October 2015 Surgeries

Hi JBDayton

Joining in here. Having almost 4 year out delayed recon via TE October 7 left UMX. I've spent the last year investigating options, met with 3 PS and made the decision. All wanted me to go the DIEP route but the recovery is too long for me. I'm trying this first AND IF its not a success, I'll go from there. Praying I have as easy of a time I had with the MX, wasn't horrible all things considered. Wasn't on pain meds more than a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed, prayers being said. If all goes well I'm hopeful to at least fill out a bathing suit top for the end of January. I can't imagine I'll have the swap before then at all. Thats OK. Just about 53 here so not too concerned about impressing anyone.

Nipples for Christmas sounds like the best present ever! Good luck on the 1st!

Hi! I'm Heather. Just finished neo adjuvant chemo 9/13. I have a tentative BMX surgery date for 10/19. We are on the list to be moved up if at all possible.

A little about my treatment. Based on the positive experience of a family friend and a neighbor who used to be a prestigious surgeon, we chose to travel from our home in Arizona to Cancer Treatment Center of America in Illinois. Every 3 weeks since 4/21, we have flow to Illinois for chemo and we will also be having surgery there. There is in fact a CTCA here in AZ, but at the time I was diagnosed, they didn't take BCBS. I know a lot of people criticize CTCA for a number of reasons, but personally I have not had any issues with them and believe that the care I received was substantially better than what I would have received here locally. AND best news yet, after 4 rounds of A/C and 4 rounds of Taxotere/Carboplatin, I have a radiological complete response.

The only part about my BMX that worries me, however, is being so far from home after surgery. I am so not looking forward to flying home a week after surgery with all those drains and then flying back a couple weeks later for post surgical check up and drain removal. Also, my husbands mom (a former nurse) was supposed to accompany us to help out with me and our son (11). However, my Father in Law just had a mini stroke Monday morning. She insists that she will still be able to assist us, but I feel so guilty even suggesting it.

Most of all, I am just looking forward to getting BMX over with and get one step closer to begin to recover from this whole ordeal. Way back in the thick of my treatment, I started to think that maybe I didn't want reconstruction. I figured it was the fastest way to get on the road to recovery. But, now that I am closer to the surgery, I have decided that I would eventually be disappointed with my sacrificing reconstruction for short term gain. So, I have decided to discuss diep with the P.S. I am not skinny, but not overweight at all really. However, I have always had this pocket of saggy skin over my lower abdominal area after my son was born. Maybe it has stuck around for this reason. I have also always been rather flat chested, and I have enjoyed it that way since I am rather active with jogging, weightlifting, and overall fitness. So, I hope that my tissue will be adequate enough based on my minimal expectations. As a back up plan, I have accepted that I may need to relent to the idea of implants. At first, I was absolutely opposed implants because of them needing to be replaced, but I have really opened my mind to the idea and become more comfortable with the possibility. If I have to go that route, I am hoping for the cohesive gel anatomical implants and again, since my sizing requirements are so conservative, I am hoping that having a skin sparing BMX will enable me to have direct implant surgery. As far as nipples go, for some reason, I have this apathetic feeling about them. I think it's because if they won't have sensation, I would rather not be burdened with the frustration of nipples that don't work. Also, without nipples, I never have to worry again about accidentally having 'headlights'. Knowing that there are so many options for nipples reconstruction down the road, it makes me feel comfortable that I can always change my mind if I ever look in the mirror and just don't feel right.

Well, that's me and why I am here. I will be thinking of all of you as we go through these surgeries this month. Best of luck to everyone!

jbdayton, thanks for the well wishes. It's much appreciated. This PBMX is for LCIS. I hope to God there is nothing invasive hiding. I won't have pathology confirmation until next week. After 5 core biopsies and 2 excisions over 7+ years, I felt like I was playing with a loaded gun....and felt like I've been going through an MX is slow motion anyway. The MO told me I stand virtually zero chance of avoiding future biopsies given the details of my circumstances......SO....2 of the 3 recommendations for LCIS (close surveillance and chemo-prevention) have become inadvisable for me. I guess now is the time to "put on my big girl pants" and deal with it. Thank goodness for the sisterhood on this forum. Women are great!

MsVeryDenseBreasts - I have those too. Our cancers aren't exactly the same but I've been through the wringer with benign issues and biopsies since I was 12 years old. Then after putting me through hell with all the scares for nothing, when I finally did get cancer they missed it for five years because the dense landscape of my breasts concealed the lump from touch and imaging. I know it was about 5 years because it was itching in that spot that long, but nothing ever showed up in mammos and ultrasounds until July, after it finally got big enough to stand out from the normal lumpiness so I could feel it. Surgeon says there is no reason I can't have breast conserving surgery, even recommended what I'm sure would have been a very aesthetically pleasing reduction lumpectomy, but no thanks. I don't need to be on the biopsy table every six months, or worrying for the rest of my life that they are missing another cancer. Good luck to you!

