Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

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  • beachw3
    beachw3 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2016

    Thanks KarenR0618....guess it is just today.

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  • DisneyGirl16
    DisneyGirl16 Member Posts: 121
    edited April 2016

    Lovinggrouches, my Oncotype test took a couple of weeks and then when I went to my MO for the results, he decided to order a ct scan of my chest, abdomen and pelvis. I thought "couldn't I have done that while I was waiting on the Oncotype results?" So I just went from worrying about one test result to another. Fortunately, it came back clear and my Oncotype result was 17, so no chemo for me. All of this resulted in my radiation treatment starting 2 months after my surgery, which I wasn't thrilled about but at least I know my Oncotype recurrence chance and know that my cancer doesn't appear in my chest, abdomen or pelvis.

    I was kind of surprised that no one had mentioned any other testing up until that point.

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited April 2016

    beach, you sound like you may be dehydrated. Try drinking extra fluids.

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  • Grazy
    Grazy Member Posts: 373
    edited April 2016

    Hi beachw3 - because you were a little curious, this link will help explain why I will be receiving only 16 fractions when I begin radiation - my RO explained that this has been the standard regimen in Canada (and the UK) for some time now and he did mention that the US continues to do more. I think I mentioned in my earlier post that I will have four boosts which will end up being a total of 20 sessions or four weeks total for me.

    http://newsatjama.jama.com/2013/09/20/study-confirms-shorter-course-of-radiation-for-breast-cancer-is-safe-and-effective-after-10-years/

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  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 3,039
    edited April 2016

    Beach: another vote for possible dehydration (mild!) That cluster of symptoms showed up for several women in the previous seasons' radiation threads, and making sure we drank more water helped some.

    That said, I make no promises! If it doesn't help, ask your oncologists. But it's a cheap quick thing to try.

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  • fightergirl711
    fightergirl711 Member Posts: 300
    edited April 2016

    I just saw Molly post this - is it likely I'll need a drain after an ALDS?

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited April 2016

    fightergirl, not a guarantee but definitely greater odds of needing a JP drain after ALND vs SNB. You can always ask your surgeon.

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  • iammags
    iammags Member Posts: 216
    edited April 2016

    Thanks justmaximom15! Guess I'll have my hair when I go to Mexico :)\

    It's ok to drive yourself to radiation, right? Just wondering because people are feeling light headed and dizzy. And does everyone get a scan of some kind before starting rads? I'm having the consultation with my RO tomorrow.

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited April 2016

    Mags, I drove myself everyday to rads with no problem. If you get light headed you may be dehydrated especially early on but talk to your RO about any symptoms. You will have a CT scan as part of your sim so the computer can map your tx for the linear accelerator

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  • Moondust
    Moondust Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2016

    beachw3, you may want to join the Spring 2016 Rads forum if you haven't already done it. I remember one person on the Winter forum feeling nauseous, and it turned out a small portion of her liver was in the field. They were able to adjust the field for her.

    mags, I'm really happy to hear no chemo for you! I always drove myself to radiation. I had an initial scan about a week before they started the treatments. One word of advice - during your initial setup make sure your arm position is really comfortable, not just kind of tolerable, because that arm position will get less comfortable as time goes on. Once they set you up, they will not change the arm position for you.


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  • PontiacPeggy
    PontiacPeggy Member Posts: 6,778
    edited April 2016

    IamMags, I had no issue driving to and from my rads. I found I was lightheaded for about 30 seconds when I sat up after them. I learned to wait a minute and then was fine. I'm sure you will be, too.

    HUGS!

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  • iammags
    iammags Member Posts: 216
    edited April 2016

    Thanks everyone. I had not even planned on anyone else driving so that's good news that can do it myself. I'm so looking forward to it. Not.:)

    beachw3- I thought that I saw you on the spring rads thread, but maybe not. Check it out though.

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  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 530
    edited April 2016

    kanelli, my surgeon thought I could have the same radiation you had, but radiation oncologist said that because I'm only 41, he wants to do whole breast. I guess I am for whatever they think is better, but I was hoping to do the same as you lol!!

