Hi everyone I have been told I have invasive lobular carcinoma. I am a 56-year-old woman. I will be having a lumpectomy on August 28, 2023. followed by radiation and then hormone blockers. providing it's not in my lymph nodes. I was shocked to get this diagnosis after a call back from my routine mammogram, another mammogram, an ultrasound, and finally a biopsy. I'm sure I will be fine but it is still scary. What is the recovery time like for a lumpectomy? I teach school and since I will have surgery one week after school starts I need to get back as soon as possible. It's all the waiting that is hard, but I am getting used to it as my husband it fighting stage 4 prostate cancer for the past two years, Me getting this is not what I need to be dealing with right now. So my stress level is high right now. Any advice or words of wisdom are gratefully accepted.
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Breast Cancer
Dear Granica4818 , this is not an easy time for you and I empathize with you. I always thought cancer came when immunity was low, but my daughter got breast cancer at the age of 36 in 2016. When we went for a second opinion, the lady doctor wisely told us "Don't worry why you got it and stress yourself. Take the treatment, stay positive and get on with your life." It took my daughter a month to recover from the lumpectomy because of the tube put in the wound to drain fluids from it. But this is India and perhaps it takes longer here for treatments? Your health is important so take as much rest as you feel you need. If you can teach your class online for a couple of weeks, that would be great. Do ask. And sending you good energies to deal with what is going on for you and your husband.
I was given a lumpectomy but as it had spread to my left lymph nodes they were all removed as well. I had a drain for my lumpectomy then I needed another operation as they had to clear the margins around the cancer again. After the clearance I had an infection, which I had to take Tramadol for as very uncomfortable. So my lumpectomy and lymph nodes removal was in the July and the clearance was in the September. I then had to go on and have chemotherapy in the November before having radiotherapy in the February/March. I wanted to get back to normality and straight after my radiotherapy finished I went back to work as I had been too ill to work during the treatment. It was for me a bad move. The ambulance men and drivers who had taken me for my treatment had warned me not to go back too soon. So do not do what I did but let your body heal properly after the treatment you are having and look after your self. Thinking of you and take care.
Hi, I had a lumpectomy in February, no problems. I would say it took 2 weeks to feel back to normal and I think most of that was recovering from the anaesthetic. However I did require further treatment as 2 lymph nodes had cancer in them but hopefully this will not occur in your case.
I have my fingers crossed for you.
I was diagnosed with invasive lobular 2 years after my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer as well. I had a double mastectomy so I can't comment on the lumpectomy- but just wanted to say I understand. My husband was 49 years old at his diagnosis (metastatic to several bones) and he will be 56 this year. He's doing well- as am I. It's draining so surround yourself with good people. I found writing diwn a few things each morning that i was grateful for helped. Some days it's just the sunshine!🩷💙
thank you. I hope you guys are doing ok. I will definitely try writing down a few things I am grateful for.
Hi there- I had a lumpectomy following my breast cancer diagnosis in 2019- recovery from the surgery was very quick for me- tumour was quite small and lymph nodes clear. I didn’t have chemo or radiation but am on tamoxifen for five years. I was 66 when diagnosed- a lot depends on tumour size and lymph nodes. I didn’t need a drain for the incision and the anesthesia recovery was the biggest thing for me.I was very nauseous the first day but it was a day procedure so I went straight home. I sympathize that you have to get back to work but each case is unique so you will have to be guided by your diagnosis and necessary treatment.
Thinking of you and sending positive thoughts!
Hi Granica4818, dealing with your husband’s cancer is enough; I’m sorry you now have your own cancer diagnosis, and right before school starts!
I was shocked when I was diagnosed with invasive lobular last year (healthy, active 62yr old, no family history of BC) - Stage 1A - and went through the same treatment regimen, now on anastrozole. I had 10 lymph nodes removed, which surprised me and my surgeon, all negative and no drain necessary. I had my surgery on a Thursday and took off a full week after to recover, which was fine for me as I work from home.
The waiting definitely was the hardest part! What I found helpful before surgery was meditation to help stay grounded and listening to guided imagery to prepare. Check out Bella Ruth Naperstak’s Preparing for Surgery guided meditation and affirmations, which really helped with the anxiety and led me in to the surgery to feel supported and calm. Many people feel fatigue towards the end of radiation, but I got COVID on my second day, so felt fatigue early on and mostly ok at the end. I did a lot of walking throughout which help me emotionally andI and actually lost some weight! I was diligent using the calendula cream the radiation RNs advised and only experienced mild skin irritation. My experience with radiation was surprisingly very positive, the staff was all so kind and supportive and I hear that many people say the same about their experiences.
I’ll stop there…I just noticed how much I wrote! I’m happy to answer any other questions! Lobular is a different animal from other breast cancers, as you may have learned, the Lobular Cancer Association is a great resource for information.
Take good care and best of luck!
Michelle
Hello - I had Invasive Lobular Carcinoma stage IIIa of my right breast in 2016. I had a double mastectomy, chemo, radiation & reconstruction. I was so surprised to see in your post that your husband had prostate cancer. My cancer was discovered about a year after my husband had stage3 prostate cancer. I helped him through his treatment & he helped me through mine. What a coincidence - I was 56 when I was diagnosed , I’m almost 65 now.
