February 2016 Surgeries

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Skittlegirl
Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
edited February 2017 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

A place for those of us facing surgery in February 2016 to chat and ask questions.

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2/1/16 - TriplePostiveP - lumpectomy/oncoplasty

2/2/16 - shpva57 - UMX no recon

2/2/16 - ducky179 - BMX w/ DIEP

2/2/16 - starsarestars - BMX

2/2/16 - fabchick - double LE, SNB

2/3/16 - Maine1965 - BMX w/TEs, SNB

2/3/16 - mom2boo_and_buzz - BMX, axillary nodes on rt side with immediate recon

2/4/16 - DisneyGirl16 - Lumpectomy

2/8/16 - CoolgrammieNC - BMX w/DIEP

2/8/16 - nurseiam - left skin sparing mastectomy with SNB and right prophylactic nipple sparing mastectomy with tissue expanders

2/9/16 - jujubee16 - BMX

2/11/16- Skittlegirl - BMX, thyroidectomy, no recon

2/11/16 - dp4524 - BMX w/DIEP

2/16/16 - VSB2015 - BMX

2/16/16 - JACTsMom - Left breast lumpectomy

2/16/16 - anniekaja11 - Lumpectomy

2/16/16 - Sunnyone22 - Lumpectomy

2/17/16 - Bjsmiller - UMX no recon

2/22/16 - Numb - Lumpectomy, 2 lymph nodes

2/23/16 - cupcaker - BMX no recon

2/23/16 - mmshea - BMX w/TEs, SNB

2/25/16 - blg4 - mx on the right and excision biopsy on the left

2/25/16 - StaceySue2U - BMX w/TEs, SNB

3/7/16 - Mckaylaleigh - BMX, no recon

Mellomom - BMX w/recon (2/15, 2/22, or 2/29)


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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited January 2016

    I met with my BS today. I had my last chemo round last week. I am going ahead with a BMX as well as a thyroidectomy (performed by the ENT surgeon). While the BMX doesn't really reduce my change of developing BC again since I am BRCA negative, I want the peace of mind that I did everything I could. Plus I want a balanced look once I get to reconstruction. BS also mentioned it's the route he would go if it were his wife in my shoes.

    No surgery date yet since I have two surgeons involved. I meet with the ENT surgeon next week, so should get a surgery date then.

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  • grandma3X
    grandma3X Member Posts: 759
    edited January 2016
    Hi skittlegirl - I had a UMX a week ago (Jan. 13) with TE placement. Just wanted to pop in and give you some encouragement! I wrote about my surgery experience in the Pain thread (under "Choosing an anesthesiologist...."). I found that so many posts were about the pain after surgery, and I wanted to share my mostly pain-free experience to give others hope and some relief from the pre-surgery anxiety that I felt. I also think that talking with my anesthesiologist about my concerns was the best thing I could have done to help minimize pain and nausea. Let me know if you have any questions!
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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited January 2016

    Thanks for the encouragement, grandma3X.

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  • ayr1016
    ayr1016 Member Posts: 228
    edited January 2016

    Skittlegirl Hi, thanks for starting this thread. Little did I think when I was diagnosed in DEC 2015, that my surgery would be 2 months later in FEB. I have been a nervous wreck wanting to get this show on the road and get treatment started. I have a tentative date of the 17th for a BMX if my genetics tests come back positive. However, I will be having a LX if the genetics tests are negative. I met with my radiologist today. I meet with the genetics counselor tomorrow (who will do a rush on my genetic testing). I also meet with my MO tomorrow and plastic surgeon next week. I have to be honest and say that I do not prefer a BMX. The thought of all the follow up surgeries. However, the thought of radiation 5 times a week for 6 weeks is not ideal either. I can not believe I have to wait at least another 3 weeks. I feel like this has drawn out. I'm ready to get this thing out of me. They did tell me if I get a LX, that they could squeeze me in the week before.

