The lymphatic mapping test involves a radioactive material injected into the area below the nipple. I think this is the first time in what feels like a long time that what I have is real. My eyes got hot and quickly filled with tears as the isotope was injected. Painful in that it felt like rubbing alcohol was poured onto an open wound on the chest. But fortunately the pain became numb. I'm not sure whether if this part would have made a difference in knowing ahead of time or not. What does make a difference in the life of a mom of a young child is the fact that I carry radioactive material. It's ok to hug someone briefly, but I can't let my son sit on my lap and hold on to me. So my plans of holding onto my husband and my son tonight while we read a book will have to change. I wasn't prepared for this. I wanted one more night -- our last cuddles as a wife and mommy of a 7 year old. I just have to adapt my plans and know that sometime this year I'll be able to hold my son and pick him up as an 8 year old. I think, though, I'd recommend to physicians for future patients to be aware of procedure implications.
About the lymphatic mapping:
I undressed from waist up, positioned myself on a thin bed of what looks like a variation of a CATSCAN machine.
Once I was on my back and comfortable, the technician cleaned the area with a specific solution. She then brought out a thin needle and injected a radioactive material that the camera of the machine would pick up. The camera is called a Gamma Camera and it uses gamma rays to pick up the radioactive material. From this, an image is displayed on a computer monitor which maps out my lymphatic system. Everyone's is different. Some have more areas spread out under the arm in the axilla; others have the system more spread out in the chest. And in particular for breast cancer, the surgeon wants to identify the sentinel node of the lymphatic system.
Once the technician found the sentinel node, she then marked it with a permanent marker so that the cancer surgeon can identify it in order to remove it during surgery and hand it over to the pathologist who looks at it under a microscope in order to find out if cancer invaded my lymph system. This part I was told takes about ten minutes. If no cancer there, then the cancer surgeon proceeds to remove the breast. If there is cancer in the lymph nodes -- also called nodular cancer -- then more nodes get removed hence the importance of lymphatic mapping. And, if there is cancer in the nodes then it's a guarantee for chemotherapy portion of the treatment plan. If no nodular cancer then there is a chance I may not need chemo; in this case I would have radiation and hormone treatment.
The lymphatic mapping from start to finish was about an hour. The nature of the test and the fact that it's the same check in area for tomorrow's surgery made it all so real.
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