Surgery date

starseed
starseed Member Posts: 62
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I settled for a lumpectomy since all my CT and bone scans were clean, plus the MRI of the right breast was clean--granted that's no guarantee, but I looked at clean scans as a very positive thing.Plus I would still have to have chemo regardless if I had a mast instead of a lump.Besides the sentinel node bio he's doing while I'm on the table he's doing this other test--oncotypeDX which is supposed to tell them whether or not I'd be a candidate for
chemo..something about women in the early stages who are ER/PR positive and HER2 negative--
don't really benefit from chemo, but they do with the anti-estrogen meds.I know that for
the oncotypeDX I need a REALLY LOW number--like a golf handicap!! LOL! And here we go again
with the "hurry-up-and-wait"for a week after surgery for the results...grrrrr...My doc
feels confident I will be node negative so I'm sending every bit of positive reiki energy to my lymphs and looking in the mirror telling that THING to get the hell out. You are NOT
welcome and YOU will NOT win. My surgery is May 27. Was going to be this Thursday coming up but we would have been leaving Knoxville near dusk and with an hour and a half ride
with a hungry,thirsty,cranky person (not Frank--LOL!)we opted for the following week.Guess in the grand scheme another 7 days isn't an issue.Nurse did tell me I had to wear a TUBE
top!! Yikes!! Never wore them when they were popular--never could keep the damn things up
and now I HAVE to wear one --for like 3 weeks..And what's up with that pump thing you wear
for 3 days...some type of automatic non-narcotic pain stuff. When I had my tubes tied in 93 and my ankle fixed in 95 I threw out the pain meds they gave me. Didn't need them. Nurse gave me a script for other pain meds,but I'm hoping I'll be of the same mind now as I was back then. Good thoughts and healing light to everyone.

Comments

  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #2
    Congrats on your tests coming out clear!
    That's a biggee out of the way. If you're like me, you won't have much pain from the lumpectomy and Sentinel Node biopsy. The worst thing was all the tape they put on the dressings. I now request non allergic tape. It took skin off. I had Rx for Vicodin and never used them, but had filled them just in case.

    I'm pretty large busted so I wore a bra 24/7 for a few weeks to support the weight of the boobs. Your tube top will do the same...wear do you even buy those things? Wear a blouse over it and no one will see. I was sore from the node biopsy. I was lucky and got my results in 4 days, maybe you will too. The waiting is agony. They checked the nodes while I was on the table, initially were clear then after they really tear them apart and I got the final all clear..wonderful news.

    I hope these next 11 days go quickly for you,fingers crossed you won't need chemo. The node biopsy, for me, was the biggest thing cause of the numbness and tenderness under the arm (still have it and it was done in 8-09)but you get used to tht and hardly notice it.

    Keep us posted, you go girl!

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • dottie68
    dottie68 Member Posts: 31
    #3
    Skeezie said:

    Congrats on your tests coming out clear!
    That's a biggee out of the way. If you're like me, you won't have much pain from the lumpectomy and Sentinel Node biopsy. The worst thing was all the tape they put on the dressings. I now request non allergic tape. It took skin off. I had Rx for Vicodin and never used them, but had filled them just in case.

    I'm pretty large busted so I wore a bra 24/7 for a few weeks to support the weight of the boobs. Your tube top will do the same...wear do you even buy those things? Wear a blouse over it and no one will see. I was sore from the node biopsy. I was lucky and got my results in 4 days, maybe you will too. The waiting is agony. They checked the nodes while I was on the table, initially were clear then after they really tear them apart and I got the final all clear..wonderful news.

    I hope these next 11 days go quickly for you,fingers crossed you won't need chemo. The node biopsy, for me, was the biggest thing cause of the numbness and tenderness under the arm (still have it and it was done in 8-09)but you get used to tht and hardly notice it.

    Keep us posted, you go girl!

    Hugs, Judy :-)

    tape
    I agree the tape was the worse when pulled off I felt like skin came with it. The surgeon, said I had enough take for 3 people. I thought thanks alot.
  • starseed
    starseed Member Posts: 62
    #4
    Skeezie said:

    Congrats on your tests coming out clear!
    That's a biggee out of the way. If you're like me, you won't have much pain from the lumpectomy and Sentinel Node biopsy. The worst thing was all the tape they put on the dressings. I now request non allergic tape. It took skin off. I had Rx for Vicodin and never used them, but had filled them just in case.

