When and how do you have guide wire and radioactive injection?

[Jill1998]

Good luck with your op Jules.

[Juleshazel]

I am having my wire put in on Wednesday and the op on thursday...i thought you had both done together but after reading this post I feel better

[Jill1998]

Interesting discussion re breast screening on BBC news.I would not have not had my cancer diagnosed without.

[Jill1998]

Definitely like your idea!Blue tit very appropriate,go for it!

[Judithvr6]

A good few years after my first bc I was somewhat fed up with many things. I had talked about a certain tattoo for years and decided I was going to get it done.

I have a pair of lips, in red, on my right buttock. You have heard of the phrase kiss my arse???

The tattoo artist said he would see me again in 12 months as everyone always has another. Being the stubborn person I am I made sure not to have any more.

BUT I'm now thinking, when hormone tablet treatment is over (5 years) I'm going to have a little blue tit bird tattooed sitting on the edge of the lips.

The little marker you have will help them to know where the wire guide needs to be placed. Oh and I then had a mammogram to check the wire was definitely in the right place. Having my boob squashed knowing there was write in it felt a bit worrying.

[Jill1998]

Not sure I like the idea of having a tattoo to remind me of me of having cancer usually have them for positive reasons or to look nice don't we, but nice to know it's not too noticeable.Thanks.

[Jobey68]

All mine was done on morning of surgery, had the guide wire put in via ultrasound and the radioactive dye injected at the same time, never felt a thing as they had injected with anaesthetic before hand , had the wire taped like an ariel across my chest then was in surgery within the hour, all was fine and home within a couple of hours of my op , I had a fibrodenama removed as well as my cancer was on the edge of it so all in about a 10 mm area and I have no noticeable change to my breast, hope it all goes smoothly for you xx

[CassieB]

The little boob dots are so tiny that I have difficulty locating them should I think about looking these days - but that doesn't matter as long as the radiotherapist could find them. 

[Jill1998]

Was about to say I'm not at the boob joke stage yet when I realised I told my husband yesterday I was thinking of getting blue dots tattooed on my knuckles to match the ones I will be getting on my boob for RT.I would have preferred a butterfly but hey.....

[FizzB]

Always surprises me how differently everywhere does things! I had my guide wire inserted a couple of days before the op. Bizarre experience!! I don't remember it being particularly painful but it did look odd afterwards, with a long length of wire sticking up from my boob!! Looked a lot like a radio aeriel (cue many jokes about twiddling nipples to get reception!!) It was taped down and dressed afterwards though. The blue dye was injected the day before. I didn't even notice it being done despite them saying it would sting.

[Jill1998]

Thank you all that's very helpful. The hospital where I am having op is very small so I suspect I will need procedures done at my larger local hospital day before.Thinking about it I think that is what I was told by nurse when she gave me my results but there was so much to take in.I am trying to plan when to finish work as have op on 24th think I will need day before for jolly hospital procedures!i had clip inserted during biopsy does that have any bearing on having the need for guide wire?

[nebsminty]

I had my WLE back in January. I went to the nuclear medicine dept the day before the op to have the radioactive 'dye' injected. I was warned that it might sting a bit but compared to the herceptin injections I'm having to have (that really sting!) it wasn't too bad. Then they did a quick scan using the machine they use to do a bone scan to check that the dye was beginning to trace it's way to the nodes and I was sent on my way.

The next day I went to have the guide wire inserted using ultrasound. If you have had a core biopsy then it will be a familiar procedure, ie a local anaesthetic injection to numb the area and then the wire is pushed through.

Be warned there will be a long length of wire poking out but they tape it down under a dressing. I got into my gown at this point and then headed off to the ward.

The blue dye was injected during surgery and like others have said I had toilet dunk blue wee for couple of days! I still have a feint blue stain on my breast 5 months on.

Hope that helps

[Judithvr6]

Hi Jill,

If your hospital has all the department's needed for radio injection and wire guide you will probably be prepped the morning of your op. I've heard some people say they had to go to a different hospital the day before if their surgery unit didn't have the other departments.

In my case there were 3 of us in all needing radio injection and wires.

After being admitted and shown to our bed we trooped down to radiology and waited our turn to have a small injection of the radiation.

Then we all trooped to the breast unit where a wire was inserted guided by ultrasound.

