sentinel node procedure

jayden
jayden Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
hi,
i am scheduled to have a sentinel node procedure next week. i am very concerned about the discomfort involved w/the injection of the radioactive tracers. can someone let me know what i can expect? thanks

Comments

  • Susan956
    Susan956 Member Posts: 510
    #2
    I had a sentinel node procedure done as part of my lumpectomy. That part was no big deal. Just like getting a shot basically. You don't fee the tracers. Basically they just flow through your system, so the Doctor can tell which lymph nodes are closest to your cancer. It then lets them just take out the closes lymph nodes for testing. By limiting the number of nodes that they have to remove for testing, it reduces future issues with swelling in your arm. Hope all goes well for you.

    Take Care... God bless...

    Susan
  • susabella
    susabella Member Posts: 46
    #3
    Hi Jayden,
    Please don't worry at all about the sentinel node procedure. I've had it done twice, once in August with my lumpectomy on the left breast, and again 4 weeks ago on the right breast just before my mastectomy. It's a simple injection, no different than any shot you've ever gotten. My doctors massaged the area after the dye went in (needle removed) to distribute the dye into the breast tissue and that was it! I barely felt the needle, it really is a very simple procedure. You may experience blue urine after the procedure for a short time until your body gets rid of the dye, very normal. I had no discomfort from the procedure, it was all related to the surgeries. Best of luck and try to relax! I've had mammograms that were much more uncomfortable, lol!

    Let us know how you make out, and good thoughts are going your way!

    Best wishes,
    Sue
  • inkblot
    inkblot Member Posts: 698 Member
    #4
    Hi jayden,

    I had this procedure along with my lumpectomy.

    I think everyone is different but for me, the injections were painful. The needle itself did not hurt much at all but the fluid certainly did.
    I had 6 injections of the dye and the tracer combined. It's relative to displacement of the fluids within the breast it seems. Mine only hurt a bit when first injected but hurt worse after a few minutes.

    As noted here, some women have little to no discomfort while others have more. For me, the surgery was less painful than the injections. Talk to your doctor. If s/he plans to use both the dye and the radioactive tracer, then ask what to expect. You can request some local anesthetic prior to the injections. Breast density also play s a role in the level of discomfort, according to my doctor.

    All the best and I think you'll find that the surgery will be surprisingly less un-comfortable than you may imagine.

    (((((jayden)))))

    Love, light and laughter,
    Ink
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    hello, my dear...well, can't speak to the pain, mine was done during surgery...so I was not feeling ANY!!!

    I do still have a nice, quarter-sized spot of blue under the skin....at first, I thought it was a bruise, but it, too, is passing!

    Before my treatment, my doc ordered an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy. WHEW! no anesthesia! But, I got thru it, just like YOU will with this...NO SWEAT! Just imagine the docs in their underwear!!! (lol)

    Hugs, kathi
  • epgnyc
    epgnyc Member Posts: 137
    #6
    Like others have noted, my injection wasn't painful at all -- and this from a person who is needle phobic! Literally, I went for hypno-therapy prior to starting chemo because I was so afraid of the needles involved (and it worked). With the sentinel node procedure the injection itself was like a regular shot and I had no pain at all from the dye or tracer. The whole thing was a breeze. Good luck and try not to worry too much.

    Ellen
  • katcam
    katcam Member Posts: 83
    #7
    i had the sentinel node procedure done with my lumpectomy - i thought that the shots (they gave me 3 or 4) in the breast would hurt like crazy, but i didn't even feel them. the worst was laying still while they did the scan after the dye went thru. i didn't have any bruising or discomfort, except from the surgery and even that wasn't too bad. i never had any swelling in my arm afterwards. please let us know how you are doing - prayers and hugs to you!! kat
  • LindaYoung
    LindaYoung Member Posts: 1
    #8
    Hi, Jayden. I had the sentinel lymph node scan the day before my lumpectomy. 4 small needles in 4 different places in the areola ?sp... I mean the pink skin surrounding the nipple. There are a lot of nerve endings there. It stings, but only for about 15 seconds. The rest of the test is a breeze, but you have to wait about an hour between the injections and the scan. -L.Y.

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