Good Luck Netty for tomorrow - be thinking of you!
Do hope your results are more successful than mine.
My results showed I had 2 tumours next to each other and another further away. My consultant removed 4 lymph nodes, 1 of the 4 showed up as infected, due to this I am now booked in to have a CT & Bone scan (2nd April) and then I have a Oncology appointment booked for 4th April to discuss the outcome of scans and treatment needed.
The waiting is driving me mad!!
One positive note - I’m recovering from Op better each day, not stooping when walking, tummy and breast swelling/bruising going but still quite numb, and STILL no pain (off pain killers) just discomfort, especially when laughing or coughing.
I hope to post more positive news later next week.
Hi all
Unfortunately results were not great.
On day of op the Dr explained that the MRI was showing the tumour to be bigger than originally thought. They took 4cm out and my lymph nodes. Orignally thought only 1 lymph node was affected but they told me today that they removed 26 and all 26 had a cancer presence in them. i also had smaller tumours around main lump which weren’t remove. so i’m heading for a masectomy. i’m waiting for an appointment with oncology so that i can start my chemo. i’ll then have my masectomy and then radiotherapy and then eventually the reconstruction. i am also Herceptin positive. Was orignally thought to be grade 1 but because tumour was so much bigger and with the other cellls i;m now grade 3!!
feel as gutted today as i did when i first found out. went back to work yesterday (working from home) but on leave rest of week. Hubby and i are going to go out and not talk about this retched thing for a day! lol!!
sorry to be grumpy xxx
speak again soon
Netty xx
Netty really sorry to hear your results, I’m gutted for you and feel for you, it’s not what you want to hear. If it’s any consolation the mastectomy/reconstruction is nowhere near as bad as it sounds. Just ask if you want advice on this as my experience has all been positive so far. I thoroughly researched my options on reconstruction which one to choose and whether to wait or opt for immediate etc.
Saw a TV advert on cancer tonight with two fingers gesturing and “Up yours” being said. Does make you bloody angry!! But WE’LL BEAT IT Netty - stay positive!!
Sooz x
P.s. Don’t apologise for being grumpy, I’ll be doing some more ranting on here before long no doubt.
Netty
i’m so sorry your results weren’t as expected, really sorry for you. I can only repeat Sooz, stay positive and we will beat this horrible disease.
I see that you will now need chemotherapy, I will be having round 2 next week if all goes according to plan - you don’t feel great for the first week but it’s not impossible anod I just treat it as another thing to throw at the disease.
Jess x
Hey Sooz & Twinnumber1,
how are you both doing?
i wonder where Foxyferret has got too? hope she’s ok.
Tears came today… been grumpy for most of the week but it finally broke today. But do feel better for it though and now feel more determined to beat this damn thing.
Onwards and upwards ladies!!!
Netty x
Hi Netty
Doing ok, although Im at the waiting stage right now, it’s quite nice to have a breather to recover from the Op before the next onslaught of stuff!
I’m just over 3weeks post op, bruising/swelling is going down and movement around tummy is easier,skin is still very tight. Went out for some therapeutic shopping today (bored stiff, not allowed to do anything for 6weeks), really enjoyed myself but by time I got home my boob was starting to feel really sore, maybe too much movement etc tummy was fine though.
Pleased to hear you feel better after having the tears. Crying helps big time in my opinion, (no longer in denial) brings it all home, the severity of it. I cried just before my Op mainly from being terrified in going through with the Op. My little girl (age 6) came to comfort me. She said “I’ve never seen you cry Mummy” and gave me a BIG hug (made me bawl even more).
Twinnumber1 let us know how you get on with round 2, hope it goes smoothly for you.
Foxyferret - is all well?
Sooz x
hi sooz
i know the feeling regarding being bored stiff! i too ventured out today for some shopping and i ended up hurting myself when trying to tuck a chair in in a cafe! doh! so i was sore by time i got home.
but it sounds like your in a relatively good place! and long may that continue!!
all we need is a bit of sun to help us on our way!
remind me - are u having chemo and radio?
hope your having a great easter weekend
Netty
Hi gg123 - hope you and Netty meet up, having someone to chat with that knows exactly what your going through has got to be a great help.
