March 2014 Surgery
Comments
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Hello everyone -- put me down for March 5th. Julie, your surgeons are right about the hospital and drug-resistant germs. I was in the hospital for three days with my BMX in December 2013, picked up two drug-resistant germs, and went back for a week while they tried to figure it out. I was incredibly sick; emergency sx on New Year's Eve to remove one TE. Now I'm having the other TE removed. I'm not going to continue with recon from here.
Really looking forward to having that second TE out -- it really aches. Faery, you are so sweet! Aviva, you are so kind to welcome newbies.
Hey Sandra! I think I know you from TE Trouble. Are you going to edit your welcome post to include a list of dates so we can keep it all straight? I know I need the additional help
XXXXXXX
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Hey Bobogirl, yes it's me from the TE Trouble thread (among others.) Glad you are with us. I know how relieved you will be to have that remaining TE out.I took your advice and will change the header to add everyone's date and surgery.
Everybody...let me know if I need to change your info at the top.
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Hi KLJ. About the chemo, they said IF my margins are clear and IF my lymph nodes are clear, I probably won't need chemo or radiation. Fingers crossed. They are going to do the Oncotype DX test.
I have another lump next to the cancer that has been there all along that I think is just a cyst. I seem to have a lot of little lumps in the area that kind of freak me out. I know the tumor had been there since at least October when i first noticed it so I'm a little freaked out about the months between October and March. The surgeon also said I have a fibroadenoma or something on the good side that he would have wanted to get biopsied so he said it's good I'm getting a bilateral mastectomy. I had an excisional biopsy on the good side in 2009 for a radial scar. I'm ready to get rid of my troublesome breasts.
I had a full body bone scan Friday so I'm waiting on those results. I'm getting my Mirena IUD out the 26th. I hope doing that 12 days before a major surgery is ok. My dear boyfriend is getting a vasectomy :-)
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Juliecc, it sounds like we are in exactly the same boat. I won't know about chemo until after they check my lymph nodes as well. I assume they will be scheduling me for a bone scan soon too. Your boyfriend is a dear for doing that. I'm past having to worry about that but my husband came complete with the vasectomy when we met. We both had already had our kids and waited until they were out of school to get married.
Your surgery is exactly 1 week before mine. Keep us posted on the outcome of your tests. I'm glad I have you to compare notes with!
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KLJ our stats are so similar. They said my tumor is only 1.4 cm but I swear it feels bigger. Maybe I'm feeling the cyst. I have all sort of lumps near there. I think they test sentinel nodes during the surgery to decide if more need to be taken but then they send it off to pathology for a final report that takes about a week. So when you wake up, they may say they are negative, but a week later, you may get a different answer. Ugh.
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Please add me to the list. Am scheduled for my bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders March 24th. Wish it were sooner so I would stop my nervous eating. Was hoping to drop a few pounds before going under the knife, but it so not happening. Maybe tomorrow I'll be better. Especially now that almost all the Valentines candy is gone. Anyone else have the presurgery munchies? Lol
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Welcome, Kitty. Your surgery is 2 weeks after mine. The waiting is hard.
Sorry this is long but here is a list of my questions for my pre-op appointments. For those having mastectomies with tissue expanders, can you think of any others?
Plastic
surgeon:Will you use Exparel for pain relief? (My plastic surgeon said she uses this at the end of surgery for 3 days of pain relief)
Round
expanders used?You mentioned adjustable implants?
Tell me more
about skin viability/blood supply and how it might affect putting in expanders.Will I get
more stretch marks on my breasts?Tell me
about fat grafting?Can I have
less “natural droop” by stitching alloderm a little higher?How many
fills over how many weeks/months?How many
months before exchange of expanders?Is it better
not to rush the fills to prevent more stretch marks or problems with the
incisions?Surgeon:
Will I have
nausea or vomiting from the anesthesia and is there a way to prevent that?Will nodes
be taken from both sides?Fibroadenoma
on the right? Is it looked at during
surgery?Will you be
able to remove that right breast lump that is high near my armpit?Will I get
the Oncotype DX?Betadine or
iodine used? I had a past reaction to iv
iodine.What about the dye injected the
day before surgery?Is a lot of
skin removed?Can you show
me where the scars will be?Are nodes
tested during the surgery?Will I get a
preliminary report of whether my nodes were clear when I wake up from surgery?Ice packs
helpful after surgery?Incision
care?Cream to
reduce scarring?Dissolving
stitches?Drains. When do they come out?
