May 2016 Surgeries

Angtee15 · April 2016

Hi there! I didn't see a thread yet for May surgeries. Thought I'd get the ball rolling....I have a bmx and tissue expander placement on 5/11. So happy to be done with chemo and on to surgery!

**edited**

Here is a list of us May ladies and our surgery dates.

Twirp26 - BMX date TBD in early May
WenchLori - DBMX with immediate reconstruction May date TBD
Midwest - left mastectomy with tissue expanders on May 2nd
Ausbear - Bilateral Mastectomy - no reconstruction (yet) on May 4th
TennisPink - lumpectomy with bilateral breast reduction on May 4th
Hydranne - MX on May 4th
wildflower7 - BMX with tissue expanders on May 5th
georgiaredskin - BMX on May 5th
sensitivehrt - BMX on May 6th
Maine1965 - exchange surgery on May 6th
windedwalker - BMX with expander placements on May 6th
GreyKat - bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement on May 9th
robinlori - BMX on May 9th
JoJo_1964 - lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy on May 10th
WifeMomTeacher - Mastectomy (left) on May 12- without reconstruction for now
Kluga5 - BMX on May 11th
Angtee15 - BMX with tissue expanders on May 11th
tsoebbin - lumpectomy, left, Grade 2 on May 11th
raven4mi - nipple excision on May 11th
Charlybear1960 - lumpectomy on May 12th
blessedby3miracles - skin sparing BMX with DIEP flap scheduled for May 12th
Bonniebleu - BMX with tissue expanders on May 12th
NattyB - BMX on May 16th with reconstruction
myToyStory2 - BMX with tissue expander placement on May 16th
SpecialK - exchange of left expander to implant, a swap and downsize of right existing reconstruction (silicone implant), removal of the right nipple on May 17th
monicammoriah - Unilateral mastectomy with expanders (left) and reduction and lift (right) on May 17th
grandma3X - prophylactic mastectomy of right side on May 18th
skdc- unilateral mastecomy with tissue expander, left breast on May 19th
Scared67 - BMX on May 20th
KNardo88 - bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction on May 20th
Bfuruseth - bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders on May 23rd
Valstim52 - scheduled for BMX on May 24th
allaboutacure - double Mastectomy on May 23rd
jensgotthis - unilateral mascectomy on May 24 on the left
Papillon1 - PBMX on May 24th with immediate implant reconstruction
MoreShoes - BMX on May 25th
GinaSC - BMX on May 25th with reconstruction
Lorice - left unilateral mastectomy on May 25th
Spdr1031 - BMX on May 25th with tissue expanders and sentinel node biopsy
Optimisticbynature - Lumpectomy on right side on May 25th
Dawnmarieg - BMX on May 26th
HuskerFan - BMX with reconstruction (tissue expanders) on May 26
maggierose520 - Nipple Delay Surgical Procedure on the 25th. BMX is June 8th.
Kawigirl1260- single mx, no recon on the right side originally scheduled for May 26th, moved to June 2nd
StonyPony - Bilateral Mastectomy with tissue expanders and sentinel lymph node on May 31st

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HELPFUL LINKS...

Ausbear · April 2016

Hi,

I'm having a Bilateral Mastectomy - no reconstruction (yet). On International Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you). Yes, I am a nerd.

Chemo afterwards.

Nice to meet you Angtee15

Clair

Twirp26 · April 2016

hi Angee15!! Glad you started this on here!!! I don't have my date yet but having my BMX sometime the beginning of May. I'll pop back on when I know the date:) good luck everyone!!

sensitivehrt · April 2016

Hi all,

I've been waiting for the May thread to start. I'm having a BMX on May 6th with no plans of reconstruction. Will be flat and fabulous, and will use foobs if I feel the need . Good luck everyone.

TennisPink · April 2016

Angtee -- thank you for starting the thread for the May surgery ladies and so happy to hear you are done with chemo!!!

May surgery here--after a long wait for a date-FINALLY. May 4th lumpectomy with bilateral breast reduction.

No idea what my all of treatments will be, but I know I will have radiation for sure since I chose lumpectomy. I have not met the MO yet but will after surgery whenwe have the full picture.

Best of luck to all of you this month!

allaboutacure · April 2016

I am having a double Mastectomy on May 23rd. Good luck to everyone. Can't wait.

Angtee15 · April 2016

Hello there!

I went back and looked at the January 2016 surgery thread and copied over their list of helpful links to my initial post. I also started a running list of all of our dates like I've seen on other surgery threads. They'll be coming up before you know it! I know we've all been through a lot to get here--whether it's chemo or having the reality of a diagnosis settle in--so I will be hoping for all of us to have the best possible outcomes with these surgeries. I've learned to manage my expectations with this bc situation but for me I'm praying these expanders aren't a several week sentence of discomfort.

