Forum Discussion
Understanding the tests scheduled for Surgery Day ( 24th May)
Well here I am again asking for help with my tests, to make sure I am prepared. <3
Tomorrow I have a CT scan, I am okay with that as I've had them before and been okay.
A week after surgery I have a Bone scan - I am not looking forward to that as I have claustrophobia and I did have a panic attack last time.. But as I survived the first one, I should be okay with a valium before hand ;)
Now the ones scheduled for the day of surgery?
1 / Needle localisation to put in guide wires, what to expect?
2/ Lymphocintogram - is this the sentinal node thing, radioactive blue dye?
3/ Tracer - what is that?? Gone blank on that one.
I thought I had it all sorted out but today I'm confused again. I don't want to read about it because Im the type of person that only needs the basics not TMI or I overthink it and get anxious haha
Tomorrow I have a CT scan, I am okay with that as I've had them before and been okay.
A week after surgery I have a Bone scan - I am not looking forward to that as I have claustrophobia and I did have a panic attack last time.. But as I survived the first one, I should be okay with a valium before hand ;)
Now the ones scheduled for the day of surgery?
1 / Needle localisation to put in guide wires, what to expect?
2/ Lymphocintogram - is this the sentinal node thing, radioactive blue dye?
3/ Tracer - what is that?? Gone blank on that one.
I thought I had it all sorted out but today I'm confused again. I don't want to read about it because Im the type of person that only needs the basics not TMI or I overthink it and get anxious haha
14 Replies
- Thanks primek, I hope that happens to me but I have the test authorisation and it says blue dye, pretty hard to read the scrawl . Either way I'm sure I'll cope it's the waiting that is hard ;) especially with so many other family members in a bad way. One was moved to palliative care on Monday and another in ICU, tip of the iceberg unfortunately. :/
- I didn't have any blue dye just tracer. I was told I'd have blue dye. I was marked externally where the nodes were located following an ultrasound to locare the tracer.
- Yes @Nefertari I had the all the procedures done in different places and was panicking because they tell you to be at the hospital early for admission for surgery. In the end I needn't have worried because they do take into account all of the procedures you have to have done first and if you are late that's fine. They know things can get held up. Absolutely agree waiting just sucks but it will come round soon enough. xox
- The waiting is definitely the absolute pits. Distract, distract, distract! K xox
- Once again girls, thanks for all your answers, believe it or not it does help. If so many of you brave warriors have survived I will too. I will think of you all as I lay there next Friday and try to keep calm. Good to know that I can have a valium if needed for the anxiety. (already asked them, that).
I am being transported for the procedures from the public hospital to the private hospital, then back to wait for the surgery at the public hospital That in itself causes me anxiety lol, but maybe it will help break up the waiting......
I find after these things have been done, I think to myself that wasn't as bad as I thought but the waiting and over thinking causes me so much anxiety, I wish it was today. ;)
You ladies are amazing <3 - Yes, I had it all done on the same day too. Had to be at the nuclear medicine dept at 7am for the SNB. Then home, then into hospital for the hookwire procedure, followed by a wait for surgery. With desperate exhortations to be still so as to not move the hookwire. Placing that took aged as my tumour was so deep. I had to have a second local, and a more senior doc and extra nurse to come in to do it as it was proving so difficult. They were talking about doing it under a mammogram if they couldn't get it with the ultrasound but in the end they managed. And after all that, surgery. A long long day.
- I had a CT scan and blood test done a couple of weeks before surgery and the blue dye thing done on the day of surgery. Mine did hurt but then again, I was so anxious and tense that anything would have hurt (and kept waiting there so long because I wasn't allowed to walk back to my room that I missed the anaesthetist who was looking for me to give me something for the anxiety). If there was anything else, I can't remember. I did pee blue and because I had a reaction to the anaesthetic, I threw up green!
- @Nefertari I had those procedures done the day before my surgery and found it to be similar discomfort as having the needle biopsy done, the 2 ladies doing the proceedure explained every step and luckily the dye took about 20 mins which was good. I didnt have any blue “after effects” much to my kids disappointment as they thought I was going to look like a smirf haha. Good luck xx
- Good luck with it all @Nefertari Yes I had the same on the day of surgery. Makes it a long day. Everyone is so individual to their reactions. I found the guide wire easy enough and no pain but the needle for the blue dye painful where as many on here found it no problems. Definitely had a blue boob and blue pee. Some take a while for the blue dye to spread up to an hour and a half and others like me took 20 minutes. Wishing you well for everything. Good idea to try and chill out, long walks or a bit of netflix helps big time.
- Ha ha, thanks girls I think it's only the two tests after reading all the paperwork, there is so much!!!.
1/ Needle localisation to put the guide wires in as you said kmakm :) which I guess seems weird to me as they already put a marker / clip right into my tumour when I had the first three biopsy's, oh well just another puncture.
2/ Lymphocintogram - otherwise known as Sentinel lymph node mapping, wish they all spoke the same language ;)
yes the blue dye radioactive tracer injected, holy moly. Have been warned about the blue wee and blue nipple.
Thanks for the answers and the hugs, I appreciate all your knowledge. I'm going to forget about it now till next week. What would I have done without this place? Anxiety levels down to normal now.
@suburbangirl , lol at the waiting.........