Physical
Therapy needed to regain range of motion in arms?Post surgery
exprcises given?Disability
paperworkDoctor
paperwork for disabilityReturn to
desk job 4 weeks later on April 7th?Will a home
health care nurse come?Pain
medicine?Can
Ibuprofen be taken or just Extra Strength Tylenol?Post-op
appts are with you on the 17th and with Dr. Mattson-Gates on the 27th.So I’ll probably have drains until the 27th?Antipersperant
or deodorant? Aluminum Free only? How soon after?Chest
x-ray? PET scan? MRI?How long
would I need daily help with drains, etc.How long
until I can drive?Oncologist:
Tamoxifen, does that stop ovulation
or is birth control needed? Does it put
you into early menopause? Do periods
stop? I have osteopenia (scanned for
that around 2010). Is that a concern?Tamoxifen for 5 years and what is
the other I would take for the next 5 years? -
Wow Julie- You have it covered! After my BMX my care was directed to my PS. So if the same for you, some of those Qs will be answered by your PS not the BS. Just an FYI in case you see the PS first (ask him the same Qs as your BS).
Hi Bobogirl-Sorry to hear you have had troubles. Hope after this things calm down for you.
For surgery stay, I planned on one night but had a complication (major bleed out and straight back to the OR) so one extra day in the hospital was optional and I took it as I felt I needed it.
Waiting is tough to do. Hang in there everyone! And if you have any questions about the Sx, feel free to ask, it helped me a lot to ask Qs to those who have been through it.
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Hello everyone!! My surgery is scheduled for March 27th and I am having a BMX with TE placement. Was hoping for a lumpectomy, but came back BRAC1 positive. I am currently going through chemo and only have 2 sessions left, one of which is tomorrow....Yay! Kinda freaking out about the surgery since I have never had one and worring about the length of time I will be under.
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Mine was about 4 hours I think, not too bad. It takes awhile to come out of the anasthesia after. Maybe ask for the patch for behind your ear to help prevent nausea that some people get from it. I think it helped thru mine. Made me super dry mouth after, but I took it off after behind home about 12 hours. (that was after my exchange)... Welcome to bco, plenty of threads about preparing for surgery, and for after , to read thru, full of helpful hints and information from those who have come before. Especially helpful to read the threads of the last few months, as those women have been thru it most recently.
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March/April 2014- revision- fat transfer and nipple construction.
4 surgeries over 6months- April 9, 2013 - October 21, 2013- 1.mastectomy(left), 2.tissue excision, 3.LD flap 4.mastoplexy/t.e.,implant exchange.
please remember to talk to your surgeon and your anesthesia team, my last three surgeries I woke up without upset stomach and very alert. The team needs to know what you feel and think-be a part of your treatments success by talking about every issue that crosses your mind!
Best of luck!
Sonja
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oh, and the patch did nothing but dilate my pupils, I was put under with narcotics and brought out on Tylenol....iv Tylenol is very good at controlling discomfort. I also had for the ld flap the on Q pump attached for 5 days post surgery and depofoam injected at my last surgery which breaks down over 72 hours releasing local anesthetic. I never used my pca pain pump! I had mild discomfort, which I also attribute to the drain tubes. Tubes are a PIA but help to relieve the fluid that normally would build up and cause swelling. I attribute the lack of upset stomach to the lack of narcotics!
Sonja
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Thanks, Sonja! I really would hate to be nauseous.
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A significant number of patients have nausea/vomiting after surgery. It's called PONV (pon-vee) and is something I've battled after every surgery. After the first surgery I was quite nauseated for over a day. Some degree of it is quite common - 35% suffer from it unfortunately. When you Google it, you'll see that anesthesiologists are trying to come up with more ways to treat it prior to surgery as well as after. This article is called Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV): An Overview. http://anesthesiologyinfo.com/articles/04252004.php
My hospital schedules consults with an anesthesiologist prior to every surgery. Unfortunately it won't be the one you will have, but at least you want him/her to read the notes in the pre-op record and be aware of your history.. Each anesthesiologist has his own preferences but I do what I can to communicate my concerns. I ask for a scopolamine patch behind my ear plus an Emed pill before surgery. Afterwards I get Zofran injections. Those don't help much if the drugs they use in the general anesthetic are the ones known to cause PONV. (opiods, inhalational agents, nitrous oxide, reversal agents for muscle relaxants, etc.) As we wait to go into the OR, I talk to the anesthesiologist about multi-modal therapy that includes total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), aggressive intravenous fluid replacement, dexamethasone (a steroid) before anesthesia plus a serotonin antagonist. It has made my recovery so much better.
