Pet Scan and Sentinel node biopsy

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Kiki2016
Kiki2016 Member Posts: 31
in Breast Cancer #1

I will be having a sentinel node biopsy in 6 weeks.  I'm kind of nervous about it and don't really know what to expect.  I know it's a day procedure with anesthesia.  Is it the type of anesthesia you have with a colonoscopy or the type I will have when I have my mastectomy.  Any other advice?

thanks!

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  • RozHopkins
    RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
    #2
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    Sentinel node.  I heard one

    Sentinel node.  I heard one lady on line saying hers went well and painless.  Mine was six years ago possibly they do it differently now but.........  If it is the same as when I had it done I was very pleased a friend warned me what it would feel like.  Please understand we are all different, I am a big baby and have a low pain tolerance but it was quite unpleasant to be honest with you, but over in a second and done four or five times.  You are awake when done and I held the nurses hand, nearly broke her fingers I feel.  Felt like a staple gun.  But this test is worth it and makes a pathway for what treatment is and is not required.  Decades back they just removed the nodes and that was it at least in the UK.  I was pleased they had this procedure now gives more clarity.  Good luck, mine were all clear I hope it is the same for you.

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    edited June 2016 #3
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    I had my sentinel node biopsy

    I had my sentinel node biopsy when I had my bilateral mastectomy, so I don't know what it is like when it is done on its own.

  • chcnsac
    chcnsac Member Posts: 4
    #4
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    Sentinel node biopsy

    I am a nurse and sometimes we are the worst patients. ;-) .  I had my sentinel node biopsy (bx) Oct 2015 and port placement at the same time. In my nursing career , I had routinely administered conscious sedation to patients in a hospital endoscopy unit. I told both my surgeon and the anesthesiologist that I didn't want to know anything.  As I told my breast surgeon, " I don't want to know nuttin' (nothing) honey!" so that part didn't bother me. I too was very scared (nervous is not a stong enough word) and had worked myself into such a state (southern expression), for the injection of the radioactive material that had to take place prior to the surgery. I expressed my concerns because I had "heard" so many stories about how painful that part would be. It was not at all like I had heard.  There was an initial prick then she injected the solution. The young lady who gave me the injection was very caring and understood when I expressed my concerns. My advice is to express your concerns to the person giving the injection; ask them to tell you what they are going to do every step of the way (just before and as they are doing it) and they should understand and take their time in giving it. Also, the person administrating the anesthesia will give you something called Versed, which will very quickly make you relaxed in the holding area, just before they take you back for the actual surgery. Versed gives you an amnesia effect, then once they get you back to the surgical suite,they might give you something called propofol which makes you go into a deep sleep but is very short acting. It takes longer (we used to say up to 24 hrs) to "clear" your system of the versed than the propofol. After I got home, there was initial pain which I anticipated at both surgical sites , but my Dr. gave me a prescription for the pain medicine percocet.  I took only 1 1/2 total. (More can cause constipation, which you don't want) I switched to tylenol later, but after 2 days, mine didn't hurt much at all. Turning over and getting up from a reclining position was initially difficult because my surgical sites were on opposite sides of my body, but as I told him later at my post op visit, it was a non-event and he laughed. At first I truly was a scaredy cat. Hope this helps, and God bless.

  • chcnsac
    chcnsac Member Posts: 4
    #5
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    sentinel node biopsy

    Adding to the above......My care path required me to have my chemo before the mastectomies (March 2016).

  • Kiki2016
    Kiki2016 Member Posts: 31
    #6
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    Thank you!

    appreciate the posts.  I had my Pet Scan yesterday and now gearing up for the senti node biopsy in about 5 weeks and double mastectomy a week later.  

  • Esperanza744
    Esperanza744 Member Posts: 3
    #7
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    chcnsac said:

    Sentinel node biopsy

    I am a nurse and sometimes we are the worst patients. ;-) .  I had my sentinel node biopsy (bx) Oct 2015 and port placement at the same time. In my nursing career , I had routinely administered conscious sedation to patients in a hospital endoscopy unit. I told both my surgeon and the anesthesiologist that I didn't want to know anything.  As I told my breast surgeon, " I don't want to know nuttin' (nothing) honey!" so that part didn't bother me. I too was very scared (nervous is not a stong enough word) and had worked myself into such a state (southern expression), for the injection of the radioactive material that had to take place prior to the surgery. I expressed my concerns because I had "heard" so many stories about how painful that part would be. It was not at all like I had heard.  There was an initial prick then she injected the solution. The young lady who gave me the injection was very caring and understood when I expressed my concerns. My advice is to express your concerns to the person giving the injection; ask them to tell you what they are going to do every step of the way (just before and as they are doing it) and they should understand and take their time in giving it. Also, the person administrating the anesthesia will give you something called Versed, which will very quickly make you relaxed in the holding area, just before they take you back for the actual surgery. Versed gives you an amnesia effect, then once they get you back to the surgical suite,they might give you something called propofol which makes you go into a deep sleep but is very short acting. It takes longer (we used to say up to 24 hrs) to "clear" your system of the versed than the propofol. After I got home, there was initial pain which I anticipated at both surgical sites , but my Dr. gave me a prescription for the pain medicine percocet.  I took only 1 1/2 total. (More can cause constipation, which you don't want) I switched to tylenol later, but after 2 days, mine didn't hurt much at all. Turning over and getting up from a reclining position was initially difficult because my surgical sites were on opposite sides of my body, but as I told him later at my post op visit, it was a non-event and he laughed. At first I truly was a scaredy cat. Hope this helps, and God bless.

    Chemotherapy before Mastectomy

    Hi,

    I am also a nurse and am wondering if you know anything about having chemo prior to a mastectomy.  None of the protocols I have reviewed mention chemo although on these boards I see it referred to. I have DCIS and all of the protocols only mention radiation and breast sparring or mastectomy.  If you can direct me to some information or research I would really appreciate it.  I am a baby nurse so am way out of my depth her.  The Oncologisttold me I have Stage II/III. Everything I have read tells me DCIS is very "curable" but I am concerned about the chemo first.  I have been overwhelmed by the massive amount of knowledge thrown at me.  I would like to do some reading that would help order the information in my head.  Thanks in advance.

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