VAT assisted lung biopsy
Comments
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chemo nurses will helpPrimavera said:Some news
I had the stereotactic biopsies on both breasts for calcifications after the ultrasound biopsies revealed the breast cancer on left.
I met with the breast surgeon 3 days later. I'm assuming he had the results for the stereotactic biopsies because he said right breast was OK. Not sure about the calcifications on left breast, but since it's already compromised, I didn't ask. I'll see the report online pretty soon.
Surgeon said he couldn't do a lumpectomy because the area is too "dispersed." He wants me to have chemo first, then a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I'm seeing oncologist on Sept 15 (and also the plastic surgeon) and having bone scans, chest, abdomen and pelvis ct scans on the 16th.
I wonder how long I have before they send me straight into chemo. I'm scared of it, of course, but reading all the suggestions for icing feet and hands and the rest over this forum. The uterine forum has the most suggestions, I think.
I saw another post for the icing mits. I'm trying to get the booties, too. I read that Elasto-Gel had a recall. I think people got frostbite?
I would do what ZsaZsa did with the ice, but in the middle of this pandemic, they don't let any other people than the patient in the cancer center.
I'll know more once I see the oncologist.
It must have been a relief to learn that the cancer is confined to one breast.
If you want to do icing instead of mitts and booties, ask your care team about it. My center did not offer either icing or mitts, but they did help with whatever the patient does, so my wonderful chemo nurse changed my mitts and booties, which I brought in two ice chests. On my last chemo, it went longer than I had cold mitts for, so my nurse used ice.
Whether you choose mitts or ice, you will need help from your nurse or chemo tech. It takes a couple of minutes to change the gloves and mitts when they are no longer cold enough, and you don't want your hands out of the mitts long enough to change them yourself. I would be really shocked to learn that the chemo nurses and techs aren't familiar with and happy to help you with either mitts or icing.
I hate that people in chemo cannot have their support person present, even though I know it is to protect them. If it helps to know, you will have a lot of us pulling for you from a distance.
Molly
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Thank you, MollyMolly110 said:chemo nurses will help
It must have been a relief to learn that the cancer is confined to one breast.
If you want to do icing instead of mitts and booties, ask your care team about it. My center did not offer either icing or mitts, but they did help with whatever the patient does, so my wonderful chemo nurse changed my mitts and booties, which I brought in two ice chests. On my last chemo, it went longer than I had cold mitts for, so my nurse used ice.
Whether you choose mitts or ice, you will need help from your nurse or chemo tech. It takes a couple of minutes to change the gloves and mitts when they are no longer cold enough, and you don't want your hands out of the mitts long enough to change them yourself. I would be really shocked to learn that the chemo nurses and techs aren't familiar with and happy to help you with either mitts or icing.
I hate that people in chemo cannot have their support person present, even though I know it is to protect them. If it helps to know, you will have a lot of us pulling for you from a distance.
Molly
Just coming here gives me comfort.
I'm hoping they have real ice and not those little tiny packs that they gave me after the biopsies last time. They were not cold enough!
I'll know more on the 15th, but I don't want to be surprised with too much.
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Thank you, DeniseBluebirdOne said:Primavera,
Thanks for the update. Hopefully your oncologist will give you more clarity. Let us know how things work out for you and what they recommend.
xx00
Denise
I'll come back on the 15th and update. I don't like it that I'm seeing oncologist before I get my bone and other ct scans, but I guess that was all they could get for me. She'll probably recommend the treatment, but pending results on the 16th.
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Well...a new cancer now
I told the lung doctor I didn't want to have that biopsy yet, until I get a second opinion. She said they would call in October.
I went to get a mammogram and they wanted extra views and then ultrasounds and after that biopsies of the left breast. My primary physician called me today to tell me that I have invasive ductal carcinoma, poorly differentiated.
I had a mass on left breast of 3.2cm and also a lymph node that was 1.1cm. That's what they biopsied last Friday.
I know someone here, doublewhammy (?) got both cancers at the same time. My uterine cancer was last year. I'm hoping things go well with this one, but it was really a blow when things were going well and I was trying to recover from the last year scare.
