Re: Why you should promote breast self exam in your patients

[Guest guest]

I meant to say the mass is 14mm, not cm!!!!!!!!!!! Was typing with one contact lens out so didn't see the typo!!

Gail Neuman RNC CPHW SNP LNClistowner of LegalNurseConsulting certified high risk OB/legal consultantTustin, CA

[Guest guest]

Gail,

First off I want to give you a huge {{{{HUG}}}}. I turned 35 on sat and to be completely honest with you I almost never check my breasts because "it won't happen to me" and frankly I would rather not know. But I feel your fear and hearing about your experience reenforces what I already know. That regular exams are in my best interest (as well as my family's!) I think it is wonderful though that you have "connections" to get the care you need asap. And to know that you have to go with your gut. If your test results are not satisfactory, pursue it further. Get another opinion. I have seen in my career misdiagnosis (as I am sure you have).

My women's health experience limited to L & D. I hope you find the answers you are looking for from one of our other experienced members.

Take care and you and your family are in my prayers. Please keep us up-to-date with your progress.

Chris

In Canada

Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

Well I guess it would depend on the size of your breast how long you could not notice that.....lol. I am not trying to joke about your situation but I can see how 14 mm might be missed........

Chrisgin11153@... wrote:

I meant to say the mass is 14mm, not cm!!!!!!!!!!! Was typing with one contact lens out so didn't see the typo!!

Gail Neuman RNC CPHW SNP LNClistowner of LegalNurseConsulting certified high risk OB/legal consultantTustin, CAWelcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

Well I guess it would depend on the size of your breast how long you could not notice that.....lol. I am not trying to joke about your situation but I can see how 14 mm might be missed........

Chrisgin11153@... wrote:

I meant to say the mass is 14mm, not cm!!!!!!!!!!! Was typing with one contact lens out so didn't see the typo!!

Gail Neuman RNC CPHW SNP LNClistowner of LegalNurseConsulting certified high risk OB/legal consultantTustin, CAWelcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

Gail,

Big hugs and prayers from me to you. Have not had personal experience

with radiation Rx, but my girlfriend had radiation (30 treatments)

back 12 years ago....5 days a week x 6wks. She never stopped

working....would leave work, drive 1-1/2 hours, have a 5 minute

treatment and drive back home. The drive was more tiring than the

treatments. Several of us took turns driving her, just because of the

distance.

My cousin had 30 treatments last winter, same regimen. Her distance

was about 45 minutes. She was wiped out, but had not recovered fully

from the lumpectomy. She had been very run down prior to surgery, so

didn't respond like she should have.

Radiation is not like chemo. The treatments are usually only about 5

minutes long. The stories I've heard from other women say that the

trip to the hospital is worse than the treatments. Having said that,

we all know that everyone reacts differently.

You need rest, and going to the seminar might not be a great idea.

However, you'll have to play it by ear. Having something else to

focus on might help. Only you can know what your body (and soul) is

capable of.

Keep us informed of your progress. We care about you.

Sue

> Here's my story, sharing with you all in hopes that others can

learn from my

> experience.

>

> I am fairly diligent in doing annual mammograms and monthly breast

self

> examination. I had my mammo on 1/29/04 that was normal.

>

> Three weeks ago, while bruching my teeth, I noticed a 1.5 inch by

0.5 inch

> indentation in one of my breasts, aound 9 o'clock from my right

nipple.. Feeling

> that this much be something related to my underwire bra, I changed

bras for

> the next few days, without change. It didn't seem like a dimple to

me but

> watched it daily. My breasts have become a little more dense in the

14 months since

> I started taking half a tab each of generic estradiol and

progesterone 2-3

> times a week for hot flashes(basically a mini dose).

>

> A few days after I noticed the skin indentation, it seemed like the

tissue

> underneath was a little more dense than on the other breast. But I

felt it daily

> for any changes.

>

> Last Friday night, I thought I felt a very small pea sized nodule

in this

> thickened tissue. I realized that it was time the next morning to

tell my

> husband, a general surgeon, as my 31 years of OB experience didn't

lead me to this

> new uncharted territory. He said he felt some thickened tissue but

wasn't sure

> he felt a nodule. He was concerned about the skin change, so we

went for a

> diagnostic mammo Tues morning, which matched the first and didn't

look suspicious

> either. But, being that I felt something and being a doctor's

wife, the

> breast radiologist, a friend of ours, did an immediate ultrasound.

You guessed

> it-it showed an irregular, highly suspicious mass of about 14cm. He

was surprised

> that I could feel it and said that both mammos were not unusual in

any way.

>

> Anyway, he did an immediate core needle biopsy(for the males on the

list,

> this is not fun). Took the 2 mammos and ultrasound that afternoon

to a breast

> surgeon friend who is medical director of the breast center at UCI

medical

> Center. He looked at the US and knew it was a cancer. He was right-

next day's path

> report showed an early invasive intraductal carcinoma. I'm 51 and

have zero

> risk factors other than periods started at age 11 and last 2

periods 1/04 and

> 3/03. Unbelieveable. Have heard about 20% of mammos missing tumors

but now I

> believe the research.

>

> Cried for 5 days, then realized that I'm being a baby as I'm told

that I have

> a 100% chance of cure with lumpectomy , sentinel node dissection

(being done

> 9/2) and 6 weeks of radiation-no mastectomy needed. Not looking

forward to

> feeling like crap for 6+ weeks, and it puts a damper on my ability

to go to

> Minneapolis for the 2nd 2 week seminar in my distance nurse

practitioner program.

>

> My question to you is with your patients, do they regain their

strength 2

> weeks after radiation ends? My husband said I will be too wiped out

to go to the

> NP seminar the end of Nov if radiation ends 10-14 days prior and I

don't see

> why I would need to take that long to mostly bounce back.

>

> Thanks for listening-it's probably more than you wanted to know,

but being a

> patient advocate, I will now be telling all females over 30 why

they must do

> monthly self exam as they can detect changes before any machine can-

hope you'll

> all do the same. Also makes me feel differently about missed breast

cancer

> medical malpractice cases.

>

> Gail Neuman RNC CPHW SNP LNC

> listowner of LegalNurseConsulting

> Perinatal education

> Perinatal Nurse Associates

> Tustin, CA