Waiting for my surgery

Calleen
Calleen Member Posts: 411
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was diagnosed on May 8th 2009. I have IDC. I am a classic case of early detection. I had my sentinal lymph node plus an extra removed last week and they are cancer free..Due to many factors and tons of research.. My decision is to have a bi-lateral masectomy with immediate reconstruction using my own body tissue... My surgery is scheduled for next week.. I have my game face on for the world but am scared to death of the surgery... Mainly not waking up ....I'm looking for support from you Sisters who have been down this road...

Comments

  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    sorry
    Im sorry that you are going through this. I am five weeks out from a double mastectomy and i have tissue expanders in place. I was scared to death of the surgery. I cried the whole day before. Know that you have every right to be scared. I will pray for you, you can fight it. All of here are.

    laura
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    lolad said:

    sorry
    Im sorry that you are going through this. I am five weeks out from a double mastectomy and i have tissue expanders in place. I was scared to death of the surgery. I cried the whole day before. Know that you have every right to be scared. I will pray for you, you can fight it. All of here are.

    laura

    Hi Calleen, best of luck
    Hi Calleen, best of luck with your surgery. I will keep you in my prayers.
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537
    Hi Calleen
    I had double mastectomy on May 13 with tissue expanders. I did have a complication after surgery and needed 1 of the expanders removed. You will get thru the surgery and the reconstruction. I am so happy for you that the sentinel node and extra nodes were cancer free. My sentinel node was positive but the 21 nodes they removed extra were clear. Surgery isnt a cake walk but you can do it.

    We are all here for you

    Hugs

    Linda T
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    Can't take away being scared....
    Calleen, welcome and let me start by saying this... being scared is normal. Unfortunately, no one can take that feeling away from you. But know this....you will wake up!! Your in a surgery room with Doctor's!! They will make sure you wake up!!
    I had 8 surgery's under general anestesia (sp) and I woke up everytime, was scared everytime, but also trusted my Dr's enough to put my life in their hands everytime. And believe me when I say I went in with shaking knees!!
    Leave your game face behind....you need to be comforted by real people!! We will be here in cyberspace for you, but now is not the time to play brave. You will do much better if you allow yourself to lean on someone close for support. Good luck and keep us posted. Glad you found us, though wish it was just on a friendship board alone. :) Pammy
    PS) Pretty jewlry....do you make it?
  • jk1952
    jk1952 Member Posts: 613
    mlmjt1 said:

    Hi Calleen
    I had double mastectomy on May 13 with tissue expanders. I did have a complication after surgery and needed 1 of the expanders removed. You will get thru the surgery and the reconstruction. I am so happy for you that the sentinel node and extra nodes were cancer free. My sentinel node was positive but the 21 nodes they removed extra were clear. Surgery isnt a cake walk but you can do it.

    We are all here for you

    Hugs

    Linda T

    Hi Calleen. I had a
    Hi Calleen. I had a bilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction (tummy tuck) on April 22. This was nine years after my first diagnosis (which was very similar to yours) when I had a lumpectomy and radiation. I, too, am a poster child for early detection: I am so thankful that both times, the cancer was caught very, very early.

    I have always been terrified of anesthesia, to the point that I had my sentinel lymph node biopsy done with a local and a sedative, instead of general anesthesia. I would have all my surgeries done that way, if they'd let me...

    But, I actually had it easy the day of my mastectomy: my plastic surgeon did very delicate surgery for eight hours and my husband and best friend worried in the waiting room. I don't remember anything from the time they gave me a sedative before going to the operating room until I woke up when it was all over. It was the quickest eight hours that I've ever experienced.

    I know how hard it is to not worry; I just hope that you can find some peace during this time before your surgery.

    Joyce
  • stmgriffin
    stmgriffin Member Posts: 25
    HI
    I had a radical mastectomy June 10, breast cancer with 11 lymph nodes removed which came out to be clear..You will be just fine..Hang in there. We all know what you are going through..
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    Hi Calleen! I had a
    Hi Calleen! I had a lumpectomy, so, I can't offer info about your surgery, but, others here will and can. We were and still are scared to death. It just comes with the diagnosis. But, you will get thru the treatments, just like we are.

    Good luck to you!
  • faithandprayer
    faithandprayer Member Posts: 177
    Welcome
    Hi Caleen & Welcome.

    It took me a long time to find my way here and I haven't been around long but I'd like to tell you that you've found a good home. The women (and men, I'm told) here really are sisters in the bond and understand every single emotion you will encounter.

    I've not reached my surgery point yet so I can only imagine what your going through but I promise to diligently pray for you.

    Hugs,
    KC
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member

    Welcome
    Hi Caleen & Welcome.