Thank you all for all the help you've given me here. Hoping the breast cancer forum is as good as this one, because I see a lot of the others don't ever answer you. I'm just scared today.
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Elastogel SlippersPrimavera said:Some news
I had the stereotactic biopsies on both breasts for calcifications after the ultrasound biopsies revealed the breast cancer on left.
I met with the breast surgeon 3 days later. I'm assuming he had the results for the stereotactic biopsies because he said right breast was OK. Not sure about the calcifications on left breast, but since it's already compromised, I didn't ask. I'll see the report online pretty soon.
Surgeon said he couldn't do a lumpectomy because the area is too "dispersed." He wants me to have chemo first, then a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I'm seeing oncologist on Sept 15 (and also the plastic surgeon) and having bone scans, chest, abdomen and pelvis ct scans on the 16th.
I wonder how long I have before they send me straight into chemo. I'm scared of it, of course, but reading all the suggestions for icing feet and hands and the rest over this forum. The uterine forum has the most suggestions, I think.
I saw another post for the icing mits. I'm trying to get the booties, too. I read that Elasto-Gel had a recall. I think people got frostbite?
I would do what ZsaZsa did with the ice, but in the middle of this pandemic, they don't let any other people than the patient in the cancer center.
I'll know more once I see the oncologist.
The FDA made Elastogel stop selling the slippers I had because they didn't like them marketing them for chemotherapy use without meeting their requirements for testing. Stupid because they were well-designed, well-made, and sure worked. There are other chilling socks on Amazon that should do the same and might even be cheaper. I know that using dry ice to keep them cold really made them a lot colder than using regular ice, so if anybody got frost bite using them, I'd bet my last dollar that they were chilling them that way. I didn't think the mitts felt nearly as cold as the slippers did, so I'm suspicious of claims of frostbite from them. People use things against instructions or deliberately injure themselves to be able to sue more often than you'd think.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRes/res.cfm?ID=160782
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MAbound, thank youMAbound said:Elastogel Slippers
The FDA made Elastogel stop selling the slippers I had because they didn't like them marketing them for chemotherapy use without meeting their requirements for testing. Stupid because they were well-designed, well-made, and sure worked. There are other chilling socks on Amazon that should do the same and might even be cheaper. I know that using dry ice to keep them cold really made them a lot colder than using regular ice, so if anybody got frost bite using them, I'd bet my last dollar that they were chilling them that way. I didn't think the mitts felt nearly as cold as the slippers did, so I'm suspicious of claims of frostbite from them. People use things against instructions or deliberately injure themselves to be able to sue more often than you'd think.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRes/res.cfm?ID=160782
I thought the same thing about the mittens not being as cold as to cause frostbite. I had read a lot of reviews where people said the mittens were "too big" and didn't get that cold.
I was looking to use dry ice because...well, it's dry. I don't want to make a mess anywhere. But now you've got me thinking.
I have 3 Elastogel mittens coming my way, but I think I need more. And I wanted the booties, but will probably just order those other brands. They look softer and have inserts and since I haven't heard of anyone else using those, I didn't know how well they worked.
I hope they let me take an ice chest or something like that to the center. I just don't want to be surprised.
When I had uterine cancer, the brachytherapy radiologist said "you don't need a dilator." I asked many times and I forced him to "prescribe" one. He was giving me a very skinny one, like a finger, a size 1. I think I remember ZsaZsa once laughing about something like that. So I said I needed a bigger one. He gave me a tiny size 2. I ordered a set instead from 2 to 6 and never used the 2. I did well because I got to my gyno oncologist and the first thing she said was "did you get a set of dilators, medium sized?" I told her her friend radiologist she sent me to didn't want me to order them. She rolled her eyes. Then I told her I did order a set and she was pleased.
I don't want them to tell me I don't need this ice!
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Hang in there.
The waiting is always the worst. We are here for you if you feel a need to talk.
xxoo
Denise
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icePrimavera said:Thank you, Molly
Just coming here gives me comfort.
I'm hoping they have real ice and not those little tiny packs that they gave me after the biopsies last time. They were not cold enough!
