June 2012 Mastectomy

FINALLY!  Ooooh!  ME!  ME!  (jumping up and down in my seat, hand raised) I'm here! 

Add me on for June 15th.  BMX with NS / direct to implant.  I was originally scheduled for May 1st BMX with TEs (with a different surgeon).  Nothing like switching horses midstream. Welcome!

My date is June 11th for my PBMX. I am very excited to have this date! Best to all.

I'm in.... June 6th is my date for BMX. Scare as hell, but also anxious to have this cancer out of my body, I also have one more chemo to go and then after surgery, yup  you guessed it radiation..... has been a very long 6 months so far.... good luck to you all.

PBMX with Immediate reconstruction on June 26th.

Hi, everyone. I just had my last neoadjuvant chemo treatment four days ago (dd Taxol, preceded by dd A/C), so my next step on this long journey is June surgery. I'm glad to find a group to go through it with. I meet with my surgeon next Friday, when he'll look at the ultrasound and mammogram I'll get that day. I assume it will be decision time on whether to do lumpectomy or mastectomy at that time. I think my chemo shrank the tumor enough to do LX, but I also have a benign tumor elsewhere in the same breast that needs to come out. That probably bumps me into mastectomy territory, and frankly, that's what I prefer. Whether it's just psychological or not, I think I'd feel better with the whole thing gone.



I'm also hoping that a mastectomy will mean I can skip radiation. I'm triple negative - don't know if that means they'll just throw everything they can at me or not.



I'm looking forward to following everyone's story.

Annie

Hi all - -

 Just stepping in to join the June group. . .I'm scheduled for June 25th - PBMX with immediate reconstruction (TE placed).  Judging from the little bit I read in glimpsing the March and April  MX posts, I'm looking forward to having you guys go through this with.  I'm just sorry for the reason(s) you are all on here!  This has been a long drawn-out decision making process, and while I can't really say I'm "ready" to get the show on the road, I'm definitely ready to stop thinking, analyzing, researching, discussing and stewing about this surgery!

 Congratulations to those of you who are finishing chemo now - -

Wishing you all the best, and for right now. . . hoping you all have a good week   Find something to make you laugh!

June 7 for SNB and June 8 for BMX and DIEP (or TRAM if I'm unlucky) reconstruction.  I'm scared to death about the SNB, not the BMX.  I just want all this as much behind me as it is possible to be.

Hi guys!

BMX should be June 11th.  Last chemo May 15th (TAC).  Met with PS to see about reconstruction, I want DIEP, and found out I can get it but because I will most likely have rads, she will want to wait until 6 months after my last rads!  I will find out about what I need for rads on the 24th.  I have at least 6 nodes involved (positive biopsy).  Had a palpable mass before chemo started but can't feel it anymore. So either way will probably have ALND. 

Everyone says chemo is the hard part but I have a real problem with the idea of being cut open.  Oh and hospitals.  I think this scares me worse than chemo. 

Corky  

7of9-

Yep, can relate to that "wheeling in to surgery part" - - I think I'm dreading that moment the worst.  I read on here somewhere, someone said they'd not really cried throughout the whole lead-up to the surgery, then the reality of it hit her as they came to get her to go to surgery, and the tears just started a freefall. . . I'm envisioning that, too.  I can envision all the sadness coming to a head and falling apart at that point.  I did have a nurse (who'd been through this before) tell me to take pictures of beautiful images, setting your mind in another place (Hawaii, France. . . whereever) to look at just prior to being knocked out - - and that you'll wake up on the other side with positive thoughts, too - - going to try that!

I know many of you are going through chemo now, but is anyone working on trying to get in great shape before the big date?  I'm meeting with a trainer this afternoon to try to set some goals to get in in good shape before. . . using this as my incentive to get my rear end moving and strengthen arms, torso, etc. --- want to at least feel good about the other parts when the boob void hits -

Just re-read all the stuff you've been doing, 7of9. . . wow - going to try to get some painting and other house stuff done, too-  hoping it will get my mind off things. . .

annievan- I think that is great you are meeting with a trainer.  Honestly I believe that the better shape you are in the easier any surgery is.  I was in pretty good shape when the BC started slowing me down (part of the reason I found it).  I am doing chemo now 4 rounds of TAC which is really heavy chemo but only 4 rounds so I am happy.  It is only because I was in good shape I could do that.  I still try to keep up, but have lost a lot of muscle.  I do stationary bike, treadmill, light hiking and martial arts. 

7of9- I love your screen name too.  Actually I saw it somewhere a little while back while poking around on the boards and told my DH about it.  I do call the port my borg port and joke about being assimilated.  I had better be able to wipe my ass, of course I hear a lot of people talk about being constipated afterwards so maybe I won't have to.  Silver lining?  I also hear that the nurses come in like every hour to check on you, I hate that.  I am a very bad hospital patient. 

faithhopenluv-love your avatar! 

Corky

I am scheduled for mastectomy on June 6, left side only. I will be getting the injection for SNB on June 5. Does anyone know if it makes any difference getting the dye the day before MX vs the same day? Does the dye travel further the longer it is in your system? If so, will the surgeon still be able to tell which node it went to first?  

Hi June folks! Check out some good info from the main Breastcancer.org site on Surgery, including:

• What to Expect with Any Surgery
• Mastectomy, including what to expect, side effects, and questions to ask
• Reconstruction, including what to expect, side effects and questions to ask

Hope this helps and good luck with all of your surgeries!

--Your Mods

I am scheduled for June 8th for my BMX.  I am being told I can't have reconstruction because I have to have RADS after my surgery.  I am confused because I see lots of posts of woman who are going to have BMX and RADS afterwards but are getting TE done.  I can't talk to the BS about this until May 21 and since she is at MD Anderson Houston downtown the patient access is a bit limited.  Anyone out there who has been told TE are ok to do even though RADS is necessary after surgery?