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  • CoolgrammieNC
    CoolgrammieNC Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2016

    hello, I would like to post my Feb. 2016 surgery and date

    CoolgrammieNC-Feb.8-BMX w/DIEP -CMC Charlotte, NC

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  • Bliss58
    Bliss58 Member Posts: 1,154
    edited January 2016

    Hello all and the ladies from the January thread! I was hoping to have surgery by the end of January, but now I'm postponed until February 17 because of BS vacation. It's okay though because if I do it before she's out I'll have to keep the drain(s) for two weeks and I don't want that! I had neoadjuvant chemo in hopes of a LX, but alas, the tumor didn't shrink enough. I've decided on a UMX and no recon. Look forward to sharing our experiences and lending support and advice to each other to get us through this!

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  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 34,614
    edited January 2016

    hi ladies, popping in from six years out with love and encouragement.

    Was dx in Dec 2009 but had surgery in Feb 2010 due to surgeon vacation. Said it would be OK to wait so he'd be back in town for follow-up care. Had BMX (no recon) with sentinel node biopsy. In the hospital two nights and got drains out after a week. *TIP* when doc pulls your drains, make sure s/he opens the cap on the suction bulb!

    Took two weeks off work (desk job) and rode in with a co-worker for another two weeks. I was still on pain pills so not legal to drive, plus it's surprising how many chest muscles are involved in driving a car. *TIP* when you're in a car, bring a small pillow to put between you and the seat belt.

    As you're healing from surgery, you may get little "lightning bolts" or "zaps" as nerves regenerate. This sounds weird but something that helped me was to stand before a mirror with my hands lightly touching my chest. (Do not do this in a public bathroom LOL.) If your chest is super sensitive, try wearing only natural fabrics - cotton or silk - and nothing with seams.

    *TIP* stay ahead of the pain! Take meds as prescribed even if you're not hurting at the moment.

    *TIP* use a stool softener if you find your pain meds to be constipating.

    Your body is healing on the inside as well as the outside so rest and recuperate! It's the best medicine. Good luck everyone! ♥

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  • Maine1965
    Maine1965 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2016

    Hello ladies! Scheduled for BMX, with TEs and SNB on 2/3/16. This past Friday night had my "Bye Bye Boobie Party". It was an awesome celebration with about 40 of my FEMALE friends and family members. Surgery will be here before I know it and anxiety hits me every now and then!!!


    Love and prayers to all!!

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited January 2016

    Wishing all of you well! I had my BMX in February, 2015.

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  • CoolgrammieNC
    CoolgrammieNC Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2016

    Hello Maine 1965, I to am having BMX w/Diep on Feb 8. I am sending you prayers and happy thoughts your way.........you got this.....

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  • Maine1965
    Maine1965 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2016

    Thank you Cool Grammie! Same thoughts and prayers to you. We can do this!

    Xoxo

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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited January 2016

    I can't believe that February is next week. I've updated the post to list when we are having surgery. I am anxious to be able to add a date for mine.

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  • Maine1965
    Maine1965 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2016

    I had Bye Bye Boobie Party Friday night! Over 40 women showing their love and support for me. My aunt brought this song. We sang, joined hands and cried.

    I found it you tube. It's called We Believe by Kate Corrigan.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJVHohAv48

    Please listen to it! It's powerful!

    WE BELIEVE!!!

    XOXOX

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  • grandma3X
    grandma3X Member Posts: 759
    edited January 2016

    Maine1965 - love it!!

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  • TriplePositiveP
    TriplePositiveP Member Posts: 20
    edited January 2016

    I am scheduled for a lumpectomy/oncoplasty Monday Feb 1st, following neoadjuvant chemo that ended 12/29/15. I had a rough time during chemo (vomiting was the worst SE) then was hospitalized last weekend with an infection, so I am just now starting to think about surgery.

    Having regrets that I never thought to ask about a SNB pre-chemo. Not sure I will trust that cancer was contained, even if my nodes come back negative at this point. Of course, hoping for that, as the TCHP regimen blasted the DCIS tumor and the IDC tumor shrunk by about 2/3.

    What height wedge should I purchase for post-surgery reclining/sleeping? 12 inches?

    I am bald now and my head gets cold--can I wear a wig or hat during surgery?