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  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 530
    edited April 2016

    gravy, I'm in the same place as you, waiting on oncotype. Hope we get low numbers!!!! My er was 95 percent and pr was I think around 75 percent, so maybe we will be good. I did the calculator magee one two and three thing and it predicted me around a 12, so well see!

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  • Grazy
    Grazy Member Posts: 373
    edited April 2016

    Lovinggrouches -- I was joking with my brother today that with this Oncotype test, I feel as though I`ve handed in an exam and I`m waiting for the mark! I hope to have my results by April 15 or so. I`ll being watching for your results too!


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  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 530
    edited April 2016

    grazy, my birthday is April 15!! A low score would be the only present I would want lol!!!!

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  • Kaneli
    Kaneli Member Posts: 100
    edited April 2016

    Lovinggrouches: Yeah, I read that for whatever reason, part of the criteria for doing the brachytherapy was to be 60 or older. (I'm 61) Who knows why, but I'm sure they have valid reasoning for the standards they put in place. Anyway, good luck with your onco test. My first MO apt is Friday. Don't know if they'll do an onco test or not. I really have no idea of what to expect.

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  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 530
    edited April 2016

    kaneli, I don't know why they wouldn't do one, I think it's better to be sure!! Good luck!!!!

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  • njnancy
    njnancy Member Posts: 45
    edited April 2016

    So I met with the Oncologist today. For those needing chemo, what kind are you getting. He is suggesting TC but not A. Love the news but not sure i totally understand why i don't need A. Going for a second opinion on Monday.

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  • Lovinggrouches
    Lovinggrouches Member Posts: 530
    edited April 2016

    njnancy, I read that a is worse to cause chemo brain and isn't needed for early stage cancer. I think I read it on this site in the breast cancer news updates

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  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited April 2016

    I'm doing FEC-D.

    TC is like a combo of mine...the C (cytoxan/cyclophosphamide) is the same as yours, and my D is your T (docetaxol/taxetore). A lot of the ladies on my chemo board are doing it, seems to be tolerated similarly to mine. I'm sure some of the ladies here did it or have.

    Chemo is...okay. Not easy, but not (usually) nearly as bad as it looks in media or we anticipate. I've been pleasantly surprised how normal much of my life is!!


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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited April 2016

    nancy, I had TC, 4rounds. It wasn't too bad. Not fun, but the SEs were mostly tolerable.

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  • Jclc83
    Jclc83 Member Posts: 246
    edited April 2016

    Nancy I did TC for six rounds and it kicked my butt. But I survived! (once you know what to expect You're a step ahead of the SE's).. It effects everyone differently. Taxotere and Cytotoxan are a very effective combination. Before you know it chemo will be behind you.

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  • chipsy83
    chipsy83 Member Posts: 19
    edited April 2016

    Hi y'all. I'm new. Nice to meet ya.

    I had a lumpectomy about a week ago and I still very sore. How long does the soreness last? It is not infected or anything. Just sore, especially if I am not wearing a sports bra. Thanks

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  • PontiacPeggy
    PontiacPeggy Member Posts: 6,778
    edited April 2016

    Chipsy83, Welcome! We're glad you found us. We're warm, comforting, informative and funny. Keep wearing that sports bra! Even small gals like me needed that tight support to be comfortable. You don't want to bounce. If I recall correctly after about 3 weeks I went to padded camisoles or nothing.

    Please help us help you by filling out your profile as completely as possible AND make it PUBLIC! That makes it so much easier when we are answering your questions. If you have read this thread at all you know there are lots of posts each day and we don't always remember what your diagnosis, treatments and projected treatments are/will be. AND we'd love to know here you live. We have members all over (strong Canadian and Australian contingents, too). Sometimes we've gotten together and that is very rewarding.

    HUGS!

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  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited April 2016

    Hey guys I'm having my surgery Lumpectomy on the 12 of April I'm so nervous please someone tell me what to expect I'm 37 yrs, hopefully I don't have to do Chemo...

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  • Brutersmom
    Brutersmom Member Posts: 563
    edited April 2016

    beachw3 I had that problem with Radiation. My fluids didn't help so the RO had me take advil about 1/2 hour before the treatment and it made a huge difference.