    It took me a long time to find my way here and I haven't been around long but I'd like to tell you that you've found a good home. The women (and men, I'm told) here really are sisters in the bond and understand every single emotion you will encounter.

    I've not reached my surgery point yet so I can only imagine what your going through but I promise to diligently pray for you.

    Hugs,
    KC

    May girls
    Hi, Calleen -

    We have a lot in common -- I was diagnosed the same week you were (May 4th for one breast, May 6th for the other), I also had IDC and no lymph node involvement. And early detection -- oh yeah. My tumors (3 of them total) were each only 2 mm -- every doctor I meet thinks the radiologist who found them on the films and decided to biopsy them is a god.

    I love general anesthesia, so I can't personally relate to that part of your fear. I hate needles, pain of any kind, so anything I get to sleep through is great by me. Joyce is right -- you'll hear somebody say "you'll start to feel sleepy now," and the next thing you know, you're waking up, and someone is telling you that it's all over. And Pammy has a great point -- you're surrounded every minute you're asleep by your surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses, and assistants, all of whom have every tool at their disposal to make sure you wake up just fine.

    I know it's nowhere near as simple as telling you, "just don't be scared." Just try to keep remembering that we got through it, and so will you.

    Traci
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    Welcome, Calleen
    Glad you found us - we're all here to support and encourage each other. I understand your fear of the surgery - my lumpectomy was the very first ever for me. And, yes, the anesthesia was the scariest part of it all. You will be fine, for sure.

    Visit us whenever you'd like or need to.

    Best wishes.
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member

    Welcome, Calleen
    Glad you found us - we're all here to support and encourage each other. I understand your fear of the surgery - my lumpectomy was the very first ever for me. And, yes, the anesthesia was the scariest part of it all. You will be fine, for sure.

    Visit us whenever you'd like or need to.

    Best wishes.

    Good luck to you Calleen!
    Good luck to you Calleen! Please let us know how you do!

    Hugs to you,

    Leeza
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    jnl said:

    Good luck to you Calleen!
    Good luck to you Calleen! Please let us know how you do!

    Hugs to you,

    Leeza

    Just want to welcome you to
    Just want to welcome you to this site Calleen! Sorry for the reason that you found us.

    You will find a great bunch of bc survivors here to help you thru all of this!

    Keep posting!
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    Kristin N said:

    Just want to welcome you to
    Just want to welcome you to this site Calleen! Sorry for the reason that you found us.

    You will find a great bunch of bc survivors here to help you thru all of this!

    Keep posting!

    Wishing you good luck
    Wishing you good luck Calleen! I love your name!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    DianeBC said:

    Wishing you good luck
    Wishing you good luck Calleen! I love your name!

    Good luck with your surgery
    Good luck with your surgery Calleen! Keep us posted!
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    Kylez said:

    Good luck with your surgery
    Good luck with your surgery Calleen! Keep us posted!

    Welcome to the site Calleen
    Welcome to the site Calleen and good luck with your surgery!
  • aurora2009
    aurora2009 Member Posts: 544 Member
    Noel said:

    Welcome to the site Calleen
    Welcome to the site Calleen and good luck with your surgery!

    welcome to a wonderful place
    I'm sorry I'm so late in welcoming you, it's been a long 7 days since I went back to work.

    But I want to you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers, and you'll be fine through surgury.

    Aurora
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072

    welcome to a wonderful place
    I'm sorry I'm so late in welcoming you, it's been a long 7 days since I went back to work.

    But I want to you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers, and you'll be fine through surgury.

    Aurora

    Calleen
    I was so just the same, I met my anaesthegiolosist and asked her.....Will I Wake Up Afterwards.........?

    She said. "Of course, why would we want all those sleeping people about the place?"

    Hope this helps Hugs J, You'll be just fine!xxxxxxxxx
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    tasha_111 said:

    Calleen
    I was so just the same, I met my anaesthegiolosist and asked her.....Will I Wake Up Afterwards.........?

    She said. "Of course, why would we want all those sleeping people about the place?"

    Hope this helps Hugs J, You'll be just fine!xxxxxxxxx

    You will be fine Calleen!
    You will be fine Calleen! Good luck!

    And, Tasha, you are so funny AGAIN!
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598

    Welcome, Calleen
    Glad you found us - we're all here to support and encourage each other. I understand your fear of the surgery - my lumpectomy was the very first ever for me. And, yes, the anesthesia was the scariest part of it all. You will be fine, for sure.

    Visit us whenever you'd like or need to.

    Best wishes.

    Just wishing you good luck
    Just wishing you good luck with your surgery too Calleen! You will get thru it just fine, like everyone else said!

    Keep posting and let us know how you are doing!

    Hugs, Lex