Finishing chemo yesterday is just enough of morale boost to get me into surgery. My fiance went with me and about halfway through my infusion five of my girlfriends surprised me with balloons and a giant card and a cowbell that the nurses handed off to them that they apparently use when someone finishes chemo at my hospital. I was floored! They had all accompanied me to at least one chemo so I didn't expect them all to take off yet another workday for this. One just had a baby last week!!!

I will be busy at work and it seems surgery prep brings a few extra doctors appointments so 5/11 will be here soon! I did some online shopping and got a few things on Walmart.com for next to nothing. I read one tip about getting hoodies and wearing them inside out to place your drains in your pockets. I ordered two and I think they'll be perfect. Very lightweight:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Just-My-Size-Women-s-Plu...

Enjoy the rest of the weekend....

grandma3X · April 2016

Hi everyone! I had a mastectomy in January and will be going back for a prophylactic mastectomy of my right side on May 18th. I had a relatively easy time of it in January and wrote about my experience in the "No pain, no nausea" thread. I hope to have the same opioid-sparing anesthesia regimen again this time. Feel free to PM me (or ask here) if you want more details. The worst part of this whole process was the anxiety, and the easiest part was the surgery. My TE is still in, filled to about 200ccs, and I'll wait for the other side to catch up before I continue. At 3+ months post surgery, I'm 100% recovered, with full range of motion and strength. I've lost about 17 pounds and feel great. My only issue is that my TE sits higher than my normal boob, so I have to do some creative bra padding to not look lopsided, lol

but that will all be resolved when I have my exchange surgery. Looking forward to having all of this behind me!

Have a great weekend!

TennisPink · April 2016

Angtee-- you have awesome friends & fiancée !! That was such a sweet way for them to end such a tough part of your treatment.

I think I am the only lumpectomy on our May surgery thread so far, but the main area plus tissue, plus a teeny mass below it will leave me with a giant hole, so I told the plastic surgeon to just reduce that breast and match the other side. He did not mention drains...but in case I have them, I love the tip about the hoodie!!!

I am SO SO scared to have surgery and can't stop worrying about it-- on the other hand, I have known about this tumor since February and want it out already!!!

Anyone else??

Kawigirl1260 · April 2016

Well, I'd originally been scheduled for single mx, no recon on the right side on May 26, but the BS is going out of town, so have been rescheduled for June 2nd. One week moves me to the June 2016 Surgeries category. Was diagnosed in Dec., so will be glad to have it all done with!

Good luck to you all, ladies! Will be keeping you all in my prayers and interested in hearing about how you're all doing and your experiences as my procedure approaches.

robinlori · April 2016

I'm having BMX on May 9, no reconstruction. Still having some doubts as to having mastectomy or lumpectomy. This is the second time I've been dx with DCIS. Mine is high grade, 4.8cm and positive for HEr2, ER/PR neg. I had a lumpectomy with radiation the first time, so the BS and oncologist said mastectomy was the recommended treatment this time. I am concerned about the recovery process as I have several chronic health conditions that are already alot for me to manage.(asthma, fibromyalgia, GERD, etc.) I am particularly concerned about the chest tightness over the scar areas that can occur. I'm concerned that it will aggravate my GERD as I already cannot wear a bra because it aggravates my GERD symptoms(food regurgitation). Any thoughts/information would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

GreyKat · April 2016

I am having a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement May 9. So, so anxious...

Angtee15 · April 2016

grandma3X - I will definitely search out your experience on the "No pain, no nausea" no thread! That certainly sounds good to me!

TennisPink and Greykat- I think I'm more afraid of the recovery and dealing with those darned expanders for so long! I still want boobs so I guess it is what it is and I was certainly afraid of a long flap reconstruction surgery. I actually have blood clotting issues (developed during my illustrious career as a cancer patient) so I probably wouldn't have been a candidate for it anyway. I think with all this stuff it's the fear of the unknown that can really shake you. We can do this!

Kawigirl1260 - I guess everyone deserves a vacation but I'm sure it is disappointing to have your procedure delayed if only for a week. I'm going to add you to our list so we can cheer you on to a speedy recovery on 6/2!

robinlori - I'm sorry to hear that you have to worry about additional medical issues on top of your surgery! Have you thought about going to a previous month's surgery threads and see how other women with possible similar issues may have gotten through their recovery? I had started my own thread in January after my pulmonary embolisms were resolved and got some good information on how surgeons treat patients who are on heavy blood thinners (I self inject Lovenox twice daily).

Have a good night everyone!

