Surgery scheduled
I saw my surgeon yesterday, and she told me what they'd be doing. Apparently, they're going to inject a radioactive tracer into my NIPPLE!!! :0 to find the first lymph node. Anyone else have this done? Is it as horrible as it sounds? I told my husband that she could have just left that little detail out and let it be a bad surprise on the morning of surgery.
But no, I had to pick a surgeon who is very meticulous about details and explaining things. 
I'm being sarcastic, here. Humor is one of my coping mechanisms. I love my surgeon. But this shot is kinda freaking me out a little. She said it will "sting." Just how bad a sting are we talking about? I'm sincerely hoping it's one of those things that sounds far worse than it actually is. I'm not needle phobic, but just the idea of this is unpleasant.
Oh, and thank you all so much for all the encouragement on my first post. You've already helped to ease some of my fears!
Jenn
Comments
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Hi Jenn! I had a double
Hi Jenn! I had a double mastectomy 1 month ago today and had the radioactive tracer injection. It wasn't horrible at all. The tech (or whatever his title was) told me that in his second-hand experience, the 2nd injection (of 3) was the one that pinched the worst and I found that he was right. NONE OF THEM WERE AWFUL though! It goes pretty quickly! Keep breathing and it will be over before you know it!
Thinking of you!
Tina
Rejoice in the Lord always - Philippians 4:40 -
Hi Jenn
I had a lumpectomy
Hi Jenn
I had a lumpectomy but my nodes werent done till my mastectomy so i have no idea on the whole radioactive tracer and what it feels like...but i just wanted to tell ya good luck on it and heres to hoping it sounds worse than it is!
Good luck on the lumpectomy!0 -
Hi, I had a bilateral
Hi, I had a bilateral mastectomy on the 16th of July. On the 15th I had to go in for the radioactive dye injection. My surgeon gave me a perscription for Emla cream. It's a skin numbing cream. I put it on really thick 2 hours before the injection and you put like a plastic bandaid over it. It's more like a chunk of saran wrap they give you. Anyway, when you get to where you are getting injected they take you to a room, you take off your shirt and they wipe off the cream, you get a few little pokes, it does sting a little, but not too bad really. Then you just get up, put on your shirt and go home. I had surgery early next morning. It was no where near as bad as I had imagined.0 -
Wishing you good luck withjo jo said:Hi Jenn
I had a lumpectomy
Hi Jenn
I had a lumpectomy but my nodes werent done till my mastectomy so i have no idea on the whole radioactive tracer and what it feels like...but i just wanted to tell ya good luck on it and heres to hoping it sounds worse than it is!
Good luck on the lumpectomy!
Wishing you good luck with your surgery!0 -
Hellolaurissa said:Hi Jenn
Theres a question further down about the node injection with alot of responses. I remember having 2 injections off to the side. It did feel like a bee sting. I was worried about it too, but you can do it. It goes quick. Have a quick recovery tomorrow.
Well, I'll be thinking about you tomorrow and hoping your experience will be as uneventful as mine turned out to be. I had a lumpectomy in March and had no problems. Even went walking the next morning.
My radioactive dye injection was done the afternoon before surgery. It was just above the nipple and didn't hurt. The four blue dye injections were done during surgery so obviously I have no idea what those felt like!
Best of luck tomorrow. Let us know how you're doing when you can.
xo,
Victoria0 -
Thinking about you tomorrow, hoping all goes well andaisling8 said:Hello
Well, I'll be thinking about you tomorrow and hoping your experience will be as uneventful as mine turned out to be. I had a lumpectomy in March and had no problems. Even went walking the next morning.
My radioactive dye injection was done the afternoon before surgery. It was just above the nipple and didn't hurt. The four blue dye injections were done during surgery so obviously I have no idea what those felt like!
Best of luck tomorrow. Let us know how you're doing when you can.
xo,
Victoria
the tracer injection -- stings like a bee .. it hurts, but is tolerable in comparison to what the majority of breast cancer women go thru. Take it 1 step and day at a time .. it's the only thing you can do at this point.
Strength and Courage to you.
Vicki Sam0 -
Good luckMyTurnNow said:Good luck tomorrow Jenn. It
Good luck tomorrow Jenn. It will be over before you know it and I agree, it stung like a bee sting. Good luck with your surgery and let us know how you are doing. Take care!
