question about tests

My sister has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is scheduled for a sentinel lymph node biopsy. She was told she would be awake during the initial phase of the testing and is so frightened that the injection will be painful. Do you have any information about how painful this will be for her?

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear Muriel:  From what I have heard from other women, this procedure is very well tolerated.  Obviously, different women respond differently but most do very well.

[surgeon]

No more painful, usually, than getting a blood test or a "shot." It's a small needle.

[ritavv]

I wrote an article for another site called " A Laywoman's Description of a Sentinel Node Biopsy".  It may help your sister to know what they do from the patient's point of view.  It was not painful.

http://www.bcsaf.com/articles/snb.html

[vermontgirl]

If you want to be sure that it won't hurt, ask the doc to "numb" the area to be injected with the dye/radiation with a shot of something first.  Even if he doesn't offer it, ask for it--that's what I did and it does help!  The only time I felt pain was when he moved the dye needle to a place that hadn't been "numbed".

[americankiwi]

I agree with vermontgirl.  I had it done and the most painful part was the 2 initial injections.  numbing it was not offered.  The shots are short but quite painful though tolorable, but why tolorate pain if you don't have to?

Good luck to your sis
Wendy