I am scheduled for surgery on October 6th after 6 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. My radiological response was 67% and 97% for smaller tumor which is no longer visible. I am hoping for a PCR after pathology. I am having a lumpectomy + reduction because I have a satellite tumor located 6 cm from the larger tumor. They will remove all around both taking a larger amount than a regular lumpectomy to get better margins. I still have not decided if I will do a reduction on the other breast at the same time or if I will wait. I still have to have radiation on the affected breast which could affect the size. Wishing everyone the best with their surgeries.

crs003, I haven't gotten % of my response???? Should I be asking for these? We (myself oncologist and surgeon) can all feel that my 3.1cm tumor has shrunk significantly and is much softer to the touch....just curious!

jb and ms...best of luck with your procedures today. I am saying prayers for you that your pain will be minimal and your results will be fantastic!

kickin, I had a follow-up mri to check on neo-adj effectiveness and they couldn't see anything on the film. I wasn't given a % (even 100%) though. The report just said no evidence of prior tumor. So maybe, not everyone gives percentages. Have you had an mri?

crs, I too just finished about 6 months of chemo. What a horrible 'club' to belong to, huh? Good luck next Tuesday. I hope your pathology results are even better than the radiology!

Gabby, marion, myleft...good luck to you all as well on your upcomming procedures!

Wowsa this board is filling up quickly. Hoping the best outcomes JB and MS!. I've been off of the boards for a while and it's taking me a bit to ramp up on the lingo. I did my pre op physical yesterday and was informed that I'm to be at the hospital on surgery day at 6:30 am. Seems to me I might be first up that day. Hope so, hate sitting around waiting in a gown and booties.

I've been making a list of stuff to bring and things I'll need after surgery. Good book, charger for my phone, laptop. Can't forget the Miralax and for home some zip up hoodies. I live alone this time around but will have my sister for a couple of nights when I get home and plenty of friends and family after. Lots of offers of rides and food! Going to book a cleaner for at least a month. Work from home so while off for a week, I won't have to suffer a commute. Ahh it's all coming back to me now from almost 4 years ago for the MX.

Solfeo, I'm going to ask about both. Wonder if this is offered in Canada?

Thanks for the well wishes ladies. Things are going okay so far. I'm down to taking only 1 percocet/day now. I see there is a lot of conversation here about the nerve block pain management method. I had the spinal nerve block....FYI they have 2 wires running into you on each side of your spine. In my case I was experiencing significantly more pain on the right side than left. I mentioned it to the docs and the anesthesiologist came around and fed a more concentrated solution into the right side. That seemed to help. So if you go this route and it's not managing your pain all that well, ask what can be done for you. Don't be shy. I probably put up with it longer than I needed to because I wasn't sure how much of the pain the nerve block was intended to handle. Percocet and valium were not making up for whatever was lacking on my right side of the ONC-Q nerve block meds.

My mastectomy (Right Breast) is this coming Friday, October the 9th. I'm scared witless but just want it done.

I was diagnosed with Multifocal ILC last month. I'm 51.

MsVDB, wow down to percocet! Are you home now?

Smurfette; good luck on Friday. Stay busy. There's always something that needs done. I know for me waiting for my MX, my house was never cleaner (the last thing I ever feel like doing), just needed to focus on anything besides the surgery. I spent this weekend doing the same, shopping for provisions and cooking soup, chili and cabbage rolls for the freezer. Score of the century at Walmart. I picked up bras, like the genie kind with removable pads (almost like my MX bras) 2 for $15! I spent big $ 4 years ago on three bras and while they did last me, I'm not doing that this time around

How did you all find your surgeon, breast cancer center, etc? I am looking for a second/third opinion on treatment options.

Hi KKeruk, welcome to Breastcancer.org! You'll also find reliable, complete information on how to get a second opinion in our main site, here: Getting a Second Opinion

Besides this, everything you'll need to know of you've been recently diagnosed in the Breast Cancer 101 section, designed to help you sort through all of the information on our site to find what is more relevant to you right now.

Hope this helps!

The Mods

Getting everything ready for my surgery tomorrow, I'm super nervous, mostly about anesthesia, since this is my first experience with general anesthesia. I was hoping to meet with the anesthesiologist during my assessment, but I will have to wait until tomorrow. They prescribed a Xanax, but I have not needed to take it yet, we'll see. Also my mind was racing yesterday, that I forgot if the nurse told me to use the antibacterial gel tonight or in the morning :-/.

jbdayton, I'm glad to hear things went well and you are feeling good so soon.