Anonymous wrote:Get back to us re: staging

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

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

Anonymous wrote:I had a partial mastectomy. It is really just another name for a lumpectomy. It wasn’t a big deal. Definitely did not need a recliner. I took Advil. My surgeon gave me some long acting meds during the surgery, so I think I was good to go for the first 12 hours or so.

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Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry, OP. It’s good they caught it early. Wishing her health and you strength.

I don’t think it’s early unfortunately. She is almost 80 years old.

A possible silver lining is that, at her age, most breast cancer tumors tend to be of the slow/slower-growing kind. Let's hope that hers is treatable and survivable.

Anonymous wrote:Will you be caring for her post-op? I cared for my sister after her mastectomy. One of the best things I did was buy a little notebook where I wrote down things like what time I gave her pain meds and what time I emptied her drains and how much fluid there was. It helped me stay on track with it all.

Anonymous wrote:A partial mastectomy is not much more than a lumpectomy. I do not think you are dealing with the same needs a mastectomy patient has. For example, will she have tubes you need to drain for 10-14 days?

How long is the surgery? An hour? Vs 4+?

As someone who has had a lumpectomy, a reincission and then a mastectomy, I think the most important thing is getting more details on the tumor they remove and then next step of the treatment plan. I suspect over the counter medicine will be fine.

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??

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Anonymous wrote:Imho, for elders the physiological affects of treatment is more than most can bare. It's harder on them than the reality of dying. Please let it always be their decision, without judgement, and not a decision they make based on loved one's emotions.

Why infantilize the elderly? I agree to respect their wishes entirely, and without judgment, and without regard to what the family would want. But, barring dementia or something like that, we should not assume that elderly are not able to mentally cope with treatments less than younger adults.

Doesn't physiological mean physical symptoms, not mental ones?

Yes. I think pp misread the post.

That's embarrassing!

I did misread and not embarrassed. The point holds true either way. And as someone who has had BC, there is a mental aspect to the physical healing as well. I wish i didn't know that but I do.