Lumpectomy and lymp Nodes Removal

[templar-1310]

can anyone give some info on this topic at all ?
my 28 year old daughter was diagnosed with a very agressive and fast growing grade 3, TNBC in march this year. she also has the BRCA1 faulty gene.
things started of well with her treatment but the last few weeks have been absolutly all over the place. with R being in hospital for ten days, out for just a week back in for a night and out again… fast forwarding she will have a lumpectomy and the lymp nodes removed coming thursday.
as R has so much going on right now, i was wondering if anyone could help a little to understand…
** is it a full blowen long OP ?
** and if, then how long dose a lumpectomy take ?
** will it affect only the breast with the cancer, or both breast because of the BRCA1 ?
( but i suppose a lumpectomy is taking the cancerous lump out and the surrounding tissue ??!)
my daughter did mentioned that she also will have a TAG fitted today which is different to her Marker, which was fitted at the beginning of her journey. so why is it necessary to also have this TAG fitted ?
is the fitting similar to a Marker fitting ? she did say, that this TAG makes a more precise surgery… but i thought the marker would do that- as in stating where the cancer sits ?
** will she be in hospital for long ?
(i read today, that a lady on here who had her breasts removed could go back home on her 2nd day after her OP ???! i mean this is fantastic, as i truly believe you get much better being at home (if ther is no risk ,of course)
may i should also add, that my daughter did say, that she will have some sort of dye injected into her underarm, to show the lympnodes up better at the surgery.

it is all so all over the place… tbh i cant keep up with what is happen when… which test she has to have done when and for what, which surgen, doctor, consultant R is seeing when and for what… i dose not help that throughout there was always an issue with important information being passed on and forwarded… is chaos tbh.
for exsample, my daughter had a port fitted right at the beginning of her diagnoses, the ammount of times it could not been used for either blood tests or injecting stuff is beyond belief… it dosent help, that things are happening in so many different places and hospitals…
just to give a little inside to what is going on…
MONDAY… R went to her doctors for a blood test, they coudnt use her port and couldnt find a vain, so R had to go to the bigger hospital near by in the evening, to get the blood test done.
on the same day she went for a consultation with a surgeon to discuss her options aso. so it was decided to go for the use the fat from the stomache to replace the tissue in both breast.
but this has to be delayed because on the high steroids she is getting atm .
also her kidney function has been very bad since the last feew weeks and she is also slight aneamic. (had blood transfusions a few times)
then the option of takin the bad tissue out and putting an implant in for the meantime, till her health improves so they can do the bigger OP.
so all this should have been forwarded to the other surgeon my daughter was seeing the following day !
also R was told, that they cant operate on the stomach for the tissue ,because of the bloodvessels he would use. and the implant would be safer and quicker ?!
TUESDAY
the surgeon on this day had not received any information from the previous day- which was a great start…
so all what was discussed and agreed on the day before was more or less pointless, as the docter on tuesday would not even do this type of operation ??!
which brought us forward to yesterday… and the set appointment for coming thursday ! she is also very worried, as she should have had another ultrasound, to check on the tumor, as all her therapy has stopped because of her very bad kidney levels and the on and of high steroids she is taking. her last ultrasound was in july !!! and there should have been another ultrasound since then… but she is good in raising these things, over and over again… she definitely knows how to stand up for herself !!

so yes, all has taken a very fast paste all for a sudden… as so many times, rather overwhelming and here is our daughter, taking at in her stride, as she has done from the start…
as always, sending strength and calm to everyone out there… please never give up the fight !
T

[southwest123]

Hi @templar-1310

I had a lumpectomy and SLNB last year (I only had four removed, not a full clearance). The marker they are putting in is probably a Magseed which was really quick and painless to put in place. These are used by the surgeon to identify precisely during surgery the lump/area to be removed. The one your daughter had in previously will likely have been a titanium clip which is used to mark the places biopsies have been done so they can be seen on scans etc and for some people there could be several. Or, at least, this was what happened with me.

There was a lot of waiting around as I had to be there early in the morning, but in terms of the op itself, that wasn’t long at all. I was last on the list for the day so went into surgery at about 4pm and was leaving for home by 7.30pm. I actually felt ready to leave by 6pm but I was asked to stay a bit longer as my blood pressure was slightly low.