NattyB · April 2016

I'm having a BMX on May 16th with reconstruction. Chemo to follow. Thank you for starting this thread - good luck to everyone:)

Valstim52 · April 2016

Hello All

I find out tomorrow what date in May for my BMX. I'm nervous. But ready for this next step.

NattyB · April 2016

Valstim - you are welcome to join me on the 16th

myToyStory2 · April 2016

Newbie here...

Left breast DCIS. Age 43. Very strong family history of BC on maternal side, so I've chosen to have a BMX with tissue expander placement. Surgery scheduled for May 16th.

Good luck to all....and thanks for adding me to the list! Grateful for the resources and advice on these boards!

Angtee15 · April 2016

Evening ladies! I got the latest dates updated. Welcome! Our group is growing:) I hope everyone is doing well. My last chemo isn't too bad with the SEs but I'm probably pushing myself a little too much with work. Even these boring desk jobs can drain you. Just anxious to feel like I have a "normal" life again.

Moderators · April 2016

MyToyStory2-

Welcome! We're glad you've joined us, and wish you much luck on your upcoming surgery! Please keep us posted on how everything is going!

The Mods

sensitivehrt · April 2016

My countdown has begun....signed all the pre-surgery paperwork today. Was very happy to hear that they are going to let me shower with my drains. 11 days and counting. Starting to feel a little anxious. So very happy I took the week off before and am going to take a short trip to Portland to visit my friend.

Good luck to all of my surgery sisters.

wildflower7 · April 2016

Hi ladies!

BMX with tissue expanders on May 5th. No Cinco de Mayo celebration for me that day.

Good luck to all of you!

tsoebbin · April 2016

Count me in for the May! I will have lumpectomy for DCIS, left, Grade 2 on March 11^th. Surgeon suggested radiation and Tamoxefin afterwards. I will wait for that pathology report and meet with the MO on the 23^rd to decide what to do next. I would like to avoid radiation and hormone therapy so I guess I will just wait and see what the pathology tells us.

Does anyone have a crystal ball I could borrow?

blessedby3miracles · April 2016

Hi All,

I have a skin sparing BMX with DIEP flap scheduled for May 12th. I'm still on the fence on rather to do a uni or bi mastectomy. I have DCIS grade 2 and ER+ PR+ and waiting on BRCA results. I also have Crohn's disease and take remicade infusion so we are still weighing all choices. thank you all for sharing and for having a place to be heard!

jensgotthis · April 2016

I am having a unilateral mascectomy on May 24 on the left. I am delaying reconstruction until after rads

Angtee15 · April 2016

Good morning to wildflower7, tsoebbin, blessedby3miracles, and jensgotthis! I have your surgery dates updated at the top of this thread. I hope everyone is doing well and is settling in for successful surgeries with NO complications. Lord knows we've all ready been through various ringers to get here;-)

Blessedby3miracles--my sister has Crohn's and has been on remicade for years. What a tough disease (to say the least).

Kluga5 · April 2016

hi grandmax3 and my fellow May gals!

I am scheduled for a BMX on May 11 but am really really struggling with the decision on a Uni vs. Bi. I mean driving myself to insanity struggling. M

I am 36 and have three young kids (3,3,7) and I'm really terrified of not being with them post surgery and getting recovered. My breasts are important to me and my sexuality and I'm having such a hard time with this.

Do you mind me asking why a uni and then going back for the other? I ask as this has been suggested to me some I can't decide but the thought of putting my family through an extra surgery doesn't seem so realistic for me but I also really don't want to lose both breasts. But I have very dense tissue and the left breast has multiple areas and lobular so some people are saying a BMX is the way to go.

I also have very difficult time with anesthesia and paid mess so I'm concerned about being sick post op which would be miserable I'm guessing.

So thankful for this site and everyone on here. I hate that we are meeting and connecting over this topic but grateful for everyone. Any info or words of wisdom shared is appreciated. Thank you.

NattyB · April 2016

Hi Kluga - I can only share my thoughts on doing the BMX. But one of the major factors for me was stress over the other breast but also additional surgeries. I don't do especially well with anesthesia - I'm a puker no matter what they try, same with most narcotics. So they are placing the port at the same time as the BMX. I also had a really rough time between all of the testing and the diagnosis - I was a mess and my family picked up on that and it scared them because I'm normally the one who holds the center in our house, husband travels every week with work. I have 2 boys 15 and 18 that worry and for me, one surgery versus more down the line was what I needed to do to be more "there" for them. But - I also don't really feel "attached" to my breasts but I totally understand women who are. Mine are just not that pretty and have never been close to symmetrical so this is also my best shot at fixing that. So for me, it was kind of a lot of little reasons to go ahead and knock it all out at once. You have some time to mull it over, I found this site was super helpful in reading other people's experiences and its been invaluable in making my own informed decision. So sorry you are going through this. It's not for wimps.

