I am going in for day surgery on Thursday for a lumpectomy and the lymph node biopsy.
Nervous? Yes. Even though consultant says its small, 1cm, they still need to take enough away. So i am being positive but I just don’t know what to expect.
The nurses and team have been fantastic though, have called me a few times just to check how im doing and any questions.
Can anyone share experiences of lumpectomy please, how you were later that day and next day, did you get surgery early or have to wait and how did you fill time
I had a lumpectomy nearly two years ago (time flies!). The day for me was quite long as I had to be there at 7am, had a consultation then the nuclear injection about 9am (which is not as bad as it sounds). I was last on the list so there was a lot of waiting around. From memory, I went in for surgery about 4pm and was awake and having a cup of tea by 6pm and leaving for home at 7pm. I took a Kindle with me to pass the time. One thing I would recommend is if you are going to be waiting around for a long time then go outside for a walk. I got a bit of a headache and it was only when the receptionist suggested this I realised I wasn’t a prisoner(!) and so could go and get some fresh air and natural light. None of the day was anywhere near as bad as I feared it would be and I was very well looked after.
I’m sure people who have had their op more recently will be along to share their experiences and tips. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. x
I had a lumpectomy for a 1cm lump on the upper outer quadrant and lymph node biopsy in December. I arrived at the hospital at 7:30am, however there were delays due to the junior doctors striking and the first patient didn’t go to theatre until 10:30am. There were another two to go after her and before me and I didn’t go to theatre until 4:30pm. I filled in the time by reading, chatting with the other women and nurses and a lot of stretching and pacing!
I was a little tired and groggy when I first woke up but actually became quite lively very quickly after that. I was told by the surgeon that I had a lot of stitches and that 5 lymph nodes were taken in total. The pain was nowhere near as bad as I’d expected and I could move a lot more than I thought I would be able to. I just spent the next couple of weeks taking it easy and the pain, bruising and swelling subsided and movement came back more and more each day.
I took the dressing off after two weeks and I have one incision (they’d done both procedures through this) measuring just under two inches, but other than that, my breast looks exactly the same as it did before.
Sleeping was the trickiest thing for me as I’m a die hard side sleeper and had to sleep not only on my back, but also propped up for quite a long time. Two months out and I’m back on my side again. Oh and the surgical stockings. I had to wear these for two weeks after the surgery and didn’t mind them during the day, but seriously fell out with them during the night!
I received the results at my pre-arranged appointment four weeks later and all margins and nodes were clear.
I hope this helps and feel free to ask anything if this has thrown up more questions.
My lumpectomy was over 18 months ago, so I’m on the other side (so to say). It is worrying, not knowing what to expect. This is easy for me to say now, but the process was very smooth and a lot easier than I imagined. Yes I was a bit sore afterwards and I did need a second sweep, but thankfully no complications.
My slip ups …I came home with co-codamol which I used 24 hours later. Not realising how strong they were, I could barely stand up! The other, trying to do too much too soon. Do the recommended exercises they are crucial to help mobility, but remember you’ve had surgery and don’t get to carrIed away.
The relief afterwards, knowing the cancer has been removed was enough to make me cry. Best wishes x
@dl74 We are all here for you, with love and support, I have had a lumpectomy a couple of years ago went home the same day all very quick, a bit uncomfortable however the next day up and about as if nothing had happened. I hope your operation goes as well.
Wishing you well, lots of rest and treats afterwards, please come back and let us know how your getting on.
I had my lumpectomy & SLND on 5th Jan and was absolutely terrified before hand.
Got to the hospital at 7 and sat with other ladies waiting for the same op . Went for tracer dye at 10.15 which was fine and nothing other than a painless injection in my boob .
Went back to day case unit and carried on chatting to the ladies that were still there ( some had gone for their op.)
I was last one on the list so I got changed into a gown about 3.30, remember the clock in the anaesthesia room saying 4.25 and the next thing I was waking up at about 5.45 .
By 6.30 I was up drinking a cup of tea and eating biscuits . Left the hospital at 8.30 .
I was really scared about the whole procedure but I can honestly say it was so much easier and not as scarey as I imagined it to be.
