Upcoming Excision and Sentinel Node Biopsy

Hi,

Sorry to hear, I know this is a frightening time, I went through very similar experience last year. This is a great place for support, please ask as many questions as you want. What is your diagnosis at this point? Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Last year I had a suspicious mole removed that turned out to be Stage 1B, on my chest below my right pectoral. Shortly after that I had the WLE (Wide Local Excision) and SLNB (Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy). I'm located in Canada so I don't know if the treatment will be the exact same for you, but I can tell you what happened for me.

My experience was that there was not a substantial amount of pain from either location. The larger one (WLE site) had a bit more pain. There was just a general pain (obviously) and occasionally very sharp shooting pains from the WLE site, sometimes accompanying movement and sometimes not. I was sent home with Tramacet (acetomenaphen & tramadol I believe, not sure if that's the same as Tylenol 3's or not). But all in all, not too bad and definitely not as bad as I was expecting. When it bothered me I I took a pill but honestly I didn't find that I needed them very often. Almost a year late, I still have mild loss of feeling around the SNLB site, as well as slight tingly feeling, but I was told that was to be expected so it hasn't been a surprise.

If I recall correctly, for the SNLB, they inject you at the primary meloma location with a dye that is colored as well as radioactive. I don't recall if my doctors used them but I believe they have handheld radioactivity detectors, forget what they're called, that tell them approximately where the lymph node is. However even before the surgery started, back when I had the dye injected, I did also go for a CT scan and had the location marked on me. Then once they're in they visually identify the nodes as well because they are colored by the dye. FYI the dye can also color & stink up your urine for a day or two, at least it did for me.

Thinking about you, please let us know how it goes.

Hi,

Sorry to hear, I know this is a frightening time, I went through very similar experience last year. This is a great place for support, please ask as many questions as you want. What is your diagnosis at this point? Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Last year I had a suspicious mole removed that turned out to be Stage 1B, on my chest below my right pectoral. Shortly after that I had the WLE (Wide Local Excision) and SLNB (Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy). I'm located in Canada so I don't know if the treatment will be the exact same for you, but I can tell you what happened for me.

My experience was that there was not a substantial amount of pain from either location. The larger one (WLE site) had a bit more pain. There was just a general pain (obviously) and occasionally very sharp shooting pains from the WLE site, sometimes accompanying movement and sometimes not. I was sent home with Tramacet (acetomenaphen & tramadol I believe, not sure if that's the same as Tylenol 3's or not). But all in all, not too bad and definitely not as bad as I was expecting. When it bothered me I I took a pill but honestly I didn't find that I needed them very often. Almost a year late, I still have mild loss of feeling around the SNLB site, as well as slight tingly feeling, but I was told that was to be expected so it hasn't been a surprise.

If I recall correctly, for the SNLB, they inject you at the primary meloma location with a dye that is colored as well as radioactive. I don't recall if my doctors used them but I believe they have handheld radioactivity detectors, forget what they're called, that tell them approximately where the lymph node is. However even before the surgery started, back when I had the dye injected, I did also go for a CT scan and had the location marked on me. Then once they're in they visually identify the nodes as well because they are colored by the dye. FYI the dye can also color & stink up your urine for a day or two, at least it did for me.

Thinking about you, please let us know how it goes.

Hi,

Sorry to hear, I know this is a frightening time, I went through very similar experience last year. This is a great place for support, please ask as many questions as you want. What is your diagnosis at this point? Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Last year I had a suspicious mole removed that turned out to be Stage 1B, on my chest below my right pectoral. Shortly after that I had the WLE (Wide Local Excision) and SLNB (Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy). I'm located in Canada so I don't know if the treatment will be the exact same for you, but I can tell you what happened for me.

My experience was that there was not a substantial amount of pain from either location. The larger one (WLE site) had a bit more pain. There was just a general pain (obviously) and occasionally very sharp shooting pains from the WLE site, sometimes accompanying movement and sometimes not. I was sent home with Tramacet (acetomenaphen & tramadol I believe, not sure if that's the same as Tylenol 3's or not). But all in all, not too bad and definitely not as bad as I was expecting. When it bothered me I I took a pill but honestly I didn't find that I needed them very often. Almost a year late, I still have mild loss of feeling around the SNLB site, as well as slight tingly feeling, but I was told that was to be expected so it hasn't been a surprise.

If I recall correctly, for the SNLB, they inject you at the primary meloma location with a dye that is colored as well as radioactive. I don't recall if my doctors used them but I believe they have handheld radioactivity detectors, forget what they're called, that tell them approximately where the lymph node is. However even before the surgery started, back when I had the dye injected, I did also go for a CT scan and had the location marked on me. Then once they're in they visually identify the nodes as well because they are colored by the dye. FYI the dye can also color & stink up your urine for a day or two, at least it did for me.

Thinking about you, please let us know how it goes.

Hi Aloha,

My situation was pretty much the same as Jay described above… pain wasn't too bad. It became less and less every day. After a week I was pretty much pain free. For me they removed 10 nodes during the process, 3 came back positive.

