Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Peggy, I just looked at my machine. It's an ionizer, too. I don't really mind the smell. It sort of smells like when it rains and there's lightning nearby. I wouldn't want to stay in close proximity with it. Our camper is small so that I think it will do a pretty good job.

My surgery was last Wednesday, I haven't had any pain at incision, just sore to touch, but my head has felt foggy all day, making me feel tired. The back of my throat near my sinuses has been sore. Wondering if this is from anesthesia or allergies from all the spring flowers blooming? Feeling pretty good otherwise.

Thanks Sandy!

Thanks 614 for the input on the oophorectomy. It's so interesting and thought provoking to hear everyone's stories. I appreciate you taking the time to tell yours. I don't know what I'll do yet. I'm still waiting for genetic test results and then we'll see.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful week...

Hello melancholylnnc, I was a little groggy from the anesthesia for a couple days after my surgery, but I felt that I could have gone back to work after 3 days. But, I think it would be wise to take afew extra days off. I was sore, but it was mostly at night. I was a teacher on summer break when I had my surgery last summer, and I probably would have taken 5 days off (or 3 days and a weekend) if I were working. It's stressful, and I think our bodies just need to rest after the surgery. Others will chime in with their opinions shortly. Good luck.

Thanks Molly. I'll be using Miaderm. Their website said to start using it a week before so that's what I did. I can't sleep on my back. Guess I better find a hotel that has a recliner in the room. I slept in the recliner for 5wk after the Lx. Guess I'll be doing that again if I get sore. Just how warm will my skin be getting that I should consider a cooling towel or is it just for comfort in general?

Grazy, great news about no chemo. What a relief to have that decision done with. Hopefully, the rads phase of the journey will be relatively uneventful for you and everyone else who will be starting it soon. Yay for your MO being up to date on the bisphosphonates research front. How's the AI going?

Links to two of the bisphosphonate papers are below for anyone who may want †o ask their MO about them.

http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/3/2/521/pdf

http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/201...

tbalding, glad you recovery is going well.

MLP & LTF, in your pocket next Tuesday for your last chemo infusions.

Poodles & Sandy, did you start out on femara from the get go or did you switch from arimdex? Was there a specific reason your MOs were partial to femara? I realize the 3 AIs all do the same thing, I'm just trying to get a feel if there are distinct advantages/disadvantages for each of them.

Peachy, what a sweetheart your nephew is.

Meg, they gave me oxycontin but I rashed on it so just used tylenol.

Peggy, sorry to hear your mammogram was so painful. Yay on it being normal - that has to be a relief.

Belated Happy Birthday, Lonvinggrouches!

Welcome, MelancholyInNC! I had my LXs on a Tuesday and I went back the following Monday, part- time. The LXs and the left sentinel node incision came back online by the weekend. The right sentinel node biopsy did not go smoothly and took over 3 wk before it started to feel decent.

I had my second sim on Friday. They actually set the fields for the Tx plan that was prepared from the 1st sim. Unfortunately, they only did the left side. After they went through the sim, they took films to make sure they were hitting the field. They also marked the field with a green marker.

To be honest, I was appalled when I saw that I had a green line that was very visible in the open neckline area of my shirt. My first thought was they might as well have written cancer on my forehead with their green marker. I went shopping afterwards for shirts/tees with high necklines to cover the marker lines. I purposely didn't tell the gossipy neighbors or the gossipy folks at work so showing up with marker lines all over the place wasn't an option. There has to be a better way to mark fields. Has everyone else had their chest written all over by the rads techs?

I start rads on the left side on Mon. and the 2nd sim on the right side is on Tues. and on Wed. they will be doing rads on both sides. They are doing the Canadian protocol with 4 boosts for a total of 19 so I just need to get through the nest 4 wks.

Froggie, I should hear this week regarding an appointment to set up my sim for rads - now I'm curious as to whether I'll be covered up with green marker as well ! haha I'll let you know!! I do recall a mention of tattoos, so hopefully that's all I get! Like you, I'm also flying under the radar with all of this so the less obvious to others what I'm doing, the better - my RT is only to be 4 weeks (16 fractions plus 4 boosts) so should go quickly. A light rail transmit system is being implement and running right by the cancer center, so navigating through that mess every day will be more of a pain I bet!

EDIT --Froggie, I forgot to answer your question re: how it's going with my AI - I've taken my third today and I haven't keeled over yet -- so far so good. Seriously, I assume it builds up and eventually I'll begin to notice something in the way of side effects -- we'll see how it affects me. Are there some of you who haven't been bothered by AIs? I'm taking it in the morning as soon as I get up with a large glass of water and a piece of toast with peanut butter. I've never had to take pills in my life so it's remembering each morning that I need to do this that's the challenge! I take a calcium and vitamin D supplement as well now too. I should just buy one of those compartmentalized pill boxes marked with the days of the week so I know that I know I've taken my pills.

Welcome, Melancholy - sorry you have to be here, but come here often as these ladies can answer pretty much any question you could possibly have. This forum has been very helpful to me. I know I couldn't have done a physically demanding job for 2-3 weeks, that's for sure. I'm 7 weeks since my surgery and plan to go and dig up some lillies in my garden today without a thought of hauling a shovel around, so at some point I healed to the point where I feel no limitations (probably 4 weeks?). The only thing I notice now is occasional sensations like a little bee sting under my arm and then I realize it's nerves regenerating and that I've got more and more feeling back under my arm. I can feel a razor on almost 2/3 of my underarm now - it's the little things that bring me joy, what can I say

Heathet, good luck tomorrow. Fingers and toes crossed you will have have clear margins and an easy recovery. Let us know how it goes when you're up to it.

Heathet, I'll be in your pocket tomorrow "dancing." Praying for an uneventful recovery and clear margins. It definitely is a relief to get started on your treatment journey. Now you are *doing* something!

HUGS!

Good luck tomorrow, Heathet!!

Froggie - Glad you're just ahead of me with rads - I'll be interested to hear about your experience as you go along. Also can't wait to hear what color you'll be marked up with next I'll check out that YouTube video you mentioned....

Hi MelancholyInNC, I too was wondering that. Mine was on the left breast. I was told some return after a week (desk job?) they have usually given 2 weeks. I am a dog groomer and am nervous about returning even with 2 weeks when I have to deal with the big long haired Golden Retrievers that love to sit and you have to hold them up while grooming, or the crazy labs, huskies that do not want to let you clip nails. Under my arm from elbow down my partial side is numb. Bending over, reaching for things, even wearing sports bra bothers me, Today I have felt a few jabs of pain (not crazy pain but enough to say WTH?). I am taking extra strength tylenol instead of the script since I am not a fan of that feeling. I have my after surgery follow up this Wednesday.

Froggie. Im not sure why MO chose Femara right out the gate. I haven't had any SEs in the last 6 weeks.

Best of luck with surgery tomorrow, Heathet

Froggie - I had tattoos at sims - just little black dots - if anyone can see them, it looks like a tiny mole - I did ask why they couldn't make it a flower.. LOL... from time to time during radiation they wrote all over my chest with magic marker - I just went with it - and they wanted it to stay for the next day - well, they never happended - it would wash off..