June 2012 Mastectomy

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  • curveball
    curveball Member Posts: 3,040
    edited June 2012

    @karen1028c, that is so true what you said. I also found it hard to believe those who said MX was not as bad as I was expecting it to be, but here I am 4 days post surgical and not feeling too bad. It is mostly just weakness & fatigue, not pain. I was expecting to be thoroughly doped up for a few days, but ended up only using the ibuprofen prescription. I don't say that to prove anything to anyone, I just wasn't in enough pain to want to take anything stronger. Now I just need to be careful not to tire myself out. I think I wore myself worrying before surgery, so I am going to take it nice & slow afterwards.

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  • 3kidsmom
    3kidsmom Member Posts: 21
    edited June 2012

    Sparkysbrat, I am from the mountains of east tn too!  I have 3 boys at home and one is very special needs.  He was my inspiration.  He is never scared when he has surgery.

    Honeypotpie, I hope all goes well for you.  It's even harder when you have little ones who depend on you so much. I will pray for your family.  Don't be scared.  If I can do it anyone can.

    Good luck to the others tomorrow.  Hannah318, kirwin524, my3sunz42, ami1026- I hope you get out of chemo.

    taismommy-try not to be terrified.  I spent a lot of time before surgery stressing about things that turned out to be nothing.

    Bevg- I hope your reports remain clear and you recovery easy.

    Karen

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  • taismommy
    taismommy Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2012

    @Honeypot, My double mastectomy is June 22 and i cry every chance im alone, so I can relate. I try to keep the atmosphere at home as light as I can because I am a single mother of a 17 yr old son who is my everything. I am only 38 yrs old with one distant relative who had breast cancer and no idea what her story was. Everyone is coming with "advice" and "you shoulds" but not one of them knows what im feeling.

    I still dont have an exact procedure because my doctor is waiting for the test result on the suspicious nodes in right arm so I can either have a double and DIEP with chemo to follow, or a double and TE radiation chemo to follow. All of this waiting is about to drive me insane!!

    I pray your surgery and everything goes as well as the other ladies here who have gone through this month. Stay strong, we can do this!!!

    ***HUGS*** Tamika

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  • taismommy
    taismommy Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2012

    @3kids, thanks I just dont know what else to feel??? this has all been so sudden and I feel like im talking about someone else when I have to tell people.

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  • 3kidsmom
    3kidsmom Member Posts: 21
    edited June 2012

    Taismommy-I think that's how I felt when I talked about it.  "That's someone else."  I kind of removed myself from the picture in my mind.  I like to do things in steps: first I get through this and then this.  I try not to look at the big picture all at once.  I know how you feel.  I just hate to think that someone is terrified.  I will be thinking about you.

    Karen

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  • Sparkysbrat
    Sparkysbrat Member Posts: 200
    edited June 2012

    @3kidsmom, I am going to Sycamore Shoals for my surgery. Did u have urs there?

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  • Sparkysbrat
    Sparkysbrat Member Posts: 200
    edited June 2012

    @taismommy,



    I am only 32, so I feel where you are coming from. Hang in there sis. Really the only thing that helped me was my klonipin lol. I still am going kinda nuts

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  • taismommy
    taismommy Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2012

    @3kids- trying to hold it together, i should get an oscar for the performance in front of my son. lol

    @Sparky-lol trying to hang in there but the next person that ask me how im doing might really here it. lol...btw, love your quote

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  • Sparkysbrat
    Sparkysbrat Member Posts: 200
    edited June 2012

    Omg....is that Lucy? I Love Lucy!!!! I used to live in cuba NY, not very far from jamestown. I made my hubby sit thru a 4 hour Lucy marathon today, and thats no joke lol

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  • taismommy
    taismommy Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2012

    @sparky- it is LUCY!!! love her! its her likeness from the wax museum in California

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  • my3sunz42
    my3sunz42 Member Posts: 148
    edited June 2012

    Nighty night ya'll ... happy nappy pills down with a gallon (ok ... may 24 ounces) of water ... see you guys on the other side! Best wishes to my fellow June 11th friends and all my other June Bugs! Love to you all and together we are stronger! Asta la pasta you bad a$$ monster ... FUBC!