    Had a pre-surgery appt to see drains, still not sure I understand how best to position them while sleeping to avoid a pinching feeling. Nurse said they were hoping to have a "belt" by the time of my surgery, but if they don't what should I look for on amazon? Are there photos on this website of

    Realize that I have no button front tops except for a few flannel PJ tops. It sounds like there is The potential for messy leakage that makes having more than 2 tops a requirement, yes?

    Thanks in advance. I am not accustomed to feeling this unprepared for anything.

    P.S. I could not find a way to make my dx & treatments visible to members only. It looks like there is no option for that with signature either.

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  • shpva57
    shpva57 Member Posts: 16
    edited January 2016

    I am very new to this list and have been lurking for a while. I am scheduled for a UMX no reconstruction on Tuesday, Feb. 2. I have been pretty quiet about my situation and told only a few people. I need more support I know but I tend to be on the stoic side of things. I'm anxious about all of this.

    Sue in Virginia.

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  • TriplePositiveP
    TriplePositiveP Member Posts: 20
    edited January 2016

    Hi Sue,

    my surgery is scheduled for monday & for the 1st time since diagnosis and all through chemo (except when vomiting kept me awake!), I am having trouble sleeping. it must be anxiety about the uncertainties associated with surgery (will the margins be clean, will nodes be involved, etc.)

    being able to talk to people who understand how scary the unknown can be does help, but some people can't handle your anxiety. i have found the people most likely to say or do something helpful have weathered a cancer diagnosis themselves. they truly understand it is life-changing.

    i am sorry you are going through this, especially without a great deal of support. i hope the friends you have told are good listeners and understand your anxiety.

    best wishes for the best surgical outcome and uneventful recovery. thinking of you

    patty

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  • cupcaker
    cupcaker Member Posts: 35
    edited January 2016

    Hello, I'm scheduled for a BMX with no reconstruction on Feb 23.

    I was dx'd with DCIS in the same breast as I had IDC, triple negative 17 years ago, and they're considering it a new primary cancer. I had a lumpectomy at end of November and after the pathology showed that it went past the margins, considering all my family history, my personal history, yada yada, the surgeon and oncologist were adamant that I go for the BMX. I had wanted to push it out to April but then I started to feel overly anxious and now I just want it out asap so that I can move on.

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  • Maine1965
    Maine1965 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2016

    Hi Cupcaker!

    I was diagnosed with DCIS in November. Scheduled for BMX 2/3/16. I also wanted to push it out til April /May but now I'm quite anxious to get it done! Nervous but anxious!!


    How did you treat the cancer when you had it 17 years ago?

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  • cupcaker
    cupcaker Member Posts: 35
    edited January 2016

    Hi Maine1965 - That'll be a relief to get it done soon but I'm sure you're nervous about having surgery. I just didn't want it to upset a couple scheduled events that I had been planning on for nearly a year, but I had to realize that I could defer those events to next year.

    I was dx'd when I was 23 and the breast cancer was considered very aggressive given my age so I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal first, and then I did chemo for 7 months followed by radiation for 2 months. The chemo was CMF where the cycle each month involved me taking cytoxin 3x daily and then I went in for chemo push on the first of the week for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off. It was definitely a horrible year for me that year but my current oncologist told me that I've broken every statistic out there at this point. :)


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  • Maine1965
    Maine1965 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2016

    Hi Cupcaker!

    Yea my surgery was pushed off for many reasons - I didn't want to be restricted and recovering before and during the holidays, my daughter went to Haiti in January and finally getting the BS and PS schedules to mesh. Oh and all the pre-op appts that I had to do as well. Just too much to squeeze in. And I wanted to take the time to get a handle on everything mentally and not rush into anything!

    So it's just about here - just a few more days. Now I'm trying to stock up on groceries and wrap things up at work. Glad I don't have little kids to worry about!

    My daughter is a nurse and will be spending about a week with me and of course my hubby is there to help too. I'm also blessed with a wonderful son and his fiancé that will be checking in on me.

    So much to be thankful for!

    Did you see my previous post that I had a BYE BYE BOOBIE PARTY last Friday night? So much fun with about 40 women!! My aunt (also a BC survivor) brought this song and played it for me. We sang, we held hands, and we cried.