Aww Netty, ouch! Just brings it to light how vulnerable we are right now. I took my daughter to her swimming lesson last week and there were kids running around and I was so worried that one of them was going to knock into me.
Chemo/radio will be discussed at my oncology appointment on Thursday I have a CT and Bone scan to have first (Tuesday). Due to (like yourself) the lymph node showing as infected - they want to investigate further in case it’s spread. I have to admit I am very frightened about attending this appointment. One things for sure I will be on hormonal therapy (tamoxifen was mentioned) due to being oestrogen+.
I am being positive but it does get all a bit difficult at times, hubby is finding it hard, I see him welling up and fighting back the tears, not wanting to upset me.
OMG - sun! What is that? Wouldn’t that be nice, fed up with this lousy cold weather.
We had actually booked a holiday to Tenerife for the May school hols, consultant advised us to cancel it (cos of chemo) that upset us we were all so looking forward to getting away.
Tomorrow we are going to a charity event which a pal of mine has organised ‘WOMAN v CANCER’ she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (just had the 5year clearance). Raising funds for ovarian/breast/cervical cancer. So if your in Exeter, its at the quay, come along.
Enjoy the chocolate.
Sooz x
hi,
Guess its time to tell you mys story. I went to the gp back in february as I wanted to be referred back to the hospital as i had previously had appointment yearly as there is a family history, i had relalised that i hadnt been seen since 2010 and wanted to get back to my ppointments. I had no symptons or reasons for concern apart ffrom the family link. i was seen back in february and the dr said she was concerned because my nipple was slighly changed and she said that it was a sign of cancer. I had an ultra sound and they couldn;t see anything then a biopsy. afetr a week i was called back and told that i had cancer, after that I have had an lymph node biospy, mamogram and MRI. My lymph nodes are infected and I will have them all removed as part of my surgery. In addition to that my cancer is believed to be around 55mm and that there is a second oe around 25mm. I have been offered a mastectomy due to the factthat there is a family history and there are 2 lumps. I have an appointment with Plastic on 15 april to discuss reconstrutionoptions. Ideally i would like imediate reconstruction but am aware that may not e possible to to treatment sfter. I hav equite large breasts and and concerned about having nothing at all. I have to have my contraception implant removed becuase it is an oestrogen receptor, as i will be put on tamoxifen in the future.
hi,
Guess its time to tell you my story. I went to the gp back in february as I wanted to be referred back to the hospital as i had previously had appointment yearly as there is a family history, i had relalised that i hadnt been seen since 2010 and wanted to get back to my ppointments. I had no symptons or reasons for concern apart ffrom the family link. i was seen back in february and the dr said she was concerned because my nipple was slighly changed and she said that it was a sign of cancer. I had an ultra sound and they couldn;t see anything then a biopsy. afetr a week i was called back and told that i had cancer, after that I have had an lymph node biospy, mamogram and MRI. My lymph nodes are infected and I will have them all removed as part of my surgery. In addition to that my cancer is believed to be around 55mm and that there is a second oe around 25mm. I have been offered a mastectomy due to the factthat there is a family history and there are 2 lumps. I have an appointment with Plastic on 15 april to discuss reconstrutionoptions. Ideally i would like imediate reconstruction but am aware that may not e possible to to treatment sfter. I hav equite large breasts and and concerned about having nothing at all. I have to have my contraception implant removed becuase it is an oestrogen receptor, as i will be put on tamoxifen in the future.
Hi gg123
i’ve messaged you … or at least i’ve accepted your friend request and added a message at the end of that!
i share your concerns regarding having nothing left… i didn’t get mine unitl i was about 22!! so i’m reluctant to let them go!!
how have the last few days been?
Hi Sooz
isn’t it strange - the hospitals all seem to work differently as i had my bone, CT and MRI all done before anything else was done.
i’m oestrogen postive and all herceptin positve… do i get bingo for being both lol
Good luck for thursday and keep us posted (if you happy to). I haven’t seen my hubby cry since day we got the intial confirmation but i know he’s struggling just as much - i think its the helplessness of it all - they can’t make it go away. My wider family were told today by my mum, its taken awhile for her to get her head around it so it was only now she felt she could tell them.
shame about your holiday. We would have been in a similar situation - we were planning to have our honeymoon during the easter break but my hubbies boss veto’d that and said he’d prefer hubby took time at xmas, so thats when we went - just as well as we’d not be going if it was this week!!! jsut think of how very deserved it will be when you all get away after all this.
