Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

I slept with my head at his feet so he wasn't breathing on me!!!

LTF, that works!

HUGS!

IamMags, I didn't come up with the kidnap scenario on my on. ChiSandy did. Like you, if I ever did have attacks of modesty, I sure as hell don't anymore. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I were 30 years younger but at 70 it is not an issue 22 year old boobs sounds really good!

HUGS!

tomorrow is my lumpectomy and I am having a hard time with this. What I am most worried about, other than getting rid of the cancer, is have a deformed boob. My surgeon said she's taking 5 cm out. 5 by what? I am 49 years old, so I'm not planning on becoming a model anytime soon, but to be honest, I kind of like my breasts. They're not bad. Didn't really like them much at all until I found out they were going to change one though! It's weird how that happens. I am scared that they won't get all the cancer and the margins will be bad. I am also scared that I'll look bad afterwards and won't feel/look like myself. Any advice would be appreciated!

LifeofBabbs, Welcome! We're glad you found us. We're warm, welcoming, informative and funny. I'm 70 and had a 5 x 3 x 2.5 cm lumpectomy. The BC was at 6 o'clock. My girl looks quite normal. If you find that your girl doesn't look right you should be able to get plastic surgery (which I think is covered by insurance by law). It is a very scary time. So many unknowns. Concentrate on WHY you're having surgery - to get rid of the breast cancer. That does help keep things in perspective. Most of the time the surgeons get good margins the first time. Please help us help you by filling out your profile with everything you know and make it PUBLIC. Gals with the same dx and treatment course can chime in. And share where you are - could be one of us is close by! Good luck tomorrow. I'll be dancing in your pocket!

HUGS!

Thank you so much!! I will update my stuff and make it public:-)

Good afternoon to all you lovely ladies. Thank you for your concern. I was given antibiotics to treat the infection. Not that an infection is good news, but getting it looked at and treated has taken a load off my mind.

HH - I'm so glad that you are feeling better today! Thanks for posting the cards....very nice.

ChiSandy - Thank you for articulating my feelings so perfectly. When I am riled up, I find it hard to put words to my feelings, especially when I feel I am being attacked and on the defensive. I'm sorry you had to go through so much with your husband. It must have been terrifying! Hope you both are feeling well and strong!

iammags - thanks for your outrage at the system. lol Usually, I have excellent care at the VA. Unfortunately, when I needed them most, they sort of let me down. Sounds familiar....like my girlfriend.

LifeofBabbs - this is an excellent place to be for comfort and support. These ladies have taken me under their wing and have provided a soft place for me to land when I was in fear. We are all here for you. I had a lumpectomy and feel blessed that my "girl" looks pretty normal and unchanged after the removal of a 4.8 cm tumor plus clean margins. Try to relax if you can. My prayers are with you! God bless you with peace!

PontiacPegg - good afternoon! Glad you are able to stay home and let the storm do it's thing while you are safe and warm at home. HUGGS to you!

Brithael - I have been blessed to have received excellent heath care at the VA for years. The best one I've been to is in Tucson AZ. I was treated like royalty there. Although your hubby is 100% disabled, I hope is able to have a good quality of life and that he is not suffering too much.

Hello to MLP3 and LovesToFly and anyone else I missed. Hope you are all feeling pain free and have found at least one thing to be grateful for. I'm grateful for all you BRAVE, Courageous, and Special ladies. Please take good care of yourselves. Thanks for your concern! HUGGS!!

Lifeofbabs- I had about a silver dollars worth of tumor and tissue removed at the 9oclock position and things have filled in quite nicely. I may have a small seroma developing at the bottom of my breast, but I'm ignoring that right now. I figured if I have a small dent, I can live with that. I'm 48 and like like my girls too! So doesn't DH... But if things aren't looking too great down the road, it's a new 22 yo set for me;)

HH- omg those cards are awesome! Especially the first one. If one more person tries to tell me I need THEIR supplement, I'm going postal.

I had a burst of energy today like no other! Organized my mudroom and put my laundry detergent in a big glass container with a spicket on a shelf, rearranged part of my living room and put 4 wing backs in a conversation circle with a round glass table in the middle and adorned it with a lovely white orchid that someone gave me. I switched over winter pillow covers on couches to my spring covers and folded and put away 4 loads of laundry. Oh... And I started a basil micro greens garden;) And now I've hit the wall.

How's Queen??

I love those cards, Happy Hammer. I think we all need a few of those.

LifeofBabbs, I hope things go well with your LX tomorrow. My BS took 5cmx3cm, between LX and re-excision."Surprisingly, my breast looked fine once the swelling went down. I have a flat 4" scar in the fold of my arm. Not very noticeable. Now my BMX is a whole 'nother story!

Oh my gosh, Queen Sharon! I'm so glad you took your breast to see the doctor. An infection deep in the tissues can be baaaaad...

Here's a little update on me...I'm no longer needing the Percocet. Yay! I'll be seeing the PS every 2 days, except weekends. Today I took off the wound vac apparatus so I could take a shower (at my PSs suggestion.) Blessed life, that was wonderful! I hadn't had a shower in 6 days! The wound looked healthy, even if it is so very disgusting. I covered it with a dressing and went to the doctor.

