Starting chemo February 2020

I didn't feel anything. They give you numbing cream before. In fact they made me put the cream on myself so I made sure everything was covered

Yeah those guys called me last minute too. I got a call Wednesday mid-morning to come in on Tuesday for the test.

I didn't have that radar thing.

I did the Sentinel Node injection the morning of surgery. They basically took me in a room, had me strip from the waist up. Then had me apply the numbing cream, twice. I had to apply it, waiting a few minutes and then apply a second coat. She then had me wait 15 minutes and brought me into another room to lay on a machine. Once I was in place the radiologist injected the dye. If I remember correctly she also added a numbing agent to the injections (maybe ask about that?).

After the injection you just laid there, it takes around 15-20 minutes. I think the worst part was laying on my side so they could that was uncomfortable

They did mine right in the hospital, they say it takes 1 Hour to get the results.

My covid test is scheduled for the Wednesday surgery week, Thursday I have SAVI procedure to place the magnetic seed and then Friday is the surgery. This is all next week and I am worried about it because I don't feel very strong right now. I know I will be having my blood work, chest xray and ECG this Friday, one week prior to surgery. Maybe those results will make me feel better. It's just that i still really fatigued. My stomach feels better since I've had some distance from my last chemo but as far as being tired and being able to move about like I used to? I am still far from normal.

Same. It's fascinating to see how things different by Dr.

I also find it interesting how different each doctor and treatment plan can be (while also so similar sometimes).

Scattered- for my sentinel node injection I didn’t have any numbing, just got the shot to the boob. I didn’t think it was too bad overall, but I have an abnormal pain tolerance it seems. I also don’t do anything for pain when they access my port.

I have my 2nd HP infusion this week. I didn’t have much for SEs last round. I’m hoping for the same this time. Radiation has my armpit/chest area red and sore and fatigue has started to kick in. It’s hard to tell if fatigue is from radiation, a weekend of camping with the family, or a crabby teething 18 month old keeping me up all night.

I am thinking of all of you headed into surgery over the coming weeks!

When are they going to do the gamma injection if your surgery got moved to 8:30?

i think that's better not so much rushing around day of surgery.

Good Luck!

has anyone had to have a blood transfusion during chemo? I have to go get one tomorrow because my hemaglobin went from 10 to 7.4 over 5 days. Did u feel better after your blood transf

i hope all goes well with the COVID test. How did they do it? Throat or Nose?

Hray - I've never had it but, my cousin has issues (not cancer related) and her Hemoglobin drops all the time so she goes for blood transfusions regularly. She says she feels pretty good right after the transfusion.

I hope my nurse is that nice! I go tomorrow for my pre-opt tests. I don't have COVID test until next week. I can't believe I'm one week away from surgery! It seemed like during chemo, those painful days dragged on and on and once that was over time has flown!

i know people here were interested/concerned with the fills. I had my first one this morning. I felt a pinch in the left and nothing in my right (cancer side).

He gave me 120cc in each boob, which was double the original plan (60 in each). I go back in 2 weeks for another fill.

I don't feel sore or anything from the fill but, I will let you know if that changes tomorrow

My DMX with expanders was on Tuesday and it went well. Originally they told me to expect to go home that evening, but my surgery didn't start until noon, and when I woke up I think it was already 4, so they had me stay the night. I had the nerve block and it helped so much, I wasn't very sore at all in the hospital. I've been home two days, and I'm more sore now, but I'm managing it pretty much just with Tylenol. The drains are super annoying and a little akward to reach and strip, but I'm handling it ok. I look a little like Frankenstein. On my left breast, there is a big dent where the cancer was. I hope that will be fixed when I trade out these expanders for the diep flap. I'm waiting to hear results on the pathology, my doctor said maybe today, but if not today, it'll be Monday.

scatteredenergy - I'm glad the Covid test wasn't so bad. I had to go to the hospital location, and it was a drive thru test with three swab samples taken in the throat. Each time got a little worse. I had the seed implantation the day before the surgery and it didn't hurt me at all. The morning of surgery I went for a sentinel node biopsy where they put the needle into my breast a few times, and then I had to let the dye make its way in for about 15 minutes, and then she took a bunch of pictures. I didn't think it hurt besides a little pinch.

mmorigan - I'm glad the fill of your expander wasn't too bad. Did you do that at your first post op visit? Did you keep you drains for two weeks? I"m hoping mine stop producing after a week and I can go get them pulled, they are super annoying.

dysonsphere - It's crazy how time can feel so slow and then so fast. Now it's feeling slow again because I want to be healed up from this surgery.

ajminn - I'm glad HP hasn't been hard on you. I had my second HP only infusion the day before my DMX, and it was fine. I think I'll be starting radiation as soon as I'm healed from DMX. It seems like there is always a next step in this process, but I'm glad to have checked one more thing of the list with my surgery.