I'll know more on the 15th, but I don't want to be surprised with too much.
Primavera, if your care center provides the icing, they will have the right amount and right size of ice for you. If they only help you, rather than provide it, then you will need to bring the ice yourself. I know that Memorial Sloan Kettering provides this treatment, which means the patient doesn't have to bring ice, but my center -- one of the top 10 in the country -- does not, at least they didn't as of January, so I had to bring my own chests, mitts, etc and women who were icing had to bring their own ice and containers for the ice, whether that was baggies or plastic bins for ice water or whatever they used. Whether or not your center provides this treatment directly, I cannot imagine that they won't know about it and be willing to help you keep your hands and feet cold, whatever method you use.
It's so good that you are preparing in advance.
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Memorial Sloan KetteringMolly110 said:ice
Primavera, if your care center provides the icing, they will have the right amount and right size of ice for you. If they only help you, rather than provide it, then you will need to bring the ice yourself. I know that Memorial Sloan Kettering provides this treatment, which means the patient doesn't have to bring ice, but my center -- one of the top 10 in the country -- does not, at least they didn't as of January, so I had to bring my own chests, mitts, etc and women who were icing had to bring their own ice and containers for the ice, whether that was baggies or plastic bins for ice water or whatever they used. Whether or not your center provides this treatment directly, I cannot imagine that they won't know about it and be willing to help you keep your hands and feet cold, whatever method you use.
It's so good that you are preparing in advance.
Thank you for that little piece of information. I might be in luck then. I'm in NJ and Memorial Sloan Kettering and Meridian Health (John Theurer Cancer Center included) have some kind of partnership to follow the same protocol for treatment. I think a lot of people from NJ used to travel to NY to get treatment, so they have opened centers in NJ in partnership with Meridian.
But I see how you can be in one of the top centers in the country and you'd still have to bring your own ice.
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MSK and icingPrimavera said:Memorial Sloan Kettering
Thank you for that little piece of information. I might be in luck then. I'm in NJ and Memorial Sloan Kettering and Meridian Health (John Theurer Cancer Center included) have some kind of partnership to follow the same protocol for treatment. I think a lot of people from NJ used to travel to NY to get treatment, so they have opened centers in NJ in partnership with Meridian.
But I see how you can be in one of the top centers in the country and you'd still have to bring your own ice.
Great news about the partnership with MSK. I first found out MSK iced on a chemo nurses forum, and there was a lot of discussion about programs that iced and programs that didn't. I believe that mine does not ice because they think the evidence is not yet strong enough, but they will help people ice if they ask, because while they're waiting for the evidence. we're getting neuropathy. I feel blessed to have gotten my treatment there, and my brilliant, compassionate gyn/onc saved my life by getting me in chemo and keeping me in, as I was both reluctant to start and ready to quit after a couple of sessions.
MSK only started icing in the past year or so, going by what MSK staff wrote in the comments page responding to questions about an MSK blog article on CPIN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy). You have likely already seen this, but this is what a MSK staff member posted in 2018 in response to a question about cold mitts: “Aug 27, 2018 • 9:05 am Dear Andy, there have been some studies that have suggested cold may reduce CIPN, but these findings need to be validated in larger studies. Thank you for your comment, and best wishes to you. C D” And just a year later, on this same MSK blog page, here is what MSK said “Jun 19, 2019 • 11:38 am Dear Ira, at MSK we offer icing, which involves immersing hands and feet in ice during chemotherapy, to help protect nails, but do not use frozen gloves and socks during chemotherapy. If you are interested in learning more about MSK’s research on CIPN, you may like to read this blog post. Thank you for your comment. Ira Kurtzberg” (The response mentioned nails because that was what the question was about, as nail loss is another side effect for some people.)
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I hadn't seen thatMolly110 said:MSK and icing
Great news about the partnership with MSK. I first found out MSK iced on a chemo nurses forum, and there was a lot of discussion about programs that iced and programs that didn't. I believe that mine does not ice because they think the evidence is not yet strong enough, but they will help people ice if they ask, because while they're waiting for the evidence. we're getting neuropathy. I feel blessed to have gotten my treatment there, and my brilliant, compassionate gyn/onc saved my life by getting me in chemo and keeping me in, as I was both reluctant to start and ready to quit after a couple of sessions.
