My Mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/lumpectomy-partial-mastectomy

I would try to calm down. Your post is stressful to read.

Cancer and surgery in general are stressful topics. Please stay positive right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi All, OP here with an update. My Mom is scheduled for surgery next week (partial mastectomy). I’m super anxious. She doesn’t have a recliner at all despite my offers to rent one and says she is going to make up the bed with pillows. She claims she has a wedge pillow. Someone gave her a mastectomy pillow thankfully. She claims she will get some ice gel packs at the hospital. Should we be buying extra gel packs?? She also doesn’t have a prescription for narcotics - they said “we prefer Tylenol and Motrin..” How can that possibly be strong enough for a partial mastectomy??

What are some other things we need to prepare/get ready? I mentioned stool softener and she brushed it off. She said I can get that later if I need it - I don’t think she realizes the magnitude of the surgery??

Hi op - I’m glad your mom has progressed to this point. I had a bilateral mastectomy about 16 years ago and do not recall that much pain. I had had an oopherectomy several months prior and was in much more pain from that even though it was laparoscopic.

The biggest issue was not being able to lift very much but if you are able to help with grocery shopping and laundry she should be fine. Granted, I was 40, not 80 and I also did not have cancer (my surgeries were prophylactic) so I did not have any of the mental issues (which are real).

If she needs more ice packs or stronger medicine, you will be able to get it. Good luck with the surgery.

NP. Not to hijack, but I’m having an oophorectomy next week. Why do you think yours was so painful? I was told it should be an easy recovery. Now I’m nervous.

OP, I had a recliner and didn’t even use it after my mastectomy - the couch with pillows was fine. After my earlier lumpectomy (which is the same as a partial mastectomy, yes?) I was up and taking a mile-long walk with minimal recovery time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi All, OP here with an update. My Mom is scheduled for surgery next week (partial mastectomy). I’m super anxious. She doesn’t have a recliner at all despite my offers to rent one and says she is going to make up the bed with pillows. She claims she has a wedge pillow. Someone gave her a mastectomy pillow thankfully. She claims she will get some ice gel packs at the hospital. Should we be buying extra gel packs?? She also doesn’t have a prescription for narcotics - they said “we prefer Tylenol and Motrin..” How can that possibly be strong enough for a partial mastectomy??

What are some other things we need to prepare/get ready? I mentioned stool softener and she brushed it off. She said I can get that later if I need it - I don’t think she realizes the magnitude of the surgery??

Hi op - I’m glad your mom has progressed to this point. I had a bilateral mastectomy about 16 years ago and do not recall that much pain. I had had an oopherectomy several months prior and was in much more pain from that even though it was laparoscopic.

The biggest issue was not being able to lift very much but if you are able to help with grocery shopping and laundry she should be fine. Granted, I was 40, not 80 and I also did not have cancer (my surgeries were prophylactic) so I did not have any of the mental issues (which are real).

If she needs more ice packs or stronger medicine, you will be able to get it. Good luck with the surgery.

NP. Not to hijack, but I’m having an oophorectomy next week. Why do you think yours was so painful? I was told it should be an easy recovery. Now I’m nervous.

OP, I had a recliner and didn’t even use it after my mastectomy - the couch with pillows was fine. After my earlier lumpectomy (which is the same as a partial mastectomy, yes?) I was up and taking a mile-long walk with minimal recovery time.

Thank you so much!!! This is great to hear!

Can I ask how old you were at the time of your surgery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi All, OP here with an update. My Mom is scheduled for surgery next week (partial mastectomy). I’m super anxious. She doesn’t have a recliner at all despite my offers to rent one and says she is going to make up the bed with pillows. She claims she has a wedge pillow. Someone gave her a mastectomy pillow thankfully. She claims she will get some ice gel packs at the hospital. Should we be buying extra gel packs?? She also doesn’t have a prescription for narcotics - they said “we prefer Tylenol and Motrin..” How can that possibly be strong enough for a partial mastectomy??

What are some other things we need to prepare/get ready? I mentioned stool softener and she brushed it off. She said I can get that later if I need it - I don’t think she realizes the magnitude of the surgery??

Hi op - I’m glad your mom has progressed to this point. I had a bilateral mastectomy about 16 years ago and do not recall that much pain. I had had an oopherectomy several months prior and was in much more pain from that even though it was laparoscopic.

The biggest issue was not being able to lift very much but if you are able to help with grocery shopping and laundry she should be fine. Granted, I was 40, not 80 and I also did not have cancer (my surgeries were prophylactic) so I did not have any of the mental issues (which are real).

If she needs more ice packs or stronger medicine, you will be able to get it. Good luck with the surgery.

NP. Not to hijack, but I’m having an oophorectomy next week. Why do you think yours was so painful? I was told it should be an easy recovery. Now I’m nervous.

OP, I had a recliner and didn’t even use it after my mastectomy - the couch with pillows was fine. After my earlier lumpectomy (which is the same as a partial mastectomy, yes?) I was up and taking a mile-long walk with minimal recovery time.

Thank you so much!!! This is great to hear!

Can I ask how old you were at the time of your surgery?

I was 51. And they removed lymph nodes too, so I had drains but it really was not bad.

[Anonymous]

We are home but they weren’t able to get all the cancer. Not sure what this means or what the next steps would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are home but they weren’t able to get all the cancer. Not sure what this means or what the next steps would be.

Possibly a mastectomy. Or possibly some kind of treatment to get the remaining cancer cells (chemo or medication). For me, I had to go back in for a mastectomy after chemo. But every treatment plan is individualized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are home but they weren’t able to get all the cancer. Not sure what this means or what the next steps would be.

How did they determine that? Was it from the breast tissue they removed and biopsied during the lumpectomy - there were positive margins?

[Anonymous]

Op, what's The Stage? They know. Let us know. It matters a great deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, what's The Stage? They know. Let us know. It matters a great deal.

Why is that? Isn’t treatment generally the same for stage 2 and 3? Though stage 3 might get a maintenance med specifically for “high-risk” patients.

[Anonymous]

To know how serious it is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To know how serious it is

I stated earlier in the thread that it was stage 3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are home but they weren’t able to get all the cancer. Not sure what this means or what the next steps would be.

How did they determine that? Was it from the breast tissue they removed and biopsied during the lumpectomy - there were positive margins?

Yes from what I gathered, but I didn’t speak to the surgeon myself. I arrived after the surgeon spoke with my dad and it’s possible he was confused.

[Anonymous]

Hi All, the margins were indeed positive. And the 6 lymph nodes that were removed are also all positive. I think they are recommending chemo next before radiation which my Mom doesn’t want.

[Anonymous]

Is she hormone positive (estrogen and progesterone)? Is it IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma) versus lobular? There is a wonderful second opinion oncologist at Hopkins I would recommend - she’s incredibly knowledgeable and also extremely warm and caring - Dr. Tanya Prowell.

[Anonymous]

How old is your mom? And do they know exactly how far the cancer has spread. My dad had metastatic lung cancer and they threw
all the treatments at him. All the treatments did was severely diminish his quality of life the last few years. They were unsuccessful (his cancer had a very small chance of being treated). In my opinion he would have been way better off just living his life without dealing with the side effects of the poison they tried to treat him with. Different opinion if the cancer actually has a shot at being treated.