Breast Surgery; any advice to prepare for surgery?
I am looking for any pre-surgery advice, at this point I think it will be lumpectomy and removal of at least one lymph node. Surgery sched at Mayo for early Sept.
If there anything I can do during next 2 months that will put be in better position for surgery and recovery?
I have been taking Anastrozole daily and biopsy after first month shows it is working. This is part of a study to see if taking hormone therapy prior to surgery reduce need for chemotherapy. Will not know about chemo till after surgery.
Diagnosis from biopsy reports:
Left Breast: carcinoma invasive ductal type grade 1 , ERPR strongly positive HER 2 negative
Right breast: Focal atypical ductal hyperplasia involving an intraductal papilloma. Increased risk.
Left Lymph node: Positive for malignancy. Metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Thanks
LM
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Welcome to Connect @roewes07. First, I'd like to wish you all success for your upcoming surgery. May I ask if you would share a bit more about yourself? When were you diagnosed with breast cancer? How did you (or doctors) discover the cancer?
Hi Kanaaz! Diagnosed January '18 at my home town hospital in Montana. I have invasive ductal cancer in my left breast which has metastasized to my lymph nodes. I have 2 DCIS in my right. I found a strange lump on my left upper breast while showering. I never miss my mammograms except for the one I cancelled August 2017 due to a shoulder injury and non-ability to undergo mammogram. I went to Mayo for a second opinion in February. My Oncologist at Mayo put me on Letrozole and I have had wonderful success with it. My K-i 67 dropped from 19 to 2 in only 31 days! Feeling grateful and positive that I am doing everything to promote many years enjoying my world!
Just researching after reading my pathology report from a stereotactic biopsy for microcalcifications. I have ADH and your name came up. Hoping that you are doing well! I have an appointment with breast surgeon Monday but supposedly nursing will call me before then to go over my results.
Hi Maureen, I wanted to check in to see how your appointment went on Monday. Will you be having surgery?
Thanks for checking in. I think I replied but not sure if I accidentally deleted it instead. Lol. Yes she will do an excision and hope there’s no more funky cells. If there are I’ll go on tomoxifen. I’m just hoping there isn’t cancer. Trying to take it one step at a time.
Thought I might revive this conversation with a link to this new podcast from Mayo.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/early-breast-cancer/surgical-options-for-breast-cancer-treatment/?mc_id=us&utm_source=pes&utm_medium=e&utm_content=engagement&utm_campaign=mayoclinic&geo=national&placementsite=enterprise&invsrc=patloy&cauid=122853
This could get the conversation started for you if you are getting ready for surgery.
No advice for weeks before surgery but my physician gave me something (maybe Percocet, I don't remember) to relax me and I had zero worries going into surgery. I was not at all zonked out just quite relaxed.
I believe I took the med for 3 days prior to the surgery.
Hi. I'm going in for surgery too. I had DCIS and it was invasive. Large tumor, 9 cm, is gone thanks to 6 rounds of chemotherapy - tchp. Even though the tumor is gone, and no sign of cancer anywhere else, my team recommnends mastectomy of that breast. Right breast is fine. Both my sisters had breast cancer. Also, there are microcalcifications in my left breast. So they add up the probabilities of recurrence and say it's extremely high. So off it goes. I have not been given much prep for surgery. I asked the surgeon and he kept looking at his watch. I do know that there will be 2 surgeons in the OR with me. They have to snip away all the strings attaching the breast to the body and then they remove the breast in one go. Sew me up and move me to post op recovery room and then overnight in hospital one night. Then home with a drainage tube attached to my left chest which I have to empty and measure and chart every day. I will use a shower chair to shower. I go back for follow up one week after surgery and hopefully they will take out the drainage tube. Then go back a week after that. Then 4 weeks recovery where I shouldn't lift anything more than 10 pounds and I shouldn't reach for things. Walking is recommended. They will give me a prescription for oxycodone to go home with but not very much. Surgeon recommends OTC painkills alternating between the two. Good Luck to you, to me, and to us all.
i had my left breast removed , and lymph nodes . long neat incision to under arm. no pain what so ever, drainage tubes where unsightly but no problem . removed in 7 days . important to move arm up when ready so no constriction later . applied a oil to scare . no pain at any time . and was not freaked out by sight of missing breast . the thought of the operation was so daunting but in realty it was very easy .
will go back at later date to have other breast done so as not to bother with bras . if having any lymph nodes removed it's important to massage arm to shoulder and chest wall in movements away from hand to stop any build up of toxins . the operation is well worth it and easily done . don't worry too much it's the unknown that gets you . all the best xox
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