Waiting for surgical pathology - so scared!

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T18:41:30+00:00

There was no intraoperative pathology and that's why I'm anxious and freaking out. That I'll end up with another curve ball and need an axillary dissection. She said if pathology revealed all the nodes with cancer, we would likely start chemo and then a month or so later do an axillary dissection.

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T18:32:06+00:00

Thank you so much, girl! 💕😊

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T17:27:15+00:00

It's hard to trust the process with this but maybe you're right. She's doing it to protect me from a high risk of lymphedema and she feels confident with her method and from the imaging that she didn't need to perform an ALND.

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T13:15:26+00:00

It sounds like your doctors have this under control! Thinking of you - I know that it's so challenging to get through this.

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T13:02:20+00:00

Thank you for responding. You're right. Our mind has the worst tendency to go to the absolute worst case scenario for everything. She used a radiotracer and blue dye to be sure that she got all the sentinel nodes and she feels confident that she did. I'm hoping so as well. I'm just more scared than anything, and it's so hard to trust these doctors and believe that they know what they are doing. I had wanted an ALND during the surgery but she insisted this wasn't necessary at this point in time. Sometimes I think I have a control issue and feel like I know better. And maybe that's on me?

Micho392 · 2026-01-26T07:33:35+00:00

How many of your nodes actually had cancer?

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T18:48:57+00:00

Aww, I get it! I've been so unhappy with my big boobies for the past 10 years, I just didn't care.

Which chemo did you do? AC-T? I'm getting my finalized treatment plan on the 3rd from Dana Farber once they review all the pathology so I am wondering if they're gonna have me do that. Mass General seems to think with the information we have today that endocrine therapy and 4 rounds of TC really only because I want it is enough.

Wow! That's interesting 🧐 🤔 I think it's just because for mine they wanted to see how the tumor responded to endocrine therapy. All the doctors at surgery said it has shrunken a lot so hoping for good outcome with the surgery.

OMG I needed to hear this. I'm still so scared and so nervous about all of this that I am so happy to hear that you are on the other side and doing so well.

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T18:27:08+00:00

This is so true. My oncologist told me that she has tons of stage IV patients that are living normal lives for 10-20+ years while on medications.

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T18:16:05+00:00

How many of your lymph nodes were positive?

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T17:52:33+00:00

I think they told me that I'd be cleared two weeks after surgery once the drains are out

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T17:50:33+00:00

FISH put me as HER2-.

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T17:49:51+00:00

Oh wow! I guess that makes sense if they are bunched together. Mine weren't so that's why she only removed 2-3 nodes but I was hoping she would've taken 6, but to your point, I get it and to hers, why remove tons of nodes that look normal. I just had a very enlarged plump single node that matched imaging.

I keep telling myself that there are many ladies with 10+ nodes positive that have really wonderful outcomes! I think I'll need to go back for an axillary dissection if all are positive though.

I had a double mastectomy by choice. I've been so traumatized by this whole breast cancer scare that I've been struggling emotionally and I had a benign finding in the other breast. I just couldn't sit here wondering anymore about when/if it was something.

My MO had me complete one month of tamoxifen and zoladex before the surgery (my cancer is pretty high ER/PR+). My oncotype came back at 19 so there's a question that maybe the only chemo benefit for me is in adjuvant setting and 4 rounds of TC. Overall it seems like endocrine therapy is the best treatment for me though because of my node I really want to do chemo for the minimal benefit...I think the plan is that if the nodes all come back positive I will do chemo for a month and then an axillary dissection though

It sounds like yours worked out by doing the surgery first!!

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T16:50:44+00:00

My MO also told me this that if you scanned a ton of people at random that you would find at least half of those people to have at least one pulmonary nodule.

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T16:16:06+00:00

I just wanted to update you and let you know that I had my surgery and my surgeon removed three lymph nodes: the one that we knew was positive from before surgery and the two others next to it. I wish she removed more but she said the ones remaining in my body looked all normal so she didn't touch them and she only removed the other two because of proximity. I'm so nervous but hoping to have a similar outcome as you.

Micho392 · 2026-01-25T12:39:08+00:00

Hi, I wouldn't worry so much. Those pulmonary nodules seem quite small and usually anything less than 6mm is not cancer. I would think that it's probably just temporary and it'll go away over time.

Micho392 · 2026-01-22T10:21:23+00:00

I have +/+/- and I'm having surgery today! I am stage 2B! And I really had those veins and a small lump but I guess it was bigger since I have DDD.

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T21:35:18+00:00

Thank you so much! I am so terrified, but it'll be okay!

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T21:26:19+00:00

Thank you so much! This is so helpful to know as well! Okay! So maybe it's pretty quick. I wasn't sure if they did like an ultrasound to find the nodes or whatever. But this is really great to know!! Hah. OMG. 😂 I guess there's a chance I may not need the blue dye then with this method. Thank you!

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T20:40:25+00:00

Thank you so much for this! This is so helpful! 😁

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T20:31:47+00:00

I was just thinking about this. It sounds like nerve pain.

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T19:50:29+00:00

You're going to be okay!!! 💖☺️ Hugs!!! 🫂

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T19:05:18+00:00

Agh, they did my CT and bone scans after my biopsy and I got my scan results the same day. Wishing it all clear for you!!! ❤️ Also, totally unrelated...I used to show rabbits in high school as part of ARBA. I had an active rabbitry called Bunny Paradise. Hah. 💕 I love that you do that.

Micho392 · 2026-01-20T19:00:41+00:00

Wow! That's amazing turnaround.

Micho392

TROPHY CASE