The PS is very happy with the looks of the wound (I still can't really look at it much.) She said she could see that the vac is drawing the tissues together. She measured it at 2.5"x2"x1", which is a full inch smaller on every measurement (previously 4.5"x3"x2".) I take that as very good news.

I talked with the PS about when she thinks I could go back to work. She told me that most people take 4-6 weeks off. I don't think I ever knew that! I'm in week 3, so it actually made me feel better. She doesn't want me doing home visits until my wound vac is near to being finished, which could take another 2-3 weeks. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to use up every bit of my vacation (already exhausted my sick leave.) Thankfully, I get more of each Oct 1, but it's still a long time away.

MLP3, I wore out just READING what all you did! Way to go!

Poodles, that's an amazing amount of healing so quickly. Very glad. Bet the shower did make you feel much better!

Good healing everyone!

HUGS!

Poodles: isn't a shower just wonderful now!

Hi Queen Sharon and other new people! I'm not finding much time to post lately.

Poodles, it's great to hear how well the vac is working!

Brithael, great news on the LE front!

HH, I loved those cards! Are they available online? I have a friend who needs one.

Sloan, glad you are home. Just in time for our earthquake!

I had rads number 2 of 30 today. Everything went fine. Yesterday they drew on me with a red marker. After treatment I applied Miaderm. By evening, the red color had bled all over my bra! I complained about it today because bras are not cheap. They said it was only for the first day.

Dear LifeofBabbs: Good luck tomorrow.  We will all be in your pocket.  I won't be dancing.  I am very uncoordinated.  I will be cheering you on though and sending you hugs.

Dear Peggy: You are funny stating that you may dance with a jerky motion.

Dear ChiSandy:  You are hilarious.  I laughed so hard.  I hope that your husband is 100% healed and healthy now.  Thank God that he made it through the terrible ordeal(s).  He sounds like a wonderful man.

Dear MLP:  You are amazing.  Good for you.  You have an abundance of energy.  Thanks for the cookie recipe.

Dear QueenSharon:  I'm glad that you have many supportive people in your life.  I'm also glad that you had your breast checked.  Please keep positive people close to you and stay away from the negative, energy draining people.  You are not a "baby" for focusing on your bc.  Your priority needs to be for you to take care of yourself and to put yourself first at this stressful time in your life so that you can heal both emotionally and physically.

I laughed at the post that stated that it was good that "you brought your breast in to see the doctor".  How clever.  (I forgot who wrote the post.  Sorry)

Dear Poodles:  I can't believe that you are thinking about returning to work so soon after all that you have been through.  You need time to heal.  Don't rush your body.  I'm glad that the vacuum contraption is working and that the wound is smaller. That first shower is AMAZING!

Dear HappyHammer:  Those cards are funny.  Thanks for posting.  I am sending you positive thoughts to keep you feeling well.  You have to live up to your name, after all!

Dear Blamoms:  I'm glad that you and your husband have gotten closer with all that both of you have been through.  What a difficult year.

Dear Iammags:  If the cosmetic results of your surgery are not to your liking, you can always have plastic surgery at a later date.  The law states that plastic surgery must be covered by insurance.  Plastic surgery is considered "medically necessary" if your bc surgery causes a "deformity" such as a noticeable indentation or uneven nipples, etc. 

I know someone who is having plastic surgery to repair an indentation from a lx that she had 4 years ago.  The PS will be using tissue from her stomach.  In the process, the PS will be performing lipo since he will be working on her stomach anyway.  It is all covered by insurance.

Hopefully, you will look fine and you won't need further surgery.  As I said, I looked fine after all of my lx's.

However, if you do end up having plastic surgery, please make sure that your PS uses the term "medically necessary" when s/bills your insurance company.   That is the "magic phrase" so that the plastic surgery will be covered by insurance.

Dear LTF:  I hope that you don't get sick.  I hope that hubby feels better soon and that the kids don't get sick either.

Dear Brit:  Good luck with rads.  I am happy about your LE news.  I'm glad that you found a good LE physical therapist.

Dear Bluedog:  It is fantastic to have a supportive partner.  Enjoy each other.

Sorry if I missed anyone.

I am envious of all of you who exercise so much every day.  I am following your lead and I am off to walk now.  My goal is to walk 1 hour each day.

Dear Moondog:  Ask the rad techs if they can put clear plastic tape over the magic marker lines. That will keep the marker lines from bleeding and stop additional bras from getting ruined. The tape will also stop  water from the shower from erasing the lines. My rad techs used magic marker instead of tatoos and the tegraderm tape worked wonders.  Tegraderm is also hypoallergenic. 

I felt the same way as you did when my PS drew on my breast and the marker ruined my bra.  I had no idea that was going to happen and I wore a brand new expensive bra to that appointment.  I wish that someone would have warned me.

Good luck with rads.

I made the cookies tonight and thought I'd share a little food porn...;)