Hope everything goes smoothly for your daughter. x

[templar-1310]

hello @southwest123
thank you so very much, for reaching out and sharing your personal experience !! i do appreciate that a lot !!
what you told me took definitely the edge of my worries and did help to clarefy a few things better- thank you for that !
finding out, that you could go home on the same day, after only a few hours is super positive !! i honestly thought, it would be a full blowen OP ( not underestimating this surgery for one moment !). also thank you for explaining the difference between the MARKER and the TAG !!
i just did had a look at your profile, to see what your “journey” has been and i came across your incredibel post A Year, Normality & Thanks
what a wonderful note to share on here, to give hope, to be proof, that there can be good after torment and trauma… reading through your post… there was so much honesty and determination… it reminded me so much of my daughter … reading all this made me happy and it made me smile… and it let me hope
i wish you all the best for what lies ahead of you, and to never have to return to this dark place ! be happy, stay safe
Thank You,
T

[southwest123]

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, there’s always hope. x

[templar-1310]

YES ! there is … and you are an incredible reminder of that !

[entropy]

I can see that you are confused, but this does not necessarily mean that your daughter is. It’s quite possible you dont always know exactly all that she knows when she knows it, and there is so much info she will have been told at various times that you can’t guarantee you are getting it all. Not least as you live in different countries if I remember right. I get it must be hard seeing your daughter going through this, but somehow it feels like you are attempting to live it through her yourself, rather than being by her side supporting.
Your title is confusing on this thread as a lumpectomy is not what you describe she is having. Her options were not for lumpectomy, but mastectomies and different possibilities for reconstruction. It doesn’t change anything for her if you are confused, as long as she understands what is going on. You could try just asking her if she is clear on her pathway and if she is, it can be enough to accept that on your part. You dont have to understand all the nitty-gritty of it and become an expert to be a support.

As, I understand it , from what you have said, the chemo has affected her physically- her kidney function and needing transfusions. This has a bearing on future healing from a double mastectomy. Her health changes are a recent occurance, so the planned Diep reconstruction may change to implants until she is physically fitter to cope with the Diep. Because its a recent potential change, her Diep surgeon had not got the memo yet - unfortunate, but not surprising as this had only been decided elsewhere the day before. They happen not to deal with implants, so she will perhaps be passed to a different surgeon if that change occurs.
To answer your question, a lumpectomy is usually in out the same day as a day case and takes 1.5 -2 hours as a procedure generally. However, she is not having this, she is having a double mastectomy which is an entirely different, longer procedure with a longer recovery.
Regarding the port issues. They are usually placed for chemotherapy drugs and are predominantly reserved for that, avoiding use for blood sampling as that could cause blocking of the tube with clotted blood. Its unfortunate that sampling was difficult peripherally, but good that this was eventually achieved by a different department.
I hope your daughter is receiving counselling, as this is a huge thing to go through at such a young age. Has she reached out for support on this forum herself? I hope she has been able to access similar support for herself. Have you considered that she may have wanted to access support via this site, but may feel awkward about that? Does she know that you have been posting about her journey on a public forum? Its a very personal thing. I’d feel odd about it if it was my mother writing so extensively about my experience tbh for anyoneto see. Just wonder if you have considered that.

[templar-1310]

hello there !
thank you, for your reply and all you wrote. i always genuinly welcome any reply- otherwise there would not be much point of putting questions out on here. i also do have no problem with a straight forward approach- i actually welcome people like that… straight talking (writing in this case) … im also able to take a nodge on the chin and can see, when another person has a point, or can see something in a different perspective to myself (often possible, if you a total neutral person- which is a great thing)
i also always keep in mind, that things written and read on here can may seem entire different as they are meant and would come across, if you could speak to that person. may things are read as rather harsh but are ment by the person who wrote them as kind, or in a positive way, so this is, why sometimes it is better to find this out, before misunderstandings do happen, or a response is written more careful if there are certain ??? are hanging over it…
so i will do a certain more careful approach now for my reply…
first of all i would like to clarefy (NOT justefy !!) that my daughter is fully aware, that i use this forum and write to you ladies, sharing her (and our journey as a family unit) on here. to questioning if our daughter knows that i write on here (applying i would do so behind my daughters back, her not knowing) is a bit low, i have to say !
also telling me, “that it (having cancer) is a very personal thing” is slightly lecturing and simply stating the obvious !
“I get it must be hard seeing your daughter going through this, but somehow it feels like you are attempting to live it through her yourself, rather than being by her side supporting.” actually you dont know me, my daughter, or my family. you have the slightest clue of what is going on in our lives and how we are dealing with our daughters cancer , so before you make a statement like this, may re think what you are actually putting out there !
i use this forum to share thoughts, worries and find support and if/where possible can give my advise or help/support to other ladies on here… and im incredible grateful, to be able to do so and that this forum with these incredible ladies dose exist !!!
i use this side to protect my daughters mental well being and not have to constantly bombard her with things i share on here !
“Your title is confusing on this thread as a lumpectomy is not what you describe she is having. Her options were not for lumpectomy, but mastectomies and different possibilities for reconstruction.”
the mastectomie was the first option, which would have been done, if my daughter would not be to unwell- as she is atm. hence the lumpectomy +l.N. removal which she will undergo coming thursday !
“It doesn’t change anything for her if you are confused, as long as she understands what is going on. You could try just asking her if she is clear on her pathway and if she is, it can be enough to accept that on your part. You dont have to understand all the nitty-gritty of it and become an expert to be a support.”
and again, that lecturing tone pops up… and it goes on through your mail…
im very grateful for any advise, tip or even more so for personal shared experiences and i do appreciate it , when ladies reach out and do so… but your mail seriously was off… may you should re read what and HOW you did write this… may you are not even aware that you write like this ?! may no one ever pointed this out to you…
may it was about time, someone did ?!
T

