Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Awwww, Poodles, so sorry for the issues! Peggy is right- might just call tonight or in the morning..that is the reason they have an "on call" doc...it's prob not an emergency but then again..don't chance aggravating things.

No, I didn't have traditional reconstruction. I can't imagine what they could have done that would have affected my leg this way. It's definitely nerve pain.

The large lemon-size lump isn't red or anything and the drainage all looks normal. It's in the non-zombie breast side, so no lymph nodes were taken. I'm not running fever, so I will just wait it out until Mon morning, unless it changes.

Arrgh~ I knew something like this would happen. I had so much trouble with the right breast after the LX, then the re-excision--huge hematoma, huge seroma, huge infection. Out of work for 4 weeks for a simple lumpectomy!

Poodles: I agree with all above, I would call tonight just to be on the safe side.

Fitbitters: I am getting one tomorrow. A lady at Bunco last night had one and I am ready to join in on the challenges.

So much knowledge within this group. So thankful for you all. I am trying to retain all of it for all of my upcoming stuff.

Praline: What a sweet boy ~ and yay for new stuffed friends. I have my stuffed lamb nearby every single night. She gives me such comfort.

iammages: I was lucky in that I received my MRI results immediately. But, I was given the results from the radiologist. But, I'm not sure if that is normal or not because I think the fact that I received my results immediately is not the norm either.

ayr- That is so sweet!

HH - Yikes on being a beast! Give your body time to get used to the meds. I also heard that sometimes a doc will take you off for a month to reboot and put you back in them to get rid of SEs. This what happened to a few women in the Tamoxifen thread, so maybe it works with AIs, too.. I think exercise will help with the crabbiness eventually, so keep moving like you are. You can do this!

Moondust - I walked and talked politics with my son. It was great. Tons of conversation and steps! But, today my butt and Achilles Tendon are sooo sore! This morning we went down to the Getty museum for lunch and walked. That was the only way I was going to get my steps in today! Seriously, I am sore!

Ayr - Yay for joining the Fitbit club!

Praline -I'm glad your chemo was uneventful (and that you have a new friend).

Annie - I second what chisandy and moondust said about not taking antioxidants during treatment. Just wait. You can take them once your treatment is over and you talked with your MO.

I've been having shakeology shakes for breakfast!! I wonder if they have enough antioxidants to be a risk. I cannot find anything on Google. A bit freaked out now!!

I had a bad LE day today, despite wearing compression. The gloves are tight and uncomfortable despite my having been measured for them; the gauntlet is pushing fluid into my middle knuckles. I have a roaring sinus headache over my right eye. Was going to blame the hand discomfort on sodium or weight gain, but the scale says no and my L hand is fine (except for the wound, which is now covered by just a band-aid). And I was going to blame the headache on letrozole, but I’m not getting any other symptoms. Just checked the barometer--it’s plunging, in advance of snow coming through by dawn. Oh, joy--and we have to walk to Valentine’s Day dinner. At least there’s hope that once the snow is gone and the weather is drier my LE may ease a little. Hate to think that the next step is going to be having to get night compression (ugh).

Sandy, what a challenging day. Hope today is better

Praline, oh my heart! What a sweet new friend. Ayr, I love your radiologist's sweet gesture. How kind! The poem is wonderful.

When I was first diagnosed my ten year old son had some perspective since he'd seen his aunt go through treatment five years ago. I was able to tell him "But I won't need chemo like Aunt Amy." When there was cancer in the sentinel node and chemo was added to my treatment plan he took it really hard. Before my first infusion he had my husband take him to the mall so he could make me a bear at Build A Bear Workshop. He gave her my middle name. Meet Denise:

I have a whole food supplement that's organic that I was going to take if I didn't feel like eating real foods during chemo. It's literally made from whole, organic foods from farms in NH.Can I continue to take them if I'm too nauseated to eat? My vegan diet is plant based... How can I avoid antioxidants??

I've been juicing oranges lemons apples and ginger to help boost my immune system... Is this a no- no too during chemo? My comfort food is organic peas with tomato sauce(replaces pasta). I do avoid most fruits to keep sugar at a minimum.

Red wine is ok during treatment? I'm not planning to drink it, but if I need a glass to relax, I'd rather have it than take meds. I'm not a big fan of meds and loading my body with toxins is just bumming me out. But... Gotta do what I gotta do!

I have some whole food, protein shakes in case I'm not up to making a meal... Are these ok? I found the shakology to have a lot of sugar. I like the Vega chocolate with an added banana or almond butter. I've never been a big fan of the shakes but I want to be sure I nourish my body during treatment if I'm not finding the taste for some of my normal foods.

The antioxidant thing is worrisome for a vegan like me!!

Peachy, Denise is adorable. What a sweet boy you have. ChiSandy, sorry about the LE. Peggy, how much progress are you making with decluttering and packing? I'm really off my game this weekend with both walking and eating. I need to get back on it.

card from adam. He's not usually so good at finding/giving the perfect card. He was today though!

Jill, that's lovely. Sigh.

HUGS!

Okay Jill, now I am weeping. So sweet.

I had my lumpectomy and 3 sentinel nodes removed 3 weeks ago. the area under my arm is extremely sore and sometimes the muscles ball up like I have golf ball there. I have been massaging like I was shown and started my exercises. How long is the healing process and does anyone have any ideas for the pain? I also this this week have been having extreme fatique the last 4 days and depression.

Trudys, everyone is different. I had a lumpectomy and 3 nodes removed, and while there was discomfort under my arm at the SNB incision significantly more and longer that the breast incision, but by 2 1/2 to 3 weeks post-surgery discomfort from that incision was almost gone. I think it might depend on how the skin folds there. It might also depend on how your incision was sealed. Mine did not have external stitches (maybe internal), and just steri-strips. Also, how big is your underarm incision? I measured mine at 3/4 of an inch. I am not entirely pain-free though, as I have a mysterious muscle tightness pane under my shoulder blade/back ribs when I bend down and reach with that arm to the floor. But just sitting, I feel nothing.

Meanwhile I have something new myself (which I also posted to the January surgeries thread, but this thread has more readers): a dermatitis type of rash covering about a third of my breast appearing just over 3 weeks post-surgery, and it's itchy. (I had also had a much smaller dermatitis inflammation after my core need biopsy appearing only several days later, after I removed the band-aid. I thought it might have been irritation from the band-aid. but the area was a little larger and not exactly matching where the band-aid stuck. It went away.) This dermatitis is similar in appearance, lots of little pink dots that merge together in middle of the area. I'm pretty confident that I can tell the difference between dermatitis and an infection. I've had dermatitis before, and I once long ago I had a breast infection when I was nursing (swollen, firm, evenly red, warm, fever). I'm not really worried, but I was wondering if anyone else who is prone to dermatitis experienced the same thing post-lumpectomy.