Post Lumpectomy Question

First, congrats on clear
First, congrats on clear margins! Second, I had a lumpectomy, but, haven't had any scar tissue. It sounds like you are still healing and that is why you are still bruised. It hasn't been that long since your last surgery, so, I would think this would be normal. I wore a sports bra for awhile after I had my lumpectomy, but now, I just wear my regular bras, but, it has been awhile since my surgery. I had rads too, so during rads, I didn't wear a bra at all.

I think these are all good questions for your breast surgeon. Have you called him and expressed your concern? If you haven't, I would suggest that you do. He did the surgery and is the doctor and should be able to answer everything to help ease your mind.

And remember that we are all unique and different. So, what might happen to one of us pink sisters, might not happen to anyone else. I do know several on here have posted about scar tissue. I am sure they will post some better info for you.

Good luck to you,

Lex

LoveBabyJesus said:

Thank you Alexis! I thought
Thank you Alexis! I thought of calling him on Monday and try to ask these questions. I also feel shooting pains on the side, when I sleep a certain way for too long. I guess this is normal too? No discharge or redness at all.

I will ask him next week and keep you posted.

Love

You're welcome! Please do
You're welcome! Please do call him on Monday. I think what you are experiencing should be addressed to your doctor. The pain could be just that you have had this other recent surgery, and, you are laying wrong, but, the doctor will be able to tell you for sure. No discharge or redness is good!

Please do let us know what he says.

Lex

laughs_a_lot said:

Bruise
When bruising is extensive it ofen travels a bit and looks bigger than when you first noticed it. It looks scary for sure. As your body begins to clean up the bruise mess it starts turning yellow. As far as scar tissue is concerned I cannot speak to that. I have gotten to the point that I like to ask how much pain can I expect. I also like to ask if there is a certian type of pain that I should be wary of. For instance, is throbbing an issue, or if it should feel like a stabbing pain or lots of needles pricking me. In that way I tend to be ok with whatever pain as I know what is appropriate and what is not.

Hi Love
I had a lumpectomy, and a re-excision like you back in Dec. of '09. I developed a seroma (mass filled with fluid) and scar tissue at the excision site. It is a hard mass that also covers the lower half of my breast (my breasts aren't very large). It is still tender. My surgeon said this may never go away! At first I wore mostly sports bras that I got from a place that specializes in breast cancer patients. Now I alternate them with soft-cup bras. I used to wear underwire bras only--not anymore. The wire would be right in the area of the hard mass and be irritating. I also have occasional fluid build-up in my breast and trunk area (lymphedema) that I have to deal with sometimes.

Fun, fun, fun!

Hugs, Renee

LoveBabyJesus said:

Sorry to hear that Renee. I
Sorry to hear that Renee. I have a similar situation to yours about the scar tissue in the breast. My question is, how do they do mammograms with the scar tissue? I can't even touch mine its so hard. Does this allow the machine to press and take good pictures of the entire breast?

Had my first set of post-treatment tests in December
Since the cancer was missed on mammo for me, I demanded and had an MRI as well as the mammo and ultrasound. I was really nervous to have the mammo and told the tech what was going on with me. I told her I would do the best I could with the compression but that I was having an MRI anyway. Needless to say, the mammo was sub-optimal but she said I did pretty good with the amount of compression she used. I have to say--it didn't really hurt any more than my regular mammos used to. Anyway, the mammo and ultrasound were sub-optimal due to the scar tissue, but the MRI was a good study and showed the scar tissue area. The report said there were changes but were probably related to the surgery and "probably not cancer." My surgeon said this was what he expected and he will repeat the studies in 6 months (May) to make sure there are no changes. That image will become my "new normal."

If you are just getting a mammo/u/s, you could ask your doctor for some pain meds if you think you might need them.

Good luck to you.

Hugs, Renee

Kat11 said:

I also had a lumpectomy and
I also had a lumpectomy and I still have a part that is still kinda hard. Not like it was, and it's been a year. For rads I wore a tight tank top under my shirt or a sports bra if we were going out. I made sure every bra was bigger than I needed. I got bra's for $5 at walmart that hooked in front. I had nodes removed as well so I may have taken longer to heal than you will. I still have problems with bra's and pain. Boob is softer, after a year. Bruising takes some time in going away, so hang in there. I turned yellow, before it was all gone.
Kathy ~

I had this happen
When I was 20 years old I had 2 benign breast tumors.I was young and really thought I was terminal. I was told that if it was cancer I would wake up without a breast.Well I had my left breast but soon after the surgery the bruising was very very bad.The doctor said it would take awhile to heal.I remember some swelling too.I am 64 now.

I was diagnosed in 2009. The cancerous surgery I had there was absolutely no bruising.I was expecting it though.I had 2 more tumors 1 benign and 1 malignant.Also had another surgery to check margins and another benign tumor found.No bruising from that surgery either. Just that first one. Which was 44 years ago.Have no idea why???

I've had a total of 6 benign and 1 malignant tumors removed since I was 20.One cyst aspirated.My mother was a 60 year breast cancer survivor.She was diagnosed at 21. She cried so much during my first ordeal I thought I was not going to make it 6 months(even though they said it was benign I wondered).It upset my mom so much and she was always crying.I guess because we were both 20 and 21.

