Thanks for asking after me Heidi. I’m ok. Still feeling incredibly tired after the least exertion. Had lots of visitors the first few days I was home and I was so pleased to see people, I think I didn’t realise how much it took out of me. Yesterday my husband took me out for lunch and then did a little shop round sainsbury’s afterwards - and today I’m exhausted!! Getting a bit frustrated… After feeling so much better getting out of hospital, that was such a big shift, now I feel a bit stuck at this stage of feeling tired and pretty incapable. Reading loads of books, but feeling very lazy.
Heidi - not long to go now. The build up to and op itself is still so recent for me (2 weeks ago) that I’m almost reliving the steps as you speak! I remember feeling excited and nervous at the same time. About painkillers, I came home from hospital with paracetemol and ibruprofen, and am still taking the paracetemol, though not as often. So I guess it varies from person to person how much pain relief they need. Before I wouldn’t have believed this would be strong enough, and friends look at me incredulous when I tell them I just take paracetemol - but it is enough and does work. I’m also sleeping lots - and I look upon this as the bodies natural way of healing.
I went to the dressing clinic the other day and all is fine. They said to start using bio-oil, but it feels a bit early, and I’m a bit skeamish (is that a word?) about rubbing the scars. Want the gle to last as long as possible!! What do others do?
It’s lovely to hear people getting on with life and doing things. Amazing how your son can prepare and do the show so quickly, Lennie. This will be something you can treasure forever. And weddings, and shopping and shoes - these are the joys of life!!!
I just heard this morning in a letter that my appointment this week for my results has been cancelled to the following week. Really keen to know if I need further treatment. Hope I don’t since radiotherapy my mess up my reconstruction I believe … Think I might phone them on monday and see if they’ll give me my results over the phone.
Morning all…Lyra I bought some bio oil, because I saw it advertised,but only just recently. I forget to use it to tell the truth. Use it when you feel comfortable about doing so. Yep its frustrating at times, when you want to do things but then the ‘tiredness’ happens. It will pass over the next few weeks, but its a major op you have had, and need lots of rest. I still get quite tired and I’m 3months down the line, mind you also older than you I think!!! Its all a waiting game , but hope you get the desired results.
Sounds like the night out was all it promised to be Heidi, hope your feeling much better now…(all said with a whisper, just in case).
Good luck for Tuesday Lenny. No running round lifting stuff…just supervise. Like you Lenny I am very proud of my son too…he’s taking a play that he has written, up to the Edinburgh festival in August. Its been a dream of his for a long time…nice feeling isn’t it!
Morning to everyone else, hope the sun is shining for you this morning…its pretty dull here…again!
catch ya later
Helen …ps Anne did you get your outfit??
Lyra - definately hold off with the Bio oil until you are ready. I was told on week 4 to ‘start rubbing’ tummy scar. I did so and ended up wth 2 minor wound infections! Definately best to do it when your scars feel OK and you know your body best. I’m really impressed that you went out for a meal 2 weeks after op!!
NOTE TO ALL RE CICA CARE SILICONE STRIPS
Just thought I’d share with you all that I’m trying out the CICA silicone strips (clear, self sticking stuff which are supposed to make your scars beautiful!), you cut them to size. They last for between 2-4 weeks. Best of all, they are available on prescription. For DIEP tummy & boob scar, I was able to cut enough from a large pack (6" x 5"). Has anyone else tried these yet?
i had a lovely evening out last night with my men. we went to ‘jazz in a summer meadow’ - very english, everyone brings a picnic, chairs etc and a jazz band plays all in a big field… it was a lovely break from the move!
wow helen, edinbrugh fringe! i was part of a theatre group there many moons ago and my boy tried to persuade me he could go with one this year but at 16 we decided he was too young. i hope you son has a great time and the play is a success.
lyra take it easy don’t try to run before you can walk, it is a slow process.
heidi hope you recovered enough to enjoy the sunshine yesterday - we might not get anymore.
anne hope you enjoyed shopping… i did b n q again yesterday o and a little of tk max. all close to where we live.
sarah hope you had a good time at the wedding, what a lovely day for it.
cathy no i haven’t heard of them, who suggested it to you? and are they a cover up job or do they do something to the scars themselves?
tracy, helen2 christina, zara hope you are all ok,
The CICA silicone strips are actually for healing. You just press them against your skin and they stay there under underwear. I think we’ve not been told too much about them as they’re about £35 off prescrition! I googled these and they do sound good so I asked the plastic surgery dept and they confirmed that these are available on prescription - maybe see what your hospital says (I’m trying them anyway!)
this might be my last posting for a while as i move tomorrow and we forgot to do anything about the phone line until today!!! my excuse is chemo brain but not sure what hubbies is!!
well it’s all packed,the decorating is finished and removal men are booked for 8am, so thunderbirds are go!
talk to you all when i am next connected, thanks for all your well wishes, really hard trying not to do too much… hope it is dry tomorrow.
thanks for the info cathy, heidi are you counting the hours yet? and sarah how was the wedding are you packed for spain yet? everyone else in the words of my youngest son - ‘chill!’
