April & May 2015 Surgery Sisters

Thank you all for sharing your surgery experiences. You have given me so much comfort and hope. My surgery is still 19 days away & as hard as the waiting has been, not knowing has been worse. How much pain will there be? What will it be like to have rubber tubes sticking out of my body? What will I see when I look under the gown? Will I mourn the loss of my breast or celebrate the loss of my tumor? Or both?

Hearing all of your post-surgery stories, all so positive & upbeat, has been heaven sent. My husband is my rock, my support, you amazing ladies are my inspiration. I promise to pay it forward, do what I can to give hope to those having surgery after me.

Thank you just doesn't cut it. May God bless you all.

Oh, when I read this back, I forgot to say they moved someone else to the hospital. Actually, I was happy to be in my bed last night and not be bothered all night. Just rest and relax

we are going in to get a small invasive one...hope it hasn't spread to nodes...we are checking that day of.

RedPorchLady,  Getting those sticky bandages off must be a little tricky.  You asked if I noticed any changes in my lymph nodes after the neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.  Yes!  They were no longer palpable.  I didn't have any measurements but know that a couple of nodes were fused together when I first started down this path.  My MO said that although I had a great response to chemo, I should expect the pathology report after surgery to come back with at least some micro-invasion.  Your results give me hope. 

well, I have 3 days left before my surgery. I guess I can say i am thankful for the timing of the scheduling. I am in the army reserve, so I was afraid that when I got my diagnosis that I would not be able to take my Physical fitness test. I am proud to say that i took it yesterday and got the scond highest score in my unit, and I am happy to say that I will be promoted because of it. After all that I am 95% ready for this ( I doubt anyone is ever 100% ready to have body parts cut off). I can do this, We all can. Life is 10% what is given to you and 90% what you do with it. Glass is half full for me!. 3 days left... I am axious to start healing and kicking cancers @ss. Be strong my April sisters.

Just got a text message that I have an appointment on April 16th w my oncologist. My surgery is April 29th. Does anyone know what this appointment is about?

It only reconfirms that I have bc which I still have trouble wrapping my head around.

Have been pretty calm past few days. Xanax helps when I begin to panic. Which I do silently.

Anyway, I wish all the that had surgery a speedy recovery and for all that await surgery courage and strength.

Lori

Implant removal surgery on 4/8. I had a BMX with immediate reconstruction in 2010. Never found them comfortable and got worse after developing capsular contracture. Not having them replaced, going flat. Been 4 days since surgery, still in a bit of pain and can't wait to have the drains removed. Hopefully by 4/15. Relieved to have the implants out of me and don't mind being flat... so far. I look thinner.

Barbara, wow, you went through five years of discomfort? I'm glad you are happier now. Shelly, you said it best, no one is 100 percent ready to lose body parts, but seeing so many of you go through it gives me hope that I'll get through it, too.

Flutterby, I'm sorry you didn't get clear margins and that you have to go back. My friend had to do the same. It sounds like a bit of a roller coaster, and we are all on a similar one. I've heard it takes a full year for your body to heal, but two years to emotionally recover. I just hope I survive this whole thing. I'm sure all of us are scared.

Downdog, no, I'm not on that randomized trial, though I was offered it, too, and didn't like the odds of being assigned to a surgery I might not need. I was node-positive at diagnosis (noticed a lump in my armpit in August, but my OB said, "This is not cancer" both times I went in to have her check it out). I'm on a trial that gives me Perjeta along with Herceptin both before and after surgery, supposedly to test cardiac safety. Both my surgeon and oncologist recommended SNB and planned to x-ray the nodes to make sure they got the original tumor, which still has a biopsy clip in it. Neither seemed to realize until last week that I'd have to have a full dissection, nor did I sign anything that stipulated that. Technically, the standard of care for node-positive women is to to a full dissection. In a clinical trial setting, you go with the standard of care. However, the standard of care is changing, thanks to neodjuvant chemo, and many doctors will do an SNB if your nodes shrink from chemo, and my tumor is totally gone, according to an MRI. In the next few years, the standard of care will likely change, thanks to the SNB/ALND study you mentioned. Unfortunately, that's not soon enough for me. So I have to make a choice in the next few days: drop out of the trial and insist on SNB (but if I have a positive sentinel node, my surgeon will have to do a full dissection, of course). It has been very stressful to hear about this two weeks before surgery. Lymphedema sounds really depressing, and now I'll have a 60 percent chance of getting it.

Thanks, sorry to go on and on. Everyone sounds so great and positive. MySunshine, I'm so amazed that you were able to write just a day after surgery! You guys are so tough, bad days included. RoosterGirl, I hope your day outside makes you happy. But it's good to let yourself cry, I think. It's a balance ... feel your feelings, but know when to hoist yourself out of the dark place.

Metta,

In February, I had a mammogram and requested an ultra-sound to check my previously positive nodes as they couldn't see them on the mammo due to location. Both mammo and ultra-sound showed no radiological evidence of cancer. I agreed to the trial hoping that the SNB would be negative and if they weren't then at least I had a chance not to have a full ALND. Fortunately, the pathology for the SNB during surgery was negative for cancer. The surgeon was even surprised as she said two of the nodes were hard but must have been scar tissue. Hoping, you get the same result. MJ

Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to check in and first wish those having surgery tomorrow, MarieJune, Patty, and Jstme best wishes for a speedy recovery.

As for me, I got to go prom dress shopping w my daughter today because I won't be able to do it in May. We lucked out a got a gorgeous dress,shoes, and accessories all for under $200!! She was so happy and I got to spend the day NOT thinking of my upcoming surgery.

Tomorrow I see my bs. Have my list of questions ready and I am hoping my DH will be meet me there.

Thankful for a lovely day.

Roostergirl, I thought about writing a journal, but did not before surgery. Like you, it is difficult to express how we are feeling. Now that I had surgery, I really don't have the energy to write much.

Lori, I had an oncologist appt. before my surgery. Because of the Mammoprint test result, I know I need chemo. She just waned to talk and get to know me a little, I guess. I will see her again in two weeks after the pathology comes back.

To all - surgery was on Friday. Today was worse than yesterday because of the RX for nerve pain and another RX for muscle pain. I am not going to take that anymore. I have Vicitan for pain and an antibiotic. Tomorrow, I am going to try just Tylenol and the antibiotic. I think it depends on what type surgery you have for pain meds. I am trying to walk and sat in a recliner for 2 hours today.

Positive thoughts and prayers to those with surgeries coming up. You can do this! The anticipation of it coming up is worse. Just go with it and tell yourself "I can do this!" It is crumby for us all, but we are strong

Thank you for the well wishes, ladies. I am surprisingly ok. Ready to get through this next leg of the triathlon... I check in at allegheny general in Pittsburgh tomorrow at 8

hello all

wishing the best tomorrow for MarieJune, Patty101014, and Jstme

littletatas - i live 1 hour from the hospital and the ride home was fine, 3 hours might have been difficult, but if you can lie the seat back and snooze it might not be so bad, staying awake at the party would be difficult for me with the pain meds, so since its family they will understand if you need a nap during and after, maybe you could stay the night before returning home.

im following my stretching exercises faithfully hoping to ward off any lymph complications, sometimes i catch myself reaching with the wrong hand and have to re-think how to do things.