Good luck on Thursday. I will say an additional prayer. Don't worry about the pain. You can't do anything about it and it has to be done. Just hang in there and know that prayers have or are being said.
Melinda0 -
Good LuckMenda said:Good luck
Good luck on Thursday. I will say an additional prayer. Don't worry about the pain. You can't do anything about it and it has to be done. Just hang in there and know that prayers have or are being said.
Melinda
As I remember it
Good Luck
As I remember it was'nt to bad, it will be over before you know it.
My prayers are with you.
Keep us posted and Good luck
Karie0 -
Jenn,
I also had the shots that "stung" . . . and I was not warned about that! I had that done the morning of my surgery. My surgeon came in to see me right before surgery and, with a smile, asked me how things went in nuclear medicine. I just gave him a look like . . . "yeah, right" . . . (I love my surgeon, too) . . . and he said that he didn't mention that ahead of time because he didn't want to give me something else to worry about.
The shots definitely stung, but I just counted through them and survived. Once the injection was done, it didn't really bother me anymore.
Hope all goes well for you in your surgery tomorrow.
Sending warm thoughts & prayers your way,
♥ Lynn ♥0 -
No Biggie
I had the shot before my masectomy and it felt like a bee sting for maybe 2 seconds. The tech and the doctor who did the injection were super and told me it would be like a sting and be brief - they were right. My shot was not in the nipple area but below and to the side.
Good luck and you will get thru this. Hugs, Sally0 -
Good luck with
your surgery tomorrow. My surgeon is the one who injected the "stuff" while the tech held my hand. I have no problem getting needles but my surgeon said this is going to hurt and he wasn't kidding! I have to say afterwards I had no pain, TG:)
Char0 -
ouch!
yeah -it sure does sting, cant sugar coat that one! The good thing is, though, that it only stings for 2-3 seconds, and it's nothing that you can't handle. Best of luck to you in your surgery and I'm so glad that your fears are subsiding
*hugs*
Heather0 -
Radioactive Tracer
Hi Jenn I also had a lumpectomy and the radioactive tracer. They use a very small needle only a pinch. THE Nurse where I was treated told me not to worry It will not hurt,I had no clue what she was talking about. She told me she now has the Dr.after much talking to then they put lidocane in the needle with the other tracer it did not hurt at all. Ask them about it. The lumpectomy was not bad, a little pain full after just take the meds you will do just fine. Hang in there. My nodes were clean I hope you get the same. Were are all in this together. Good Luck
Cindy0 -
Good luck with your surgerylaurissa said:Hi Jenn
Theres a question further down about the node injection with alot of responses. I remember having 2 injections off to the side. It did feel like a bee sting. I was worried about it too, but you can do it. It goes quick. Have a quick recovery tomorrow.
Good luck with your surgery tomorrow!
Praying for a quick recovery for you too!
Hugs, Megan0 -
Post when you can Jenn toGrandma X 6 said:Radioactive Tracer
Hi Jenn I also had a lumpectomy and the radioactive tracer. They use a very small needle only a pinch. THE Nurse where I was treated told me not to worry It will not hurt,I had no clue what she was talking about. She told me she now has the Dr.after much talking to then they put lidocane in the needle with the other tracer it did not hurt at all. Ask them about it. The lumpectomy was not bad, a little pain full after just take the meds you will do just fine. Hang in there. My nodes were clean I hope you get the same. Were are all in this together. Good Luck
Cindy
Post when you can Jenn to let everyone know how you are and how your surgery went!
Hugs, Angie0 -
Praying your surgery wentMNLynn said:Jenn,
I also had the shots that "stung" . . . and I was not warned about that! I had that done the morning of my surgery. My surgeon came in to see me right before surgery and, with a smile, asked me how things went in nuclear medicine. I just gave him a look like . . . "yeah, right" . . . (I love my surgeon, too) . . . and he said that he didn't mention that ahead of time because he didn't want to give me something else to worry about.
The shots definitely stung, but I just counted through them and survived. Once the injection was done, it didn't really bother me anymore.
Hope all goes well for you in your surgery tomorrow.
Sending warm thoughts & prayers your way,
♥ Lynn ♥
Praying your surgery went well. Sending healing thoughts!0
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