Hi Elaine,
sorry to hear about your in laws. As others have said, they probably don’t know what to say or how to cope. Hope things settle down between you all as time goes by and they get more used to your diagnosis.
I have a son similar age to yours ( will be 13 in Dec). Someone told me about the riprap site but I had a look at it myself first and thought it was probably best if he didn’t go on it as there are lots of very sad, true stories on there from kids whose parents have died from cancer. My lad would get really upset reading these and I don’t think it would help him at this stage. So just saying best to have a look at it yourself first and see if you think it is ok for your particular child and circumstances …which it may well be.
I am 6 weeks post op and just started rads. Still get tired if I over-do it and expect that might worsen as I go on with rads.
Good luck with your results on thurs Elaine and Ann.
Deb and Annie sorry to hear you will need chemo when you were hoping/expecting not to. You both sound really strong and positive and I am sure you’ll get lots of support here on the relevant threads. wishing you both lots of luck.
Just had my first chemo session and the thought of it is definitely worse than the actual procedure. I also opted to have the cold cap and again this was ok and not at all like I’d heard ie painful. Just got to wait and see now re the side effects etc.
Good luck to all of you who are awaiting your results.
Crystal2 - How reassuring to hear POSITIVE comments re. chemo. I have been told that I will almost certainly need it and should start 1st week in Nov. Have spoken to BCN about the cold cap and was quite apprehensive but your comments are reassuring and I will certainly give it a try.Hope you are feeling relatively OK. Keep smiling. Marli.xx
Hi all
I agree with you Marli yes it is reassuring to hear positive comments re Chemo, I’m seeing Onc next Wednesday on results of my echo, ecg and blood tests to find out which chemo I will be having which will then start a week later so I am a little apprehensive but, I am going to go in with a positive attitude now which will definitely help with my blood pressure. Take care Carole xx
I had wire guided WLE and some nodes removed yesterday. I am very shocked at the size of the scars, the one on my breast is about 4 inches long, so too is the one under my arm, they almost meet at right angles. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this, I must admit that I was expecting 2 inches max. I get the results next Friday, but after reading some other comments posted, it seems that some of you know weather your nodes are affected before the report.
Hi EnglishRose,
I didn’t know whether my nodes were affected until I got my results from their removal but some people do seem to get told prior to that.
Both my scars are 3 to 4 " long even though my lump was only .7mm
Hope your results are good ones. LooLoo x
With my WLE, I had a Sentinel Node Biopsy (SNB). They removed just the sentinel node and tested it during surgery to see if it was cancerous. It wasn’t and so they did not remove any more, but after surgery they tested the rest of it in the lab and, thankfully, that was clear too. I think if they had found it was affected during surgery, they would have removed more nodes there and then. Not all hospitals do this procedure, apparently.
Prior to surgery, I had a radioisotope injected and then blue dye during the op, so that they could locate the sentinel node. Clever stuff, but it leaves you with blue wee, and blue parts of the body!
My SNB scar is about 1.5cms , but my WLE scar is about 9cms.
Good luck with your results. The waiting is scary.
Hi Ladies,
Got my results today. Was told that they got all the cancer out in the op and just in time as it was a grade 3. and it hasnt spreaded to my lymph nodes. tk god.
Go bk next week to see what treatment i will recieve. Feel as if my luck it starting to change. And about time too.
Just wish everyone on this site could have some gd news.
Regarding the length of the scars, I asked one of the surgeons yesterday why my scar is about 9cms, when the lump was only 1.9cms. She said that as well as making sure they get a clear margin, it is easier to remove the lump with a larger incision. However, she did say that being female, she tends to make smaller scars, although it makes the job harder. I had a male surgeon but as he managed to get clear margins, I really don’t mind about the length of the scar now!
English Rose, good luck with your results and let us know how you get on.
Just reading comments and see that some of you, like me, were just expecting rads and poss tamoxifen after a WLE and SNB. Although, thankfully, I had clear margins, nodes and vessels, my tumour was a grade 3. I was shocked to the core when chemo was mentioned. I met the next week with the onc and decided it was a good option for me to have the chemo. I will let them thow everything they have at me to stop this recurring.
I had terrible anxiety before the chemo started, panic attacks; a brown paper bag became my constant companion. However, that was the worst part. Once I started chemo it all stopped. I felt I was in good hands and was having treatment to keep me well. The actual treatment is painless. I have had no sickness. I have suffered a little with sore veins and just tired, tired, tired.
i have finished my 4xEpi and started CMF yesterday. I have 4 cycles to do and should finish in January. I have been going to work when I can, which keeps me feeling normal.
I know what a shock it is to have chemo mentioned when you think, like I did, that you are home and dry but it is doable and you will feel better for knowing you are doing what you can. If I had decided not have chemo I know that my first thought each day and my last thought each night would be “Should I ?” And soon it will be over.
Hi ladies,
Thanks for your responce about the length of scars, like you Ann, I wont mind how big the scar is if they get it all out! I was just concerned that it seemed very long.
Any way, my other worry at the moment is feeling sick. I have been feeling sick since the opp on Wednesday,(3 days ago) when I came around with a blinding headache and sick feeling. I was given some tabs to take, these might have been routine, then a bit later after complaining I was given an injection in my bottom to help with the sickness.
It’s not bad all of the time, but comes on in waves. Is it the aenaesthetic or could it be the pain relief I am taking?
Taking: Codeine Phosphate, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
if it’s any comfort,I had a look at my snb and wle scars this morning (5 months post op) and they are nicely faded and seem a lot smaller -remember there’s swelling still and everything will feel puffed up for a bit-plus if they used glue to stick the wound it looks pretty bad as it’s dirty old scabby looking stuff after a bit ! My surgeon is an oncoplastic one and I think he’d do his best to make it look neat and tidy !
Hi all
Here I am 5 weeks post op still swollen and sore but living with it, my scar is 12cm long, lump was 43mm big, it has healed lovely, I have been putting bio oil on but I do tend to heal quickly anyway, but I think the bio oil has helped as the skin is very soft. Under my arm isn’t so sore as it was but then I have religiously done my exercises, its still numb in places, but its not painful any more. It all just takes time,we will all have to be patient patients lol. Take care Carole x
English Rose - sorry to hear you feel so poorly. Spoke to breast care nurse yesterday re. my painkillers and mentioned headache . She tol dme the codiene can cause a headache ( I only took it out of desperation as it does not really suit me). Perhaps they can give you something else, I was given diclofenac and paracetamol as well and I stick to them. Used 4Head stick to help with headache. Good luck. Marlix
I cant take codeine as it makes me feels sick, so maybe it affects you in a similar way too? Also ibuprofen is known to be a gastric irritant. I just managed with paracetamol after my surgery, and there were times when it was slightly uncomforatble, but generally paracetamol was sufficient. Hope you feel better soon. If you do want to take ibuprofen, be sure to eat something before you take it. That should help.