Nurses with Breast Cancer

its a big concern for me,what we get exposed to and what we don't know about!    its becoming common to comeback after a few days off to find another of your pts in isolation.  i did not get chemo   but did get radiation and mainly worry about resp issues due to the r lung receiving some exposure.       i have to have an endometrial biospy this week, periods issues probably related to menopause but because i'm on tamoxifen ,they want to make sure, how many other hear this?

periods irregular,they were 4-6 weeks apart but the last 3 have been  13 weeks ,then 4 weeks plus  alittle bit heavier , i had 0.9 drop in my hemaglobin after the 13 week gap( i had a cbc preop(minor i/d minimum blood loss, then routine labs a month later that showed that drop), ,so biopsy time, just to make sure its menopause and nothing else.gyn said possibly yearly biopsys !   both the gyn and mo are test only if symtoms present.

cynthia, hows the not smoking going?   had the endometrial biopsy today, bp was 127/84 at the begining!    nurse was surprised to. got 800mg of motrin before they started.    the speculum was uncomfortible for me, never been pregnant plus it was a little wider than for a pap, the betadine swabs were next, then lidocaine injections to the cervix,no pain,  then the actual procedure ,he made 4 passes with the pippelle ,no cramping, took 5 mins tops to do,   had some lower abd ache when i left but thats it! and that only lasted  until i fell asleep,( worked last night) so it didn't take long! as i was absolutely dreading it ,i was pleasently surprised the procedure was as "easy" as it was.  because he did say on previous visit i could now be on yearly biopsy's.  hows the flu impacting you all?  

Namaste!

Cynthia, congrats on the 7 days.  That is a huge accomplishment.  It is going to get easier as time goes on. 

Karla

Congratulations Cynthia!!! That is sooooo hard to do, hope the biopsy went well today? hugs and wishing you continued success on quitting smoking:) Maureen

Glad the biopsy went well and it is behind you now...hang it there...I'll be thinking of you Tuesday (afer 3p of course, LOL) and hoping your news is good...hugs, Maureen

Hi what do youll do about your annual TB test? I asked my NM weeks ago if she would give it in my thigh. My left arm has its lymph nodes, no breast. I had thought it was okay to use that arm for some things. She said a few weeks ago no problem. Of course today its a different story. We can only give them in arms, blah blah blah.

I got it in my arm. I better not get cording or I am going to be pissed. I got cording last nov after blood draw and bp to that arm.

I would think that using a leg instead of an arm would be a reasonable accommodation for a disability under the ADA.  Might want to check with HR and ask about that.  As health care providers our employers should be aware of and support the same precautions we are teaching our patients/clients. 

sorry you had to join us char, but threads go dormant then pop up again as people have them flagged.      had dcis,so did the surg+rads+tamoxifen route. hopefully someone else will pop up too,with more relevent info for you

(((Char66)))...we're all still here, sorry you had to join us, it's not a club I ever wanted to join either...I didn't try to hide being a nurse when I had my surgeries and chemo - I knew too many of the nurses and doctors at the hospital because I had worked with them for so many years - in women's health and surgery! Isn't that ironic...I was suddenly on the "other side" of the cot feeling the fear and dread of breast cancer....but they were great to me and when I wanted to go home right after surgery and not have to stay in the hospital I was able to persuade them that I could take care of myself so being a nurse worked in my favor. I hope your visit to MD Anderson gives you the guidance and information you need for your treatment plan...I so agree with you, I had prophylactic bilateral mastectomies and picked the time for my surgery rather than let the cancer call the shots. I had a strong family history although BRAC neg but both breasts were cancer free when they did the pathology after surgery YAAY! Good luck...(((Hugs))) Maureen

I had an invasive component so the decision for mastectomy was easy.  I took the other one for both peace of mind and symmetry.  Reconstruction can be a long road paved with imperfections.  I have had 4 surgeries including my first and they are now livable.  I have to remind myself that they weren't really perfect to begin with.  I always tell my nurses that I am one as well.  I don't have the patience to listen to them explain the pain scale to me and I find that I get more thorough and accurate explanations because they know I'll understand.  I also find that I go from being a patient to being one of the gang and I like the collegiality.  I have actually found myself laughing and enjoying my time in pre-op and that helps me relax.  Versed is also good .  Having the mastectomies keeps me from going through scanxiety and there are no more mammograms.  It was removed before it got very big, so no chemo.  Chemo and radiation scared me more than the surgery.

Having said all of that, a bilateral mastectomy is a HUGE surgery with massive tissue removal and damage and is quite a lot to go through and recover from.  This site has great discussion boards for those in the thick of things--certainly made a big difference for me when I was recovering.

Thanks to all for replying. It is so very good to know someone understands! Have talked with 3 daughters and DH, they all agree to have the BMX, but they don't have a clue what is all involved in it (I probably am underestimating it also, but as having assisted with mastectomys in the past, have a pretty good understanding of the surgury itself) But not the aftermath.

NM-I don't plan on telling them I am a RN. We have moved to Phoenix area to retire, so do not know any BS (other than initial biopsy surgeon), MO, or really anything about the medical community here.  My NP that I was going to just retired while we have been gone for summer-so now have to find a new family provider also. Oh yes-gets more complicated daily. But will talk with MD Anderson and make decision. Again thanks to all.

The aftermath of the mastectomy itself isn't too bad, not much pain but the drain(s) are a nuisance.  If you have recon at the same time it's more of a recovery and more pain involved, depending on the type of recon. One option you have is to have the mastectomies and then take your time resesarching reconstruction techniques.  Most surgeons won't tell you about that option.  Don't let anyone rush you into a choice of recon technique, if you are going to do recon. 

If we did a poll of women who had BMX's I'm betting that most had some amount of bc or DCIS/LCIS in the "uninvolved" breast.  I'm not sure why it's so surprising to the docs when it happens so often. 

Char66--I had a consult with a doc like that too.  Crossed her off the list and moved on.  SHE works for YOU, not the other way around.  Forget her and move on. 

Bet she doesn't live with a bc diagnosis. 

Hi nurses, I need some input-My brother is adamant I not have surgery in Dec. He aquired an infection one Dec and was told it was due to so many surgeries going on before the holidays. That nobody washes their hands or instruments thoroughly because they're so busy during the holiday time. Is this actually true? I find it hard to believe but figured it couldn't hurt to ask since you all know what goes on in hospitals.