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  • 3kidsmom
    3kidsmom Member Posts: 21
    edited June 2012

    Sparkysbrat- I went to Turkey Creek medical center in knoxville for my surgery.

    Karen

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  • Lisa143
    Lisa143 Member Posts: 19
    edited June 2012

    Hoping everyone had a relaxing weekend. Me I did a lot of cleaning and getting everything ready before the 18th. I have to work all week and with Fathers Day next weekend and my sisters exchange student leaving I will be very busy.



    Hannah318, kirwin524,my3sunz42, ami1026, honeypot pie you all will be in prayers. Wishing you a speedy recovery!



    To all my June ladies stay strong and take one day at a time! We are all going to get thru this speed bump in the road!

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  • hannah318
    hannah318 Member Posts: 23
    edited June 2012

    Best of luck to all the girls going on June 11 th today! I am not schedule for the surgery until 1pm so it looks like I will probably not be posting today. Your all in my thoughts.

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  • faithhopenluv
    faithhopenluv Member Posts: 323
    edited June 2012

    thinking of you that are going into surgery today!

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  • Sparkysbrat
    Sparkysbrat Member Posts: 200
    edited June 2012

    Thinking of all

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  • MissSissy
    MissSissy Member Posts: 13
    edited June 2012

    I was just diagnosed a few weeks ago and was going to be scheduled in July, but an opening this Thursday, 6/14 came up - and my PS is pregnant and I'd rather get her now rather than right before she goes off on maternity leave (me: " um, have you been having morning sickness? hard to stand long with swollen ankles.....??")  So now it seems so SUDDEN and I don't feel prepared, even though I have been reading tons on this site and it has been just so enormously helpful.

    I am thin and am gtting MX with immediate Lat Flap (the muscle from back) plus an insert on opposite side for symmetry - no TEs I don't think - But all I can think of is, how do you rest with an incision on the back, and two on the front?

    It is so helpful to hear about folks who posted saying it wasn't as bad/painful as they expected - its not the pain I fear, its that there will be an infection with three new slashes in my body....ah, well..... best wishes to all of you....

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  • curveball
    curveball Member Posts: 3,040
    edited June 2012

    prayers for today...

    hannah318, that your surgery will go smoothly with speedy recovery & no complications

    tellie_savalis, that only a few nodes will need to be removed, and there will be no LE or other side effects

    my3sunz42, for an easy SNB and a clear path report that you don't have to wait a long time for

    kirwin524, that the sentinel node will be clearly identified and lump removed with clean margins

    ami1026, for successful surgery, clarity about your future treatment and no chemo necessary

    honeypotpie, for peace (sorry I missed you the first time around)

    and continued smooth recovery for those of us who have already had surgery.

     

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  • curveball
    curveball Member Posts: 3,040
    edited June 2012

    @MissSissy, there is a huge thread about Latissimus Dorsi in the Breast Reconstruction forum, that might have some tips about getting restful sleep after the surgery. There might also be useful info in the NOLA in Sept or DIEP threads from some of the women who had simultaneous BMX & recon, especially if they had hip or buttock flaps--that would be incisions front & back on both sides. About infection, I was given special disinfectant sponges to wash with the night before and morning of my surgery. I think some doctors may also prescribe oral antibiotics to be taken after surgery, but mine didn't, I just had an antibiotic in my IV during surgery and possibly while I was in the hospital overnight.

    So if it will help to hear about others who had the surgery without the thing you fear happening, that was my experience. It has been 5 days since my surgery and no sign of infection: no red streaks, no swelling, no fever and no abnormal discharge in my drain.

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  • kane744
    kane744 Member Posts: 461
    edited June 2012

    Bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction scheduled for June 26.  My surgeon great in working with me and my lymphedema.  Everything I asked for was consented to and I'm hopeful that I will not develop LE in my left arm.  How do you relax during this waiting period???  It's starting to dominate my mind, though I feel I made a good decision for me.