LoveBabyJesus said:

I see...
I guess nothing seems to be back to normal after all. My boob feels hard, but I mostly worry about the mamo not capturing the entire picture. Like I wonder if tumors would hide behind the scar tissue, etc...That I am worried about. But I will ask the doctors next week.

I do have issues with bras. I notice when I wear sport bras the bruising gets a bit worse. I've been wearing no bras for the last 2 days and I feel better now. I think I may start wearing some of those built-on-bras tan tops to make it more confy for me.

Lynn-- Sorry you and your mom had to go through this when you were even younger than me! ( I am 32 now). So sorry it happened - BUT SO GLAD you are here after so many years!!! So happy for that. Moms always worry, of course. It's not natural to see a mom suffer because her child is sick - and I wish this never happens, EVER! To anyone! I guess there is a hidden strength that comes out sometimes, when it's time to bring it out.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

God bless you.

Love

Baseline Mammogram After Lumpectomy
When I had my lumpectomy on Nov. 26, 2010, on my post-op appt. my surgeon told me that when I was healed enough, I was to have a baseline mammogram so there would be a record of what was scar tissue for future mammograms. Of course, I will not be needing those now since I have had a double mastectomy.

LoveBabyJesus said:

I see...
I guess nothing seems to be back to normal after all. My boob feels hard, but I mostly worry about the mamo not capturing the entire picture. Like I wonder if tumors would hide behind the scar tissue, etc...That I am worried about. But I will ask the doctors next week.

I do have issues with bras. I notice when I wear sport bras the bruising gets a bit worse. I've been wearing no bras for the last 2 days and I feel better now. I think I may start wearing some of those built-on-bras tan tops to make it more confy for me.

Lynn-- Sorry you and your mom had to go through this when you were even younger than me! ( I am 32 now). So sorry it happened - BUT SO GLAD you are here after so many years!!! So happy for that. Moms always worry, of course. It's not natural to see a mom suffer because her child is sick - and I wish this never happens, EVER! To anyone! I guess there is a hidden strength that comes out sometimes, when it's time to bring it out.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

God bless you.

Love

Bruising takes time after
Bruising takes time after surgery to go away. Please don't be afraid, but, still talk to your surgeon about all of this.


Good luck, Megan

BMS said:

Scar Tissue
I have scar tissue under my arm where the incision is from the 11 lymph nodes removed. There is a lump and it still feels hard, but softer than right after the surgery. The lumpectomy left little or no scar tissue to be felt.

Thank You
Love Baby Jesus.Thank You

It was a ordeal for us.Mom diagnosed at 21 and me having benign tumors at 20.Also the tumors were found after the birth of my oldest son.He was a preemie and I went through that ordeal.My mom was at my beside crying.I asked her what was wrong? Of course nothing.Then I had things going on in my head about having cancer but just leaving the breast.I never felt bad but my mom did cry alot everytime I saw her.Then there was no chemo treatments so I wasn't going to need to see a doctor but for my app after the surgery.My head was spinning.I must have cancer I thought!!!!!

My mom was a inspiration.Living so many years and never once acting like her masectomy bothered her.She was never upset about having one. That many years ago you can imagine the scaring.My mom was scared from her upper chest to her belly.It was unreal.Always seemed to have infections with it too.

I have a niece that was diagnosed at 30.She had one mascetomy then another the following year.It was pre cancerous but the decision was masectomy.She is doing fine now
after reconstruction with her breast cancer but was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder that makes her forget and also she can't walk at times.That is now harder for her than the cancer diagnosis.

I am so Thankful all went good with my first breast surgery and the second to check for margins.It did amaze me that there was no scaring, brusing or alot of pain.The malignant tumor was so small but one of the benign tumors I felt(just before the second surgery)
was bigger.I thought it was fluid build up but wasn't.

Reading what some of you go through makes me feel you are inspirations. You guys are champs.I guess reading others stories helps me understand things better if my cancer was ever to come back.

Lynn Smith

Alexis F said:

Thanks for the link!

Thanks for the link!

I had to wear the Surgery
I had to wear the Surgery Bra that the hospital gave me for a few weeks. I even purchased 2 more.
It just gave me enough support without any binding to keep "the girls" from sagging and causing a pulling sensation.
See my "girls" are large (well 1 still is anyway) LOL and I couldn't go braless, although I would have loved to.

Now I wear my regular underwires ( again for support) but sometimes under my lumpectomy breast it gets shiny skin and hurts, left over from radiation I think, so I tuck a mens hanky ( nice white linen) under it until it clears up.
Sorry if I'm rambling.....still feeling the effects of meds today to get through a bone scan.
Best of luck to you and in time I hope it feels much better.
Hugs,
Wanda

allergic reaction
I had surgeries about the same time as yours. Was not happy at all with healing. Finally developed a lot of pain. Surgeon said I had developed an allergy to dermabond, used in place of stitches. A few days of predisone cured problem. Just a bit of scar tissue now.