    Here it is:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJVHohAv48

    Take care!

    xoxox

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  • Jujubee16
    Jujubee16 Member Posts: 28
    edited January 2016

    Hi everyone I'm officially another February surgery...yipeee. Removing the boobies on the month we celebrate love. In some ways I see it as a reminder of lucky I am. I might be embarking on this journey but I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by love. Love from friends, family, from perfect strangers who have heard my story and been moved and from my fellow warriors on this forum. I am having a bilateral mastectomy on February 9th. Unfortunately because my warning sign was discharge from the nipple I am going to give the bad boy up. No sense in risking it. Chemo should begin once I'm healed. Next week is filled with appointments. CT scan, bone scan, pre-op EKG, blood work and lung xray. Yet I'm calm. I have my moments but I am doing it all with a smile. I want to keep being me throughout this. I'm a positive, strong, sexy, friendly and bubbly woman and I refuse to let cancer take that from me. The boobs can go but I'm staying me. Thinking of you all...everyday. I pray that we become the heroines of our stories and are able to someday help other fellow sisters get through it. Let nothing but positivity and strength come from out fight. Good luck to all of you

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  • nurseiam
    nurseiam Member Posts: 6
    edited January 2016

    I am newly diagnosed with IDC presumed tubular but final report, pending more surgery with clear margins. My BC Israel ER+, PR+, HER2-neg. my BC was missed on mammogram x2 twelve months apart. My PCP called the bump a papilloma since it was just a small superficial bump right under the aerola. The mammo tech even marked the spot on my breast by taping a small metal beebee over the bump. I finally became nervous because he bump was seeming to feel not as soft as before so I requested a biopsy. My surgery scheduled for 2/8 will be left skin sparing mastectomy with SNB and right prophylactic nipple sparing mastectomy with tissue expanders on both sides and eventually nipple sharing from the right side

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  • CoolgrammieNC
    CoolgrammieNC Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2016

    hello Jujubee16.......so sorry that you find yourself here....I to will be having BMX w/diep on Feb. 8.

    I find that reading all these posts from fellow warriors is encouraging and also very knowledgeable. It has helped relieve so many of my fears and is preparing and giving me so much more knowledge on what to expect and how to prepare for. You are not alone and everyone here has a new purpose in life....to win this battle......good luck, happy thoughts, and🙏🏼prayers your way......

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  • dp4524
    dp4524 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2016

    Hello TriplePosit,

    Here is a link to a Post Mastectomy Camisole & Mastectomy Camisole with Drain Pockets. I was just fitted for one Tuesday, and believe it will be the best option.

    http://www.tlcdirect.org/Post-Surgery-Mastectomy-Camisole-Bra-American-Cancer-Society-TLC-Direct?did=65

    Good luck!

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  • dp4524
    dp4524 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2016

    Hello, I would like to post my February surgery as well:

    2/11/16 - dp4524 - BMX w/DIEP

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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited January 2016

    Welcome TriplePositiveP, shpva57, nurseiam, jujubee16, dp4524, and cupcaker.

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  • virginia123
    virginia123 Member Posts: 21
    edited January 2016

    Hello all - Just popping in from the January 2016 Surgeries board to wish you all the best of luck. Throughout everything so far, the two weeks leading up to the surgery were the hardest. Now that it is over I feel so much better, and you will too! It is a relief to have it gone, and a relief to get the last pieces of the puzzle in hand so preventive treatment can get started. Wishing you strength and good results!!

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  • Bliss58
    Bliss58 Member Posts: 1,154
    edited January 2016

    Skittlegirl, thanks for starting this thread and posting all our surgery dates. Will be thinking of TriplePositiveP, shpva57 and Maine1965 as you ladies are first up this month. Wishing you all the best healing and positive energy for your surgeries next week. Warrior on! You've got this!

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  • ducky179
    ducky179 Member Posts: 43
    edited February 2016

    My surgery is tomorrow (Feb 2)! Feel free to add me to the list. BMX w/ DIEP.

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