Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

I finished the last of my whole breast rads today! Skin was really beginning to get red under my breast, arm and top of chest, but the Dr. only noticed one break in skin under my arm. Now I just have to get through the boosts (which I understand are easy) and heal!

Suzanne, welcome to the rads homestretch!

Mel...NC, I went back to “work," in the sense of driving 90 miles each way to and from Rockford to do a two-set concert, with my son loading & unloading the car in Chicago and my singing partner doing the same in Rockford. Were my job closer to home and more sedentary, I'd have been back at “work" about the time I was driving & shopping solo, about 5 days post-op. Your mileage may vary.

As to why my MO recommended letrozole, it's the “newest" (but >10 yrs old) of the AIs and there's been research showing it's slightly more effective than its predecessors. Others have posited that anastrozole seems to work best with the fewest SEs in slender women, whereas those of us with more adipose tissue seem to do better on letrozole. And exemestane seems to be reserved as a second choice for those who couldn't tolerate one of the other two.

my last chemo is tomorrow! I can hardly believe it! Hyped up on steroids right now. Going to go for a walk with my kids because it's beautiful out today!

Heathet good luck tomorrow. I too will be in your pocket.

IArranged to have two weeks off work, my job has me on my feet a lot, but is not particularly strenuous. I actually arranged to go back to work one week early, because I had no complications and felt up to it as soon as the aenestesia were off

LovingGrouches, Are you sure they hadn't planned on doing a vaginal all along? Nothing wrong with asking for meds - I would too. But likely nothing is going on and they just wanted to check everything out while they had you. I had no magic markings, just my tats

HUGS!

MelancolyINY - I had surgery last Wednesday, lumpectomy only, no sentinel node. No pain, just sore. Have a desk job & went back to work today. I'm feeling more side affects from anesthesia (fatigue & headache) & tube down my throat (gets sore if I talk for any length of time). I worked a little more than half day & came home & rested. Going to play it by ear tomorrow. Post op visit is Wednesday.

Heather - lifting up prayers to you for tomorrow. I know what you mean about being glad to start this part of your journey. The waiting is awful. Now you are doing.

Congrats to those finishing rads & chemo - sorry lost track of all the names

I remember now:

Dear Grazy:  I have no side effects from Arimidex/Anastrazole and I have been taking it for exactly 1 year and 6 months.  I am hoping that you do not have any side effects either.

Dear Iammags:  I forgot to tell you that I have no known genetic mutations and I had the oophorectomy.  I did have a Variable of Unknown Significance (VUS) which is probably for the colon but no one knows for sure.  There is not enough information.  Good luck with your decision.

I still think that I missed a question but it will have to remain in limbo.

614, so glad you and I have no trouble with Arimidex (you've been on it 11 days longer than me!).

Moondust, I gather today was not a good day with your MO. We're ready to listen when you want to rant.

HUGS!

Woo-hoo, Brit. Thanks for checking in and letting us know how you are doing. Missed you. I found the boosts easier, faster and part of the light at the end of the rads tunnel. We do seem to keep cooking for a bit after it ends so keep slathering on the ointments...and, I swear by cooled cabbage leaves- no joke- for reducing the heat and itch of rads! Good luck..you are in the home stretch!

Had a bilateral oophorectomy due to persistent cysts Sept. 2013....2 years prior to BC dx- pain meds made me hallucinate and have continued doing that with pain meds since then....however, my hallucinations aren't scary so it isn't terrible....however, had been in peri-menopause prior to this and went into menopause soon, very soon, afterwards. Not terrible. Hang in there, friends!

Jill congrats on your last chemo!!! And may you never have to go back!

Heathnet- in your pocket, also.

I'm glad that this Monday is almost over.

Heard from MLP today. She's good. Just gearing up for her last cycle tomorrow and focussing on non-cancer stuff!!!

HappyHammer, I am neaRr Winston-Salem. Maybe a little over an hour from Hickory. This is all still so new and shocking to me. I do enjoy being able to connect with other Breast Cancer patients.

Moondust, I am a perioperative registered nurse. I never dreamed that my team would be operating on me. I don't like being on this side.

My motto: Cancer Sucks

Thanks for all the greetings.

I will be in your pocket, Jill and MLP!! Congrats on finishing. Sunnyone, you are coming to the finish line! Hugs everyone. I finally feel almost like myself again. I don't think it's going to be easy to accept going on another med.

Here is my rant about today's visit with my MO. My confidence level in my "cancer team" has taken a nosedive. The simplest way to explain is to state what I was told by each oncologist.

Early March:

RO: I took your case to the tumor board and they felt there may be some benefit for you from chemo.

Me: So they didn't think I was a crazy patient reading too much on the internet?

RO: No, not at all. There was discussion of the fact that the Oncotype test marked your PR in the negative range, and that 26 may actually be considered a high score when the new data is out. They thought it would be fine for you to get chemo after radiation, but you will not get adriamycin in your chemo regimen.

Today:

MO: The tumor board felt unanimously that chemo would not benefit you.

Early March:

RO: There is no problem doing chemo after radiation. The order is just a convention. Chemo will still be effective. The only difference is that you should not receive adriamycin because there is a chance of "radiation recall" which would make your skin react as though it were still being radiated.

Today:

MO: I am not comfortable giving you chemo after radiation. We just don't do that. I can't predict what might happen. You should have decided before radiation.

Me: I told the RO after just one week.

MO: Well, it was too late to change by then.

So I guess I am a troublesome patient who didn't meet the deadline for making a life-altering decision. Shoot me. Why didn't the MO let me know back in early March that she wanted to send me for a second opinion? Why delay? She said the RO was supposed to tell me this and that, but he wanted her to tell me. I get the feeling there may be some conflict between them. And all I can think is, this is my team?? Am I such an intimidating patient because I read and research things and ask questions, so no one wants to communicate with me? I'm just another damn unfortunate woman with cancer as far as I can tell.

After the MO told me about getting a second opinion and we decided where I would go (UCSF), then I brought up going on the AI while waiting for the opinion. She was very agreeable to that, but why did I have to be the one to suggest it? Why didn't she suggest it? Then, driving home, I wondered if I was supposed to get a baseline dexascan before going on the AI. I called her office and hopefully I'll get a call back tomorrow. I had all my chemo questions written down, but not any of the AI questions since I assumed that would be happening four months down the road.

I am looking forward to the second opinion. I will readily admit if I turn out to be wrong, but with a score of 26, low PR, and no health reasons why I should not receive chemo, I can't imagine why it would not benefit me. Certainly I won't get as much benefit as someone with a much higher score, but from what I have read and heard, most MOs will recommend chemo for scores over 25. I think my MO is not all that current on new breast cancer knowledge and she is still trying to ignore my score in favor of tumor size and grade.

The silver lining: It was fortuitous that the hair stylist was sick last Thursday when I was originally scheduled for the cut. And I will be able to combine my trip to San Francisco with visiting my cousin Linda who lives there. We are the same age and don't see each other often enough.

I'm so sorry that I've missed so much! I've been feeling so great that I needed to take a break from the cancer world for a bit. Hope you all understand;)

Walked 4 miles yesterday with my knee brace after being inspired by watching the Boston Marathon. Heading into Boston now for my last chemo!!!!

I'll catch up in the next few days and wish everyone well😘

Hi all, this is my first post. I am scheduled for a lumpectomy on 5/13. I have a 1cm tumor on R breast right near nipple. They will have to remove nipple. My R is naturally smaller than my L. Wondering how assymetrical I will end up. They are offering PS to happen at the same time as LX. Just not sure if I will need it. Maybe reduction on L? I am a 36D. Any thoughts?