    I'm pretty large busted so I wore a bra 24/7 for a few weeks to support the weight of the boobs. Your tube top will do the same...wear do you even buy those things? Wear a blouse over it and no one will see. I was sore from the node biopsy. I was lucky and got my results in 4 days, maybe you will too. The waiting is agony. They checked the nodes while I was on the table, initially were clear then after they really tear them apart and I got the final all clear..wonderful news.

    I hope these next 11 days go quickly for you,fingers crossed you won't need chemo. The node biopsy, for me, was the biggest thing cause of the numbness and tenderness under the arm (still have it and it was done in 8-09)but you get used to tht and hardly notice it.

    Keep us posted, you go girl!

    Hugs, Judy :-)

    Ouch
    Judy-Dottie
    Thanks for the heads up about the tape. I added it to the list of questions to ask. Nurse
    Cratchett did (just kidding-my doc's nurse Lisa is very nice)tell me the "dressing would be clear" and the pump gizmo tube would be held in place by a couple of steri-strips...yea,
    uh-huh, sure.The ones the put on after the initial biopsy never made it home..
    Namaste,
    Donna
  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #5
    starseed said:

    Ouch
    Judy-Dottie
    Thanks for the heads up about the tape. I added it to the list of questions to ask. Nurse
    Cratchett did (just kidding-my doc's nurse Lisa is very nice)tell me the "dressing would be clear" and the pump gizmo tube would be held in place by a couple of steri-strips...yea,
    uh-huh, sure.The ones the put on after the initial biopsy never made it home..
    Namaste,
    Donna

    Hello
    Now, about this tube top... Of course, do what you're told by your own doctors, but I'm just wondering why a tube top.

    I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy, was glued shut, showered the next day, never took pain medication not because I'm stoic but because it didn't hurt. I walked two miles the next day and resumed life. Worst part was waiting for the pathology report then waiting for the Oncotype test -- that wait made me downright cranky:)

    Sounds like you'll do just fine. Your surgery is the day after I finish rads!! (Yep, it's always all about me:)

    Take care,
    Victoria
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #6
    "Tube top"
    I wonder if this is what the nurse means by "tube top" -- When I woke up from bi-lateral mastectomy, I was wearing a tube top they called a binder. It was stretchy and tight and opened down the front with Velcro. It's just a fancy compression bandage. They pinned my drains to it, too, which worked fine. I'm guessing that's what they mean.
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #7
    Christine Louise said:

    "Tube top"
    I wonder if this is what the nurse means by "tube top" -- When I woke up from bi-lateral mastectomy, I was wearing a tube top they called a binder. It was stretchy and tight and opened down the front with Velcro. It's just a fancy compression bandage. They pinned my drains to it, too, which worked fine. I'm guessing that's what they mean.

    Starseed,
    I love the "Nurse Crachet"! I'm still smiling. It's good to keep your sense of humor, it really helps get your thru.

    I agree with Christine, the tube top thing still puzzles me. I bought a camisole before the surgery and for me it was a waste of time. I wore it once and hated it. It was hot. I wasn't given anything in the hospital. But I didn't have reconstruction and a single mastecomy....I was much more comfortable with just my nitegown or a loose top.

    Keep us informed about this tube top thingy and where you buy these.

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • ms_independent
    ms_independent Member Posts: 214
    #8
    pain pump
    The pain pump is a tiny tube threaded into the surgical area. It is attached to a thing sort of like a small balloon. The balloon is filled with lidocaine (numbing med) and it slowly dispenses lidocaine over 3 days. Usually it decreases the pain substantially so you can take fewer (or no) pain pills.
    The tube top is interesting, I hope they supply it. Where in the heck would you find one of those things? I am allergic to tape. They were able to use the compression bra to hold my dressings in place (I had bilat mastectomy with tissue expanders and sent nodes). If you are sensitive to tape or don't want to go thru having it removed ask if they can do that. It worked great, all 3 times!
    Positive energy and good thoughts coming your way!
    Hugs, El
  • starseed
    starseed Member Posts: 62
    #9
    Post surgery and thanks
    Hey-first thanks everyone for the BD greetings, that was a pleasant surprise when I logged in after all this time.