Funnily enough we were on about going to exeter bank hol monday, so we may just do so now…
take care & bye for now
Netty x
Hi gg123 - what a good job you went back to your appointments!! And sorry to hear the outcome. I was given the option of immediate recon but told it best wait until treatment (radio at least) had been done as this could have an effect on the recon result with hardening and shrinkage. I researched this and also listened to my PS and basically it is NOT absolutely sure whether the radiotherapy would do this. So I took the gamble and had immediate recon knowing I may need RT (find out on Thursday) operations scare me so having the lot done in one go is a risk I am willing to take. If it spoils the affect and further surgery is needed to correct this, then it will be 2 ops-which is what I would be having anyway if I went for delayed.
Can you see the method in my madness?
Don’t let me sway you in this important decision - but I will keep you posted if I have RT and how it goes.
Netty - that is really strange why the scans are done differently, I may ask about that when I get mine done.
What a good job you went away at Xmas! I’m a great believer in things happen for a reason.
Sorry Netty the Woman’s V Cancer event was yesterday (Sunday). I always post so late that I don’t realise I’m into the next day.
Best of wishes to you both and have a lovely Easter Monday.
Sooz x
Hi girls,
Sorry I’ve not replied before, especially as some of you have not received good news. Netty, so sorry your results were not good. I hope that once you have your treatment plan in place you will feel better.
Sooz - hope your scans are ok. I, too, had a cancel a cruise to St Petersburg, because the treatment came first. Maybe next year! Have you found the FORCE centre at the RD&E? They can give you all kinds of support and free complimentary therapies.
Twinnumber1 - hope your second round of chemo goes ok and the se’s are few.
gg123 - thank goodness you went back to your appts. So glad you managed to meet up with Netty, talking to someone else going through this ***awful time is invaluable.
My mammogram results finally arrived (took three weeks) and showed " nothing of concern". The relief was incredible. This was another reason for not posting as I feel guilty for being ok, while you are all still undergoing treatment. BUT next year you will all be where I am (fingers crossed) in the land of NED (No Evidence of Disease).
Hey foxyferret… great news about your mammogram!! u must be so relieved! but hey lets have no more talk about not posting because you feel guilty! no more!!
how you doing twinnumber1? you still going on tuesday? how have the se’s been this time around?
sooz - how did it go on thursday?
i thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with gg123, it was good for the soul i think - i cam back feeling a lot less grumpy!
i drove today, i decided it was time to at least try. Arm is still a bit stiff but as hubby is away from tues i could realy do with being mobile. Between the driving and going back to work this week i feel a bit better!! i’m going to go back to the office next week for a couple of days so that’ll feel like another bit of normality. i wonder if i can add in a exercise class!! work off some of the naughty food i’ve not been denying myself while i’ve been recuperating!!
hope you are all ok and i wish you all a good weekend
Netty x
Foxyferret what a massive relief, so pleased for you.
Oncology appointment was very interesting, bone scan all okay (phew) ct still to look at. I need the following treatment:
Chemo first, then operation to remove ALL lymph nodes, then radio and hormonal therapy (tamoxifen)
BUT and this is the interesting bit, I have been invited to take part in a research study/trial as my case fits all the attributes. The trial is basically looking into the ‘standard’ treatment given I.e. Chemo/radio/hormonal, looking at not giving chemo (as this maynot always be beneficial to some people therefore reducing the unnecessary treatment and cost). It’s aimed at women who’s tumors are oestrogen positive, HER negative, have not yet had chemo. A test needs to be done on my tissues already removed first. There is a lot more involved to it but have outlined it briefly. It’s called OPTIMA.
My chemo is set to start 26th April nevertheless.
So right now it’s like a carrot dangling in front of me. I may get selected, I may not. The docs/consultants etc don’t get to decide its randomly selected by computer.
Twinnumber1 let us know how your getting on.
Best wishes to you all
Sooz