[belle1]

Hi, I was the same as southwest (who has explained it better than I could tbh) in that I waited a while in the morning then my surgery took just over an hour. Once I could eat and go to the toilet etc then I was allowed home. My blood pressure was also slightly low but it went ok within a couple hours.

Just in response to your last post and you wanting to clarify things, I just wanted to say I was 36 when I was diagnosed last year and my mum struggled to get her head round it too… she kept questioning why it was me and not her too and generally couldn’t understand the ‘why’. She took it really badly for a while (to the point where I was more worried about her!) and wanted to constantly pop by to check on me etc. Im quite independent but let her do it as I seen it was more important for her to feel like she was helping/supporting me as I knew it was helping her too. It didn’t take away from my diagnosis but we have a very close relationship - I knew it was her way of coping. I wish my mum had gotten support to help her understand things more/just give her people to talk to but she isn’t good at reaching out. It wouldn’t have bothered me her doing so (even if she didn’t tell me)…. everyone is different and has their own feelings about these things but you’re obviously in a similar situation with your daughter being fine with it too. I hope everything goes well for your daughter.

[pat]

Hi @templar-1310 , I had a lumpectomy and full axillary clearance in November last year. I didn’t return from theatre until about 6pm so I stayed in overnight, though by 6.30 I was tucking into a sandwich! I went home mid morning the nex4 day

I basically had no pain from the lumpectomy site. I had a drain in the axilla for 7 days which was uncomfortable and a nuisance but simple pain killers helped. I found that having front opening pyjamas made dealing with the drain easier.

I had numbness and some pain from disruption of the nerves around the upper arm due to the axillary clearance. This has improved gradually over the months and I rarely notice it now.

I found that using a small cushion/pillow for support in bed and sitting in the sofa was very helpful. Once the drain was removed I found that wearing a front fastening bra in the day, and a soft crop top in bed a night was more comfortable.

The breast care nurses gave me excercises to do post op. These are very important to do. I had no problems with my arm/shoulder mobility.

[entropy]

Sorry to have upset you. If your daughter is totally fine about you posting about her on an open forum, good, no issue. I’m sorry that upset you to ask about, I was just checking. As a daughter myself, I’d hate it if my mother did, but thats just me, and I shouldn’t of projected.
Thankyou for clarifying the path she is on. It did not initially seem clear that she is both having a lumpectomy and then following a mastectomy from how it was put, not to my mind. Its an unusual path, but nuances happen in individual situations.
I wish nothing but the best care and outcome for your daughter. Didn’t mean to sound lecturing. With hindsight, could of put things better, I’ll take that. I was trying to acknowledge that the ins and outs and complexities of pathways, and changes that occur can be confusing. That from a person going through it pov, its not essential that every detail is understood by supportive people around. Sorry that came across as lecturing.
You appear to have developed much clarity on everything now from your recent reply.
We just happen to have rubbed each other up the wrong way by our communication style at the time. I’ll leave it there. I wish you well.

[templar-1310]

@entropy hello there
huge respect for taking the time and care to reply ! i honestly do apprechiat that a lot and im glad you did- so THANK YOU for that !!
how i did mention in the note to you, it is often so tricky, to read notes in the right way… that is the fine line with writing and not being able to put a voce and facial expressions to the written context ! and i wish, we could have done this, in this moment. but im glad, we put things right and do explain ! not for one moment did i believe you meant things in a bad way, or to harm. i simply didnt like, the way you did put things…
regarding the not writing the situation not clear enough… i do fully understand that… as that was the point i was trying to make… things are so all over the place, with what is and then isnt going to happen and as an adition the hospitalsation of our daughter gegarding the bad kidney readings aso, have flipped things over again… so for you reading this- trying to make sense of it, if we struggle to keep up with it, is understandable and i apologise, for not being able to put it more clearer and straight forward !!
so, please dont disappear now… if you have things to share and comment on, i would love to hear from you- and i do mean this now… i know now HOW to read your replies and can understand…
hope you can enjoy a good weekend… wishing you strength and determination and sending a big hello…
T