MSK only started icing in the past year or so, going by what MSK staff wrote in the comments page responding to questions about an MSK blog article on CPIN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy). You have likely already seen this, but this is what a MSK staff member posted in 2018 in response to a question about cold mitts: “Aug 27, 2018 • 9:05 am Dear Andy, there have been some studies that have suggested cold may reduce CIPN, but these findings need to be validated in larger studies. Thank you for your comment, and best wishes to you. C D” And just a year later, on this same MSK blog page, here is what MSK said “Jun 19, 2019 • 11:38 am Dear Ira, at MSK we offer icing, which involves immersing hands and feet in ice during chemotherapy, to help protect nails, but do not use frozen gloves and socks during chemotherapy. If you are interested in learning more about MSK’s research on CIPN, you may like to read this blog post. Thank you for your comment. Ira Kurtzberg” (The response mentioned nails because that was what the question was about, as nail loss is another side effect for some people.)
I wish their centers would have what's availlable or not at their websites. I've found an article about the cooling caps available at Meridian in NJ.
And then news that the same company is now trying to go into gloves and booties. But in Singapore. Well, at least it's in the works. It should all be offered if you'd want to take it. Although, I know that ice is cheaper than all these devices. Insurance probably doesn't cover any of it.
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NailsMolly110 said:MSK and icing
Great news about the partnership with MSK. I first found out MSK iced on a chemo nurses forum, and there was a lot of discussion about programs that iced and programs that didn't. I believe that mine does not ice because they think the evidence is not yet strong enough, but they will help people ice if they ask, because while they're waiting for the evidence. we're getting neuropathy. I feel blessed to have gotten my treatment there, and my brilliant, compassionate gyn/onc saved my life by getting me in chemo and keeping me in, as I was both reluctant to start and ready to quit after a couple of sessions.
MSK only started icing in the past year or so, going by what MSK staff wrote in the comments page responding to questions about an MSK blog article on CPIN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy). You have likely already seen this, but this is what a MSK staff member posted in 2018 in response to a question about cold mitts: “Aug 27, 2018 • 9:05 am Dear Andy, there have been some studies that have suggested cold may reduce CIPN, but these findings need to be validated in larger studies. Thank you for your comment, and best wishes to you. C D” And just a year later, on this same MSK blog page, here is what MSK said “Jun 19, 2019 • 11:38 am Dear Ira, at MSK we offer icing, which involves immersing hands and feet in ice during chemotherapy, to help protect nails, but do not use frozen gloves and socks during chemotherapy. If you are interested in learning more about MSK’s research on CIPN, you may like to read this blog post. Thank you for your comment. Ira Kurtzberg” (The response mentioned nails because that was what the question was about, as nail loss is another side effect for some people.)
I worried about the issue with nails and taxotere, too. I don't know if the icing helped me avoid that, but I also kept my hands protected from sunlight and detergents during chemo (gloves) and used a nail conditioner made with vitamin E oil daily. I've never had patience with wearing nail polish, either, and wonder if not having chemicals absorbed into my nails from doing that helped to avoid that potentially nasty side effect.
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NailsMAbound said:Nails
I worried about the issue with nails and taxotere, too. I don't know if the icing helped me avoid that, but I also kept my hands protected from sunlight and detergents during chemo (gloves) and used a nail conditioner made with vitamin E oil daily. I've never had patience with wearing nail polish, either, and wonder if not having chemicals absorbed into my nails from doing that helped to avoid that potentially nasty side effect.
I never take care of my nails. I cooked a lot, so I kept them short and no nail polish. I hadn't thought about nails until I started checking about icing hands and then I realized this happened. Pretty naive I guess. I'm so bad with conditioners for anything. But I'll take that into my list. I guess it would be good to have OK nails if your eyebrows and eyelashes are going to be gone on top of your hair.
