Wifes Surgery just finished but question about lymph nodes, PLEASE HELP !!

2

Comments

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    CathyACK said:

    Oncologist

    Hi Dennis,

    I have been reading your concerns with regard to the lymph nodes and the oncologist.  I have to share that my oncologist was very difficult, she  gave orders.  I made it clear that any decisions were mine, she was not in charge.  After two very stressful appointments I asked for another person and I have been dealing with her resident.  She is wonderful and less "used to" telling people what will be needed.  I think perhaps dealing with this full time can make some doctors numb to the things they are saying. 

    I also found great compassion with the nurses, when I last went in to hear whether or not Chemo would be needed, they rushed up and hugged me.  They make the visits tolerable. I realize being in the best place is important which is why I am still going to my cancer center, but there are people there that understand what you are feeling, I am sure you will find them. 

    God Bless, I hope you are both home soon, that is the best medicine.

    Cathy

    Thanks Cathy, we should be

    Thanks Cathy, we should be going home tomorrow, she is doing really good today. We will just be nervously waiting on the final path report. Waiting is the worst. God Bless

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    Patti1967 said:

    Hi Dennis
    So glad she is

    Hi Dennis

    So glad she is doing well! 

    Patti

    Thanks Patti, she is doing

    Thanks Patti, she is doing great today, still in some pain but her spirits are high, she is smiling and laughing and I arranged for her friend she hadn't seen in a few years to make a suprise visit this afternoon, I went walking around for a few hours to allow them some "girl time" . I have taken next week off from work and my mother who is a RN will be staying for two weeks or more if needed.

  • Patti1967
    Patti1967 Member Posts: 186
    dthompson said:

    Thanks Patti, she is doing

    Thanks Patti, she is doing great today, still in some pain but her spirits are high, she is smiling and laughing and I arranged for her friend she hadn't seen in a few years to make a suprise visit this afternoon, I went walking around for a few hours to allow them some "girl time" . I have taken next week off from work and my mother who is a RN will be staying for two weeks or more if needed.

    How sweet!  Are friends are

    How sweet!  Are friends are great spirit lifters!

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    Patti1967 said:

    How sweet!  Are friends are

    How sweet!  Are friends are great spirit lifters!

    They were so glad to see each

    They were so glad to see each other, they were both in tears or joy

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    Patti1967 said:

    How sweet!  Are friends are

    How sweet!  Are friends are great spirit lifters!

    I am glad she is doing better

    Hi Dennis,

     You have gotten a lot of good suggestins, I am not sure I might repeat what otehr sisters have said:

    • Please ask for copies of "pathology report" Surgery report", two separate documents which will help you and your wife to understand the situation and future treatment.Usually given at post-surgical check up visit.
    • Recovery is a very important step and Drains are too. make sure that draind are taking care of and are not pooled before liquid is minimal (you will be given instructions and measuring cups. 
    • Rage of motion can be a challenge since most of lymph nodes were taken out. Please ask your surgeoun for referral to Physical therapist, who will help her working on her arm. Usually 1 month after the surgery If healing goes well.
    •  Based on your wife's pathology report her Medical oncologist will make recommendations on her next treatment plan. Please keep an open mind about additional Chemo. Every person medical case is unique, what works for some, is not relevant to others. If tumor Estrogen positive or Her2 positive there additional are treatments which follow Chemo and radiation, For those cases positive nodes are less concerning.

    While your surgeoun is not approchable, she did a very good job determining during your wife's mastectomy mastectomy that additional lymph nodes needed to be removed, so everything was done at once durinng ongoing surgery.

    I have had 21 nodes removed, 11 were positive. I had Chemo after my surgery.

    Wishing easy healing for your wife and good pathology report

    New Flower 

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    I can't really answer your

    I can't really answer your question because, back in 1987, they did surgery first.  I had a large tumor and 4 + nodes and then underwent chemo, radiation and tamoxifen.  Just wanted to say that after 26 years, I am still here (although still fighting).  Hang in there!!!

  • jendrey
    jendrey Member Posts: 377

    I can't really answer your

    I can't really answer your question because, back in 1987, they did surgery first.  I had a large tumor and 4 + nodes and then underwent chemo, radiation and tamoxifen.  Just wanted to say that after 26 years, I am still here (although still fighting).  Hang in there!!!

    ...

    I had radiation with a tissue expander and didn't experience any problems while undergoing the therapy. However, I have since had a multitude of problems due to the skin being radiated. For instance, I had an open wound for 7 months which included two debridements. Personally, had the doctor told me (and I did ask lots about long term effects) that rads would practically exclude a reasonably acceptable reconstruction, I never would have agreed to the radiation. But, I am in the minority with this notion.

    FYI - It took a long time (months) for the feeling to come back all the way in my arm from the lymph nodes being removed!

    Taking a pad and pen to appointments is a great idea. I took it a little further and got one of those spy pens from eBay for about $20 and just surreptitiously recorded my doctors! (I can't even read my own writing, it really is that bad!)