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  • Grazy
    Grazy Member Posts: 373
    edited April 2016

    Hi brandford37 - a few of us have posted recently about our experiences with lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsies - scroll up a few pages and you'll get a sense of what to expect. I detailed my experience the day of my surgery, in fact, a couple of days ago. I started to feel better by the 2-3 week mark, and rapidly improved from there. Everyone's experience is a little different though so read through a bunch of posts to get a sense of what you might expect. I'm at six-weeks now and feel completely back to normal, as is the case with any surgery I guess; in fact, I have put on a regular bra today for the first time. Got a little tired of the sports bra look ;) Good luck. Ask lots of questions and you'll get lots of responses - great bunch of ladies on here.

    I looked at this link prior to my surgery, in addition to others from reputable websites. http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/lump...


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  • PontiacPeggy
    PontiacPeggy Member Posts: 6,778
    edited April 2016

    Brandford37, Welcome! Looks like you have been reading and posting already. Prior to your surgery, find a good front close sports bra (maybe a size larger than usual since you may be swollen) or a Genie bra (definitely go up one or two sizes - it's a step-in). Have a button front or front zip top to wear and pull-on pants. You want easy things to put on after surgery since you will be a bit uncomfortable. If you surgeon gives you a prescription for painkillers, fill it. You may not need it but you do not want any pain to get the upper hand. Have plenty of ice on hand too.

    Your experience may vary but here's how mine went. I got to the surgery center about 7AM. After getting gowned, I was offered a Valium (I took it). Then, I was taken for wire locator placement. It sounds awful but I was given loads of Lidocaine (which pinches not really painful) so it wasn't bad at all. BTW, my gown was heated! I was offered a Dramamine to prevent anesthesia nausea and that worked really well. Pretty soon my surgeon came in and gave me more Lidocaine and injected the dye for the sentinel lymph node biopsy. That didn't hurt either.

    I WALKED down to the operating room. And then it was done. I would guess I spent an hour in recovery and I did take a pain pill then because I thought I should. I felt good afterwards and took only regular Tylenol for my discomfort.

    I was not allowed to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs with my surgery arm (and I didn't want to either). I did have a mild infection, caught early and antibiotics took care of it.

    As I've mentioned before, I found the SLNB incision much more annoying than the one in my breast. I couldn't wear a lot of my tops because the armholes weren't loose enough. I'm slender so this was quite surprising to me.

    While you wait for others to chime in with their experience, would you please fill in your profile and make it PUBLIC? It helps us when we are sharing our experiences and you are more likely to get information from someone who has a similar Dx and treatment plan. We also would love to know where you are.

    HUGS!

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  • Kaneli
    Kaneli Member Posts: 100
    edited April 2016

    Grazy, Yay for starting to wear a real bra again! At this point, I cannot even imagine that! Mainly because of the SLNB incision.

    I did find a couple of bras at Walmart that have been pretty comfortable, and do not give me the flat sportsbra look. They are by Hanes, come in a package. No padding or wires, and just mainly spandex material, with cups. I got a size larger that I thought I needed., which was appropriate.They snap in the back, but I had no problem snapping it around my waist and pulling it up. They were even good for sleeping. I'm not wearing them at home now....I am doing okay going braless at home. (my habit anyway!)

    Brandford37, You're in a good place here. There is a lot of info you can gain in this forum, and many kind, caring people similar concerns, anxieties, fears....and solutions! There is a great checklist of preparations to consider pre-surgery. It's in the "Surgery, before, during and after" tab.They may not all apply to you, but there's comfort in having the information if you need it. As far as healing, I am 10 days post lumpectomy/ sentinel node removal. No infections, and my Lx incision is healing really well. The sentinel node removal incision is also healing well, but it still hurts. That's not unusual, I hear.

    FYI for Anyone: Tape on tender breast tissue: One of the things that really bothered me after my biopsy was the tape they used to cover the biopsy entry point. Right now, I am still wearing a gauze/ tape thing to cover where I had my SAVI device during rads. My Rad Nurse gave me some Hypoallergenic Surgical tape, made by Micropore. It's 1 inch width, and is really gentle on that tender breast skin.

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