Depending on the surgery you are going to have, you might avoid general anesthesia altogether and have IV sedation instead. I had that with the second surgery and had no PONV at all. From my standpoint, it was no different than a general. I was awake and then I wasn't and then I woke up and it was all over. I wanted it for my third surgery, the exchange plus pocket revision, but my PS said it had to be a general again, which upset me completely. The anesthesiologist did a great job though and I only had mild nausea for the first few hours. For the upcoming surgery #4, I'll again meet with an anesthesiologist ahead of time.
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Welcome Sonja. You've been through a lot, girl. Let me know when you have the exact date of your surgery so I can add it to the list. Are you having tattoos? Lately I've read about women who decide against nipple reconstruction because their new nipple will always be sticking out (headlights "on" all the time) and go for 3D tattoos instead.
I'm having fat grafting too. Quite a few other women have had it recently and, as expected, some found it easy and some found it hard. I don't know why. Sure do wish I knew what made the procedure easier. Have you read anything?
I'm also interested in the fact that you've had a LD flap procedure. That may be my next surgery after this one. Did they do that and then place an implant too? I haven't corresponded with anyone who had it. What did you think? I lost all the fat, soft tissue and skin from the side of one implant and on across my entire underarm. Parts of three muscles had to be removed and the remaining parts sewn together, but the muscles are so short that I'm having problems on one side, from shoulder to waist and diagonally across my left implant. Plus the skin on bone under my arm and in places on my chest has to be fixed. The PS is hoping the fat grafting will help under my arm but if the z-plasties on the muscles don't work, an LD flap is my last resort.
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Thank you, Sandra! My brother is an anesthesiologist and I think I'll paste the content of your message to him. Then I'll talk to the surgeon at my pre-op. I don't think I'll get to meet with an anesthesiologist until the morning of surgery.
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I had a full body bone scan Friday and it came back normal. Whew! I hope you all are doing well and not stressing out too much. I've been telling more and more people at work and that's when I feel anxious. The "telling" part is hard. Otherwise it's ok. I supervise 7 caseworkers and told them all today.
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Good news Julie.
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Great news Julie!
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I will be having a bilateral with expanders on March 19, 2014.
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Welcome cinchgirl. I see that you have had lumpectomies. What kind of reconstruction did you have in 2011? Am I correct that you are now having bilateral mastectomies with tissue expanders?
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Yes, I will be having a BMX and immediate reconstruction with TE's on March 19. However, in 2011 I had a lift on the noncancer side and some work done on the cancer side due to the huge lumpectomies. I never was happy with how it all turned out on the cancer side and it never really recovered completely. My external radiation treatments caused lymphedema in my arm and later due to a breast infection it moved to my breast, chest and side. I have been going to therapy for months trying to resolve the swelling and pain. But it will only get somwhat better before getting worst again. After many months of going through all of this my BS has suggested that I have the mastectomy in hopes of helping with the incredibly painful truncal lymphedema in my breast. I also started to think that maybe I might have padgets disease or another recurence due to the severe pain and flaking of my nipple and breast redness. But, my doctorruled that out without ever doing another biopsy. We both could feel lumpiness but he said it was just scar tissue. He ordered me to get a MRI and mammo last December, which were both clean. The BS also has suggested that there could be some issue with blood flow or nerve dammage in that Breast due to the lumpectomies and reconstruction causing my issues too. After all my tumor was just below my nipple in the right right breast. Ugh, whatever it is it isn't getting better and it hurts most every day. But, I'm afraid to be jumping from the frying pan to the fire. Any ideas? suggestions? thanks ladies.
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Not sure why my surgery dated hasn't been posted. I wrote a post here, private messaged Sandra. Is there something I'm missing?
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Kitty,
I remember adding you...must have not saved the edit. Sorry.
Did I miss anyone else?
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Thanks!
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Hey March surgery friends! I just found out today that my surgery for a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders and alloderm scheduled for 3/ 6/14. Nervous but ready to move forward.
