advice after 2nd mastectomy
advice after 2nd mastectomy Hi i have’nt posted for ages but feel i could do with some advice please. I am due to go into hospital very soon for 2nd mastectomy. I am to have this as i was told that i am at high risk of the cancer returning. This is constanly getting me down worrying/thinking about it’s return. I feel i have my family on tenderhooks all the time because they see such a change in me since my diagnosis in oct’04. It was inflamatory breast cancer and the surgeon did’nt make any bones about the aggressiveness of it. I had chemo then mastectomy followed by oopherectomy ,radium and currently take arimidex. I work full time and constantly feel exhausted. I know the answer would be to go part-time or stop working but like many for financial reasons it’s not at all possible for now. I feel i have nothing to look forward to and anything i think about for the future i worry if i will be here. I know i should just be living in the day and not trying to think about the future as none of us know what it holds.
How long does anyone think i should be off work following this 2nd mastectomy ? I feel as if i could do with a break and perhaps using this time to be off work a little longer than i should.
I have always been an upbeat person but feel as if i have lost the way i used to be through this horrible diagnosis.
I am also worring how this 2nd mastectomy will effect me as i have opted against reconstruction for now. I am 45 and like dressing up nice but feel this will have an effect on me more than i could have imagined.
Sorry for going on and hope this makes sense.
Megan
Advice after 2nd mastectomy Hi Megan,
Sorry you haven’t had any replies from other forum users as yet. Can I suggest that if you don’t get any replies by tomorrow (Wednesday) you contact BCC helpline on 0808 800 6000 where I am sure there will be someone who can help you.
Best wishes
BCC Host
Just wanted to say hi and i,m sorry that you are having such a rotten time Don,t be too hard on yourself and take all the time you need. You have been through a lot and you know that you will get help and support here
Ella
Hi Megan,
There is hope! I too have an aggressive form of bc - HER2 problem so it kept coming back - but not the hormone problem as yours seems to be. I was dx in 1990 at age 45 and have had 3 primary tumours over the intervening years and two mastectomies. I chose not to have reconstructions, and have been very happy with prostheses. There are some very pretty mastectomy bras on the market from specialists - and one big advantage - I could choose what size bust I wanted to be. Obviously low cut tops are a problem - but I just want to say that I have been very comfortable with my femininity since then. I know for some it is traumatic but it doesn’t have to be. Presumably you can keep your options open about reconstruction if you should want to later - make sure you discuss that with your surgeon. Regarding how long you can take a break for - I would discuss that with your GP - explain how tired you are and needing the maximum break and I am sure he will be sympathetic.
I used to struggle with wondering if I would be around for this or that next year but the longer I have survived this rotten disease the more I find I can get on with my life as if there is more to come and enjoy the day. (I am beginning to wonder if I am making sense now). If you would like to chat through private mail boxes at all you can find me on the other site at
www.phpbbserver.com/breast cancer
lol Dawnhc
To Megan Hi Megan, just wanted to let you know that I had a bilateral mastectomy and feel that it was alot better than a single one because you are even and can be flat ( which is so comfortable) or busty. I don’t feel any less feminine and didn’t find I had to change my wardrobe really as I never really wore low cut tops anyway. I wear tankinis with no prostheseis when on holiday and never really notice I’m flat. To be honest the mastectomies have been the least of my problems and I wouldn’t hesitate to have them done again in fact I’d advise people to have both breasts removed rather than just the one. Good luck to you and I hope your as happy with the results as I was. Take care Beryl.
megan you’ll find that this one won’t knock you out like the last one did and you’ll need less time off. Money and health worries together are horrible and of course you feel on the edge of the precipice. You’re obviously a survivor so have faith in you. Eat well, don’t get overtired and try being kind to yourself -self indulgence and spoiling are what you need. Very best wishes and let us know how you’re getting on. dilly
thanks for advice and support thanks to you all for replying, i have been anxious over this pending surgery ( not the surgery itself but the bigger picture which for me can become enormous, though at times i realise that’s down to this horrible disease)
i go into hospital today, for surgery tomorrow so fingers crossed it will go ok. i intend using the time off work to become physically and emotionally stronger before my return. i do sometimes forget that i have came through so much and that i shouldnt be so hard on myself or others. again i just hope that i can be allowed to move on after this 2nd mastectomy and get some kind of normality back and be able to look forward to things in life, which at present seems impossible. once again i really appreciated all your support and advice.
megan x