January 2013 surgery

Fast recovery wishes to Emily and Tami. 

Hi everyone! My BMX date is January 15! Should I get a PET scan, either before or after I recover from the BMX? I am adopted and don't know family medical history, but it concerns me that I have another her2 positive cancer 4 cm in left breast and three areas lit up in right breast during MRI.

Gentle healing hugs to you AuntieEm and Tami!

All the very best Emily, and Tami, will be thinking of you both.

Thanks everyone!  I worked 12 hours today and am just sitting here all cozy in my pj's...ahhhh!  My arrivial time isn't until 12:30 with a 2:30 surgery.  I think the hardest thing will be not drinking anything after midnight.  Rinse and spit I guess

I will post in a few days!

Tami

Take care Tami, it will all be behind you soon. ((((((Hug))))))

I just got my drains removed , thank God , that was the worst part of a bilateral mascetomy with lat flap.

Anyway I have 2 surgical camisoles for anyone who could use them for there upcoming surgery. They are used but still wearable and practical for the drains. Private message me if you would like me to mail them to you



God bless you all



Marilee

Hey ladies. I need some advice.



Surgery is mere days away and I'm very nervous. In reality I am more nervous of what happens after surgery than the surgery itself. Bottom line, I'm scared, terrified in fact. But here's the kicker, I don't think my Dr. likes me. Maybe it's the time of year, or because she's busy or maybe it's just my new mommy/anxiety brain, who knows. She never returns my emails or calls even after she said that's the best way to reach her instead of going all the way down there with a newborn in tow.



So I've been feeling awful the last couple weeks, I have terrible lower back pain, on the right side. It feels like it's stabbing through my right side and my lower abdomen/pelvic area is crampy. It's not period cramps, that has come and gone. And in my upper abdomen, I have 'fluttery' throbbing feelings in the stomach and liver, accompanied by nausea. I have also noticed in the last few days I have a strange white discharge (sorry TMI). It doesn't have an odor or anything, but I'm guessing it's a yeast infection. I've only ever had one in my life and it's when I was pregnant and on antibiotics and it appears similar. Can all this be stress? Should I go to a walk in clinic? Had anyone else felt like this?



I am so so sooooo terrified of mets! I was told I have no chest wall involvement from the MRI. I was also told that in all the tests done (physical, ultrasound and MRI) my nodes are clean, so far, as I was just reading that doesn't mean anything and only the dissection will tell. No ones said anything about my blood work results. I went for a bone scan yesterday and feel worse today. Also the tumor itself hurts. Like aching, stabbing, throbbing pain and the nipple is so sensitive. Will I piss my Dr. off if I see someone else? Am I just overreacting and casing my body to go haywire from stressing out? Do I need a slap in the face and a quick dunk in a cold river?



As you may be able to tell, anxiety is off the charts right now.

Hi Mimirpanda,

I'm with you. My surgery is the day after yours and I'm scared to death of all to come too. The fear we feel is absolutely contributing to what we feel physically. My doctor says that the pet was clear too, so we are not stage 4. Keep that with you. I will too. I put on my brave face for my 10 year old who is struggling with this too. I'm doing a BMX and am fearful of the news I will get when I wake up regarding lymph nodes. I am taking half of a .25 mg Xanax to take the edge off. Have you asked for something like that? It would help. My tumors hurt too but I believe it is because of the biopsy. My dr agreed. We will do this. One month from today I think we will be so much better. We will know the pathology and our oncologists will have given us the plan. We will know the road we have to follow. My diagnosis was 11/1. I've been stewing about this since then. I need to get some control back. My recovery from this surgery will hopefully give me that. I wish the same for you.

Mirmirpanda, I am so sorry that you are having such a bad time. Being a new mom is stress enough without having to deal with cancer at the same time. I can't even imagine it and no way are you overreacting. I don't know how the health system in Canada operates but I do know that all surgeons want to know if their patients develop any kind of an infection prior to surgery. I would definitely go to the clinic and have them contact the surgeon after checking you out. They could do blood work and vaginal smears to check for type of infection. That is definitely information that your surgeon needs to have. I am sorry that they have not been responsive to your calls. Sometimes people in the practice get sick or have other emergencies and have to be off and the people remaining are desperately overworked and get behind but what has happened to you is not standard of care. Our love and prayers are with you. Please let us know what you find out.

Mirmirpanda, I know much of how you feel. I don't have new baby to contend with, but I understand the stress. I asked my first surgeon for something to help with the stress and he joked that my students in school could probably get me better drugs. After my failed surgery with him and we were shipped to another surgeon as soon as I came out of recovery. My husband (who went in the room with me because I was fuzzy from being under for three hours) asked the new surgeon if there was something I could have for stress, as I wasn't able to eat or sleep. This new guy had no problem prescribing an eighth of a mg of xanex for me. They don't make them that small so I have to cut them in half, but it's like "magic." I take a half after I get to work and that allows me to function in front of my students, and if I'm feeling stressed after I get home I take the other half. Have been able to eat some and enjoy the company of my friends. The surgeon felt that in order to recover you need to eat and sleep. I still have a very hard time getting going in the morning. It just seems that's when all the fears and doubts get going, but once I get past that I can move through the day. Ask about something you can safely take.

Lmimp64, I will be sending you strength and healing thoughts. Once Jan 9 comes and your surgery is about to begin, you will feel a great sense of peace and relaxation knowing that in just a few hours, the surgery will be complete, you will wake up knowing that your sense of control has begun the journey toward restoration and that you have a lot of good years ahead of you. It is so difficult to wait, isn't it.....my whole body hurts from waiting for Jan 15 for my BMX!! We are warrior women in a fight we didn't ask for, but it is a fight we will win!

Hey MIRMIRPANDA, we are here for you. It's not easy to stay calm and fight this plus have a baby and fiance and a life. Everything you describe sounds pretty routine for having pure panic about your diagnosis. The other night, I couldn't relax in bed and my shoulders were KILLING me and I said OMG now I must have shoulder cancer!  I know what it's like to feel you are not having support and being validated, but I am telling you that you are having a normal reaction to an abnormal situation - that's why this website and community is so great - we are all going through the same thing emotionally. My breast surgeon's office is very busy, there are (unfortunately) a lot of us breast cancer gals out there. If I'm not comfortable waiting for a callback, or after I do talk with her or someone in her office, I do call them back until I get an answer or clarification. This is NOT like me, usually I'm "small and meek." Suddenly however I am getting very matter-of-fact, it's like I'm two people or one person wearing two hats - I'm the patient and the patient's advocate - so if Karen the patient needs a call or an answer, Karen the advocate steps up and gets that done. Hope this helps! ((hugs))

Glad you're doing well. Hope your recovery continues on track. Don't forget that your body needs both rest and food to heal. Take care of yourself and don't expect too much of yourself. HUGS!

Auntie Em - so glad to hear you are home and OK (or at least as OK as you can be under the circumstances).  Sending {{very gentle hugs}}.

Not so good to hear about the reaction to the drugs.  Were the narcotics for the pain?  My breast care nurse says the anesthetist is in change of pain control and normally sends people home with just panadol or ibuprofen. It's got me a bit worried.