January 2013 surgery

Lmimp64, It would seem to me that you also have one other option and that would be surgical removal of your ovaries followed by an AI although you might need to take Tamoxifan for a bit first. I am assuming that when she says that you need to decide by next week she just means that you need to start some kind of treatment by then. Some of those are not mutually exclusive. Some people do really well on hormone therapy and some do not. I am one of the lucky ones and I also get really good results from it. Since you are hormone positive I would assume that they are going to want you to be on hormone therapy even after the chemo. Some people do reasonably well with chemo and some are miserable. You don't know up front which catagory you will fall in to. Everyone has to make the decision that fits them the best but I might be inclined with a borderline Oncotype to start with the easier stuff and progress to the tougher if I didn't get a good result. On the other hand some people would be forever second guessing themselves if they hadn't tried everything up front. Only you can decide which catagory you fit into. I notice there is no mention of radiation. Does she not think this would help?

Lmimp64 - I didn't have the same choices as you, but my MO did give me the option of either taking Tamoxifen for 5 years, or getting the monthly Lupron injections and going on an AI. Given those two choices, I chose Tamox as it sounded like they had the same recurrence reduction for me.  I'm not sure why it had a different reduction for you.

Sounds like a second opinion would be good. I've gotten two throughout this BC experience and both were positive - all the doctors support you doing it and understand the need for it.

Hi girls. My name is Sue, I am 66 years old and was diagnosed in early December. It was only the right breast, they thought, but the preop MRI showed that I also had it in the left. I had a BMX on 1/7 and went home from the hospital on 1/8. I live alone. I had a 4 year old cat and 2 days after I wad discharged I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and found that my cat had died, and I have no idea why. As if I needed anything else. I had a very stormy relationship with my daughter which started to smooth out a couple of years ago, but she is dealing with trying to make her own ends meet with no husband and 2 kids, so she is pretty much not available. I have a triple negative, but my onc says I have a rare one that only requires surgery and no chemo. I don't understand why I feel queasy often even tnough I take no meds that I wasnt taking before, and I suffer from constipation ever since the
surgery even though I don't need any pain meds. It's been just over 3
weeks since the surgery and I went back to work. I am tired. Maybe I'm crazy, but I am more depressed over my financial situation than I am about this cancer. I was on the chemo forum for a while but now that I wont need chemo I don't go there much, just once in a while to keep up to date with the women I met there. I wish us all the best.

GOOD NEWS!! My surgeon called this morning and said the margins were clear!!!Now I can concentrate on getting better and moving on to my next step Rads.

Josie hate to say it, but Florida sucks. Haven't found any help. I've gotten calls from people saying they would have someone get in touch with me but then never heard from anyone. Sent emails and left voice mails, and gotten apologies and promises. Whoop dee do. I think my karma is to do this alone like everything else. Not having a pity party, just stating what seems to be the way it is. You girls who have spouses that love and support you are very blessed.

Sorry to hear that Sue .Support and love is very important when your dealing with Cancer.I 'll pray for you and your situation.

Lmimp, I also had a BMX but they are insisting on the radiation because before the hormone therapy I had extension in to the chest muscle. It was gone by the time of surgery but the RO is still pretty freaked by it. It looks like the data that they gave you gives you the same odds for either hormone therapy with ovarian ablation or with chemo. My next question might be what if I do both of those things? What would the numbers be then? Because that is really what they are talking about if you do chemo first and then hormone therapy. If there is no difference then what difference does it make and if there is a difference how much is it and how much are you willing to go through in order to gain that extra advantage? An Oncotype of 18 is on the low side of the in between catagory where you have some choices about chemo.

Hi MMSS. Onc said if I do both, numbers stay the same. No difference. More confusion. Am generating list of questions for her and will call Monday. I'm trying to find someone who has done the ovary ablation, but haven't yet. Just tired today. Thanks



Sunny - hope you are feeling better.