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Scheduled for BMX and reconstruction w/ TE's on March 4th. I had a lumpectomy with Sentinal Node Biopsy Jan 20. We found this nasty stuff in my 1st EVER mammo!!
Per gen surgeon, margins weren't as good as he would like them. They could do a rexcision, but would still need rads. Due to the size of the lumpectomy, he doesn't feel that they would get a good outcome with rexcision and rads. SO, I decided, I have had enough, just take them both!!! I want new ones!!! All MD's are on board!!!
Genetic tests were negative and Oncotype was very low. However, when they did the lumpectomy, the tumor was 1 full cm larger than originally thought. Technically, nodes were negative. But, there was come microscopic size stuff that did show up. Therefore, I will get 4 rounds of chemo too due to my age, age of my kids (6 & 8) and the findings above. Onco wants to be sure we did all we could now, God forbid this $#@$ comes back, I don't want to second guess decisions later down the line.
Juliecc: I really don't like talking about it either...I still can't say the C word very well. I am totally dreading having to tell them (my girls) we have to do more surgery and then chemo. (I know it sounds like we are keeping info from them, but their B'days are Jan 14 for little one and Feb 20 for big girl). I am trying really hard for this to have as little effect on their little lives as possible.
My girls know that I had surgery in Jan, to get the bad stuff out, but that is all they know. My gut is telling me to only give them little bits at a time, get through the surgery 1st, then deal with the chemo, hair loss etc as it comes. My sister in-law went through chemo for ovarian cancer approx 31/2 years ago. My oldest remembers her w/out her hair. The little one does not. I also remember they were not phased by her not wearing her wig or a hat. Sara Kate, big girl, looked at her with no hair, tilted her little head, and they just went on about her day.
I can deal with the surgery, even though I know the anesthesia and pain meds will make me sick, that goes away. However, the whole hair loss thing is making me batty. I just keep thinking that it will make me LOOK sick...I would probably deal much better, if the hair thing weren't a constant reminder.
I also keep thinking...I feel fine...shouldn't I feel sick with this??? Again, what makes sense about making myself sicker than a dog...when I feel fine!!!
Sorry for the babbling...everyone in bed but me. This is my 1st post, just getting a lot off my chest...HAHA...I guess pun intended!!!
Janice
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Welcome iwanna & Lakegirl,
Sorry we had to meet like this.
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Thanks for starting this thread and including me. I've been reading along the January and February threads knowing mine would be soon. After my lumpectomy in January coming back without clear margins and my original biopsy (Dec 2013) diagnosis of DCIS and IDC changing to PLCIS and ILC I decided enough is enough. Let's do this. I knew I would have to have radiation on my left breast after lumpectomy and that scared me to know end. Is this the better route? Maybe. I just know I'll have more piece of mind. For the most part I've got a great support group. I'm going into this with feelings hurt though. My sister, who I was close to, decided to have an implant exchange and breast lift two days before I go through my mastectomy. It's maddening. My feelings are hurt. She said we can heal together. I'm thinking it's not going to be the same thing. She's doing this for appearances. I'm doing this to survive. I'm carrying a lot of anger for her terrible timing. Any other time I would support her. But why right now? I need to figure out how to let this go and find some peace before surgery. Feeling sick over this.
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Iwannaseeyoubebrave:
Feel your feelings! That is absolutely idiotic and sh1tty of your sister. I have many similar stories I could tell you. I am here for you -- we all are. Sing out if you need to!
Having been through those similar things before myself -- I won't go into it at the moment, since I'm facing my fifth breast surgery -- I want to offer a piece of advice (I know you didn't ask for it!). Feel welcome to give yourself private space before and after your sx. Private space from your sister and from anyone else whom you don't want to see at those moments. Don't get pushed into "healing together." It can be so hard to carve out that time: in fact, I'm in the process of trying to do it myself (again).
If you want to stay home alone, or with your partner, with a stack of dvds and your favorite snacks, in your favorite pajamas, without talking for hours at a time, being served like a pasha, then do it!
Lakegirl, welcome. I feel for you too. I have two eight-year-olds. We support you. It's my experience that mothers tell their children exactly what is needed at the moment. Don't feel you have to tell them certain things because you read them in books. You know your girls best.
I feel like swearing right now, I wanna! But I am not going to, because we don't know one another well yet.
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