September 2012 Surgery

cjw75, not sure if you are already on the Oct. chemo thread but if not, have a look there too.

LyndaMarie, glad to hear the scans were all clear!

annievan, bone scan yesterday seemed to be OK, technologist did not see anything untoward anyway. Monday will be a big day for sure with abdominal CT scan and first MO appt. and cancer agency visit. I feel better the past couple of says with plan ahead.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Marian 

Hang in there, Jenn.  It'll get better!

Thanks for all the support ladies! I had a Right Mastectomy on the 27th and I am home now doing well. Still all wrapped up so don't really know what it looks like but can tell there is nothing there! A little sad...

Chose do to the single as all tests on the left were negative and I will learn so much more about my cancer after the full path report this coming week. Wasn't as bad as I expected just the pain in the armpit is awful and getting the right pain/anti nausea med cocktail that was a real bummer. I hope everyone else that had surgery this month is faring well.

 Thanks for the support ladies, you truly are all warriors!

Leah, hope it resolves in the night!

Put me in your pocket for tomorrow's walk, Marian. 

Ahhh Leah, sorry to hear of the infection.  Best of luck getting rid of it.  I'm only 5 days post-surgery, but haven't had the guts to look at the actual incision yet because I still cry every time I look at my missing boob.  Brief glances reveal a somewhat rectangular lump where the TE is.  And I knew I'd lose feeling, but I wasn't quite ready for this weird numb-pain over such a large area. 

The good news is that the drain came out today.  The bad news is that my skin had already grown onto the tubing.  Yuck.  But at least with the tube out of me I feel a bit more confident about getting out of the house. I hope yours comes out soon cjw75.  I'll have to look back in the thread to see why yours can't come out yet.  Are you still draining a fair bit of fluid?

Tomorrow I'm going to buy one of those 2 wheeled carts to help with bringing groceries home.  This purchase and the fact that my employer bought Meals on Wheels for me while I'm recovering has made me feel that I've aged 30 years this past week.  At least my foob will be perky. 

Ok all done with surgery. I have the worst side effect from pain meds where I itch ALL over. So besides pain meds ren loaded up with Benadryl. So far SNB was negative. !!!!! Will meet with MO to go over everything!!! Eyes Can barely stay open. Hope everyone is doing great !! We got this!!

Dakota, Great news on the SNB!  My itch went away after I stopped the morphine.  Good to hear from you so soon after surgery....rest and take it easy!!!

Leah, I haven't really looked at my incisions, guess I better!  Hope the infection doesn't get worse before you see the Dr.

kmfrost, Glad you are home...get comfy and rest!

Sneakychiquita, Skin around the drain tube...omg that sounds painful!!  

Marian, we are all with you during your walk

Just a few more surgeries, we are all brave and strong!! 

Hi Girls, sorry I've been MIA. Having a rough go with the healing process. Pain, nausea, significant swelling blah, blah , blah. Singing to the choir right!?



On a grateful note, my final path came in with a negative lft SN, no residual Lft DCIS and right breast will go down in history as a prophy. Was some talk of an oncotype dx test down the road. Not exactly sure if final path changes that.



I've been thinking of all you surgery girls throughout every step of this process. Those going into surgery with the fears of the unknown, those coming out of surgery struggling with pain, and complications, and those needing to face additional tests. Im holding each of you ever so closely in my heart and wishing you the very, very best as you are all so deserving.



Thank you for allowing me to be apart of this sisterhood. Your advice, stories, and humor has carried me.



A little side note of our family and sick sense of humor. Last night as my husband changed my dressings, my 11 yr old daughter serenaded my right breast nipple to the tune of the bee gees " staying alive, stayin alive" song. If that doesn't chase away necrosis I don't know what will.



Big Hugs,

Kellie

It's me!



6am Monday morning here in the hospital. Past few days were really challenging with meds and nausea :-/ Seem to be on top of it now though.



Catheter came out yesterday and hoping at least 2 drains will come out today.



Surgery was 12+ hours I gather but all went well. I had a positive breast node last December and I had refused the ALND. Done chemo, herceptin, a few rads and Tamoxifen since then and BS saifd there was a small group of breast nodes he removed with the forst one looking a bit "solid". Pathology will hopefully show dead cancer cells - if it shows live cancer cells we will know that the txs so far have not completely worked. Should know pathology on Thursday.



Not panicked yet... Breasts look good :-)



Glad to see everyone else doing well :-)



Jenn

I talked to a friend of mine this weekend that took me to get my port "installed". She talked to my BS for 45 minutes that day. He told her before I started chemo that I had a 50/50 shot of coming out of chemo and not having progressed to stage 4. Thankfully I came out on the good 50 side.



Thank you and blessings to everyone here and all of our friends and family that carry such a horrible load. But we get up each morning, we put a smile on our faces. And we keep pushing. I know what we all deal with every day. And I am so thankful for everyone that is there for us on a daily basis. They may not have the physical struggles but they deal with the mental aspect of this disease as well.



SCREW CANCER!!

Teresa, I waited 18 days for my results which I got last Monday. My dx is very similar to yours. I had a lumpectomy and SNB but my BS took 8 nodes as first ones did not look good. Mine is 6/8 but also extensive lymphovascular invasion. Did you have any mention of that? I had my bone scan on Thursday and just drank some icky stuff as I have my abdominal CT scan tomorrow. Is that also what you are having? I go to the Cancer Agency tomorrow to see the oncolgist etc. and will then find out what kind of chemo. An oncologist friend gave me his opinion (kind of nice to have a second opinion without stepping on any toes) and he says he would recommend FEC-100 which may be the same as yours in NZ. My husband is a Kiwi and from Papatoetoe. We had planned to go to NZ this winter but that will now have to wait. BTW, the plan is for chemo first as most important, then mastectomy then radiation so looks like we may be on a similar path - not one we want but one that may just be the way it is! Looking forward to hearing more.

In Canada today was what we call "The Run for the Cure" and many of us Canadians participated. I did it with 22 family and friends on a sunny fall day here and it was good to keep my mind off tomorrow, not to mention the breast cancer awareness and money raised for research. 10,000 people approx. in Vancouver and many across the country in different cities.

Marian 

Teresa we know Howick well and it is such a beautiful area. Are you aware of the October Chemo thread that halfcan started last week? It is really good and lots of us there sharing too. I did wonder about the invasion since you two are having those tests. Had my CT scan this AM and was just writing on the cheo site that it has been 6 pokes for 2 injections in the past 4 days and can't see where they will get a vein this afteroon for blood work that surely will be required. Port coming up no doubt very soon. I am hoping to tape the oncologist converation on my Mac even though my husband is an excellent note taker. OK off to the cancer agency!

Ladies on my way home from my first chemo AC treatment....so far so good! I'm a little woozy from the pre meds and I have a touch of a headache. But overall easier than I thought! I will keep everyone posted in my coming days!!

I thought they didnt start filling until AFTER the drains were out!??  Just had my surgery moved up to October 11th.  The waiting is just torturous.

(((hugs)))

I really am confused as to how he is stretching the muscle and the skin when my wounds have not healed yet. The assistant said the he might be trying to fill the space so that the drains can come out sooner, but that didn't make sense to me. I just hopes he knows that his approach works.