Good morning all.
So I am all booked in for my lumpectomy and lymph node removal this Tuesday. But first nuclear medicine on Monday. I am so worried that the cancer has spread into my nodes, even though my surgeon has said they look clear on my ultrasound. I have read so many stories that people have been told the same thing and it came back a different story. I’m also so terrified of general anaesthetic as I have never had it before. My head is all over the place . Sorry I needed to rant xx
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Hi @butterfly28. I’m in surgery on Tuesday too. Its my 2nd in 7 weeks. On my first one, I felt exactly like you. I was so scared of the general anaesthetic, the radioactive injection, the blue dye. But it was amazingly fine! I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node removal. I am at Birmingham QE and the staff were brilliant. The injection on monday in nuclear medicine takes seconds and I felt no pain. Before your op, the anaesthetist will talk you through it. She was lovely and she gave me a sedative first to relax me. When I woke up, two handsome male nurses gave me water and there was no pain and I felt great. I’m having an axillary node clearance on Tuesday. Good luck…you will be fine x
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I should add too that I wasn’t expecting there to ne anything in my sentinel node but there was. Remember, most people don’t have lymph node involvement. If they do, they say on here, but the people whose nodes were clear and now all commenting in the radiotherapy section. Only around 20% of people have involved nodes. Good luck x
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@butterfly28 I had a lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy six weeks ago with guide wire and the radioactive blue dye. I can honestly say both the guide wire and the dye injection were totally painless. The operation itself was straightforward, everybody treated me kindly and with respect. They explained all they were doing and I was soon awake enough to go back the ward. There were four of us in the ward bay, all having similar surgeries and we were quickly back laughing and breathing big sighs of relief that it was done and the aliens had been taken out. The only after effect I’ve still got is that half of my breast is still blue, but that is probably because I am very fair skinned.
I’ll be thinking of you and @bluesatsuma on Tuesday and before you know it they’ll be sending you home. x
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I had my surgery last August and luckily nothing in my lymph node (surgeon only removed one). Before surgery I was told that everything looked clear in lymph nodes but after surgery I would get definite results.
I was lucky that my surgery margin was clear as well.
I am sending best wishes and prayers that everything goes well for you.
DonutF
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All best for you @butterfly28 and @bluesatsuma on Tuesday.
At MRI they told me I could bring my own cotton blanket, which I did and it helped me feel less alone.
About nodes, I was told they would remove one and ended up removing four because one looked augmented, results were all 4 negative.
What was difficult to me was not drinking anything for 12 hours before surgery.
Xx
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Morning, the way you’re feeling is totally normal I remember feeling exactly the same and also so worried about the anaesthetic I’d never had one before but have to say the anaesthetists were just brilliant and really help to calm you and before you know it you’re waking up in recovery. It’s 18 months since I had surgery and I had the nuclear injection, the thought of it was much worse than the reality. I wasn’t expecting lymph node involvement but had 1 of 2 so had full lymph node clearance 8 weeks later, it’s not ideal and at the time was terrifying with all the additional tests and further surgery but I had no further involvement. 20 removed 22 in total and just that 1st one positive, I went on to have 5 sessions of radiotherapy and take tamoxifen and have a Zoladex implant every month as ER+. One piece of advise I’d give you is to try to focus on recovering from surgery and don’t waste time worrying about the outcome because whatever the result no amount of worry will change it. Easier said than done but it was the best piece of advice I received. I highly recommend reading books written by survivors it really helps, After Breast Cancer by Sara Lianage is a great read and Someone’s Survival Guide by Phil Anderson is a book that contains stories, advice & guidance, inspirational quotes and poems, my story is P.15 
loads of luck for surgery and remember to focus on the here and now xx Someone's Survival Guide: A breast cancer survivors guide
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Hiya am not going to tell you not to worry because that’s a natural feeling, but all the comments from.tgis forum are excellent advice and hopefully put your mind a little more a ease with the procedures. Doc don’t always explain things v well so no wonder we are left w our worries! Did you have a CT scan or MRI and were lump nodes clear ?
The one thing I found beneficial post surgery was a little heart shaped cushion which You can get from cancer pal website. Really was helping me as I did get a lot of pain initially for a couple of weeks near the bra fat area ( I tried to find different way of describing it no one knew what I meant!!!) Get yourself a good post surgery bra, maybe get a couple different shape ones (marks and Spencer do some or Asda)
If you queeezy or feel sick after the anesthetic when you wake up do tell them, and they’ll give anti sickness. You’ll have a nurse by your side when you wake up and they’ll monitor you regularly for the next 24h taking your vitals (if you chose to stay in, I did as I lived alone). If you leave the same day, you’ll have a number you can call in case of any issues. You cannot wear the wound for a few day but they’ll explain that to you.
Make sure to do your exercises! That’s the key bit as they help w blood flow and lymph drainage. Do rest up, drink plenty (water!) afterwards and hopefully you have someone who can help you at least for the first week or 2. All my best wishes for the op. Do let us know how you got on and sending you some positive vibes that your nodes are clear 
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Thinking of you both tomorrow and sending positive thoughts for good results. Big hug flying to both of you, you can do this. xxx
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Sending love to you both for tomorrow, I will be thinking of you. My second WLE is next Wednesday xx
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Thank you. And i hope yours goes well too. X
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Thank you so much xx
Out of surgery after my axillary clearance and cavity shave. Definitely feel sore after this one but should be good to go home shortly. 5 weeks for results, which will inform whether I get chemo or radio next. But so glad its over. X
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Bless you @bluesatsuma thank you for letting us know. I’m so glad the operation is over and hopefully you will be home soon. I have read on here that the second operations are more uncomfortable. Just make sure you take it easy at home. Big hugs to you xx
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@tracy1 good news for you though. The WLE doesnt hurt anywhere near as much as the axillary clearance, so hopefully you will feel not too sore. Good luck with it xx
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Hi lovely
I’m ok. Very sore. Ended up taking more tissue and nodes then expected, now waiting for results. Glad everything went well for you xx
Sorry to hear you’re sore. Me too. Only got paracetamol. No codeine this time. I have bad throat from the tube too. From last time i remember that the first two days were most uncomfortable but it improves quickly after. Ive been awake since four. Can’t get comfy in bed. I’ve done way to much online shopping in last 3 hours! Now looking forward to kids leaving for school so I can rest. Did they say how ling for results? Mine are 4 weeks. Take it easy and let me know how you get on. X
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Hi bluesatsuma
Did you get those extra stockings? I was given co-codamol after axillary clearance as well as wle, do you have some left over from last time, I didn’t need to take more than a couple.
I did find when I started the exercises again I had a terrible shooting pain in the back off my arm the first couple of times which did scare me, thankfully that soon settled. Having a small cushion under my armpit became my best friend.
It took me longer to get back to driving so make sure you rest up and don’t overdo it, it definitely takes longer to recover from this one.
Take care
Sending hugs
Jxx