Recovery was fine , didn’t need the codeine the hospital gave me, i just used paracetamol for a couple of days and ibuprofen to keep swelling down . Dressings came off on their own at about 10 days .
I actually went food shopping the next day . I didn’t push the trolly or pick up the heavy things but I just wanted to get on with life so pretty much carried on as normal .
It’s really important to do the arm exercises and definitely rest when you need to !
I had mine on 26th Jan. Went in for 7am after fasting the night before. I had a radioactive injection. Surgeon came to see me and also the anaesthetist. Was second on the list. Wheeled to theatre. Cannula fitted. Waived a wand over me and marked where the mag seed was. Next thing I knew it was all over! Went back to ward and given tea and biscuits. Then had a sandwich. A couple of hours later I was on my way home. I only took paracetamol. More discomfort than actual pain. Boob is blue where they injected me for the node removal. Waiting for results is the hardest part for me. I have an appointment next week so will see what they say.
It’s definitely a very scary day especially if you aren’t used to operations or havent had one for a while. I was completely terrified. No suprise there though as I am a bit dramatic when it comes to health.
I was well prepared for the day which helped my nerves. I had a flask of ginger tea (to help any potential nausea after the anesthetic) I wish I had also brought another bottle of water as I was really dehydrated and the day unit is very busy. You might only be offered a small glass of water or 1 cuppa.
I took a light weight dressing gown and some comfortable pjs to come home in. I made sure these were front button pjs because you wont want to lift your arm over your head for a while. I also wore a front zipped bra top. I managed to get this on shortly after being up and on my feet so it wasnt painful at all. I had a nice lip balm and I also had some calming essential oil balm that I used on my wrists and under my nose haha I was desperate to calm myself.
On the day I had to walk over to the breast clinic to have guide wires put in for the surgeons. It wasn’t painful but it was quite an experience. My breast was so dense the doctor really struggle to get them in but I walked straight back to the ward after.
My operation was about 11am so I wasnt waiting around much, theres enough going on around you that you dont get bored. I just paced up and down next to my bed, kept my feet moving to help blood flow. Once I woke up from the anesthetic properly I was up and on my feet getting dressed and ready to go.
I managed not to need the strong pain killers and just kept up with paracetamol but by the 5/6th day things were a bit uncomfortable. Still managable but I had to take everything really slow. I was doing my exercises but other than that, slow and steady was the way for me. No lifting and no over the head movement. Once the pain was better I got out for some walks which was nice.
The strangest part was the numbness on the back of my arm and my armpit. It felt awful to put deodorant on for weeks. Not painful just weird. And the back of my arm felt like it was blistered, or had sun burn. Again not unmanageable just more irritating.
You will be absolutely find love. Honestly you’ll wake up and feel so relieved. And the best part of having these ops is that when you wake up, technically until you are told otherwise, you are cancer free Really embrace that feeling
I was terrified but it really was ok - arrived at 7am, taken to nuclear medicine for tracer injection ( didn’t feel a thing) at 10.30am
Walked into anaesthetic room at 12.45 I was 3rd on the list . Staff were amazing - even held my hand and played Harry Styles for me while I had the GA.
Was woken gently by a nurse in recovery about 2.45pm
Back onto ward for a couple of hours and tea and toast . Discharged 5.30pm
I had one node removed for checking
Didn’t need anything other than paracetamol for a couple of days
Scars healing well and now waiting for results this week .
Take a dressing gown and slippers - it was a bit chilly . I’ve been wearing soft bras since op
@dl74, I had my lumpectomy five years ago for a small lump to be removed. I had to get to the hospital in the early morning and saw the anaesthetist who asked lots of questions and made sure I would be comfortable during the operation as I tend to have a bad reaction to anaesthetic. They were very good, I had my operation just after 1.30pm and was being brought round at about 5.15pm. They had given me painkillers and food that evening and I stayed in overnight because I was a Diabetic. It all went really well and I was able to go home the next morning. My advice is if you any worries about the operation let the team know so they can ensure it all goes smoothly for you and wish you all the best.
I didn’t push the trolly or pick up the heavy things but I just wanted to get on with life so pretty much carried on as normal .
Really embrace that feeling