Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Hoping for an easy chemo for you MLP3.

Annie and Froggie best wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm in your pockets too!

I hope everyone is doing well Better LE's, less side effects, more hair and hugs all around.

Happy Hammer, I wish we could get together. I'm up in the metro-Atlanta area. I go down to Savannah twice a year to do home visits with clients (I'm a community health nurse), but that won't be happening until late April. Foo!

MLP, I love looking at your deer pictures. I could never shoot Bambi, but I have to admit, I do like venison. I prolly shouldn't admit to that.

Sooo, I went to see the NP at my PS's office finally. She looked at the huge area of swelling under the left arm--I swear, this thing feels like I'm carrying an encyclopedia under my arm. She thinks it's just tissue swelling. It's not squishy at all and it's not sloshing, so I'm pretty sure it's not a seroma (I've had that before.) The other armpit has softened greatly. It *is* squishy and feels like a sponge when I touch it. I can massage it and see that the fluid is going into one of the drains ,so all good there.

Speaking of drains, the NP took two out. Yippee! It wasn't too awful. Quick and dirty, I like to say. One drain is putting copious amounts of fluid--this is in the area of the previous seroma, under the right arm. The fourth drain is just putting out enough to warrant leaving it in a little longer. She looked at the other areas too. One side looks like the tissue may slough off (gross) and the other side is leaking dark blood. She says that's okay, just keep a dressing over it. Ick.

All in all, it was a pretty good visit. I'll go back on Friday to see the actual PS.

I'm still having numbness on my thigh. Now it's going all the way from the top to the side, about 5" wide. A couple of nights I have been awakened by searing hot pain. Last night it was so bad, I hauled off and hit my husband in my sleep! Thankfully, these episodes don't last long! In the meantime, I've got a call into my PCP to get her input on this.

Froggie, I'm thinking of you today. I have not worn a compression sleeve so far but I bought an off-the-shelf one to keep in my pack when I hike, just in case I would start to swell. I have been measuring both arms to monitor any changes to the surgery side. So far all is good.

Anniekaja, thinking of you today also. I wore a sling the first two days after surgery, just to remind myself not to raise my arm very high. Then I ditched it. But I did a lot of walking the first few days. Even after I got home from surgery I walked around inside the house because for some reason I had some nervous energy.

MLP3, I hope all has gone well with the first chemo treatment. One down!

Mel, I'm glad your job keeps you grounded. You are a strong and giving person to be willing to deal with all the problems.

HappyHammer, you too are a very special person to give so much to troubled kids. I'm glad you will be going back part-time soon!

Jill, hope everything goes well tomorrow.

mustlovepoodles, I'm getting cold just reading about your weather. I hate being cold too. Glad you got a nice meal out! I'm sorry your pain is continuing But good news about two of the drains gone now.

1step, what a total pain about the insurance referral. I started calling the insurance "referral ladies" as soon as I knew my doctor was sending one, to make sure they got it, ask when it would be approved, etc.

I had a follow up with my BS today. She said yes I have a seroma in the breast, but it will resolve on its own and I should keep wearing the compressive bra. It might even be smaller today than yesterday, but I have trouble judging things like that from day to day.

Hope you are doing well. My

First post here, moving to this discussion from January 2016 Surgeries (greetings again Moondust) to see if I can get any feedback on the pain I am having. My BC inserted a BioCoil into my ex-tumor site, it's a dissolvable piece with small metal clips that is supposed to help the RO target the right place. But this thing is really bothering me. It has ended up at least an inch away from the original spot and is a big protruding painful lump near my underarm. I have an appointment with BS next week, but he is a big fan of this new technology and I think he's just going to tell me it's fine. Can anyone shed some light??

Sloan, maybe you have a variety of BC that does produce blood markers. I've no clue. None of my docs have ever mentioned blood tests. Now, my DIL who had colon cancer DID have a variety that produces markers so she gets tested regularly but not all colon cancers produce those markers. Is there a reason why you are so anxious to reduce your Tamoxifen dosage? Are you having trouble with it? I haven't been told to have PET scans either. I'm having a 3D mammogram in April. I had one post-surgery MRI last May (and a mammogram the previous month). But that's all in the way of testing. All rather baffling why you are getting all the tests and some of us aren't. BC treatments are baffling anyway.

Poodles, YIPPEE on the good path reports!! Now you can breathe!

Virginia123, Welcome! Glad to have you come to our lounge. We're warm and welcoming and informative and a tad crazy. I've never heard of that dissolving thing for rads. It sounds miserable. Damn underarm incision is enough of an annoyance without adding some weird thing. How nice that it has moved. NOT. Good luck.

HUGS!

I forgot to tell y'all about a strange but comforting exchange that happened to me on Sunday. My DH took me to the mall to get my nails done so I'd feel pretty. I've been going to this place for about 12 years, so they all recognize me. There is one lady who always does my eyebrow waxing and since my eyebrows have finally grown back in, I had her wax the brows. She remarked that she just loved my hair and did I do it myself? I whispered, "It's a wig." She whispered back, "Why are you wearing a wig?" So I told her I had breast cancer and that chemo made me lose my hair. And then she leaned in and very gently put her palm to my chest. "Did they have to take both?", she said. It was so gentle and decent it brought tears to my eyes. I told her that I had the BMX surgery Feb 4. Then she shared with me that recently her mammogram had shown something and that she would be having a biopsy later in the month. My heart just went out to her. She can't be over 40 and her first, best language is Vietnamese; she seemed to not understand too much about what is going to happen. I will try to remember to check in with her sometime mid-March. I really hope it's not BC.

Under other circumstances I probably wouldn't appreciate someone touching my now-empty chest, but this lady was so kind, so genuinely moved. I felt like there was some kind of brief connection that transcended the normal customer-employee relationship.

Poodles, thank you for sharing. What a beautiful human connection. I'll say a pray for well being also.

Oh poodles, what a sweet story.

MLP sorry you are having a rough start

I'm sorry mlp. If the meds aren't working let them know, they can try other ones. Good luck!

Poodles- yay for good path and thank you for sharing that sweet story. Connections like that are on another level and don't happen often. Said a prayer for her as well.

MLP3- so sorry about how you are feeling. Are you taking Zofran? Like Jill wrote- there are other meds...don't try to tough it out. Praying you can get ahead of it soon!

Sloan- not sure about the tests you are having either. My team indicated nothing mut mammos unless there are concerning symptoms. So many different approaches. It's confusing! I hope you get answers and that all is well. Damn BC!

Sloan- of course it does! Hugs to you!

MLP3, geez, I'm sorry you are feeling like crap. As others have mentioned, do tell your nurse/doctor and perhaps there are other drugs that will help you feel better. Hope that today brings you some relief.

Sloan, like you needed more stress in your life

HUGS!

Oh my goodness, Brit, what a terrible experience you have had! Glad you are home and doing better and that you do not have to worry about the effects of another round of chemo! What a cake! Enjoy these next 2 weeks of getting back some energy and feeling better. March 1 is just around the corner. Hugs to you!