I found the recovery time from the lumpectomy was quick, like a few days. What may disrupt your job will be the radiation schedule. The radiation procedure doesn't take long but you have to go to the hospital 5 days a week for 4 weeks. At least I did. So depending on your radiation prescription and how far you need to travel to the cancer center could mean you might just want to take a leave of absence during treatment.
As a recently retired teacher, I understand the difficulty of being absent. At 64, I have just gone through the exact procedures you are facing. My shock was the diagnosis, like yours. No history. No symptoms. Strong, very active and healthy. Once I wrapped my head around that and dove into reading about cancer, the scheduling delays, insurance authorizations and waiting for test results became the challenge. Surgery was uneventful with lumpectomy and removal of one Sentinel lymph node...all clean margins and clear lymph node. Stage 1A. Bruising coloration,, incisions and odd swelling were a bit startling to look at. Went out for a slow walk the next day, but was light-headed and nauseous. Day 2...fine. but walked with that arm close to my body and hand in pocket since the jolt of footfalls hurt a bit. As long as Noone jostled you, you should be fine. Radiation(16 sessions morning or midday) was fine as long as I took a nap mid-afternoon, and diligently applied ointment afterwards and again at night(the oiliness will leave grease stains, so wear layers.
I have now been taking a Hormone blocker for estrogen/progesterone positive, ARIMIDEX for 2 months so far and it makes me sometimes absent-minded and always needing a long nap. As long as people understand it's caused by your new medication, it should be workable.
Glad you found this site, as it has been wonderful for me. We are not alone and I have always felt that knowledge is strength! We have a strong group of people here, ready to ask and share and support.
There are also some helpful Facebook sites.
Hugs and love to you and your husband. Stay close to family and friends for their encouragement. 💌
So sorry to hear about this new diagnosis and also your husband's cancer. It is a road none of us want to travel...
At age 61, I had a lumpectomy in December 2020 for invasive lobular. Best I can recall, the soreness and discomfort dissipated after the first week. Wearing the form fitting bra/vest definitely helped. I only had one lymph node removed, and it was clear.
Interestingly enough, the pathology report showed invasive lobular, lobular in situ, and ductal in situ. The ductal was found when the surgeon took a little extra margin. Unfortunately, there was only a tiny clean margin, but the surgeon was confident the radiation would catch anything left behind. I had 33 treatments...5 days a week.
I am also on anastrozole which was a challenge at first since I was still on HRT. After 2 years on the med, the hot flashes are infrequent, but I still have them.
Hello,
First of all, I’m sorry you are having to deal with so many stressors at the same time. The unknown and the waiting is just the pits. Am I right? Deep breaths, box breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, or whatever method is one step you can start right now if you haven’t already. The Juva app is fabulous, that I have been using. You need to take care of you before you can take care of anyone else. I was a reading specialist teacher at a school with 1,300 K-8 students 19 years ago (37 at the time), when I was diagnosed with Stage 3B Inflamammatory Cancer. Just to say, make sure you ask questions and have someone go with you if you can to the first appointments. Our brains shut off at certain words and information. Mine did when the started talking about the chemotherapy and losing hair. (I had long curly-fry like hair and knew what that meant. How was I going to go to work at school?). Yes, it all works out as we have our little moments. We have to have them. It’s a lot to handle. Ask the doctor about the type of chemotherapy you will be having (you said you are having chemo after the surgery, right?) and his/her thoughts on your being around the age group you teach. I was mostly in a primary school wing and my doctor was not too happy about that because the little ones spread more germs. We did a wait and see and I worked through chemo and radiation. But, you need to know when you need a day to rest. It can knock you down some days. So take care of yourself. Also, always get copies of your lab results, blood work, scans, etc. so you have a record of everything. It’s your record. So, at every appointment, ask for a copy of the latest reports. Somebody will want or need the information like your staging and you will have it.
Laura
There's already some really sage advice here. I not sure what I am adding in will be helpful.
I have had 2 lumpectomies. The first in 2015, the second in 2021. Recovery time depends on a number of factors: health prior to diagnosis, how may lymph nodes are removed, the size and how deep the tumor is within the breast. Both of my tumors were near the surface, so I never had any drains. Drains can mean longer recovery. Also the number of lymph nodes removed had an impact. The first time, I had 5 lymph nodes removed with a second incision under my arm plus the tumor was bigger. It was about a week before I was attempted working for short periods. The second time, the tumor was under a cm and only fed into 1 lymph node. Physically, I felt stronger much sooner and worked after a couple of days. However, I was working remotely (Covid) which is much easier than teaching/interacting with students all day.
I'm assuming you are not having chemo. First time, I started radiation a month after surgery. I was exhausted all the time, which I hadn't anticipated, but I've learned is not unusual. This might impact your stamina while teaching. Second time, radiation came after chemo and seemed easier.
I wish I could offer you a more definitive answer. You've been dealing with so much and your stress must be off the charts. So I'll add this in the hope it helps a little. Nothing I have experience during the course of treatments was as bad or difficult as I imagined/anticipated it would be in my head.
Hi I had a lump last December, had a biopsy and they said it was negative but I needed the lumpectomy, after removing the lump they found it had started to grow and had become positive so 2 weeks later they took out some lymph nodes which were thankfully negative. I had 5 days intensive radiation and I'm on exemestane now. Recovery after the lumpectomy and radiotherapy was quick. Hope it goes well for you and your husband. Sending you a hug x
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