    Hoping for a speedy recovery for your wife. =)

    Hope this helps.

    (((Hugs)))

     

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149

    I can't really answer your

    I can't really answer your question because, back in 1987, they did surgery first.  I had a large tumor and 4 + nodes and then underwent chemo, radiation and tamoxifen.  Just wanted to say that after 26 years, I am still here (although still fighting).  Hang in there!!!

    Hi CC,
    Great to hear form you

    Hi CC,

    Great to hear form you again. You were so helpful when we first got on this crazy train back in October. We were hoping that the double mast and the reconstruction would be the final stop, but the two positive nodes has gotten me really worried again.  How are you doing ?

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    Thanks everyone for all of

    Thanks everyone for all of the comments and support, we came home from the hospital today and my princess is doing very well,she is sleeping in her favorite recliner, she  is still hurting and sleeping alot. I made her Potatoe soup and fresh buttermilk biscuts for dinner. Tonight we start he excersises to keep mobility back in her arms. She wanted a glass of wine when we got home and it broke my heart to tell her no because of the pain meds she is on. Maybe I'll give her a little sip tonight with dinner. Happy Easter everyone. God Bless

  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    dthompson said:

    Thanks everyone for all of

    Thanks everyone for all of the comments and support, we came home from the hospital today and my princess is doing very well,she is sleeping in her favorite recliner, she  is still hurting and sleeping alot. I made her Potatoe soup and fresh buttermilk biscuts for dinner. Tonight we start he excersises to keep mobility back in her arms. She wanted a glass of wine when we got home and it broke my heart to tell her no because of the pain meds she is on. Maybe I'll give her a little sip tonight with dinner. Happy Easter everyone. God Bless

    She's a lucky lady

    A handsome man bringing her soup and fresh biscuits...sigh...she's a lucky lady to have you to care for her!

    Dennis, I actually clicked on this thread to compliment you on your profile picture, and what a lovely couple you are...now I see you've changed your profile picture to yet ANOTHER beautiful picture!  Do y'all ever take a bad picture? Smile

    Traci

  • burcu123
    burcu123 Member Posts: 66
    she is very lucky for a nice husband like you

    I had chemo before surgery also. I did a lot of medical literature search and found that chemo before surgery does not influence node status. Meaning it was not expected for chemo to change or kill the cells in lymph nodes. However chemo significantly improves survival whether given before or after surgery. There seems to be a trend to give chemo prior to surgery nowadays. It may help to reconstruc breast better by shrinking the tumor in the breast.

    I did not get radiation. i do not think your wife is going to get more chemo , however the last word will belong to the oncologist. If she was ER positive she will need hormonal treatment but that is nothing like chemo

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    TraciInLA said:

    She's a lucky lady

    A handsome man bringing her soup and fresh biscuits...sigh...she's a lucky lady to have you to care for her!

    Dennis, I actually clicked on this thread to compliment you on your profile picture, and what a lovely couple you are...now I see you've changed your profile picture to yet ANOTHER beautiful picture!  Do y'all ever take a bad picture? Smile

    Traci

    Hi Traci,
    Thank you for the

    Hi Traci,

    Thank you for the compliments, she is the love of my life and my best friend and I am so scared of loosing her. I do take quite a few bad pictures but she always makes me look good.  I hope you are doing well and I look forward to keeping in touch with you and all of the other wonderful men and women on this forum. God bless and Happy Easter

     

    Dennis

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    burcu123 said:

    she is very lucky for a nice husband like you

    I had chemo before surgery also. I did a lot of medical literature search and found that chemo before surgery does not influence node status. Meaning it was not expected for chemo to change or kill the cells in lymph nodes. However chemo significantly improves survival whether given before or after surgery. There seems to be a trend to give chemo prior to surgery nowadays. It may help to reconstruc breast better by shrinking the tumor in the breast.

    I did not get radiation. i do not think your wife is going to get more chemo , however the last word will belong to the oncologist. If she was ER positive she will need hormonal treatment but that is nothing like chemo

    Burcu,
    Thank you so much for

    Burcu,

    Thank you so much for your reply. That makes me feel better. My heart sank when the surgeon said they found two positive nodes during the SLN mapping and biopsy. I guess I was under the false hope that the chemo would kill everything and all we had left was to take the source out. Did you have any positive nodes after your surgery? Thanks for your reply. Happy Easter.

     

    Dennis

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    We are each unique!

    You haven't said what type of BC your wife is - IBC/DCIS/IDC/LCIS/ILC - or her HER2 or ER/PR status is.  All that makes  difference in ongoing TX (treatment).

