Surgery Monday....question

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  • lcinsetn
    lcinsetn Member Posts: 14
    edited April 2014

    ,Well you all were definitely right when you said the sentinel node was going to be the most trouble.  I hardly notice the other incision, but my underarm is hurting. I finally gave up yesterday and took a pain pill late in the day.  It's not just awful, but it wears me down after hurting all day.  So I will complain about it to you all.  And I know that if I hadn't had it done, I would be wondering.  So I'm going to just deal!!  I have an post- op appt this afternoon and I guess I'll find out when I know what else we're going to do.  I really don't want to do radiation so I have my fingers crossed.  I don't really see a reason at this point.

    thanks for all the support.  I really do appreciate it.

    Lois in TN

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  • Mommyathome
    Mommyathome Member Posts: 1,111
    edited April 2014

    For anyone that had a bilateral  mastectomy, obviously we can't get mammograms yearly. What type of testing do you do now? MRI? Ultrasound?

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  • deb1973
    deb1973 Member Posts: 96
    edited April 2014

    I had a clinical breast exam at six months, but wanted more thorough follow-up so I have an upcoming MRI, fingers crossed. This decision was arrived at after my GP contacted Dr. Lagios & also talked to my breast surgeon & a radiologist. The thinking is that my DCIS didn't show up as calcifications so a mammogram would not be sensitive at picking up a recurrence. Some practitioners wouldn't recommend anything beyond the clinical exam, which is the standard protocol, but I am grateful that everyone involved in my case is being careful, especially since I had multi-centric,aggressive DCIS.  If you had calcifications leading up to diagnosis, then maybe a mammogram might actually be helpful. But you'd have to check with your doctor(s).

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  • motherofone
    motherofone Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2014

    Icinsetn,  you can complain to me.  My SNB was Thursday 2/27.  At first only incision pain and just a little of that.  I didn't even take the pain pills.  On day 6 the pain deep in my underarm started.  The "sunburn" type skin pain went down my arm around my shoulder and on my back and side.   It is slowly getting a little better. I guess less sharp would be the feeling, or who knows maybe I'm just getting used to it.  I haven't taken Tylenol for 2 days though.  I'd been warned the SNB was the worst between that and the lumpectomy. Since my Dr. felt I was pure DCIS, we did not do the SNB with the lumpectomy.  Unfortunately my pathology showed 3 spots of invasive cancer, so in I went for surgery #2 for the SNB.  I really wanted to avoid it, but with the invasive cancer, I couldn't take a chance. Thankfully she only took 1 node an the biopsy was negative.

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  • lcinsetn
    lcinsetn Member Posts: 14
    edited April 2014

    Motherofone, well, hate to hear of your problem, but it is comforting to know it is really normal.  I talked to the dr. yesterday and they said the same thing.  I've ended up taking pain pills in the evening to just kinda' break the cycle.  I'm going to see a radiation specialist and a medical oncologist in the next couple of weeks to see what's up next.  Hope you get rid of the pain soon.

    LC

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  • motherofone
    motherofone Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2014

    Icinsetn,

      It really is getting a little better each day.  I have started to go back to the chiropractor as well.  He seems to be helping, or maybe it has just run its course.  My post op was yesterday and apparently I'm done with Surgeon appointments until next March.  The routine will be mammos in January, Surgeon in March.  She will look over my mammos to make sure I have no worries.  I've moved on to radiation.  Tomorrow I get a CT scan.  Then in about 10 days, a mock run of the radiation.  Apparently that is when they usually tattoo you.  I'm choosing Sharpie marker.  No tattoos for me, I've already decided. Then we start radiation.  I really, really want to get started and finished as soon as possible.  

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  • lcinsetn
    lcinsetn Member Posts: 14
    edited April 2014

    I have two appointments for the next couple of weeks...the radiologist and the medical oncologist.  i don't want to do radiation and I have about made up my mind not to do it.  Surgeon doesn't seem to think it's that needed, but i'll listen and see what I think.  I figure i do need the meds, so I'm more open minded about them and am off to read up on them now.  Let me know how you are doing, motherofone.  How have your appointments been?  Have you been to radiation?

    LC

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  • Infobabe
    Infobabe Member Posts: 1,083
    edited April 2014

    Since DCIS is not invasive, sentinel node is not necessary though a lot of surgeons do it anyway.  I have scanned many DCIS posts on this web site and where nodes were taken, all have been negative.  You should look at this yourself.  I did not have nodes taken and no rads either.

    You should fill out the My Profile at the upper right hand of this page.  What grade are you?   Age has a bearing on this too.  I also got a second opinion from Dr. Micheal Lagious.

    I expect all will go well for you.  These are tough decisions that DCIS patients have to sort out.

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