Re: Re: Pain relief for sentinel node injections?

[Guest guest]

I will be getting a second opinion but will probably be in the middle of January

with surgery later. This will give me some time to heal and have my head

cleared before going through anything else.

My mastectomy surgeon actually oversimplified the reconstruction process.

However, the reconstruction surgeon undersimplified it. It took my own courage

and perspection with that of my husband's to provide the balance.

I had a pre-admission appointment at the hospital yesterday. Radiology said

the I could use Ambesol (yes, the stuff used for numbing baby's gums or adult

gums when having teeth problems). He said that there should not be a problem.

Considering this hospital uses nothing, I will be going into the restroom just

prior to the injection and putting on all the Ambesol I can get by with.

How did most of you Steele Magnolias get through the two to three days prior

to surgery? I did not sleep but about three hours last night. I could not

sleep through the night. I guess that I feel I should be strong through this

process but I am not. I don't want the surgery but I don't see any other

options, since this is Stage III.

I think that I will sleep very little the night before. When I had shoulder

surgery about ten years ago, I did that and had a blessed sleep during and after

surgery.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Jan K

andjukenda chantal wrote:

Hello Jan,

If you don't feel comfortable with the Dr you can always get a second opinion

from another Dr. I was not comfortable with the surgeon who did my surgical

biopsy because his nurse didn't return any of my phone calls, and the day I went

to get my result she told me that I am too skin where will they get meat to make

my breast. I was very upset and schedule an appointment with another Dr, all the

people in that office were so nice and I was pleased with her and she is the one

who did my bilateral mastectomy and recommended a plastic surgeon for my

reconstruction the same day after surgery.

You have the right to make decision on what you want to be done, if you don't

feel comfortable with the surgeon then shope around. You'll be in my prayers,

take care.

Chantal

Jan Koelsch wrote:

:

I say ditto to everything you said.

I had an appointment with the reconstruction surgeon today. He had asked that I

bring my husband with me to discuss the possibilities. He was still pushing for

the Latissimus Tissue Extenders with Implants. I had told him from the beginning

that I did not want implants. It came down to the fact that he has not had much

success with tram flaps (the poor patients that he " practiced on " ) and he did

not know how to do the DIEP flat that I was suggesting. Rather than admit that

he couldn't do the abdominal flap he continue to push the LTE inspite of the

fact that my husband told him that he did not want me to have the implants.

Finally, after listening to his BS, I told him that I had not wanted the

implants from the beginning. I said that I was not going to have the implants

and the meeting was over. The doctor was so mad that he walked out of the room

without getting me a chance to say anything else. That was probably good. My

husband said that it was evident that he was not competent in his ability to

anything but one procedure.

I have really had my fill over incompetent staff in the office, too. I have had

to wait over two hours for the doctor for the last three doctors I have seen

because of schedulers.

I, too, am venting. Thanks for listening. I will just be glad to get the

mastectomy behind me and that will give me the chance to consider all options on

reconstruction or no reconstructions.

wrote:

This afternoon I talked with the surgeon's NP -- nurse practitioner.

I have talked with her several times in the last few weeks and always

found her very empathetic and supportive. Now I have mixed feelings.

I told her that I had discussed this with the doctor only once, and

that the doctor's response was that they are not set up to offer

anesthesia for the injections. The NP said that this may have been a

misunderstanding, and maybe the doctor thought I was asking to have

the injections after I'm already in the OR, under general

anesthesia. I was thinking more along the lines of the stuff they

give you for a colonoscopy, where you're out of it but still able to

breathe on your own and be somewhat responsive.

Anyway, the NP is going to talk with the doctor and clarify that and

call me back tomorrow, and maybe I'll get some encouraging news out

of that.

There were a couple of things that bothered me, though. At one

point, when I was talking about how scared I am of the pain, she said

that sometimes in life, things just have to hurt. I find that rather

patronizing. She also made a couple of statements suggesting that

there are people much worse off than I am, who have to bear more pain

than this will cause. I know all of that is true, but it strikes me

as not playing fair on her part. Know what I mean? When I read the

experiences here, women saying they would do everything they could to

avoid going through that again, I don't think I'm being unreasonable

to ask for substantial pain control.

I know that medical professionals are kind and caring people, and if

they could prevent all pain, they would do so. I also realize that

in order to do their jobs, they have to develop a certain sense of

detachment from their patients' pain, or they couldn't do things that

they have to do. I think sometimes patients get caught in the middle

of those two extremes. Doctors see this all the time and they know it

will be over quickly. For the patient, it is a horrible nightmare

she can't ever forget.

Another thing ... mercifully, most women will go through this only

once. Several of you have said that if you had to go through it

again, you would be much more insistent about having something for

the pain. I think it's going to take that kind of insistence before

they DO realize that stronger pain relief needs to be offered.

I guess I'm just venting. Thanks for listening. Please offer any

suggestions that you can. I'm not giving up yet.

Jan Koelsch

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Jan,

Why don't you ask the dr for something to help you sleep at night. Your body

needs all the rest it can get.