Hi all…Take it easy Lenny, an exciting, busy and very tiring day ahead!! Bet you can’t wait to get things all in their place…but don;t overdo it!! Good luck…lots of good vibes your way to help the move along!!!
Heidi. can’t believe its just one more week! Where has the time gone!
Hope all are recovering well…or are ‘motoring’ along at a steady pace. I had my grandson to look after yesterday and today, so just a quickie post this morning!
Anne hope you got your outfit.
Lyra and Tracy hope your recovery is going fine.
Christina hope you have ‘picked’ up after your bout of flu.
Sarah how goes things with you?
Zara, Jane and Cathy…hope things are fine with you too.
Hi everybody
Might be too late for this but good luck Lenny with your move. Hope it all goes to plan, and take it easy.
Not long now Heidi, Re. pain killers, I only had a couple of strong ones on days 1 & 2, then after that it was para and ibro. Didn’t need morphine thankfully but whatever they gave me resulted in me singing evidently!
Hiya Helen, you talking about watching rugby sounds all too familiar. Both my men play and for the last twenty odd years have spent my weekends either watching it, shouting at it, or washing kits after it. Must say I love it too.
Lyra - I bought bio oil, tried it at about 4 weeks and it stung and felt awful. I now use only savlon cream when it feels a bit tight or itchy. Diepcat, let us know what you think of the silicone strips, not heard of those, may ask my PS in a few weeks.
I have a dress!! Its pretty, not too dressy, most important it has low neckline hehee. So now its shoes and bag mission. Not sure about hats, after having had to wear wigs/bandanas I’m not so keen to have anything attached so not sure. May try a few fascinators, just to give my mates a good laugh!
Hi Anne glad you have your outfit, and a low one as well, good for you girl! I was going to suggest a fascinator, two of my friends have been to recent weddings…ones today…and both chose a fascinator over a hat. Bet you can’t wait now!
Lenny hope the moving went well…remember, you are only supervising! As long as you have your mattress there with some bedding, you’ll be ok for tonight!!!
Heidi just 6 days now!!
Well its rained most of the day, do you think we have had our summer?
Thanks for all the comments on bio-oil. I used it once, then decided like your comments suggested it was too soon. Am interested in the silicone strips though, Cathy and shall ask about these when I finally get to see someone. The more I think about my appointment last week at the dressings clinic the more pissed off I feel. I live an hour and a half from the hospital where I had my surgery, and they insisted that it being my first dressing clinic that i attend it there. Had to wait about half an hour and then was in for less that 5 mins. They had to ask me what surgery I had had, and the nurse took such a cursory look at my wounds. When I asked questions such as - how long do I need to wear support knicks for - they had no idea - said ask my ps! It was this nurse who also said veyr casually to start using bio-oil. At the time I thought never mind I’ll be back next week for my results appointment. But now that has been cancelled till NEXT week. I did phone up yesterday and eventually got to the bottom of why it had been postponed. Apparently they have to get the original biopsy from my local hospital to compare with the results they have. So my appointment has been moved to next week. And I won’t get to see the ps at that appointment, just the breast surgeon/oncologist or one of his team. The only other appointment I have scheduled is’nt until late september - so does that mean I don’t get to see the ps until then? What’s the follow-up like for others? Also a bit anxious about my results, as I’m really hoping I don’t need radiotherapy which might damage my new breast. Also been getting quite a bit of pain/soreness in that area…Has any one else had to have radiotherapy?
Must stop worrying!
Any way, Heidi - been thinking of you and how you manage these last few days before your op! You’re bound to feel excited - this is the event you’ve eagerly anticpated for so long. But do try to rest up and take care of yourself physically so that your body is at full strength. And let people know if you have any concerns, or there is anything you want to know - big or small - so that you get any assurances you may need.
Lyra - it is incredibly frustrating when appointments get cancelled, changed etc. I think they sometimes forget that we are people and that every day feels like a lifetime when you are waiting for results. It is very difficult just being a name on a piece of paper, and in my experience, surgeons/consultants don’t always have the best bedside manner! Its so funny being on this website, as i forget that we are all suffering from this bloody awful disease, think its a testament to us all that we manage to keep going, smiling and coping despite what gets thrown at us. Girl power at its best, hugs all round. I did have radiotherapy, 25 sessions. Didn’t feel anything for first 3 weeks, then got pretty tired, and unfortunately by week 5 i got an infection and blistered all over right side of my torso, not nice, but faced with people who have chemo, was probably like a walk in the park!
Lenny - you are probably in your house now, hopefully with everyone helping and sorting things out, wishing you all lots of health and happiness in your new home.