Good luck… will be thinking about you.

Hi Aloha,

My situation was pretty much the same as Jay described above… pain wasn't too bad. It became less and less every day. After a week I was pretty much pain free. For me they removed 10 nodes during the process, 3 came back positive.

Good luck… will be thinking about you.

Hi Aloha,

My situation was pretty much the same as Jay described above… pain wasn't too bad. It became less and less every day. After a week I was pretty much pain free. For me they removed 10 nodes during the process, 3 came back positive.

Good luck… will be thinking about you.

Hi,

I can speak on behalf of my husband who had the WLE and SLNB almost 3 years ago AND he has quite a bit of claustrophobia (he has to be medicated now to get his brain MRI).

He had a 19 mm tumor removed from upper back along with 3 lymph nodes.  He went to work the next day following the surgery and didn't take his pain meds after the first day.  He said the most annoying was from the SLNB where they took one lymph node from his armpit.  He said it was more of a pinching feeling then acute pain.  And he had about a foot long incision along his arm and back and he said it was more like a pulling feeling then pain.   

Like I said, he went to work the next day (but he HATES to miss work).

I saw that you just posted about claustrophobia as well.  My husband now gets medication before his brain MRI since he freaked out during the last one.  They have to give him an IV since the valium/ativan pills didn't do enough.  He dreads the actual imaging test more than he does the results due to the claustrophobia. 

Good luck on your surgery on Friday.  Best of wishes,

Jackie

Hi,

I can speak on behalf of my husband who had the WLE and SLNB almost 3 years ago AND he has quite a bit of claustrophobia (he has to be medicated now to get his brain MRI).

He had a 19 mm tumor removed from upper back along with 3 lymph nodes.  He went to work the next day following the surgery and didn't take his pain meds after the first day.  He said the most annoying was from the SLNB where they took one lymph node from his armpit.  He said it was more of a pinching feeling then acute pain.  And he had about a foot long incision along his arm and back and he said it was more like a pulling feeling then pain.   

Like I said, he went to work the next day (but he HATES to miss work).

I saw that you just posted about claustrophobia as well.  My husband now gets medication before his brain MRI since he freaked out during the last one.  They have to give him an IV since the valium/ativan pills didn't do enough.  He dreads the actual imaging test more than he does the results due to the claustrophobia. 

Good luck on your surgery on Friday.  Best of wishes,

Jackie

Hi,

I can speak on behalf of my husband who had the WLE and SLNB almost 3 years ago AND he has quite a bit of claustrophobia (he has to be medicated now to get his brain MRI).

He had a 19 mm tumor removed from upper back along with 3 lymph nodes.  He went to work the next day following the surgery and didn't take his pain meds after the first day.  He said the most annoying was from the SLNB where they took one lymph node from his armpit.  He said it was more of a pinching feeling then acute pain.  And he had about a foot long incision along his arm and back and he said it was more like a pulling feeling then pain.   

Like I said, he went to work the next day (but he HATES to miss work).

I saw that you just posted about claustrophobia as well.  My husband now gets medication before his brain MRI since he freaked out during the last one.  They have to give him an IV since the valium/ativan pills didn't do enough.  He dreads the actual imaging test more than he does the results due to the claustrophobia. 

Good luck on your surgery on Friday.  Best of wishes,

Jackie

Can't speak for everyone, but my experience with those procedures were relatively low pain.  The one thing that is somewhat painful (not hideous, but you'll feel it), is the injecting of the radioactive dye.  The radioactive dye is also how they find the sentinel node.  The radioactive dye registers on a probe, which tells the surgeon the lymph node tied to the suspicious area on your leg.  I did not need to go into any MRI or CT scan tube.  They prepped me for,surgery right after the dye was injected and off I went.  The only complication after surgery was a large seroma at the surgical site which was eventually drained.  All in all, very tolerable.

good luck!!

Can't speak for everyone, but my experience with those procedures were relatively low pain.  The one thing that is somewhat painful (not hideous, but you'll feel it), is the injecting of the radioactive dye.  The radioactive dye is also how they find the sentinel node.  The radioactive dye registers on a probe, which tells the surgeon the lymph node tied to the suspicious area on your leg.  I did not need to go into any MRI or CT scan tube.  They prepped me for,surgery right after the dye was injected and off I went.  The only complication after surgery was a large seroma at the surgical site which was eventually drained.  All in all, very tolerable.

good luck!!

Can't speak for everyone, but my experience with those procedures were relatively low pain.  The one thing that is somewhat painful (not hideous, but you'll feel it), is the injecting of the radioactive dye.  The radioactive dye is also how they find the sentinel node.  The radioactive dye registers on a probe, which tells the surgeon the lymph node tied to the suspicious area on your leg.  I did not need to go into any MRI or CT scan tube.  They prepped me for,surgery right after the dye was injected and off I went.  The only complication after surgery was a large seroma at the surgical site which was eventually drained.  All in all, very tolerable.

good luck!!