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How To Prepare For Breast Cancer Surgery
Surgery is often a very scary thought for women who are suffering from breast cancer. There are so many issues to consider. Will the lump be taking off, will the whole breast be removed and how to I cope once it is over? How can I live a qualify life after surgery? These are all important issues to consider. Doctor Thomas Frazier, M.D. suggests thinking of breast surgery as a roadblock to your success. Once you get around the roadblock you will be again on the right course for a successful life.
When a person is diagnosed, breast cancer surgery is most commonly the first plan of action. Decisions about surgery being the appropriate breast cancer treatment is never taken lightly, they are dependant upon many factors such as the stage of the cancer, the type of breast cancer, what are the acceptable surgeries in terms of the needs and wants of the breast cancer sufferer and the most appropriate breast cancer treatment.
One of the most horrifying thoughts about surgery that women have is that they will be scarred for life. Breast cancer surgery techniques have vastly improved over the decades. The days of the gaping scars have gone. Surgeons are very meticulous about the incisions that they make. They are aware that esthetic issues are as important to a woman’s quality of life as is the surgery itself. Incisions are made in such a way that a woman can wear just about anything without revealing the fact she has had breast cancer surgery. Surgery no longer produces the concave area revealing the outline of the ribs and the scars running all the way up to the collarbone have been eliminated. Patients are often surprised at how well the scar looks once they have healed.
What to expect from your surgery
It is so important that the breast cancer patient is involved in the whole process of breast cancer surgery from beginning to end. Today’s medical teams do not leave the patients out of the equation anymore. Patients are no longer left in the dark, they are involved in the process of preparation for surgery, receiving information about their illness and decision making about the type of surgery that will be employed. The more prepared the patient is for the upcoming surgery the more adjusted that patient will be with life after breast cancer surgery.
The first step in the process is to work with the doctor gathering necessary information. Your doctor will complete your medical history. This information processing is just as important as the surgery itself. Gathering the right information will insure a successful breast cancer surgery. Tell your doctor everything, do not hold back anything because it might be embarrassing to you or you feel it isn’t important, let him know everything you can think about, and if you happen to forget something let your doctor know the next possible chance that you can speak with him or her directly or with his or her staff.
The types of things you need to reveal are: if you are allergic to anything, or if you have had bad reactions in the past to certain drugs or medical procedures. It is vitally important to let your doctor know if you are currently on medication or if you have recently stopped taking any kind of medication. Don’t forget to include non-prescription drugs and even birth control pills. Embarrassing as it might be for you, you will have to mention any recreational drugs such as marijuana and alcohol that you are taking. If you are taking aspirin the doctor will ask you to stop. Your doctor must also know if you are taking any herbal remedies.
Some of these medications will affect the outcome of your surgery so you want to make sure that you do not leave out anything.
You may be required to donate a few pints of your own blood in case it would be needed during the operation.
You will need to prepare by having certain tests done prior to surgery so that your doctor is satisfied you can withstand the surgery and procedures.
You will need to have a both a chest x-ray and electrocardiogram (EKG) to confirm your heart and lungs are functioning well enough.
You will need to have blood tests done to check your blood counts, and your liver and kidney functioning as well as the risks for infection or bleeding.
You may need a CAT scan to determine the location and size of the tumor and if the tumor has affected other parts of the body beyond the breast.
Your doctor may ask you if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other condition that could affect the outcome of the surgery.
Some research indicates that the timing of surgery in relation to your menstrual cycle may be a factor and therefore you should talk it over with your doctor as well.