Tough choices

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  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited June 2012

    If they are doing a contrast dye breast MRI - its good - bc it will show any other cancers in your breasts.  But I was told well after that even this is a faulty test, and the only truth of what you have is in the pathology report of the LX.

    I had LX and internal rads.  The lx was a piece of cake, easier than a gall bladder removal (which Ive had).  the rads have left me fatigued - and I only had to do 5 days.  I think 6 weeks is another story - but every one is different.

    Hope you have good outcomes.  Youll breath a sigh of relief after every test......

    and I know what you mean about being in a bubble.  I STILL feel that way..... 

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  • BLinthedesert
    BLinthedesert Member Posts: 678
    edited June 2012

    positivenergy -- alot of ROs like to have MRI's done before radiation, to make sure nothing else is going on.  I had to have one too (and my RO ordered it) before my lumpectomy.  MRIs can over-estimate size, so don't let anything freak you out at this point.  I know it is hard, but try to roll with the punches.  

    I am 4 days out from finishing radiation -- my lumpectomy was 4/20.  I can't say it has been an easy road, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be either ...

    I was out of work for 3 days after the lumpectomy (to be honest, I should have taken another day off, I did not feel good my first day back ... I felt ok at home, but by the end of my workday I was feeling pretty yucky).  I have been working full-time through radiation - though this week I might take an extra 1/2 day as I am tired in the afternoon - if you can, you should allow for a little flexibility in your work schedule the last week or two of radiation (just in case you are tired).  It really is not as bad, physically, as I had anticipated.  

    Join in the surgery and radiation threads - it is really awesome to have a group to share experiences with while you are going through this ...

    Good luck to you.   

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  • agrp1
    agrp1 Member Posts: 37
    edited June 2012

    I concur with the above ladies. I doubt that there's any specific concern with your pathology causing your RO to order the MRI. It's just a really good tool to see what else might be lurking that they didn't biopsy. My BS told me that MRI has 15% false positive and 5% false negative rate, fyi.

    I had SNB in addition to LX, and I think I would have been ready to go to work 1 week out. At 2 weeks I felt a whole lot better, and now at 3 weeks I feel great--better than I did before the LX... I am far less stressed! I have RO appointment today to schedule rads. She told me that at my age she didn't expect much in the way of fatigue, so I hope she's right! Best of luck to you!

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  • FilterLady
    FilterLady Member Posts: 407
    edited June 2012

    Positivenergy:

    I wouldn't worry a lot (not easy to do I know) about the MRI, it seems that the RO wants to cover all the bases.

    I had lumpectomy and sentiel lymph node biopsy.  We own our own business, my DH works in the field and I work at home so I didn't have to work issues to consider.

    I had 35 radiation treatments and honestly the biggest thing was just going every day for 6 weeks.  I live 11 miles from the cancer center and having to get up every day and just go for the short time it took was tiring.  A friend gave me some good advice.  She told me to drink either Ensure or Carnation Breakfast Essentials (used to be called Carnation Instant Breakfast in the "old" days, lol) and really helped my fatigue.

    My armpit did get a little sunburn and peeled but I used the lotion recommended (Cetaphil) and it was all good.  All during my treatment, I used the RadiGel they gave me after each treatment and every night a bedtime.  My skin tolerated the treatments very well.

    The upside is I don't have any hair under my left arm and no sweating as well!  Of course I think the underarm hair on my right is growing twice as fast, rofl!

    Take care!

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