Post-Lumpectomy recovery time

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Anpop
Anpop Member Posts: 7
edited April 2018 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

It's my first post here -- yay (?).

30yo/F. Dx of ILC grade 2 of left breast (MD's didn't tell me stage but that it has "not spread'). Ultrasound guided axillary lymph node biopsy was performed. It's negative. Estrogen +, progesterone +.

It's also had breast MRI + mammogram and ultrasound.

I had found the lump myself and after core biopsy, FNA, and MRI i was diagnosed.

Genetic testing for common cancer causing genes and mutations has been performed and i'll get initial results in 9 days.


Anyway....here's my question. I"m offered lumpectomy + radiation + hormone therapy OR mastectomy + hormone therapy. I'm leaning toward lumpectomy in order to preserve breast tissue. My breast surgeon told me that It's an out patient procedure and I can return home the same day. No major restrictions besides no heavy lifting and minimal exercise. I'm a dentist (right handed) so I do need to use my upper body of work. She said If I wanted to be safe I could take 3 weeks off work to recover. Ladies who have had lumpectomy...how was your recovery? did you really need three weeks of downtime?

Followup. Did radiation make you feel very fatigued? Is it common that it burns your skin?

thank you.

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2018

    I had a lumpectomy and took a week off which wasn't enough time (and I have a low activity healthcare job--much of my time is at a desk or charting). I wish I had taken a couple of weeks. The lumpectomy part wasn't bad. The sentinel node biopsy part was where the pain came from. If you can swing three weeks, you might want to consider it. Unless your job is such that, if you are having more pain than you anticipated, you can still back away from doing work. If your job is where you have to push through no matter what (i.e., can't reschedule patients and you're stuck working even through pain), maybe allow yourself extra time to recover.

    Some women bounce back really quickly and are out jogging a week later. That was not my experience.

    Also keep in mind that getting a mastectomy is not a guarantee that you won't have to do radiation. If something changes during surgery (like a positive node---I had a surprise one that caught us all off guard), they might still want to do radiation. I'm not saying that one choice is better than the other (it's an impossible decision), but I didn't want you to be blindsided should that come up. I chose a lumpectomy because I wanted an easier surgery.

    Radiation did make me tired, but it was more fatigue towards the end of the week. It was for 6 weeks, I think I noticed the fatigue around week 2. I did burn, but not severely. I also had low grade nausea and a scratchy throat for most of the 6 weeks. You should be probably be able to work during that time without a problem.

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  • Georgia1
    Georgia1 Member Posts: 1,321
    edited March 2018

    Oh goodness, I was back to work in three days not three weeks! Two days of pain, ice and Tylenol, then two days of soreness before you can shower, seems to be the norm. You might ask your question over in the Lumpectomy Lounge board to check me tho. Others have had a harder time and the armpit is tight for awhile due to SNB.

    On radiation, ask if you can do three weeks instead of six. Fatigue is cumulative, so after two weeks I cut back to working 10 to 3 and had radiation treatments on my way home from work.


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  • Anpop
    Anpop Member Posts: 7
    edited April 2018

    I am now 4 day out of surgery and feeling pretty normal. My pain is minimal -- I only need to take tylenol once in the morning and once before bed. Otherwise, I have some soreness and bruising, which isn't too bad. It sucks not being able to shower properly and not to sleep on my favorite (left) side, but I'll deal. It's only for the next few weeks. Today will be my first day coming back to work!

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  • ReadyAbout
    ReadyAbout Member Posts: 211
    edited April 2018

    I had a lumpectomy on 2/23 and felt unbelievably good the next day - very little pain - I think I took a few Advil. I went to the gym and walked on treadmill the next day, pruned all the hydrangeas in our yard, went to the grocery store, etc. (I was probably more active than my husband that day, LOL.) I had lumpectomy on a Friday and went back to work on Monday (I'm a teacher) and that was definitely a day too early. I was still nauseous from the anesthesia and the first week after surgery, I was incredibly tired by 8-9 p.m. every night, also probably due to anesthesia. I did have more discomfort in the weeks that followed: nipple hypersensitivity and sensitivity at incision site, and I developed Mondor's cords, which is rare and recently went away. However, I've been able to work and do everything I would normally do. I ran a trail race 3 weeks post-surgery, I started back to spin class immediately, and I have been able to work. My surgeon told me I could resume running 6 weeks after surgery, and if I had felt poorly, I would have waited that long, but I felt good. I think every lumpectomy is different and our bodies respond differently as well, so I hope yours bounces back quickly! Best of luck!

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  • Gingerskids
    Gingerskids Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2018

    I had a lumpectomy 3 weeks ago and have been short of breath since. Had to go in twice because of unclean margins.

    I tried to work half days after one week and found my armpit nodes ached. I knew I had pushed myself too hard.

    I recommend at least two weeks rest with minimal physical effort and then at only short intervals.

    I begin full breast radiation in a few days.

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  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited April 2018

    My mom was 80 years old when she had her lumpectomy. She went to the casino the next day.

    I didn't approve, but she wanted to get her mind off things. I was shocked how quickly she recovered and

    was back to normal activities.

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  • tgtg
    tgtg Member Posts: 266
    edited April 2018

    Anpop--Like several others, I was back at the gym on Wed. morning after a Mon. morning lumpectomy. I avoided arm/shoulder lifts of course and concentrated on back and lower body work and on the treadmill rather than the elliptical. Pain was never an issue--took nothing after surgery. As for rads, if you follow the rad onc's advice to exercise while undergoing rads(walking is recommended as a start), you can avoid (or at least minimize) radiation fatigue. Yes, it is counter-intuitive, but staying fit and active does lessen radiation fatigue, and induces you to get an extra hour or two of sleep daily.

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  • EncoreKennel
    EncoreKennel Member Posts: 13
    edited April 2018

    I think a lot depends on lumpectomy size and placement as well as node surgery. No way could I have done anything like the gym or casino after my March 2nd lumpectomy and 18 axillary lymph nodes removed.... That said the drain was out in less than a week and after a few days I was exponentionally better... 3 weeks post op almost normal and , 4 weeks normal. only issue is from the axillary node dissection... which still feels numb and strange but not like raw meat anymore! Truly was not as bad as I anticipated and never needed all the pain meds. Overall I feel I was way more apprehensive than I needed to be... but more from the unknown than anything else. You can all do this!!! Hugs

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