    My surgery went well--they did end up taking 2 nodes out but final pathologists report says they were clear so that was good news. And me and my blue floral tube top corset are
    "stylin" let me tell you. That thing is a pain in the ****.Trying to put 30lbs of stuff into
    a one pound ziplock bag.LMAO..I've since graduated to a believeitornot sports bra.The hospital put that THING on my while I was sedated or I'd have probably ripped it off.Damned
    hot and uncomfortable.I wanted to remove the pain pump the next day, but Frank and my sister Linda wouldn't let me take it off.Interesting taking a shower with a fanny pack!!
    Wish we could have had a video of the 3 of us taking the damn catheter(sp?)out. What a hoot! Neither of them are good in a crisis(but I was thankful to have them)but it was funny.I can't see close up and even with my reading glasses on the insertion point was too
    close for me to see and no one would go into my fishing tackle box to get my fly tying glasses so I had to stand there while they"operated". We disengaged the lovely amber tape
    with some vegetable oil--making sure we didn't hit the tape holding the incisions together
    and we were all surprised at how much tubing actually came out. I'm guessing there was 5-6
    inches--looked like something out of a bad sci-fi movie with Frank pulling and pulling,
    but it's all good. Go back to doctor on the 7th. Now I have issues with this oncotypeDX test because yesterday his nurse told me "because of your age the recommendation is more than likely going to be chemo" I'm like WTF?? That was NEVER mentioned..so I sent the doctor an email essentially asking where and when age was suddenly an issue..so that's where I'm at...good news basically but I don't like being sucker punched. Going to make some calls today on my own regarding the onco test. Thanks again everyone. Y'all rock!!
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #10
    starseed said:

    Post surgery and thanks
    Hey-first thanks everyone for the BD greetings, that was a pleasant surprise when I logged in after all this time.

    My surgery went well--they did end up taking 2 nodes out but final pathologists report says they were clear so that was good news. And me and my blue floral tube top corset are
    "stylin" let me tell you. That thing is a pain in the ****.Trying to put 30lbs of stuff into
    a one pound ziplock bag.LMAO..I've since graduated to a believeitornot sports bra.The hospital put that THING on my while I was sedated or I'd have probably ripped it off.Damned
    hot and uncomfortable.I wanted to remove the pain pump the next day, but Frank and my sister Linda wouldn't let me take it off.Interesting taking a shower with a fanny pack!!
    Wish we could have had a video of the 3 of us taking the damn catheter(sp?)out. What a hoot! Neither of them are good in a crisis(but I was thankful to have them)but it was funny.I can't see close up and even with my reading glasses on the insertion point was too
    close for me to see and no one would go into my fishing tackle box to get my fly tying glasses so I had to stand there while they"operated". We disengaged the lovely amber tape
    with some vegetable oil--making sure we didn't hit the tape holding the incisions together
    and we were all surprised at how much tubing actually came out. I'm guessing there was 5-6
    inches--looked like something out of a bad sci-fi movie with Frank pulling and pulling,
    but it's all good. Go back to doctor on the 7th. Now I have issues with this oncotypeDX test because yesterday his nurse told me "because of your age the recommendation is more than likely going to be chemo" I'm like WTF?? That was NEVER mentioned..so I sent the doctor an email essentially asking where and when age was suddenly an issue..so that's where I'm at...good news basically but I don't like being sucker punched. Going to make some calls today on my own regarding the onco test. Thanks again everyone. Y'all rock!!

    Starseed, I loved your
    Starseed, I loved your story. A sense of humor is a great thing to have and you definately have it. I'm still smiling. Good luck and do keep us posted. Take care.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #11
    MyTurnNow said:

    Starseed, I loved your
    Starseed, I loved your story. A sense of humor is a great thing to have and you definately have it. I'm still smiling. Good luck and do keep us posted. Take care.

    I agree with MyTurnNow, I
    I agree with MyTurnNow, I love your story! You put a smile on my face too! Good luck to you and keep us updated!

    Sue :)

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