November 2015 Surgeries Thread?

I expect to get my surgery date on Thursday when I meet with my surgeon and that it will be early to mid November.

I am planning for 11/13/15 surgery date. I'm finishing neoadj. Chemo and targeted therapy on 10/27. Haven't decided reconstruction or not. Meet with plastic surgeon 10/23 to hear options. Leaning toward no reconstruction.

Count me in.  Prophylactic hysterectomy-bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy on November 17.  And my husband is having knee surgery one week later.  Should be fun (ha).

Bilateral mastectomy was in April, chemo May through September, and exchange surgery last week.  I've done quite well all things considered.  So now I am an expert!

My (unsolicited) advice: don't worry, but be prepared, ask questions and get them answered, read everything you can find.

Hey ladies! After deliberating between my second and third opinion, I have chosen a team. The breast surgeon would like to do a BMX with recon in Nov. Most likely November 4th. Most likely it will be a DIEP free flap. I pray for zero complications so that I can get into treatment after healing.

I'm happy there is a place to connect

UPDATE! Surgery is Nov 17th. Sentinel Node Biopsy was done last Friday and 13 nodes were removed: 10 negative , three positive

I now have a surgery date. BMX with expanders on November 12th

Beth, this is probably the 6'oclock vertical incision that is frequently used for large or ptotic breasts. Will you be retaining your nipples? You can see what the 6'oclock vertical scar will look like, if you look at images of breast lifts (mastopexy). Will your permanent implants be smaller than your natural breast size? This type of incision allows a PS to control the shape of the lower half of the breast and reposition the NAC (decreasing size if necessary) on large breasts. The repositioning of the NAC and reshaping would be done as a revision sx. It provides a BS with improved access for the mastectomy over an IM incision. Some surgeons have a preference regardless of patient anatomy or oncologic need, and use the incision type with which they are most comfortable. If you don't have large breasts and a fair degree of ptosis, you may want to ask your surgeons why they are proposing this type of incision for your surgery and what is planned to be done at each stage. Good luck.

Hello Ladies , I am scheduled for Bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction right away with implants God willing ( Dr says I might get to skip,expanders) my surgery is scheduled for Nov 9th... I have been in denial , it's finally hitting me that this is happening 😒 I'm getting really nervous . Praying all comes out ok

I believe I will have bilateral mastectomy in late November or early December. I really want them to remove both breasts because all women on my mother's side of the family have had breast cancer but doctor won't approve double mastectomy. I don't think I can handle this again if there's a recurrence in my healthy breast! How can I get my doctor to approve double? I have 2 more chemo treatments and then I'm done with chemo. I'm dreading mastectomy. I am a size 20/22 and haven't been able to find much help for wardrobe issues for curvy women. I am also at a loss for finding any info about breast size reconstruction. Because I also have to do radiation I have to have delayed reconstruction. I am a 42 DD bra size and am very worried that the reconstruction won't match my 50-year old slightly saggy breast and/or if they can even reconstruct that size breast. I'm very depressed and anxious.

Sandib65, I'm so sorry you are going through all this! Did the dr give you any explanation? I've not heard of a dr refusing to do a double, it seems to me like more are pushing for you to do a double. I understand your concerns!! Let's do some digging and get more facts before you make a decision!

Sending hugs and prayers to you!!

sandib65, the women are giving you great advice! It may benefit you to get another opinion. Has anyone in your family received genetic testing?

MissBee123, my heart goes out to you! I know this is an unspeakably difficult time. I totally relate to your feelings of being okay one minute and falling apart the next! That's exactly how I felt!!

I am older than you are (49) but have always liked with my body, too and really liked my breasts especially since I had implants about 15 years ago. That's actually one of the reasons I opted for a double mastectomy (the left side was prophylactic) when I was diagnosed with IDC in June. Even though part of my tumor was invasive, an MRI (and later, surgery) confirmed that it had not spread into my lymph nodes etc and doctors were able to perform a nipple and skin-saving mastectomy. This will enable me to end up with breasts that looked as close to each other as possible. I will go in and have the expanders removed and new implants put in on Nov 11. Once the whole surgery process got underway in July, I just tried to see it as a giant body improvement project and worked every day to make my body better in some way (even though some days that meant doing nothing and resting!) …I do think you are in the most difficult place right now- waiting and not knowing. After you weigh all the options and decide what is best for you, don't look back and think of it as riding on a thrilling ride at the fair, one you may have been a little afraid to go on, but heck, you're on it now so hang and and try to make the most of it.

All this to say, you are not alone and I'm so sorry you have been through so much. Sending prayers and hugs to you!

Freeland

I fall into this group - just had my lumpectomy scheduled for Nov. 5th. There was some talk about chemo first by the center who diagnosed me, but the second opinion center (with whom I chose for my treatment) said strongly surgery first. Makes one wonder why two groups would have such differing opinions.

Since I have at least one positive node, I also have to have the axillary dissection, but my surgeon is doing the reverse mapping so (hopefully) the chances of lymphedema will be lessened. 12 days to prepare.

I had an ultrasound of the lymph nodes performed after my positive biopsy result. Since there were a couple of enlarged lymph nodes, they then performed a fine needle biopsy. This also came back positive. Due to the lymph node involvement, I had chemo prior to surgery. I won't know current lymph node involvement until after surgery.

I will be having bmx with TEs.

Miss Bee - I love your login - that is what a good friend calls me at work! I have never heard of this genetic link between thyroid and breast cancer. I did remember reading about the correrlation between the two and even mentioned it to my endocrinologist 10 years ago, who said ...well women get thryoid disease, and women get breast cancer, so of course someone would try to say they are related.... I had the BRCA testing which was negative, but not the testing you mentioned.

I have several nodules - looks like I have an Adams Apple. It was biiopsied and came back inconclusive also. Now they just ultrasound it once a year and do thryoid levels. But I wonder. Hadn't realized they found a gene. More researching to do, seems thats all we do!!

Good luck on your surgery - please let me us know how you are doing. I do not have a date yet, guessing it will be around the middle to end of November.

Beth

Hello! Newbie here. I am BRCA2 positive. I have decided to have prophylactic surgery. I will have a bilateral mastectomy (nipple-sparing, w/recon) plus bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy during same surgery on November 11. My MRI showed an area of enhancing mass, an ultrasound was inconclusive, and the MRI-guided biopsy was benign.

My mother had DCIS at age 62, and now has Stage IIIA invasive lobular cancer in the other breast. Tumor was 5.3 cm, and 11 of 12 nodes removed were positive, most were completely replaced with cancer. My maternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer when she was 48.