I can hardly sleep at night now, 5 more sleeps. I feel like a child, am bursting with excitement. Jim seeing doc tomorrow to get signed off for 2 weeks, so i will have some help with the children for the first week home from hospital, and then i will just have to sellotape my 2 monkeys to a chair for the remainder of the summer (said loosely) holidays!
Right, time to get my little lot to bed, saw ice age 3 with the kids at cinema today - loved it.
Hi all
Heidi I can remember the last few days before my op and I couldn’t sleep either - mine wasn’t excitement, it was Nerves !
Had a good time at the wedding last weekend - managed to stay in my shoes all day but I have to admit I didn’t feel up to doing any dancing.
Had a check up with my PS on Monday but he was away so saw another doctor instead. I asked about some areas of my scar that feel very hard and she said I should be massaging the scars vigourously with cream for about 15 minutes a day! I’ve just been rubbing a drop of bio-oil in every morning. When I said I still had stiffness in my tum she was going to refer me to the physio but she was busy. She came back and told me that the swimming on holiday will be the best thing for me for stretching the muscles. Just got to take things slowly - not that I would be able to do anything else !
She also talked about further work on boob. Having a nipple on new boob can be done with local anaesthetic but she thought as the other boob was droopier (my word) matching the nipple would look a bit odd. It would be better to have nipple moved up on old boob and then new nipple would be easier to match. That would need a general anaethetic. She ended up drawing all these pictures of boobs,nipples and scars in my notes - don’t know what PS will think when he sees them !
Lenny - home Tom’s performance in Les Mis went well.
Got to start packing soon - looking forward to some proper sunshine.
Hi all…glad you enjoyed the wedding Sarah…great that you were able to stay in your heels for a long while…it does pull the tummy though, guess its because you have to stand more upright. I was told to massage regularly too. I’ve not had that chat about further work with my PS yet, guess he’ll do that in Aug when I see him.
Heidi is your op on the Mon or Tues? bet you’re quivering with anticipation…love your pic. Great you have hubby there too…
Lenny hope your moving went smoothly and you get up and running with the internet as soon as…
Anne when is the wedding? Did you get heels?
Lyra and Tracy …hope you are continuing to recover well.
Helen, you have gone quiet, hope all is ok with you love.
Hope Christina, Cathy, Zara and Jane are all doing ok too. What rotten weather we have had, but hopefully its on the turn for the better today…fingers crossed.
I have an appointment with my onc today…not quite sure why, but guess I will find out.
Will be thinking of you then Heidi.
I’m having a head MRI next week, simply because I’ve had an unsteadiness for a few months and a couple other symptoms. My GP referred me to the breast care team and thats why my onc wanted to check me out. The MRI is next Friday, and the week after that I will see my onc for the results. Its just an elimination test, which normally a GP probs wouldn’t do, but because of cancer history, I guess he is covering all bases.
Are you packed up Heidi, with your button up the front pjs? So close now…
take care all
Helenxx
Just back from getting my results - they moved the appointment yet again, but this time forwards because the consultant’s on hol next week. Well my results were good - in that they didn’t find any invasive cancer and the lymph nodes were all clear - but the DCIS was very extensive - they now say 18cm, so the entire breast and because of this the consultant can’t be sure even the mastectomy will have removed all the DCIS cells, especially since it was a skin sparing one. So, I may need radiotherapy just to be sure, and they’ll discuss this next Tues withthe radiologist and let me know then what he thinks.
I’ve texted all my friends, and everyone says “Great!!”, including my partner, and is happy - but I don’t feel happy at all, and by the time I got home (an hour and a half journey to the hospital) I was in floods of tears. I am so scared that radiotherapy will mess up the immed recon… I am glad they didn’t find anything worse that DCIS of course BUT am really alarmed at the possibility of having rads and the size of it. Plus the breast care nurse kept referring to DCIS as not “true cancer”, and my partner keeps saying but I’ve got the all clear - but I’m possibly not clear of DCIS otherwise I wouldn’t be contemplating rads, and for something that’s not “true” or real cancer - well it’s been pretty harmful to me - I’ve lost a breast and weeks and weeks of living in anxiety, plus undergoing major surgery and now time off work…just can’t stop crying now…
I shall know hopefully on Tues whether it’s rads or not. Sometimes I feel my life is ruled by these dates - appointments, results and I just “cope” from one to the other. Or, not really cope… And now the prospect of finding out all about radiotherapy…am getting a bit weary of “finding out” all about these things. Does anyone else feel like this? Everyone else sounds so positive, and maybe I’m just focussing on the negative, but I can’t ignore how I feel, or pretend to be happy with the results when I just feel sad and scared again.
Would love to hear some responses from people, who hopefully know what I mean.
Thinking of you too Heidi, with the final countdown to Monday, and really hope these last few days and the op go soo smoothly.
Was that what your appointment was about Nell - to arrange the MRI?
