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Posted 3/22/2006 10:16 AM (GMT 0)
how long did anybody wait before surgery and how long was surgery for massectomy?
Posted 3/22/2006 10:24 AM (GMT 0)
did doctor explain pathology reports after surgery?
Posted 3/22/2006 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Bea, and welcome. I'm not sure about your question - waiting from what point? Chemo? Biopsy?
I will be going in for a double mast. and my surgeon expects the surgery to only last about 2 hours...so for a single mast, less than that..I'm sure some of the other women here will tell you about their experiences.
And if you want someone to explain your pathology reports, definetely ask them!! Out of my surgeon, onco, and radiologist, it was my radiologist that did the best job of explaining things. Go figure.

I hope this helps a bit. If you gave us a bit more info, perhaps we can be of more help to you.

Chantry
Posted 3/22/2006 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bea and welcome!
I was diagnosed via biopsy on November 30 and had my nodes and a re-excision about 6 weeks later. We had some delay because of all the holidays, but in my case, with the tumor out, the surgeon was ok with that wait. My first surgeon (I changed) did a marvelous job of reviewing the path report with me, line by line. I brought a tape recorder because I cried through the whole thing anyway and did not really hear her.

Lori
Posted 3/22/2006 8:21 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Bea! Welcome. I am glad that you found us. According to my friends and family (since I was not awake) the mastectomy and node removal took a little over an hour. I also had a port put in at the time of my surgery. It was about 2 weeks after my diagnosis that I had the surgery. I had a biopsy first (after the mammo) and when the results of that were back, I interviewed several surgeons until I found the right one. I was in the hospital about 48 hours. It took about a week to get the path report back. My surgeon was excellent and explained everything to me. My onco also went over everything. As Lori said, it is wise to take along a tape recorder as well as someone with you. You will be given so much information that there is no way that you can remember everything. Write out any questions that you might think of (no matter how silly they seem) and take them w/ you to your appointment. Have whomever is w/ you write down the answers. Make your surgeon or onco or whomever answer them.

When were you diagnosed?

Hugs..Deb

Posted 3/23/2006 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
I'll chime in here. I was diagnosed the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Had mast on December 21st. Small tumor 2 x 1.5 x 1.2 and 5 positive nodes. I did have to complain to get the surgery early. I was insistent because of family history. Mast, sentinel node and nodes removal took about 2 1/2 hours. stayed in hospital exactly 1 1/2 days and doctor told me of positive nodes then. Had path report fully explained on visit by surgeon 10 days later. I did have to ask questions about the path report and fortunately I had explored the internet in advance getting information regarding tumor size and node positive, node negative conditions so I would know what to ask.

Judy
Posted 3/23/2006 7:43 AM (GMT 0)
 Thankyou for your reply,I  think i worded that wrong.I was prepped for surgery at 7 am and did not have surgery till 3pm and was wondering if anyone else had to wait that long?Then I was reading my surgical report and it said one out of twelve lymphnodes with mestatic  carcinoma measuring 3mm at its greaatest dimmension. I would have thought that was important for me to be told.
Posted 3/23/2006 12:37 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I get it now. Yes, that is an inordantly long time to wait. I bet you were at a large teaching hospital. My DSIL is a surgeon and these things for a couple of reasons. First, someone before you could have had a problem that made them run late. Second, someone could have scheduled the surgeon's or the OR room's time poorly. Regardless, I would send a note to the hospital -- nothing harsh -- but someone needs to know.

Yes, they should have told you about the one node. Ask your surgeon what this means. If you are to have to see a medical oncologist, ask them. One node is upsetting, but some ladies here have had 20 to 30 positive nodes. ASK YOUR DOCTOR. Their job is not finished until your questions are all answered. Also, educate yourself here on the internet by googling breast cancer and then positive nodes. Some of the info might frighten you, but remember you had ONE node positive - no more.

Ladies here are happy to help.

Judy
Posted 3/25/2006 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
They definitely should have told you about the node!!!!!! It is a good idea to get copies of all reports and keep them in a file at home to refer to. When my daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after I was, I called and got a report from 12 years before so we would have more history.

You never know when you are waiting for surgery what is going to happen. I was prepped, the IV in and ready to go to the OR when the two surgeons who were going to do the surgery came into preop and told me they were going to postpone my surgery. It was for repair to my abdomen after nasty infections problems that were cleaned up two months before. Anyhow, my blood work somehow was lost from earlier in the week and they took blood that day which showed my physical condition was not the greatest for the surgery planned. They also discovered that day that the mesh they were going to use to repair the hernia caused by earlier surgery was not big enough. So needles were pulled and I went back home that day. I never have had the surgery and live with the hernia situation. Don't let this story scare you, the situation that caused the infection was rare.

I guess I am just trying to say different situations happen. I bet the person who was in line for surgery after me, got to go early. LOL. My mastectomy surgery was easy. I was in a local hospital with only 28 beds, they kept me about four days and I had wonderful caring nurses. I actually enjoyed my stay.

Hugs MK
Posted 3/25/2006 4:48 PM (GMT 0)

I have to agree that they should have mentioned that you had a positive lymph node. Hopefully, you will be armed w/ written questios when you see your surgeon for your follow-up visit. I had 19 0f 21 lymph nodes positive. Don't be surprised if they tell you that you are going to need treatment because of the one node being positive. Just remember that you want to do everything you can to beat this.

My bil is an obgyn. I can't tell you the number of times he has had to postpone or delay an elected surgery for one of his patients because an emergency came in and needed the OR. I can imagine how your anxiety increased while you had to wait all of that time.

Please keep us updated.

Hugs...Deb

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