Sentinel node injection

Artferret
Artferret Member Posts: 259 ✭
in Newly diagnosed
I'm due to have the sentinel node radioactive substance injection on Tuesday in preparation for surgery the next day. Can anyone tell me how long it takes?

Comments

  • primek
    primek Member Posts: 5,392 ✭
    About an hour or a bit longer. The injecting takes no time really, it's just travelling through the nodes that take time. 
  • Hopes_and_Dreams
    Hopes_and_Dreams Member Posts: 760 ✭
    I had 3 injections into my tumour and spent about an hour massaging my breast to help disperse the dye.  Just a tiny sting, absolutely nothing to worry about.  The actual scan took around 10-15 minutes.  I was marked with exes all over my chest and underarm but this doesn't mean there is anything to worry about. They just note the nodes the tumour is likely to drain into.
    I had 2 sentinel nodes and another "guard" node removed and all were clear.  Good luck xx
  • Artferret
    Artferret Member Posts: 259 ✭
    Thanks ladies!
  • Barney74
    Barney74 Member Posts: 89 ✭
    Im having that aswell  the morning of my surgery .i to was wondering bout this.
  • socoda
    socoda Member Posts: 1,767 ✭
    Hi @Artferret, mine took approximately two hours but that was due to the scan machine I was supposed to go to broke down and I was swapped to a suburb 1\2 hr drive away - which was no big deal and I was incredibly grateful I could still have it done. The Dr also had to travel the 1\2 hour and the actual injection would have lasted less than a minute. I had 4 areas injected and then only had to massage 10 minutes. The process feels like someone is giving you a nipple cripple. 
    I found the whole process absolutely fascinating. Had the full body bone scan at the same time and I had a good laugh when I looked at those results because I had my arms above my head and it looked like my skeleton was yelling out WOOHOOOOOO!!! All the best. Xx Cath
  • melclarity
    melclarity Member Posts: 3,528 ✭
    Hmmm  I had 6 injections around the nipple, is that the same one? yeah can't say it was an 'ok' experience for me, and I did think it odd when the technician said I could swear whatever I wanted. Im thinking huh? what? aaaah thank goodness it's relatively quick. You'll be absolutely fine! xx M
  • gurneys
    gurneys Member Posts: 224 ✭
    Mine took a while. The injections themselves were quick but it took a while for the stuff to disperse through. Spent ages there massaging my boob trying to get it to where it needed to be. I was in there for well over an hour. Perhaps closer to two. I was late to surgery as a result.
  • Glemmis
    Glemmis Member Posts: 343 ✭
    Mine took a while as well as first lot of massaging didn't disperse the dye so they had to stop the scan & start massaging again. I was also wondering whether the massaging was spreading the cells . 
  • Barney74
    Barney74 Member Posts: 89 ✭
    I had mine this morning and it took a while for it to go thru aswell.

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