Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Sandy, interesting that your MO seems to believe in the BCI test. Mine doesn't. I have no clue why the dichotomy between MOs on this. It's rotten when you can't get the brand of letrozole that works best for you anymore. I find Accord's anastrozole isn't as good for me as the other varieties I've taken. Hopefully, you will be a Five Year'er!!

HUGS!

Sandy, thank you for the clarification about what maybe posted here! I appreciate it. I am also going to ask my MO about BCI as I am not certain what she is basing her current 5 year recommendation on.

Cherokee Lady wishing you the best! I have not had IORT but am sure others who are experienced will chime in. If folks do not, you may wish to cross-post your message to one of the radiation boards. Welcome!

Thanks PontiacPeggy. Now I know how to enter/edit diagnosis.

Hugs~

CherokeeLady, another thing you should do is make sure you have enough tops & nightwear that buttons or zips so you won't have to pull anything on over your head--you might have limited arm mobility for a few days. (I didn't). My surgeon's NP told me I might get profound fatigue, so I should set up temporary sleeping quarters on my first floor on a daybed, sofa or recliner. (I didn't need to--was able to climb stairs just fine). I wasn't even given an opioid Rx--in fact, after the one push of painkiller into my I.V. when I came to, while in my post-op "roomette" I was given a couple of Tylenol--regular strength (325mg). I didn't drive till the fourth day after surgery, because my sis came in from VA to help take care of me (which turned out to be hanging out together and driving me). She left the morning of the fourth day (after we walked to brunch, the beach and back home--a little more than 1/2 mile--she headed back to O'Hare so she could go back to work the next day). That night Bob & I went out for dinner, and I drove just fine. My "work" by then was music--I did a gig in Rockford two weeks post-op. My singing partner & the club manager carried all my instruments for me.

One thing that may happen, about which you should not freak out, is starting partway into the evening of the day after upper body stiffness & soreness--like how you feel the morning after using the weight machines at the gym for the first time, with too high resistance. It's called "scoline syndrome" ("scoline" being the nickname for succinylcholine--the "sux" you hear on ER scenes in TV medical dramas). It's a powerful muscle relaxant administered in your I.V. after you've been "put under" so that you lie perfectly still on the O.R. table. (Movement is not a good thing when they're trying to find & remove a tumor a tad smaller than the diameter of a pencil eraser--especially a "non-palpable" one deep in the breast). A split second before the "sux" takes effect, the muscles of your upper body contract extremely forcefully--so that's what you'll start to feel about 24-36 hrs, later. It'll go away a couple of days later--if it happens at all.

IORT is given as a strong beam in the O.R. while you're "out," after the tumor & margins (and nearby sentinel nodes) are removed but before the incisions are sutured. For a small tumor it makes a lot of sense because the beam goes straight to the targeted and fully visible "tumor bed" without (repeatedly) penetrating healthy skin. There might still be some skin irritation as the mucosa of the tumor bed begins to repair itself--skin regenerates from the inside out and sometimes after radiation the dermis & epidermis don't make new cells fast enough to replace the ones that die off (we all have skin cells & hair follicles dying constantly, regardless of whether we've had radiation).

My BS didn't talk much about the after of the lumpectomy. Until I came on here I was pretty much unprepared for it. I had to scramble to get bras afterward. Thanks to the ladies on here, especially ChiSandy for all the helpful advice

Cherokee I had IORT during my surgery along with 15 whole breast sessions afterwards. I don't think I was really affected by the IORT, more so with the lumpectomy and immediate reconstruction. I second Peggy with the front close tops and the front close bras were a must. You might find a fee months after the radiation that you get a little tight, don't be afraid to ask about PT if you do.

CherokeeLady, you might want to "bookend" your surgery by staying in a hotel, motel or AirBnB near the hospital the night before and after. Nice to be able to crash nearby after surgery and order from room service (or pizza delivery). I had the luxury of living 20 min. from the hospital, with Bob taking the day off to be with me, drive me, and bring back Chinese food & frozen custard from around the corner. Not sure where in IN you live--is the hospital in Indy or Lafayette?

MCS is a real bear, CherokeeLady. I feel for you & your husband. My former neighbor/lead guitarist/law-office-sharer developed it after moving back to the exurbs and the 150-yr-old family home where he was raised. It got to the point that he had to run his practice from home via computer & videoconference because clients' & visitors' various scents (perfumes, deodorants, hair care products, fabric softeners, even newspapers) gave his lungs vapor lock--not to mention scents of other offices he'd visit. His specialty had been Workers' Comp, Soc. Sec. disability & personal injury; but he took that lemon and made lemonade out of it--he now specializes in disabilities caused by MCS.

Ladies, I know some of us (not me) use essential oils in many ways. The study linked below seems to indicate that using lavender for those of us who are estrogen positive and taking hormone suppressors (Tamoxifen or AIs) might want to discontinue its use.

Lavender and Estrogen

HUGS!

Perhaps Sloan Kettering is more reliable but the conclusions for women with ER+ BC is the same. Not recommended. And I have no reason to doubt the study from the Daily Mail. It seemed to be legit. Food for thought at a minimum.

HUGS!!

PontiacPeg, I wasn't disputing the study, just backing it up with a medical link.

Sandy, let's go drinking - that's safer

HUGS!

I thought you'd be onboard, Sandy. You're a girl after my own heart! And I do know there's a drinking thread. I miss seeing you!

HUGS!

Trained aromatherapist who conducts classes at local Cancer Support Community always warns about no lavender if hormone +. Before BC, lavender was one of my faves .

HI All, just wanted to ask a question for those who have had a lumpectomy/radiation: do you have random pains in and above your breast, like between the collarbone and the breast? My bones hurt when I press them, and my collarbone/ribs hurt.I'm 7 months post surgery.