Is this a normal amount of time for the day of surgery?

I saw my surgeon yesterday to set up a lumpectomy and sentinil node procedure.  I had been mentally holding up fairly well, partly because of some of the kind messages I have received from those of you on this forum.  Today I feel really down and a Fibromyalgia flare has started.  

I had been fairly optimistic because of the words of encouragement by the radiologist who did my ultrasound biopsy.  He was such a kind man and said that it looked good for a lumpectomy and radiation taking care of the problem.  I told myself, "that's not that bad, I can get through that."

Yesterday the surgeon and the nurse scheduling the surgery, added a whole layer of stuff that I wasn't prepared for.  I didn't realize that if the sentinil node was positive, that they would proceed to a full axillary dissection, while I was under anesthesia.  I thought that would be done only after they did a permanent section on my lymph node, and I was awake to discuss it.  I don't like the thought of all my lymph nodes being removed on the basis of a dab test during surgery.  Part of the time I worked as a Med Tech, I was in the Diagnostic Laboratory of the KSU Veterinary College.  The pathology lab was right next to mine and I learned techniques in that lab also.  The PhD that was in charge of that lab always stressed the importance of a permanent slide and the distortion that can be seen a frozen section.  What would really help me push down my fears is to talk to the Pathologist at the hospital but that doesn't seem like something that is offered.  We "lab people" talk a different lingo than surgeons.

The surgeon also talked about the need to go back in for another surgery if he didn't get clear margins.  I understand the concept of clear margins since I worked in a medical laboratory.  I told him that I would like him to take more tissue around my lump than he normally would. I said that I didn't care if I came out with a dimple in my breast - I'm 54 yrs. old and not planning on wearing bikinis any longer!  When I said that I would like he to sew me back up even if the sentinil node was positive (so I could be involved in the decision), he said that they normally proceed to take out all the lymph nodes.  I'm not understanding why its any different to have to have a 2nd surgery for doing the lymph nodes than it is to have to do back in and get additional tissue in the breast.  I am very concerned about lymphedema after seeing my grandmother suffer from it for years.  The tumor is in my right breast and I am right handed.

Then, if I wasn't upset enough, the nurse came in to schedule the surgery.  Although I am medically trained, I just HATE being in a hospital.  The surgeon had told me this would be a day surgery.  The soonest surgery time they had was Sept. 24th at 1:30 p.m.  They said that I would have to be there at 8:00 a.m.  I've had to have 4 surgeries for Morton's neuromas while I still lived in Houston.  You got there at 6:30 a.m. and you were out by noon.  I knew that having the sentinil node procedure added approximately 3 hrs. to the preparation for this procedure.  I wasn't prepared to have to be there 5 1/2 hrs. before surgery.  Is this a normal amount of time?  I had a colonoscopy at this same hospital and it was supposed to be at 9:00 a.m. and didn't happen until 11:00 a.m.  I started panicking because I thought, "what if this goes that much off schedule."  I'll be there waiting and getting more nervous by the minute, plus starving to death.  I have IBS and I can control the symptoms if I have small snacks during the day.  Other wise my stomach starts churning if I don't have something in it.  I told the surgeon this but all he said was that we need you on an empty stomach for 8 hrs.  

I wanted to have a day surgery procedure so I could go home later in the afternoon.  I don't want to spend the night in the hospital!  I won't sleep there.  The nurse started saying that they might have to admit me if I haven't urinated or can't keep anything down.  I wake up from surgery, before they even have me out of the operating room, based on past surgeries.    I am wide awake in the recovery room and it is very distressing to me to have to lay there with a bunch of moaning people who are out of it and even yelling.  Its like they have some little rule that you have to be there X amount of time.  One nurse scolded me because my blood pressure and heart rate kept going up.  She told me to calm down.  I told her I would if they would get me out of the recovery room and away from the guy who was yelling!  I hate their "one size fits all" rules!!!!

Can some of you relate your experiences with lumpectomy and the sentinil node procedures?  Did you get to go home the same day, even if you had the surgery as late as 1:30 p.m.?  I can find a way to mentally handle this if I know I will be out of there and back in my own bed that night.  

I'm apologizing for the long post but it has helped to type out all of my concerns so I hope you will understand. - Kay

[jsmith0507]

I too had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy about six weeks ago.  I had to be at the hospital at 7 a.m. to check in.  There are quite a few procedures that need to take place during that time.  They did dye injections to find the sentinel node and marked me up and took more images.  Then there was a wire placement and additional mammogram to make sure the wire was in the right place.  I was not allowed to eat that morning either.  I was so nervous I was having diarrhea all day.  My surgery did not take place until 4 p.m. !!!  I know about starving all day.  No fun.  I had to spend the night in an observation room, which was just like a private hospital room anyway and my husband was allowed to stay with me that night.  I don't think we are there for sleep but more for monitoring that night.  I have to tell you that nothing was too horrible.  Even the surgery itself was quite a nice surprise, very minimal pain.  I only took ibuprofen for surgery pain and I had my arm up over my head that same evening of surgery.  I don't know if anything I'm telling you helps, but I understand your fears and frustrations.