Hmmmm I'm being punished.... I know I am.

I think my breasts have decided to do to me what my uterus can longer do, give me grief.

I thought I would be proactive and start my mammos. I have turned 50 so lets get started right. HA I go for my first mammo and right out of the gate, I have to have an ultrasound and, another mammo on my left breast. Ok, I can handle that. Even the fact that the second mammo covered different angles that I'm sure our breasts aren't meant to go in. End result, a cyst which is great and I learned that compression isn't just about keeping someone breathing.

Three months later I discover bleeding from the nipple on right breast. I'm thinking it's an infection and next thing I know, I'm having another utrasound and in that same appt., a biopsy of a lesion. End result, a solitary B9 papilloma that the surgeon says he will have another ultrasound done on and lets just wait and see. Second ultrasound was done and I get a call from the surgeon (which of coarse, I miss) He says, call the office sometime. So, sometime turns into the next day and his secretary says that the surgeon doesn't want me to stress out but that seeing the results of the latest ultrsound (post biopsy), he wants the tumor out. That often happens with this kind of tumor but, it's another surgery. Ok, a small one but.... Please don't think that I'm not grateful that it's not breast cancer because I most d*****ately am. But 2 years ago, I had a choly (gull bladder surgery) and I had a reaction to the anaesthesia and as they start the procedure for a trech, my airway opened on it's own so, all turned out well and the surgery was resceduled for 2 weeks later with conscious intubation. So the down side to this surgery to remove the papilloma is that, it's being done under a general. I also have to have it done as wire guided and when the wire is inserted into the tumor, you have to remain completely still. I have cerebral palsy with some spastic movement on my left side so, this could be interesting.

But just to add more interest to my introduction to menopause, I am dealing with melanoma trying to lay claim to me as well. I have delt with this cancer for years but I suddenly feel like a patch of grass with this cancer being the weeds that just keep coming up. Soon, I'll be a walking connect the dots puzzle.

If ranting is healthy then, I'm on the right track. Oh, one more thing, I still don't regret my having a hyster. Nope Nope Nope, haven't looked back once.

I'm sorry you have to go through yet another surgery, even if it isn't "major". I've had a bunch of those, and they still cause anxiety every time. I have anesthesia concerns as well - I am malignant hyperthermia positive - so I prefer to try to avoid general anesthesia if possible.

Please ask to talk with the anesthesiologist before your upcoming papilloma removal. It should be possible for them to use something like a combination of Versed and Fentanyl, which would accomplish the same goals as general anesthesia without actually being a true general anesthetic. I've had several quick surgeries (two breast) done this way and it works quite well.

If you are having a wire localization procedure done first (I did before both of my lumpectomies), that part is done with you totally conscious; you are then taken into the OR for the actual removal part of the procedure. If they are going to perfuse the area with lidocaine before the wire localization, as they did with both of mine, ask the radiologist if they put sodium bicarbonate in the lidocaine before injecting it; otherwise, the lidocaine burns quite a bit (little hint told to me by a very good radiologist as I was having a biopsy).

Good luck with your upcoming procedure!

s,
-Linda

Hi Linda

Seeing the anesthesiologist is part of pre-op at the hospital the surgery is being done at. It's the same hospital where I had the issue with anesthesia in the first place. With the surgery only being 2 years ago, they'll still have my file which is flagged for concious intubation anyway. When I had the hyster, I wrote a medical bio on me and made copies. I did the same for the last surgery and am doing the same again of coarse mentioning my reaction to *something* with the anesthesia. Even they couldn't figure out what had happened. But with concious intubation, everything went fine.

I drew the short straw for timing and have the ultrasound guided wire in at 8am and the surgery at 1. blaaa So I told my DH he had to get me an I-Pad so I could pass the time in between by playing with my new toy.

The really sad part about this is, my best friends mom and I were going through the testing for breast cancer at the same time and her mom unfortunately was positive for IDC stage 1. Then after surgery, they restaged her to stage 3. Now, after a cat scan, they have told her to get her life in order because there is more extensive involvement then first and secondly thought.

I struggle with the fact that I'm fine and my friends mom isn't. So my B9 result is bitter sweet.

I'm pretty good about this surgery in that, these tumors are more often removed but, this little voice inside says 'what if it's a fulse negative'. Yup, I know it's 99% what the biopsy says it is but well........just once in a while that lill annoying voice disturbs the peace.