grandma3X · April 2016

Hi Kluga - I also struggled with uni vs bilateral MX. My initial decision for UMX was based on the following (1) I was not mentally or emotionally able to deal with more than the cancer diagnosis at that point, (2) I had an MRI done of both breasts and nothing was found on my right (good) side, and I knew that the chance of having cancer in my good boob was very small, (3) I knew that doctors don't routinely scan patients for recurrence after surgery except for getting a mammo (or in my case an MRI) every 6 months and I thought if I kept my right breast it would be like a "canary in a coal mine" - letting me know if the treatments had stopped working.

After my UMX, however, the pathology report came back saying the tumor was actually 5x4 cm and not the little 1x 0.9 cm tumor that was picked up by MRI. That pretty much clinched it for me - if mammo, US and MRI could not detect this massive growth, there's no way to know what might be lurking in my good breast! That, plus the fact that the surgery and recovery was actually not so bad convinced me to go ahead and have the right side done.

In retrospect, I probably should have done both at once, but to be honest, I am glad that I had one good arm during recovery. It made it much easier to do things like getting dressed and fetching things from the fridge, because my left arm was pretty useless for a week or 2.

I don't really have any advice. I think it depends on how much support you will have after surgery. If you have young children that need you to be able to physically help them (like getting them dressed, bathing, etc.) it may be better to just do one side, unless you have someone there for an extended period to help out. If your kids are old enough to do things on their own, or can be of help to you with household chores during recovery, then doing both sides at once may be a good way to go.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Best wishes for an easy surgery to Ausbear, TennisPink, wildflower and sensitivehrt next week!

tsoebbin · April 2016

I have a couple of questions this morning!

Vitamin C - has anyone heard of upping this before surgery?

Creams/salves for radiation - I know I read SOMEWHERE that there is something good to put on after radiation to help your skin. I did not make a note of it. Have any of you purchased something like this?

Looking forward to moving forward. Life has changes so much over the past 4 weeks and not all for the worst. I feel more grateful and I am taking better care of myself. It is such a whirlwind. I have sad moments when it is quiet - but for the most part I can keep moving along.

Thinking of you all - we got this!

blessedby3miracles · April 2016

Hi Angtee15 and everyone!

Thanks for updating this page and i'm so sorry for your sister...rough disease that Crohn's and it's really is making some of my decisions harder...i would have never thought that but i'm learning more and more everyday. I used to be a girl who took any medications that my dr said too without much research...WELL those days are OVER! between my crohns and BC i have 5 doctors that i have to go through and get advice on what meds to take and the best course of surgery and let me tell you with the remicade infusion NOT ONE of the doctors wanted to take the lead on it because it's so new and they really don't know what side effects it has and if it cased the BC or made it grow faster?? All i know is last year at 40 i had a mammo and got called back in and they took pics of right side but then said it's calcifications and very common most women have them not to worry and then to a year later i have a have a breast removed because it's half the size of my breast?? Very confused but i am learning that this has to me my decision because i'm the one that will live with it and we know our bodies the best, right? I'm trying to trust in my gut here!

Yes i've heard of the vit C and already started taking it..i just bought over the counter. not sure about anything else

I'm a flight attendant and have to fly today so i'm going to put a smile on my face and be blessed to have something to take my mind off all these decisions!

thank you all and have a nice day!!!

TennisPink · April 2016

Angtee-- thank you for being our 'group leader' and updating everyone on all of our May surgeries.

I am not an anxious/depressed/stressed person & even when faced with extra stress in daily life, I spend some time worrying but not so much that I can't function or don't feel well.

Ever since I was diagnosed in March, my body has been a physical mess & nothing I have experienced before. Upper back ache (chronic!), chest & rib cage ache, thirst, and exhaustion/feeling like I need to sleep all the time. I have looked this up like a million times (BS says it is NOT the cancer) and it all seems to relate to anxiety, but it is so strange to me. Has anyone else had this problem? It went away briefly but it's back now that I have an actual surgery date. Just hoping this is a normal phenomenon with a cancer diagnosis. Yes-- they gave me Ativan but it made me so drowsy, I stopped trying it!

I admit I get a little scared/worried reading the discussion board since so many things can take a wrong turn with BC. I am hoping my tumor is in fact about 2cm after surgery with no lymph node involvement (as MRI indicates) and not some huge surprise size with several nodes!!! Perhaps my body is reacting to all of this worry

Feedback/calming words welcome....

May 2016 Surgeries

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