# Lumpectomy today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2008, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666 "2008-06-12T09:46:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/61 "2008-06-14T13:49:17Z")
**ivylass** , sounds like it’s been as encouraging as such an experience can be. I didn’t know that they are able to remove lymph nodes selectively now, that’s good news too. Be sure and eat lots of garlic – I’m Italian, and I know it’s good for everything! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/62 "2008-06-14T14:06:47Z")
Thinking of you, **Ivylass** , and glad to hear that the surgery went okay. Very good too that you’re not having too much post surgery pain. Keeping you in my thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/63 "2008-06-14T22:42:55Z")
Glad the surgery was successful and relatively pain free. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/64 "2008-06-14T23:01:03Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Either the anesthesia hasn’t completely worn off, or those pain pills are doing their job…because I’m not in pain. Oh, I don’t want to hit the gym or anything, but I did take a shower and have a light lunch of fruit and cheese. I’m allowed to take the Tylox every four hours, but I haven’t needed to…I’m taking them about every six. I figure I’ll take one before bed…and just continue to take it easy. I’m just worried I’ll wake up tomorrow and go oh holy shit, this is why Dr. J gave me the pain pills. [/quote] I had surgery once, and had a similar experience – I felt fine, not much or really any pain. So I stopped taking the pain meds altogether about a day later. Oh my gosh, what a mistake that was. I started feeling really awful, and it took about half a day (maybe 9-10 hours) before I could do much except lie in bed and hurt, until I’d gotten two full doses of the meds past me, and I once again felt reasonably good. I’m told, and I don’t know if this is literally true or someone’s interpretation, you need to keep the meds at some minumum, continuous level to beat back the pain. If you drop below that level, its tough to get back in balance again. The minimum level may be different for some people, and in your case it may be fairly low, but I’d tread very carefully before stopping the meds or dropping the dose too low. At least not immediately… if that six-hour dose is working for you, keep doing that. But don’t be too aggressive with tapering – they give you this stuff for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/65 "2008-06-14T23:43:07Z")
Oh, I’m not dropping the dose. I’m keeping it at about three a day…and taking it very easy. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/66 "2008-06-15T01:37:11Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Oh, I’m not dropping the dose. I’m keeping it at about three a day…and taking it very easy. [/QUOTE] You’re a sensible lady then. 🙂 I hope the recovery continues to go smoothly! ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/67 "2008-06-15T01:47:17Z")
Hey\*\* Ivylass\*\*, I don’t really know you, and you don’t know me, but I wish you joy, love, peace, and HEALTH!! God bless. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/68 "2008-06-15T08:57:55Z")
Glad to hear things went well. All the best! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/69 "2008-06-15T18:39:43Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I had surgery once, and had a similar experience – I felt fine, not much or really any pain. So I stopped taking the pain meds altogether about a day later. Oh my gosh, what a mistake that was. I started feeling really awful, and it took about half a day (maybe 9-10 hours) before I could do much except lie in bed and hurt, until I’d gotten two full doses of the meds past me This has been my experience, too. A few times, in hospital, I haven’t been able to get a nurse’s attention quickly enough to get my pain meds; if you skip a dose, it takes _two_ doses to “catch up”. Much better to stay on top of it! I love those PCA pumps they give you post-op now, so we’re not reliant on nurses having enough time to give us our pain meds on time! And of course, if you’re home, it’s even better, as you are in complete control of your timing. Dilaudid is supposed to be stronger than Tylox, and while IV Dilaudid works very well indeed for me, if you’re talking oral pain meds, Tylox is much more effective for me than oral Dilaudid. **Ivylass** , keep up the schedule of pain meds that is working for you, you only have one chance to heal properly! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/70 "2008-06-15T20:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=norinew] This has been my experience, too. A few times, in hospital, I haven’t been able to get a nurse’s attention quickly enough to get my pain meds; if you skip a dose, it takes _two_ doses to “catch up”. Much better to stay on top of it! [/QUOTE] Ditto. If you don’t stay ahead of the pain, it can be nearly impossible to catch up and pass it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/71 "2008-06-15T20:33:21Z")
Well done, girl. Now we just have to get through each phase…one bite at a time. Sending good mojo your way. Now, go take your meds. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/72 "2008-06-15T21:09:16Z")
I did take a walk around the neighborhood today. It felt nice to get out. Nothing strenuous, just a ten minute walk. I’m taking the pills every seven to eight hours whether I need them or not. So far, it’s been not…just a twinge now and then. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth…I took one when I woke up this morning, another one just a bit ago, and I’ll take another one before bedtime. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/73 "2008-06-16T12:33:50Z")
🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/74 "2008-06-16T21:40:28Z")
A cyberhug for you, **Ivylass**. Keep us up to date. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/75 "2008-06-17T14:05:27Z")
Glad to hear that everything is going so well so far, **Ivylass**. Here’s hoping for good news come the 19th. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/76 "2008-06-17T18:10:57Z")
Good to hear from you and glad all went well and thirded/fourthed/fifthed/whatevered the “take the happy pills” (until you find you’re doing so well that forgetting a dose is easy to do). You’re a good influence - got my own mammies grammed yesterday. Nearly didn’t - I had a mid-day appointment, called late last week to move it to later in the PM… and the appointment people neglected to tell the mammogram people about the change. So there I show up 2.5 hours “late” and they look blankly at me like “huh? did you have an appointment?” “Yeah, you did, but it was for 2 hours ago, we thought you missed it!”. Fortunately they were able to pancake my muffins and sent me on my way. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/77 "2008-06-18T01:54:46Z")
Good to hear everything is going well. Hugs sent your way. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/78 "2008-06-18T02:05:36Z")
Glad things are going well. More prayers and good thoughts headed your way… GT ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/79 "2008-06-18T14:22:24Z")
I’m glad everything’s going well and that the pain hasn’t been too bad! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666/80 "2008-06-18T14:42:38Z")
I am happy for you; I hope you have a smooth recovery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lumpectomy-today/452666.md?page=5)