had my WLE and SNB on tuesday. All went very well, one blue node removed and found to be negative so I woke up with no drains and quite small scars.
He said they did not find anything they were not expecting and were pleased with the excision—just two weeks now for the histology…
Mind you I was horrified at the state of the national health, the staff and treatment was good, but we all had our booking in proccedures and briefings in a waiting room because there were no beds. Hardly enough chairs to go round, They eventually found me a bed up in general surgery, so the nurses did not have BC experiance and could not discuss the op, and I had to wait till today to find out more details, fortunately my BC nurse came up and found me. And they are closing down another BC ward on friday.
I am glad it went all went well and a big hooray on the negative node! Take it easy now and don’t fret too much about waiting for the results. Easier said than done but you know what I mean.
Sorry you had a mixed experience with your NHS treatment. I had something similiar a few years ago when I was refered to plastic surgery the day after being seen in A&E. The plastics clinic was held beside a bed which had been curtained off on the ENT ward. To make matters worse the other beds were occupied on the ward by patients booked in for surgery.
YoungandFunky, massive congrats on the negative node, that’s brilliant news! I hope that bit of good news will keep you going while you wait for the other results.
In the meantime, get yourself a notebook and write down all the questions you want answered, then put the book away in your pocket and get on with the other stuff in life. And by the sound of things you can get on with drumming while you wait as well. Excellent.
A bit pants that they didn’t have a bed for you, sounds a real mess.
I am so pleased for you AOL, this is great news!
Chin up!
DaisyGirl xx
Hi OAL so pleased all went well & your now back home. Yes it is a shame the state our hospitals are in the ward I was on was very depressing no windows dirty you didn’t feel clean the bathroom well put it this way I couldn’t bring myself to clean my teeth & I remember washing the bottom of my bags & shoes when I got home the staff were so lovely & it cant be any fun for them. When I had one of the butterfly taken out of my vein the next morning my some blood shot over the meal tray on wheels & floor the nurse just wiped the tray with a tissue I was there another 3 hours & the cleaners you only se breifly once a day 
Good that you were given that info I wasn’t I knew nothing until my 2 week follow up I had one of the surgeons under studies come in to tell me id have a dip where the tumor was removed but thats all she would tell me.
Mekala xxx
Hi OAL, glad you are home and the node result was negative.
I had my WLE & SNB on Monday last week and get all the results etc late this afternoon.
I have to say that I have nothing but praise for the hospital, staff and treatment where I am ( Taunton). The BCC is clean and very nice, staff were great and I was kept informed all the time, right from the follow up to a routine mammogram. We . like you. checked in for the op at 7.30am and it was waiting rooms until they were ready to take me to the operating theater, but they were comfy and the staff were great and knew what they were doing.
There is also a new centre for ongoing treatment which has a good reputation. I guess its post code lottery as usual. Sorry uour experience wasn’t as good.
Fingers crossed for me this afternoon.x
yes i’ll cross everything I’ve got for you. Let us know how it goes
GOOD NEWS for me. No Lymph node involvement and pretty sure they got everything out.
Rads and Tamoxifen … I can handle that. So relieved, just thought I would share.
Maureen xx
Fab news, Maureen. Did you get all the answers to your questions?
From here on it’s so much easier, now you know what your particular demon looks like. Best of luck.
Hello Old and Lumpy, I’ve been thinking about you and glad that both you and Maureen have no lymph node involvement. That’s really great news!
So OAl, you get on with the drumming while you’re having to play the waiting game for histology results. We’re all thinking about you, so take care, and please let us know how you go on!
Luv, Shelley xxxx
PS - Sorry you had quite a negative experience on the ward xx
hello ladies , got my results yesterday , clear nodes and margins , consultant said my tumour was only 6mm so was caught really early thank god , radiotherapy at the q.e in bham , meeting with radioligist next tues , tamoxifen for 5 years , i am peri menopausal , 2 periods in 12 months , can anyone tell me how tamoxifen is taken - is it tablet form ? also 2 weeks post op . wle and snb is it normal to still be in pain in armpit and arm ? my outer arm feels so bruised and armpit stiff and sore , hope you ladies are keeping your positive thoughts going and do realise how lucky i have been xxxxx
Hi trish great news about your nodes. My nodes were also clear, but my margins were not so back in theatre next friday for another go at getting clear ones! I have three tumours similar size to yours, but High grade DCIS 4.5 cms! I will be having rads and tamoxifen too. My armpit still aches. So glad your nodes were clear.
SGL xx
Trish, more clear nodes - brilliant!
Tamoxifen is a daily tablet.
6mm, that’s very tiny, well done for catching it.
Did you get the exercise leaflet? If not, there’s something on this site but my brain’s gone awol so you’ll have to have a hunt or hope someone will post a link. (hint hint!) Those who’ve had arm stiffness etc have all sworn by the exercises.
SGL, re-excision is generally a much less painful procedure, and a lot quicker. They may want to give you profilactic antibiotics as there is a greater risk of infection, but it’s not very common. Bum that you’re back in The Waiting Room, but good luck for the op.
Hi Trish
The exercise leaflet choccieMuffin mentions can be ordered at by following the link below:-
breastcancercare.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/publications/quick-order-list/*/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/159/
This includes a DVD and leaflet of the exercises.
Best wishes Sam, BCC Facilitator
wow what a lot of good results!! is it just a recent run of good news, or did people used to not say??
shelly–sadley they will not let me drum for at least two weeks. they say i will recover better in the long term if I refrain now. Its the downward force that they are concerned about. Rather a shame because i have almost total range of movement, but i can see their point, I find that i cannot push the little flush button down on top of the toilet with that hand yet.
Mind you I cannot drive yet either and I cannot get up to the studio on public transport.
On the other hand I see the consultant and the physio on the same day, so if the doc gives me the good news I am hoping for and the physio gives me the all clear for drumming then the return to the studio will be so triumphant that it will be wonderful. Better warn the boys to clear it up though–dont want my first day back up there to be spent hoovering and cleaning sinks.
Thank you for your responses ladies , i haven`t really been keeping up with the exercises but have kinda made up my own as i go along lol , will go back to them today , thank you and wishing you a wonderful weekend xxx
Hi OAL you got diagnosed the same day as me, so I often think about you and wonder how you are doing! I am so glad that you have had such positive news, that is just great.
It is really good to hear so many other people having their nodes clear, that must feel as if a great weight has lifted. This should be called the good news thread!
hi dumpthelump–so how are you getting on?? or did you post and my mind has been going and i missed it??
exercises, we had a physio come down to the ward the next day with an excercise sheet that they prefer us to use. watched how we did them and made a few adjustments. more or less the same as the breast cancer care ones that i printed off but not as many repetations.
we get one free follow up session in either a week or two weeks, whenever we prefer.
sounds like another post code treatment lottery.
Hello you all
OAL, Maureen and Trish - delighted that lymph nodes are clear - such great news! sorry you have to back for clear margins, but should be a fairly OK procedure (I’ve always found breast surgery easier than axillary surgery)and I hope you soon get the clear margins you want xx
onward and upward chaps xxx mon