Then it was back to the surgery ward to change into surgery gowns just before going. I was the last of the 3 so sat reading a book in my clothes for a few hours (while getting very hungry!!).

Blue dye is injected once you are knocked out.

I peed blue for a day then greenish for a few days. Lovely!

Dint in boob? I guess it depends a bit on size of boob and size of lump.

I had a 15mm lump removed from top of breast (B cup), scar about 3 inches just on bandeau bikini top line, years ago and I had a dint that no amount of push up bras seemed to fill. On eventually getting a small implant the surgeon found that scar tissue was stuck to breast tissue which meant there was a snag causing the dint.

Second time round and I've had 26mm removed from the other side! Again the top but deep against chest wall. This scar is from nipple, horizontal towards under arm, about 2 inches. So far I've not noticed any dint but then the tissue was taken from deeper in the boob. But the scar does seem to make that nipple point more westwards than forward!

All the best for your surgery when it happens.

I've found 'They' are much more concerned about final appearance nowadays so I'm sure 'They' will do as neat a job as possible. 🙂

[kilimanjaro]

Hi Jilly1998

The guided wire is put in by the radiologist to pinpoint the exact place within the breast where the area of change is when the surgeon can not feel it. The wire is then taped to your chest. There's a small hook at the tip of the wire to prevent it moving about before the operation.

I had this done as there was some cancer further back in my breast, as well as near my right nipple, where there was a lump, which moved about.

Hope this of some use to you. x

[Jill1998]

Me too!

[CassieB]

I'm fine now - the only reminder I have of BC is the daily Anastrozole and annual mammogram. I do hope that in 12 months time you can say the same.

[Jill1998]

Thanks Cassie ,think it helps knowing what to expect.Hopefully I will not need to cry blue tears when I look at my boob!Hope you are recovering well.

[CassieB]

The blue die wee disappears very quickly - at least, it did for me - less than 24 hours. I didn't cry at all so don't know about blue tears.

The guidewire was put in a couple of hours before the surgery and once it was in I didn't know it was there although I didn't poke around to find out!

After the op my scar was rather 'interesting' and my nipple sort of disappeared completely. However, within a month the scar had healed and my nipple returned to normal (better than before as it had imploded a little - one of the signs that all wasn't well). I do have a slight scar around the nipple area but nothing that would frighten someone in M&S when measuring me for a bra.

I do have lots of bosom - 38G - and the operated one is a slightly different shape to the other, but not enough to notice when I'm dressed.

My op was in February 2014 so is well behind me these days.

[Jill1998]

Oh what fun!Thanks.Hope you are recovering well from op.Have 4 day holiday planned 13th July really hoping will be able to go before RT ,rest of summer gone to pot ,hoping there will be some leeway with appointments so I can go.Only in this country in caravan but feel very protective of it preserve a bit of normality for family.

[sazza38]

Nothing noticeable - my right boob feels like when I was pregnant ! Lol
Had the dye done the morning of op - checked in at 7.30 and they got me gowned up, had bloods done, and then got taken to radiology and they injected the dye in the problem boob - apparently in surgery it pings so and shows the flow through nodes x

[Jill1998]

Thanks Sazza that has re-assured me I was really thinking I would have dented boob. Look forward to blue pee!Did you have dye done day before op?

[sazza38]

Hi
I had a lumpectomy on the 8th may - the dye wasn't too bad and don't remember anything about a guide wire - although on biopsies they did put markers in so may not have needed.
I was warned that would pee blue dye for a few days but drank plenty and they tailed off after a couple of days.
So far I haven't noticed any real changes and I thought I'd have a big dint in my boob but haven't - my right is perkier than my right tho - been told will take a while for them to settle down.
My lump was at the top - although the scar its self I can't look at - they cut round my nipple - and it looks a little distorted but again have been told once it's healed it will be fine.
One thing I would advise is invest in a crop top- I found my bra was cutting into my scar ( had sentinel node removal too) and found it was comfortable wearing a crop top - they cover the scar area and was ideal whilst I had my boob packed with dressing too xx

[Jill1998]

Due for surgery in a couple of weeks wondering when trip to radiology for injection and guide wire to be inserted will take place and a bit more info about this.Also wondering about appearance after surgery, I am having lumpectomy of 15mm lump,still convinced I will have large dint in my boob.Any info of others experiences would be appreciated.Cheers.