Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Pea-n-Me]

There sure are a lot of choices, unlike how things used to be!
Do you mind sharing what options you're presented with? I'm always trying to help locals ladies who first get a diagnosis and I'd be curious what the doctors are currently saying.
You know I got the Goldilocks mastectomy and I'm wondering what else is out there.
Good to see you posting and full of sass.

Sure. Regardless of the breast surgery I choose, I have to have a full axillary node dissection as several of my nodes were enlarged and shrunk from the chemo, so it’s presumed they had cancer in them and they have to come out, which was the consensus of the tumor board. There’s been a lot of prep for that surgery designed to prevent lymphedema compared to last time, when there was nothing (and I fought lymphedema for a few years, now gone, thankfully). Put it this way, the PT who deals with it and I will be well acquainted for the next several years, ie there’s a lot of monitoring. I’ll also have a vein from my leg put into my axillary area during the surgery to reconnect the lymph channels that get severed when they take the nodes out. They’re not fooling around with this!

My surgical options for the breast were a lumpectomy vs single or double DIEP surgery. For a lot of different reasons, I’m choosing the former. The two areas that have cancer are both less than 0.1cm, so very tiny. There is only a 4% difference in recurrence rate between the two surgeries, I was told. (Long term survival the same, with even a slight edge for the lumpectomy with radiation today, which was surprising.) And time under anesthesia is less. The DIEP is a big surgery involving reconnecting blood vessels from the stomach fat area to the breast area and they said it could be delayed a year or even fail, etc. I’d like to move on from this. (I have to get back to work!) I had a lumpectomy on the other side 21 yrs ago with radiation and never had a recurrence. I was really hesitant to touch that side due to worries about healing since it’s been treated before and isn’t ideal tissue wise. (If I ever do have a recurrence there I can revisit that.) After the lumpectomy another doctor will come in (who’s doing the axillary node surgery) and will do a reduction so that I’m ‘even’, which is something I debated about, but I think it’s important for us to feel at our best after something like this if that’s available, and it is. It will add to my time under anesthesia and cause a longer healing time (six weeks) but I decided to go for it. I can’t start radiation until I’m completely healed so hopefully that goes well. This will happen in a few weeks. I’m a little nervous! But I have a great team of doctors and nurses and once it’s over I’ll be relieved.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Pea-n-Me - Sounds like you and your team have a good plan. Wishing you all the best with your surgery and radiation. You are always in my prayers.
I saw the orthopedic oncologist and Praise God he said my leg is slowly healing. After 17 months! So he doesn’t have to think about amputating my leg. Answered prayers for sure. Saw my sacrum tumor on the mri. It looks like a big white blob.
Then I saw the reg. Onc. He wants me to see a gastro and start the chemo pills July 1st.
Next week is pcp and eye surgeon.
Ds3 bought back a nice souvenir from his vacation in Bali. Covid!! He needs another negative test for work. Little grandson is being dedicated at church and a big party at dil parents. I will take lots of meds and hope I can make it.
GAGWTA. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Happy July everyone!
Pea-n-Me - Thinking of you and update us when you can. Continued prayers for you.

I got to go to the church and see grandsons dedication. I walked up the ramp. Amazed myself. I was miserable in the church despite painkillers. Had Dh wheel me down the ramp going out. Maybe because I sat in a regular hair and not wheelchair. Nice party, Over 60 people.
Hate the chemo pills. Weird side effects. None that they mentioned. Worse is so much more bone pain. Seeing onc. Friday.
GAGWTA. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thank you, lmp! I’m glad your leg is healing and you were able to walk. I’m sure it must be painful. Are you now taking chemo pills? My surgery is tomorrow. Will be glad when it’s over with! Thank you so much for the prayers.

 

[leebee]

Thank you, lmp! I’m glad your leg is healing and you were able to walk. I’m sure it must be painful. Are you now taking chemo pills? My surgery is tomorrow. Will be glad when it’s over with! Thank you so much for the prayers.

Hope everything went well, @Pea-n-Me. Keeping you in my thoughts.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Happy July everyone!
Pea-n-Me - Thinking of you and update us when you can. Continued prayers for you.

I got to go to the church and see grandsons dedication. I walked up the ramp. Amazed myself. I was miserable in the church despite painkillers. Had Dh wheel me down the ramp going out. Maybe because I sat in a regular hair and not wheelchair. Nice party, Over 60 people.
Hate the chemo pills. Weird side effects. None that they mentioned. Worse is so much more bone pain. Seeing onc. Friday.
GAGWTA. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer.

Thank you, lmp! I’m glad your leg is healing and you were able to walk. I’m sure it must be painful. Are you now taking chemo pills? My surgery is tomorrow. Will be glad when it’s over with! Thank you so much for the prayers.

Good wishes for you both, and everyone here. Prayers follow you all. 's