Sentinel Node Location/Imaging- advice please?

[MarthasSOS]

Hi PG

lol - Yes, my nipple resembled a smurf and my pee was bright blue, turning bottle green for a couple of days and then (sorry to say this), my poo was bottle green also lol. My skin colour turned grey throughout the night, but I was ok the next day.

The blue areola is now grey, but I still have a small blue bit on my nipple - Looks just like one of those really old ink tattoos everyone use to get lol.

Blimey, I almost had a heart attack when I was asked if I was pregnant - At 42 I couldn't even think of that haha.

Lola - Oh no, don't tell me I'm going to be like a pale smurf for a long time 😉 Hmmm Might get the other one done to match lol

Take care ladies
Martha xx

[Lola65]

Hi Jan, I hadn't realised you were another of us East Lancs ladies.

I didn't have a mastectomy, I had a lumpectomy. This was in January. My nipple is still blue!! It's rather fetching.
LOL PG. A case for the Guiness Book of Records methinks!

[poemsgalore]

Lola, the idea of you being pregnant at 65 is quite scary really - but also rather funny. I wasn't asked anything about periods or pregnancy (is that because I looked really old?) but at my hospital they do give you a 'bracelet' to wear until after op.

Martha, I think the blue dye is standard, and it sometimes leaves a little blue mark a bit like a bruise on your breast. I didn't see this as I had MX, but I did have blue wee for a couple of hours!!

PG

[WAC]

Hi Jan
I had a mastectomy in Burnley in February - stayed on the breast/gynae ward for one night and came home the next day. The ward was really good; I'd never been in hospital before so was quite terrified but the staff were superb. Came home with the drain which wasn't pleasant but was monitored by district nurses daily and removed after a week, thank goodness!
I've only been to one group event at the hospice which was a physiotherapy session for people who'd undergone breast surgery and was good. I have been going there for some 1:1 therapy (psychological support and complementary therapy) both of which have been so very useful. There is a huge range of events at the hospice so it is worth checking out what's available.
Good luck for Friday!
Wendy x

[Jan_mints]

Hi Wendy, yes I live in Burnley. I am told I will be in at least one night or maybe 2 as my surgery will be on both breasts and I will have drains in. I also have high blood pressure which they will want to monitor.

I have been told about the support groups at the hospice, do you go to any of them?

Jan

[WAC]

I shouldn't go on the forum on my iPhone! Never works....

[WAC]

Sorry, our posts crossed!

[carrie35]

I had it done the day before the op and no one asked me about periods either

[WAC]

Hi Jan
You're one of the east Lancs lasses, aren't you, like me? I had my injection at Blackburn the day before my surgery. I was, like Linda, asked if I was pregnant and warned not to hug small children while I was mildly radioactive but there was no mention of periods. I was only in 10 minutes and it quite quite painless.
All the best for next Friday. Are you having day surgery?
Take care
Wendy x

[Jan_mints]

Thanks for your replies everyone, my breast care nurse keyworker came to see me this afternoon and read the letter. She said it is worded very badly and will feed that back to the department. As you all have indicated, it is about the chances of being pregnant and not relevant for a woman of my age at all.
Like Lola, I am having the injection the day before my op at one nhs trust hospital and surgery at the specialised unit in my home town. It is just the way things are set up in East Lancashire. It is costing a fortune with travelling around and parking charges!
I feel so much calmer after talking to my keyworker and she gave me really straight, simple answers to my numerous questions.
"Bloody big bee sting" made me laugh but its not really something you look forward to is it;)
I have also found out I am postive for Oestogen and Progesterone (8/8) which is good I think? I haven't had my protein results back yet.
So thanks to all for calming me down and......... this time next week at least the surgery will be done!

Jan

[Guest user]

Definitely an error. I had this a few weeks ago. They do need to know that you arent pregnant, but thats it. Nurse one said 'I'm not going to lie, this might hurt'. Nurse 2 said ' some of our ladies say its like a bee sting' nurse one said 'yes, a bee sting on your boob.' Nurse 2 ' ok, a bloody big bee sting on your boob'. This made me laugh and before I knew it it was done. I agree- it was like a bloody big bee sting on your boob. But quick, and over in a second.
Good luck for your surgery.
jackie

[Lola65]

It sounds like the letter was wrong to me, but you need to ing them and ask.

I am 65, so no question of periods, although I was asked if I was likely to be pregnant! My radioactive injection had to be done at a different hospital from my surgery, so it was done the afternoon before the operation. It was a quick, painless injection into the breast. I wasn't given any warning bracelet and was told it was a very low dose and I would not be glowing green at all!

[MarthasSOS]

Like PG - I had mine done on the day of my op (around an hour or so before). It stung a little, but it wasn't painful in any way.

Also, when I was unconcious, I had a blue dye injected through my nipple so that my surgeon could see the flow of the breast fluid to my sentinel nodes.

I asked about being radioactive and he said that as soon as I had the injection I could walk out the room and hug as many pregnant women that I could find because it isn't a high dose that they give you.

I'd definitely give them a phone - Perhaps they have mixed up a couple of their email templates 😉

Good luck
Martha

[poemsgalore]

I had SNB with my mx, and had this procedure in nuclear medicine the morning of op. I'm 62 and haven't had periods for years. It's only a small injection of radioactive material (isotope) into surface of breast, which helps them track the sentinal nodes during surgery. As far as I know, you must have it done on the day of surgery and you will have to wear a special hospital bracelet to say you are mildly radioactive for that period. It came off the next day when I went home, as breast and nodes had been removed and I was no longer radioactive.

Pg

[JCJ]

I had SNB last year and no mention of periods either. Within 28 days following onset of period is confusing too, because ladies with regular periods have them every 28 days so that seems a very odd time frame. I agree you should phone BCN or number on your appointment letter to ask for clarification. Could it mean some other kind of "period"?

[Maryland]

Hi Jan.....agree with Rachel that you should give them a call in the morning to set your mind at rest. I had this procedure last year aged 55 and all they asked me was whether I was pregnant, as unless clinically crucial they do not perform this on pregnant women.....hope you get the reassurance you need and all the best for your treatment x

[Rachel_0203300]

Hi Jan
I had this procedure (which was absolutely painless) and there was absolutely no mention of periods in the letter or at the appointment. I think you should call them tomorrow and ask for more information. Perhaps the letter included the reference to periods by error.
Good luck with everything
Rachel

[Jan_mints]

Hi all,
I have my letter through today for my appointment at the Nuclear Medicine department for this procedure on Thursday 16 May.
The letter says that the procedure must be performed within the first 28 days following the onset of my period.

Why?

My periods are erratic at best, so I dont know what to do. It could be months before my next period or days; I just dont know. I am in a state of complete panic that my operation will not happen as scheduled for 17 May now.

What do I do?

Jan