Hi all. Im booked in tomorrow afternoon for lumpectomy and node removal. I have ER PR (double positive ) oestrogen sensitive BC .have been told very treatable and good prognosis but I’m very scared about op…was diagnosed 3 weeks ago and so glad its all moving very quick…but also not sure what to take in to hospital as I’m in for a night or two just very worried and not sure what items to take in…thanks Sue x
Hi Sue. I had the biopsy and lumpectomy as two separate ops and i have just had a tidy up op. They were not as I was expecting, it was uncomfortable but I got good pain relief. Keeping everything crossed for you. I think there is a thread with top tips for hospital on the surgery part of the forum. The things I was really pleased I took were, ipod, earphones, wet wipes, bottle of water with a sports top, magazines and chocolate! And then soft bra, toothbrush etc.
Good luck tomorrow, will be thinking of you
Many thanks Eggster. Thats a great help x
Good luck Sue!! dressing gown and slippers def needed even if you are in for the day,I forgot slippers and had to wslk down to surgery in black Clarke sensible shoes and fluffy dressing gown -not a good look !! Pillow for the return journey essential as seat belt goes over op site.Jill.
Thanks Jill. there already packed…xx
Also clothes easy to pull on and off, open front shirt , slip on shoes. Lip balm for dry mouth after op. X
Hi Sue I had a Lumpectomy and node clearance 3 weeks ago, honestly it’s ok I was a little bit sore but nothing major, keep us updated on how you are getting on. Hugs.x
Hi Sue
Just wanted to say keep on top of medication when you come home as you will feel sore for a few days.
Best wishes xx
I am a bit late talking to you about this, but maybe it willhelp someone else .I had my lumpectomy on 8/6/17 …I was terrified of an operation,and pain…not of cancer .i cried in the anaesthesists room … then i came round after operation .Painfree and not nauseous…the mutilation I feared ??.. virtually none.As to what is needed in hospital…nightie/lightweight dressing gown/slippers/toothpaste and wet wipes .Hope your experience has been as good as minex
Hi you lovely ladies. Well lumpectomy and full node clearance went OK. on wednesday. My lumpectomy is not causing any pain or problem but the node clearance has left me with a tingling numb weird sensation that is taking a bit of time getting used to…!! I called in to my hospital to get a rather large padded dressing changed ( as drain had leaked in hospital and the surgeon had padded me up well to get me home on the friday after taking the drain out.) I was in for 2 nights as the anesthetic had a very strong effect on me…I was out for about 8 hours altogether !! And felt very queasy when I finally woke up… so wanted to stay in hospital to make sure I was fully functional before coming home…lol …I’m very tired still and sleeping very well although I have developed sciatica in my right calf and foot due to lying down for so long I think…but feel better than I thought I would 5 days after op… I have 2 weeks off from work to recover which I’m sure will just be enough then back at school for the last 2 weeks of term, before summer holidays and the begging of Chemo to start I think… is this a normal feeling in arm after clearance.?.the nurse who re dressed my dressings said everything was looking good and healing nicely no sign of swelling or infection etc… so that was good… thank you for all your messages last week from the queries I had re what to take in…it was most helpful. Sue x
Thanks Anniej…yes I’m doing lots of arm exercisers …religiously !! Lol…I do feel positive about the future treatments and am taking it one step at a time.just hope they got clear margins as I don’t fancy more anesthetic so soon after my last lot…!! Lol … but what will be will be…I’m just going with the flow of it all which helps…my left arm feels numb and strange but is useable on light duties only…hopefully this time next week it will be a bit better…as for work I will see how I feel in 12 days… big hugs to you how far are you in your treatment ? Thanks Sue x
Thanks U2girlie. If I need to take a bit more time off I can but I don’t lift in my job ,just sit in class and help students who struggle with schoolwork…lovely job but it can be demanding at times…!! Lol. I will see how I feel at the end of next week…just getting used to this numb tingly feeling in my left armpit and a sore boob still !! Hope your recovering well your a bit ahead of me.xx
Hi Suew , I have checked with my BC nurse and I am ok to go back for these last 2 weeks of this school term. If I take it easy…!! Chemo will start sometime begining of August or there abouts so will have had 2 lots of chemo at the strart of new term in September…so long as I can manage the training day with no kids just staff members, I will then be able to take 4-6 months off on full sick pay to get through chemo and radiotherapy. As I’m a single divorced mum of 2, if I need longer off its going to be a finacial struggle…but will cross that bridge when I come to it…lol. I just hope I got a clear margins on ’ lumpy’ as another op will mean going under anesthetic again which had a strong affect on me one week ago today…!!.. I plan to hibernate with the chemo…but not sure if that is possible…lol xx good luck to you and everybody on this forum thats going through different stages of treatment…xx
Thanks Annie…my finances are ok at the moment…but I know Macmillan will help if need be…but I’m sure I will be ok…both my kids are grown up but live with me still… and I’m sure my family would help if need be…I’ve never had any time of work before with illness so its just a bit of a worry if I cant get back to work by end of February 2018…hopefully it will all work out ok…but one never stops worrying when your hit with a breast cancer diagnosis…do appreciate any advice tho… I’m now 6 days post op and starting to feel more human with a bit more mobility in left arm now which is helping…!! Although still getting weird cramps in both calves…even with surgical stockings on…need to walk about a bit more me thinks…have sat more than I wanted… xx hugs to everyone
Thanks Annie…my finances are ok at the moment…but I know Macmillan will help if need be…but I’m sure I will be ok…both my kids are grown up but live with me still… and I’m sure my family would help if need be…I’ve never had any time of work before with illness so its just a bit of a worry if I cant get back to work by end of February 2018…hopefully it will all work out ok…but one never stops worrying when your hit with a breast cancer diagnosis…do appreciate any advice tho… I’m now 8 days post op and starting to feel more human with a bit more mobility in left arm now which is helping…!! Although still getting weird cramps in both calves…even with surgical stockings on…need to walk about a bit more me thinks…have sat more than I wanted… xx hugs to everyone
Hi lovely ladies…well I got good news on Thursday…clear margins…so no more operations…phew…I’m 18 days post Op today and slowly feeling more human… still sore…still swollen and a very small seroma which is slowly going down…my dressings came off on Thursday also and everything is looking good… still doing the exercises and they are helping… apart from getting cellulitis in my left ankle last weekend which was very painful and is slowly going with antibiotics …(think I got bit on my ankle , as I felt a pin prick 10 days ago) … hope that clears up soon as its made getting around hard and put my recovery period back a little…have had to put another weeks sick leave in as cant walk far without it hurting !!
I’m now grade 2, stage 2 , as 7 lymph nodes out of 28 were positive and cancer is Ductal , invasive. ER, PR + oestrogen sensitive…the lump measured 31mm in the end… which I thought it was a bit bigger than 27mm I
Was told it was … how the heck did I not notice a lump that big…!!! (Well I did find it luckly in the end )
Chemo in about 4 weeks…but not sure of dates yet…not looking forward to side effects…but onwards and upwards…you just have to go with the flow…!! Hope everyone is doing OK…xx big hugs to you all xx
Hi Anniej
I thought when I’ve read some of your previous replies that your diagnosis was similar to mine… I had 6 cancerous nodes on tier 1 and 1 cancerous on tier 2 and tier 3 had none…so I’m glad they did take them all out…I had been getting pain in my left arm since February…so that could be why…so 7 out of 28 taken out cancerous…a quarter…!!. .I’m so glad I have got them and the lump out now… how many cancerous lymph nodes did you have ? Xx glad the Chemo is going ok. Any side effects ? Hugs x