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  • MissSissy
    MissSissy Member Posts: 13
    edited June 2012

    @curveball, thanks I will look at that thread. My hospital gave a brochure instructing to buy a specific disinfectant soap to shower beforehand. I'm sure it will be fine. I am glad to hear it sounds like its going smoothly for you five days post-op!

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  • 7of9
    7of9 Member Posts: 833
    edited June 2012

    Sooo good and bad news...

    First, pathology reports came back. Clear margins by 3 mm (doesn't sound like much but doctor's reassured me that 2 mm was considered clear and anything more is just more, doesn't change reoccurence odds..okay...)

    NeoChemo worked and shrunk the 2 spots by over 50%. Surgeon said she had to look hard to find them in the removed tissue.

    2 nodes removed....both negative. Not a trace of dead or alive cancer cells.

    Now weighing 10% reoccurance rate without radiation to dropping it to 3 - 4 % with 2 - 3% radiation problems.

    I thought I'd be ready to put petal to the metal and go for it but...

    Bad news...

    My dad died of a massive heart attack yesterday. 65 years young. He went fast and in my moms arms. We got to the emergency center where there were still "working" on him to get his heart going. It was probably the worse thing I've ever had to bear witness to. I am so broken hearted. He was so physically fit and active...though my mom had an autopsy ordered and we found he had two vessels 90% blocked and had 2 or 3 minor heart attacks some time in the last year. He either didn't notice or wrote them off to heartburn, asthma (he gets in the winter when very cold out) or just being a tough guy. We are so upset! He'd been to the doctors for a few colds and had CLL which they weren't treating, just keeping an eye on. 

    How I can feel happy at a time like this...I just don't know. There is relief but beside it such despair.

    I hope everyone gets good path results and for heavens sake, skip the bacon and switch to egg beaters. Taking Lipitor does not mean you can eat the breakfasts your grandparents used to. My dad ate ok but there were a few things like these and the occassional McDonald's breakfast sandwiches 2 - 3 x a week....terrible for you! I should be celebrating this victory with one of my best friends this week...not burying him.

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  • loriio
    loriio Member Posts: 247
    edited June 2012

    Oh 7of9 my heart is breaking for you and your family. I will be praying for you and your mother.

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  • MissSissy
    MissSissy Member Posts: 13
    edited June 2012

    @7of9 I am so, so sorry........

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  • annievan
    annievan Member Posts: 92
    edited June 2012

    I am just heartbroken for you, 7of9. . . .  I am so sorry, but I'm happy you felt a kind of bond with the ladies on here to share your grief with you.  Prayers for you and your family. . .

    I know your daddy is celebrating your good news with you. . .

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  • tlangston07
    tlangston07 Member Posts: 354
    edited June 2012

    7of9..My prayers are with you and your family..and I agree with annievan.

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  • JenH13
    JenH13 Member Posts: 183
    edited June 2012

    7of9 I am so very sorry for your loss.  My prayers are with you and your family. /hug

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  • tellie_savalis
    tellie_savalis Member Posts: 121
    edited June 2012

    7of9- So sorry to hear about your Dad.  It is so hard to deal with the loss of a parent.  As for radiation.  My advice is to do it.  ANYTHING you can do to reduce the chance of reoccurance is a good thing.  It may suck but can you imagine how much you would be kicking yourself if you had to do chemo again?

    Corky

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  • tellie_savalis
    tellie_savalis Member Posts: 121
    edited June 2012

    My BS wants to just do an MX as my right breast is clean.  She says I can remove the other breast during reconstruction (in 6mos) if I still want to.  She says that the BMX increases chances of infection which may put off radiation. Any advice?  Similar experiences with BS?

    Corky

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  • LAstar
    LAstar Member Posts: 1,574
    edited June 2012

    So sorry to hear your sad news, 7of9. To have a dad that you can consider one of your best friends is a real blessing. I hope you and your family can find some solace in each other and in your good path report.  

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