    I haven't posted because I did not have BMX or recon at time of surgery.  I'm IBC (Inflammatory BC) so recon was not an optionat at time of surgery.  Personally, I did 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant, mod. rad. mast., 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant followed by 25 rads., Femara/letrozole since.  My TX plan was different than most other IBCers here but at this time 3+ yrs post TX and nothing stops me from doing anything I want to do with Hubby.  For me, all nodes taken out at suregery were positive (already knew node involvement) but as far as I know I'm still NED (No evidence of Disease) .  Talk to her Chemo Dr about what might be needed - surgeons do not always know anything along those 'lines'.    Surgeons 'cut' out' but they are only part of the whole TX plan.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

  • burcu123
    burcu123 Member Posts: 66
    dthompson said:

    Burcu,
    Thank you so much for

    Burcu,

    Thank you so much for your reply. That makes me feel better. My heart sank when the surgeon said they found two positive nodes during the SLN mapping and biopsy. I guess I was under the false hope that the chemo would kill everything and all we had left was to take the source out. Did you have any positive nodes after your surgery? Thanks for your reply. Happy Easter.

     

    Dennis

    I was lucky that my nodes

    I was lucky that my nodes were negative, that is how I avoided radiation therapy. Altough chemo do not change node status it does kill cancer cells that may have gone to other parts of the body.

  • dthompson
    dthompson Member Posts: 149
    Rague said:

    We are each unique!

    You haven't said what type of BC your wife is - IBC/DCIS/IDC/LCIS/ILC - or her HER2 or ER/PR status is.  All that makes  difference in ongoing TX (treatment).

    I haven't posted because I did not have BMX or recon at time of surgery.  I'm IBC (Inflammatory BC) so recon was not an optionat at time of surgery.  Personally, I did 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant, mod. rad. mast., 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant followed by 25 rads., Femara/letrozole since.  My TX plan was different than most other IBCers here but at this time 3+ yrs post TX and nothing stops me from doing anything I want to do with Hubby.  For me, all nodes taken out at suregery were positive (already knew node involvement) but as far as I know I'm still NED (No evidence of Disease) .  Talk to her Chemo Dr about what might be needed - surgeons do not always know anything along those 'lines'.    Surgeons 'cut' out' but they are only part of the whole TX plan.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

    Hi Susan,
    Thanks for the

    Hi Susan,

    Thanks for the reply. Sorry I forgot to put what type of cancer she had. She was diagnosed with stage2 grade 3 IDC. Her 2 neg, partially estrogen receptive (50%). I'm so glad you are NED. I am still confused as to what exactly IBC is when compared to IDC. Thank again for your reply. God bless.

     

    Dennis

  • Les2
    Les2 Member Posts: 3
    dthompson said:

    Hi Susan,
    Thanks for the

    Hi Susan,

    Thanks for the reply. Sorry I forgot to put what type of cancer she had. She was diagnosed with stage2 grade 3 IDC. Her 2 neg, partially estrogen receptive (50%). I'm so glad you are NED. I am still confused as to what exactly IBC is when compared to IDC. Thank again for your reply. God bless.

     

    Dennis

    Hi Dennis,
    I, too, had a

    Hi Dennis,

    I, too, had a double mastectomy (DCIS stage 1) in January 2012, with reconstruction. During my initial healing, I was able to connect with someone who underwent the same surgery, which was so helpful.

    I learned, by trial and error, a lot of tips and tricks to manage the discomfort and how to be comfortable as the days and weeks passed.

    I've got a year under my belt and happy to share any info with you :)

    Les2

  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    Les2 said:

    Hi Dennis,
    I, too, had a

    Hi Dennis,

    I, too, had a double mastectomy (DCIS stage 1) in January 2012, with reconstruction. During my initial healing, I was able to connect with someone who underwent the same surgery, which was so helpful.

    I learned, by trial and error, a lot of tips and tricks to manage the discomfort and how to be comfortable as the days and weeks passed.

    I've got a year under my belt and happy to share any info with you :)

    Les2

    My rads onc did not want to

    My rads onc did not want to radiate reconstructed breasts so i had to have an expander removed.

    IDC ivasive ductal, and IBC Inflamatory breast cancer. Even if your nodes are positive, you can do just fine, it determines your treatment. (as you can see by the ladies here who have done just fine)

  • Patti1967
    Patti1967 Member Posts: 186
    dthompson said:

    Hi Susan,
    Thanks for the

    Hi Susan,

    Thanks for the reply. Sorry I forgot to put what type of cancer she had. She was diagnosed with stage2 grade 3 IDC. Her 2 neg, partially estrogen receptive (50%). I'm so glad you are NED. I am still confused as to what exactly IBC is when compared to IDC. Thank again for your reply. God bless.

     

    Dennis

    Hope all is still well:)

    Hope all is still well:) Please keep us posted:)

    Patti

  • chantal44
    chantal44 Member Posts: 1
    HI,SORRY TO HEAR THAT THEY

    HI,SORRY TO HEAR THAT THEY HAD FOUND THE cancer in 2 of my lymph nodes and they  took all of them out of that arm and the only thing i had to do after the surgery was go for the radiation which is for 40 treatments 5 days a week and you cross your fingers that it doesn't burn you to the point were they have to take a break