Ugh, my stomach still looks bloated and my surgeon said it shouldn't be a side effect of anesthesia or surgery!! I hope this is not my new normal. I can't figure out what happened or how to fix it.



More worrisome though is when I asked her about my upper arm, she said its normal for the back to feel numb. But I've been having a lot of pain from my shoulder to my elbow on the inside of my arm, almost likea tendon or nerve is supersensitive. Its been hard to do my arm exercises because its painful to even get in the starting position. So yesterday I lifted my arm slightly and looked at my armpit in the mirror and there is a tendon or something hanging low in my armpit. I can see it when I lift my arm. I looked at my untouched armpit and nothing there! I don't think I've explained this well. I'm worried because I don't know why I have this sensitive nerve from armpit to elbow that's actually visible in the armpit. Before I just figured pain and numbness were normal and would slowly decrease over time, but it troubles me because it impedes my exercises and I want my range of motion back! Anyone know what this is or what I should do?? I wish I had better pt under my medical plan. Just a visit from a physical therapist in the hospital who obviously didn't specialize in BC patients because she couldn't answer my questions like if I can shave the armpit area or if a cut could increase chance of lymphedema. I really wish I was surrounded by more knowledgeable medical professionals. Thank goodness I have you guys!!



I can't believe Jan went by so quickly and we've all had our surgeries!! Healing thoughts to all!!

Guess I'm a little behind to post but I've been reading lots of stories by brave women during my journey and they have helped a lot. I just finished surgery. I had a lumpectomy January 29th with a node dissection and port removal. I got my pathology results Friday and everything looks good. There was a micro amount on cells in 1 lymph node and tumor margins were clear.

I did 6 rounds of chemo before surgery which allowed for a lumpectomy. I started with 2 tumors 1 which was 2.5cm (which was found at my first mammogram at 41) and another tumor of 1cm and 1 node at 3 cm which which was found on pet scan. The chemo did its job and shrunk everything to almost nothing before surgery. I am scheduled for hormone therapy and radiation to start in a few weeks.

It's been up and down for sure. Half way thru chemo the doctors thought the tumor was actually growing. I'm a Canadian living in the US trying to deal with a new health care system as well.

I just had lumpdectomy Tuesday and 5 nodes removed. I have the same pain underneath my arm to. Feels like someone pinched my arm from armpit to elbow. I have a follow up appointment on Wednesday and I'll see what surgeon has to say.

Seriously Sammy welcome and I guess we'll meet again in the Rads thread .I've been kind of avoiding that thread and therefore that reality until that begins in a few weeks.Maybe I'm afraid I will freak myself out by reading about the risks of Rads like lung complications.Nothing scares me worse than not being able to breathe.I'm the type that will read every side effect of a new medication until I almost talk myself out of taking it.Luckily I didn't have to do chemo.I guess deep down I am a scared to take risks.

Fight - info on cording from Step Up Speak Out: http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Cording_and_Axillary_Web_Syndrome.htm  Ask your surgeon or PCP or other doctor for a scrip to see a Certified Lymphedema Therapist ASAP.  There is evidence that women who develop cording after surgery tend to develop lymphedema at a much higher rate than those who do not present with cording.  An LE therapist can evalute you and give you information and exercises to help reduce your risk of developing LE.

Tangles - if you're still feeling chest tightness 4 weeks out, talk to your surgeon and possibly get a referral to at physical therapist who specializes in b/c patients.  The PT can work on you to help ease the tightness and pain from the expanders.

I went back for my follow up on my "infection" as I was told last week to find that the hard lump is a seroma like I asked the PA last week.  Now after suffering for a week with pain and no meds I am going in tomorrow to get both seromas in the right and left cavity aspirated.  So looking forward to that one.

Robinlee76 so glad you have an answer after suffering over a week & relief is in sight.

Pray that aspirations go well tomorrow and you are feeling better soon ((hugs))