[templar-1310]

hello @belle1
thank you so very much, for writing to me and sharing some of your personal experiance- also regarding your mother ! i mentioned this before in other notes but i would like to do it again… it always estonishes me, how open ladies are on here, how willing they are to share their very personal things, because they want to help… i find this so soothing and it helps a lot. thankfully i am a very open person myself, so for me it goes vice versa but i know not everyone is like that. a lot of people are different and never would reach out openly, leave allone share things on here. but this is the amazing point of this forum… everyone can use it… read all these posts… without having to comment in any way or form… i love also the idea with the like heart. so people still can show their apreaciation by liking a post… so every person can use this side, in their own way of need. and i think this is a wonderful thing !!

when i refer to struggle, i actually do mean struggle as in keeping up with the info we get through from our daughter… and it IS a full blowen struggle… and im sure i dont need to tell you and all the ladies on here i think a lot also comes down to know and respect the other person- and each other… and that is not always easy. but i think it comes down to being able to be honest (on both sides of this damn cancer, as the person who has cancer but also as a partner, family member, friend, mother, father aso) if we dont talk and are honest about what we do and dont need/want… aso, then how (on both sides) can we do the apropriate thing ?! it is tough, on top of everything else…
you meantioned the famous WHY… and i think everyone on this forum can rely to this question… again. different for each person, depending on their position regarding the cancer… as a mum i can totally sympethise with her- im not sure if you, yourself have kids… but there is nothing worse, as when you cant either take nasty bits away from your child, or at least can make it better… with cancer its not negotiable… one of many horrors, which come with this damn beast ! but i hear you too… seein your mum in despair, must have been an aditional worry on top of all your worries and fears for yourself…
it is crazy, what this cancer does to everyone, who gets throwen into having to deal with it… and you are right, everyone is different, everyone has a different life, sicumstances aso and everyone deals entirely in their own way, unique to themself with this situation…
thank you, @belle1 for sharing this…
and also , for explaining about regarding the lupectomy !!
i hope, that you in a much better place now, after your lumpectomy and that(i suppose) your further treatments working well… please stay strong. to continue with the things ahead of you… never give up fighting
your mum is very lucky, to have a daughter, who is such deeply tuned with her and im sure she is very grateful for that…
i wish you all the best… be well…
T

[templar-1310]

hello there @pat
what a great reply ! thank you so very much, for reaching out and all those wonderful tips !! i definitely will pass them on to my daughter. you did mentioned excercise regarding your arm/ shoulder… is exactly what my daughter has been told to do…
my daughter also did say, that they sending what has been removed, for testing… i did read on here, that a few ladies had unfortunately had this procedure repeated , because not enough was removed… but i suppose, this is a risk which comes with it… (as so, so many other risks and side effects all you lady have to deal with)
i hope, that your further treatments are going well and that you are in a good place… wishing you all the best for getting well… stay strong…
T

[kjg]

I had a lumpectomy and full axillary clearance on the 22nd August.
I had to be in the hospital for 7am, I was second on the list (I had to call the night before to make sure the bed was ready and I asked if the list had been done and they told me I was down for second)
I went into surgery by 11 and was back in my room by 1:15 ISH.
I felt fine after surgery soar but generally well. Also had a cushion for support under the arm. It’s still numb now but getting better daily. I didn’t have the titanium clip etc as I had surgery 1st waiting for me chemo start date. (I have invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

I hope you and your daughter are well.

My mother is the same it’s completely normal, and she has asked why you not me etc.

You guys take care xx

[templar-1310]

hello @kjg !
apologies, for the late reply but loads has happen in the last few days…
thank you so much for reaching out and your note with all the info- so very much appreciated
im glad, that your OP went well, without any complications and that you are recovering well
our daughter had her OP yesterday… very long wait (had to be in hospital for 7:00am like you but had to wait till after 14:00 before she was called down… BUT - all went well, without complications and she could go home yesterday evening and is recovering fine.
now she has to wait for the results from the lab
what a huge mess all this is… and how incredible brave and determined you ladies are !!!
i hope, that the wait for your chemo start wont be too long and that you will be well suported and looked after on this long journey ! take good care of yourself- and if needed- stand up for yourself/ make yourself heard !!!
returning the kind well wishes of yours
also to your mum… from one supporting mum, to another
do stay strong for and with each other… HUG
T