We have a sister group that is mainly Stage IV ladies and there are some ladies

living fairly normal lives. Some are on treatment for the rest of their lives

but if it keeps the cancer at bay thats the important thing. Remember that

breast cancer is NOT the death sentence it was once thought to be. You will be

in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

BreastCancerStories.com

http://www.breastcancerstories.com/content/view/433/161/

Angel Feather Loomer

www.angelfeatherloomer.blogspot.com

Check out my other ornaments at

www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

Lots of info and gifts at:

www.cancerclub.com

Re: Re: Pain relief for sentinel node injections?

I will be getting a second opinion but will probably be in the middle of

January with surgery later. This will give me some time to heal and have my head

cleared before going through anything else.

My mastectomy surgeon actually oversimplified the reconstruction process.

However, the reconstruction surgeon undersimplified it. It took my own courage

and perspection with that of my husband's to provide the balance.

I had a pre-admission appointment at the hospital yesterday. Radiology said

the I could use Ambesol (yes, the stuff used for numbing baby's gums or adult

gums when having teeth problems). He said that there should not be a problem.

Considering this hospital uses nothing, I will be going into the restroom just

prior to the injection and putting on all the Ambesol I can get by with.

How did most of you Steele Magnolias get through the two to three days prior

to surgery? I did not sleep but about three hours last night. I could not sleep

through the night. I guess that I feel I should be strong through this process

but I am not. I don't want the surgery but I don't see any other options, since

this is Stage III.

I think that I will sleep very little the night before. When I had shoulder

surgery about ten years ago, I did that and had a blessed sleep during and after

surgery.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Jan K

andjukenda chantal wrote:

Hello Jan,

If you don't feel comfortable with the Dr you can always get a second opinion

from another Dr. I was not comfortable with the surgeon who did my surgical

biopsy because his nurse didn't return any of my phone calls, and the day I went

to get my result she told me that I am too skin where will they get meat to make

my breast. I was very upset and schedule an appointment with another Dr, all the

people in that office were so nice and I was pleased with her and she is the one

who did my bilateral mastectomy and recommended a plastic surgeon for my

reconstruction the same day after surgery.

You have the right to make decision on what you want to be done, if you don't

feel comfortable with the surgeon then shope around. You'll be in my prayers,

take care.

Chantal

Jan Koelsch wrote:

:

I say ditto to everything you said.

I had an appointment with the reconstruction surgeon today. He had asked that

I bring my husband with me to discuss the possibilities. He was still pushing

for the Latissimus Tissue Extenders with Implants. I had told him from the

beginning that I did not want implants. It came down to the fact that he has not

had much success with tram flaps (the poor patients that he " practiced on " ) and

he did not know how to do the DIEP flat that I was suggesting. Rather than admit

that he couldn't do the abdominal flap he continue to push the LTE inspite of

the fact that my husband told him that he did not want me to have the implants.

Finally, after listening to his BS, I told him that I had not wanted the

implants from the beginning. I said that I was not going to have the implants

and the meeting was over. The doctor was so mad that he walked out of the room

without getting me a chance to say anything else. That was probably good. My

husband said that it was evident that he was not competent in his ability to

anything but one procedure.

I have really had my fill over incompetent staff in the office, too. I have

had to wait over two hours for the doctor for the last three doctors I have seen

because of schedulers.

I, too, am venting. Thanks for listening. I will just be glad to get the

mastectomy behind me and that will give me the chance to consider all options on

reconstruction or no reconstructions.

wrote:

This afternoon I talked with the surgeon's NP -- nurse practitioner.

I have talked with her several times in the last few weeks and always

found her very empathetic and supportive. Now I have mixed feelings.

I told her that I had discussed this with the doctor only once, and

that the doctor's response was that they are not set up to offer

anesthesia for the injections. The NP said that this may have been a

misunderstanding, and maybe the doctor thought I was asking to have

the injections after I'm already in the OR, under general

anesthesia. I was thinking more along the lines of the stuff they

give you for a colonoscopy, where you're out of it but still able to

breathe on your own and be somewhat responsive.

Anyway, the NP is going to talk with the doctor and clarify that and

call me back tomorrow, and maybe I'll get some encouraging news out

of that.

There were a couple of things that bothered me, though. At one

point, when I was talking about how scared I am of the pain, she said

that sometimes in life, things just have to hurt. I find that rather

patronizing. She also made a couple of statements suggesting that

there are people much worse off than I am, who have to bear more pain

than this will cause. I know all of that is true, but it strikes me

as not playing fair on her part. Know what I mean? When I read the

experiences here, women saying they would do everything they could to

avoid going through that again, I don't think I'm being unreasonable

to ask for substantial pain control.

I know that medical professionals are kind and caring people, and if

they could prevent all pain, they would do so. I also realize that

in order to do their jobs, they have to develop a certain sense of

detachment from their patients' pain, or they couldn't do things that

they have to do. I think sometimes patients get caught in the middle

of those two extremes. Doctors see this all the time and they know it

will be over quickly. For the patient, it is a horrible nightmare

she can't ever forget.

Another thing ... mercifully, most women will go through this only

once. Several of you have said that if you had to go through it

again, you would be much more insistent about having something for

the pain. I think it's going to take that kind of insistence before

they DO realize that stronger pain relief needs to be offered.

I guess I'm just venting. Thanks for listening. Please offer any

suggestions that you can. I'm not giving up yet.

Jan Koelsch

---------------------------------

Need a quick answer? Get one in minutes from people who know. Ask your

question on Yahoo! Answers.