Hair worries me only because I've had alopecia areata and I've seen how some women never ever got their hair back with taxotere and they're suing.
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Hair and NailsPrimavera said:Nails
I never take care of my nails. I cooked a lot, so I kept them short and no nail polish. I hadn't thought about nails until I started checking about icing hands and then I realized this happened. Pretty naive I guess. I'm so bad with conditioners for anything. But I'll take that into my list. I guess it would be good to have OK nails if your eyebrows and eyelashes are going to be gone on top of your hair.
Hair worries me only because I've had alopecia areata and I've seen how some women never ever got their hair back with taxotere and they're suing.
My nails were not affected by chemo at all, and my hair all came back. Same with my sis-in-law who had the same chemo for breast cancer.
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I guess I'll wait to see what happensArmywife said:Hair and Nails
My nails were not affected by chemo at all, and my hair all came back. Same with my sis-in-law who had the same chemo for breast cancer.
Next week will be when I find out. I feel like I got a little vacation till chemo, and it went fast, but at the same time I want to rush this because I'm afraid of spread, and at the same time, I'm afraid to find out about all those scans. I never had a whole body bone scan. The others, lung, I know I have a 1cm area of ggo and 2 tiny nodules. I used to have a 3mm cyst in the liver last seen a year and a half ago. I'm almost glad that they've been following me for the uterine cancer till now.
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I had Taxotere and lost allPrimavera said:Nails
I never take care of my nails. I cooked a lot, so I kept them short and no nail polish. I hadn't thought about nails until I started checking about icing hands and then I realized this happened. Pretty naive I guess. I'm so bad with conditioners for anything. But I'll take that into my list. I guess it would be good to have OK nails if your eyebrows and eyelashes are going to be gone on top of your hair.
Hair worries me only because I've had alopecia areata and I've seen how some women never ever got their hair back with taxotere and they're suing.
I had Taxotere and lost all my finger and toenails along with severe foot neuropathy with medium finger problems. I, unfortunately, hadn't heard about icing and nobody at my chemo center mentioned it. Five years later my fingernails only partially came back and a few of my toenails are disfigured too. Thank heavens for acrylic nails! I'm also missing my left eyebrow and have bald spots in the back of my head.
This board has been a lifesaver for me. There are so many knowledgable women here! I pray everything goes well for you!!
Love,
Eldri
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Thank you, EldriEZLiving66 said:I had Taxotere and lost all
I had Taxotere and lost all my finger and toenails along with severe foot neuropathy with medium finger problems. I, unfortunately, hadn't heard about icing and nobody at my chemo center mentioned it. Five years later my fingernails only partially came back and a few of my toenails are disfigured too. Thank heavens for acrylic nails! I'm also missing my left eyebrow and have bald spots in the back of my head.
This board has been a lifesaver for me. There are so many knowledgable women here! I pray everything goes well for you!!
Love,
Eldri
I'll find out treatment next Tuesday. I have a lot of gel refills, booties and mitts. I'm glad I had been reading this board for the uterine cancer last year. I don't want to go read much at the breast cancer forum because I feel I know everyone else here better. And this forum is more active than the others.
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Treatment
Yikes. It all sounds so long that it makes you anxious to start but scared to start at the same time; I never liked reading about Adriamycin and heart problems.
Oncologist gave me the schedule today. She said I was "well read" and that's because I already knew those drugs and their side effects from reading here.
AC IV every 2 weeks x 4 = 2 months
Taxol IV every week x 12 = 3 months
Herceptin IV every 3 weeks for a year
After Taxol, I'll have a 3-week rest and will have the surgery; will find out if I need radiation (which complicates reconstruction) and will start the Herceptin treatment.
But first things first, I hope I can do all this without too much trouble. I start September 22. I feel like it's coming so fast.
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you got this!
Good luck, Primavera. I am the kind of person who likes having a plan. I hope that now that you have the treatment plan in front of you, you have less anxiety. Having cancer earlier in life is both a curse and a blessing (I had mine when I was 44) It is unfortunate that this disease that is associated with aging occurs earlier in life but younger people are so much more tolerant of the treatment. I hope you will do well.
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