hear you're home and on the road to recovery.  Now if you could just find a way to put that gas to good use.

fitzdc-that shower must have felt like a million $-congratulations!

-Kelly

Hi everyone...Just got home from work, grandbaby is fed (I get him on Thursdays :-) and he just fell asleep.  I have been thinking about everyone ALL day, i couldnt wait to get home and check to see how everyone is doing. Lots of surgeries today!!!  Sending positive thoughts to everyone who will be in the boat tomorrow...

Vicky

Blessings20...thank you for all of that information.  Sounds like you did very well. Spectacular! xxox

Blessings- welcome to the other side; sounds like you are doing great!

regenschirm:  MD Anderson is a great hospital and they have specialists there for almost any kind of bc.  Good decision to go and seek out the best.  If my diagnosis had been complicated I would have done the same.  All the best to you.

I don't know if I got good new, bad news or what this week, kind of on overload.  BRCA 1&2 came back negative, so I know that's good; however, labs from Friday show I'm anemic, my vit D is low, alkaline phosphate is high, have a UTI and on an unrelated scan found a liver lesion.  So now everything is on hold again, have to go back to BS on Monday and have CT of chest/abdomen/hips and a biospy of lump that's appeared on upper back/neck [though BS said that would be an unlikely place for it to spread to.

Does these results mean that the breast cancer has already spread to my liver and/or bones? Is that what they are concerned about, why they're having me do all these CT's now?  Will I be able to get surgery and treatment started if I'm anemic, have a UTI and low vit D? Now what do I do?  All those make me feel worse already, but put them on top of breast cancer [which I don't know if is spread throughout my body or not] and I honestly feel afraid that I wouldn't make it off the table. 

Hi ladies,

I am thinking about all those who have surgeries today and coming up. I second Jenn, as the anxiety about any surgery is worse than the procedure. Seems like yesterday I had my BMX, and it was actually 4 weeks ago. I told my kids school too, and they have received LOTS of support and care from everyone there. Remember, we are all there with you when you go in, and we will all be here for you when you come back to the board. We are in this together! 

Had my surgery yesterday and just wanted to tell the ladies who are coming up on theirs that I'm doing great.  Not alot of pain and the whole thing wasn't as bad as I thought.  Worse part was the numbing shots in the breast and nipple - oh and the iv but I have really really bad veins (had to use an ultrasound to find them and took 3 tries)  be sure to hydrate really well the day before surgery so you won't have any problems with the iv.  

I wish you all good luck and lots of love!

PS -- had a lumpectomy with SNB 

Kaara, every place seems to have their own practices and vary with procedure. Some gals wake up in garments, others are told to purchase a specific model of camisole for the trip home, etc. Seems to depend on the centre.

For lumpectomy, same-day surgery and home that day, I was just told to bring a sports bra.  Mine does up in the back and there was no problem with that. I can't remember if someone did it for me or I did it. What was key is that it was bounce-proof. I worry the step-in types are stretchy and the poor, wounded breast would be jiggly. You do not want bouncing with a lumpectomy.

In contrast, for the mastectomy, I had to purchase a camisole with pockets. The step-in/stretch characteristic is not a problem there because there is no wounded breast to jiggle, but it was a waste of freaking money. It had no support for the other breast. The special feature of the camisole is pockets for the drains. If someone can't figure out how to clip the drains to a waistband, belt, or string, or stick into pyjama shirt pocket, then they can have the camisole. It was the stupidest thing I have bought in this process. 

But there was no drain for lumpectomy for me. The healing for lumpectomy was really fast. Too bad that wasn't the end of it.

Hoping you have a relaxing weekend. Tuesday will be here and over before you know it. 

Kaara - they wrapped me in a tight ace bandage that I'll have on until next Friday.  The Dr. had me purchase sports bras for after - I'd ask the doctors office or bring the bra just in case - have to wear one there anyway might as well wear that one!  Luckily no drains for me - I was very happy because I've had them before and they are not that fun.  

I know how you feel about the waiting - I so wanted yesterday to come and go - although there was a part of me that would have put it off forever if I could have.  But really I prepared myself for the worse and it ended up not bad at all.  It's a long day though - went from having the wire placed to nuclear medicine for scanning then surgery - started the day at 9:15 and wasn't home until 6:30 - surgery took longer than expected.  But again not to bad at all and i had 2 lumps removed.

I'll be thinking of you. 

Well I'm home! Yay! Had my bmx, snb and te's yesterday. Everything went well,. My bs gave my family 2 thumbs up while the ps was working, lymph nodes were negative! PS said everythin went great.He is a perfectionist and is very pleased with the outcome. I'm pretty uncomfortable right now but if this is the worst of it, I'm ok with that. Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. Good luck to the rest of the Dec group. I'll keep you updated.

Chrisslini....that is great news on the negative nodes and that everything went well. The pain starts easing up in about 3-5 days..then today at day 9 I feel I really turned a corner and things are going great now. Hang in there and keep ahead of the pain..it is so hard to catch up if you get behind it.

To everyone who had surgery this week...glad you all got good news with clear SNB and margins!  I guess that's what we all hope for.

 I had a little glitch in my pre op screening.  I was called back for a cardio exam at the eleventh hour because I have an unusually slow heartbeat.  It's called sinus bracycardia and I've had it for a while, but it presents no problems unless it shows up on the ekg which it did and triggered a recall!  I was up at my sons in W. Palm at the time and nowhere near the Cleveland Clinic in Ft. Lauderdale, so they got me an emergency visit at the CC in W. Palm.  I went rushing over there not knowing what the heck was going on, thinking I'm going to miss my surgery on Monday!  The cardio guy checked me out and made the determination that I am ok for surgery, so he gave the clearance.  I could be really mad because they did the initial ekg last Monday and could easily have called me in during the week, but no, they waited until 3:00 PM on Friday to do it! Gurrrrr!!  This is the most stress I've had since the dx!  Home now and exhausted from the stress of running around downtown W. Palm Beach looking for a place where I've never been.  If I didn't have a heart attack then, I guess I never will.  Hope this is all the murphy's law stuff until I get through Monday and surgery!

Thanks for the tips everyone, and have a great evening!