Jennifer Douglas, Writer and DCIS Breast Cancer Patient Advocate, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Before my lumpectomy, I had never been through surgery. I was nervous, not only because I had DCIS, but because I’d never been under general anesthesia before. I had no idea what to expect, and that added to my emotions going into surgery day.
I thought I’d share my top three things I wish I knew before my lumpectomy with you, so that you can feel just a bit more prepared.
- I wish that I’d known to ask my surgeon about his re-excision rate. I didn’t know that it was very common for women with DCIS to need to have a second surgery to get clean margins. While I knew that it was a possibility that I might need a second surgery, I didn’t know that re-excision rates vary widely between surgeons. I wish I’d known about some of the advanced technologies being developed to help surgeons in the OR. Companies like Perimeter Medical Imaging AI are working to advance imaging tools that aim to support surgical decision-making and improve care for patients like me. I’m grateful my surgeon was able to get clean margins the first time, but I do wish I’d known to ask him before my lumpectomy!
Introducing a New Imaging Device that Gives Surgeons Real-time Insights. - I wish I’d known how much preparation time there would be before my surgery started. My lumpectomy day started hours before my surgery time because I needed to go in to get a wire-guided localization at the women’s imaging center. And, because I needed to have two findings removed, that time was doubled. I was ready to be in surgery, and yet there was still so much preparation to do. I remember feeling frustrated, fearful, and ready for everything to be over. Eventually, my surgery was complete. But, because I didn’t realize how many steps there were before my actual surgery, I was definitely more of an impatient patient. If you’re heading into surgery, it can be helpful to know what steps may need to be taken before your surgery can begin, such as localization or lymph node mapping (https://lnkd.in/geaysTpt).
Wire Guided Localization Before Lumpectomy - I wish I’d known how relieved I would feel after waking up. I remember vividly the moment in the recovery room when I turned to my nurse and asked, ‘Is it over?‘ She smiled and said yes, and I burst into tears of happiness. I had made it through surgery, and I didn’t remember a thing. It was the happiest I’d felt since being diagnosed with DCIS. Getting through surgery is a huge step in our cancer treatment, and I had no idea how happy I would feel when it was done!
I’d love to know, if you’ve gone through a lumpectomy or mastectomy, do you have anything you wish you’d known before your surgery?”
Title: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
Authors: Jennifer Carr, Kristine Conner, Kevin Fox, Mediget Teshome
Read the Full Article.
More posts featuring Jennifer Douglas on OncoDaily.
