@jeml Sorry to hear you and your little girl have got sore throats. A sofa and Peppa Pig day sounds just the ticket. I remember a day like that when my son was a similar age at a similar time of year and we put his tent up in his bedroom and both fell asleep in it. It’s rather a lovely memory.
@galdiolus Talking of all things reconstruction, I have just been to see Kieran Power, the reconstructive surgeon, at Marsden this morning. I finished radiotherapy on 28th October and everything is in good condition so he is going to replace my tissue expander with a soft saline implant in April and give my other boob a lift. I used Flamigel RT and have been told that the results are as good as they could be so I recommend it. Happy to share info if I can be of help.
@shannon27 If I were you I would be doing exactly the same and opting for a double mastectomy. To me it makes total sense. Especially at yours and Jemma’s ages. Fantastic that the chemo is doing its job with you so quickly. Really great news.
Thanks @salbert yes i think that will be the plan going forward, thank you. Im so glad i found this page its helped so much over the last week just getting started and speaking with everyone 🩷xx
@salbert amazing, anything you could share would be really appreciated. I was looking between implant and DIEP but think implant probably best to start with. Thank you so much for being such a great support xx
Aww sounds lovely. She not moved too much today, she is always on go but just laid and keeps dozing off bless her. Wont eat but drinking warm milk and taking calpol. Im starting to feel rough now too! Typical i thought to my self days ago i wont be poorly now for a good while then the bloody bug got me! She has a few spots too so waiting for Dr to call as i sent some photos in. Poor babs some people told me.looks like pox which im hoping not… but i am also poorly so i dont know… apparently pox is not good for us but not much i can do if she has got them x
Hi All. I haven’t been on here for a little while as trying to make the most of the downtime between chemo and surgery. I’ve had surgery today and not long got home. Very grateful I didn’t have to stay in overnight. Went to theatre at about 10.30 this morning and was discharged at about 7.30 this evening. Had a lumpectomy and a total node clearance. They’ve said to expect up to 6 weeks for results so a long wait now. I’m feeling ok, starting to get abit sore but lots of rest and recuperation planned hopefully. Hope everyone else is doing ok x
I have three little black spots tattooed on me for life. They used them time to line me up during 10 days of radiotherapy. I do occasionally think ‘what’s that when I’m in the shower and try to rub the front one off! But otherwise, they really do me no harm.
Hi @galdiolus - my pleasure! I was recommended to go with an implant because I am a D cup and didn’t have enough fat be able to create the same size boob after my skin-sparing mastectomy. Personally, I was very happy about this as I did not like the sound of the major surgery that is involved in a DIEP Flap procedure. However, I fully respect the choices of women that do go down this route and I’m sure there are people who can share their experience of it.
I had a tissue expander implant put in on 7th August when I had the mastectomy done and this has been gradually filled with saline to stretch the skin enough to match my remaining boob. I fared very well with radiotherapy so had my final saline pump-up a couple of weeks ago and now my boobs are the same size again. As I mentioned before, I definitely recommend Flamigel RT and now I am booked to have the final implant and boob lift done in April 2025 as you need 6 months to elapse after radiotherapy finishing. There is even talk of some fat transfer to improve the soft tissue cover on the implant side. Not sure where that comes from but I’m very happy with the results so far so I will take the recommendation as my team seem to know exactly what they are doing. I have even been recommended Paradise Tattoo Studio in Cheltenham which is an all female set-up who specialise in nipple tattoos. Apparently the skin is much thinner so you need people who know what they are doing. I could have a nipple tattooed back on there but I prefer the idea of a nipple tassel as it’s a fun way to end things and put my stamp on what was not the most pleasant of experiences. Also, I have a nipple tassel twirling history so it seems fitting! I’ll keep you posted. I tend to share every aspect of my journey on here so I can’t see anything changing.
@jeml Hope you’re both doing ok, lovely. I guess you’ll know soon enough if the spots develop. Praying that it’s something mild.
@rrey Lovely to hear from you. You were another young one (@shannon27) and I’m pleased to hear that you are through chemo and surgery now. You are slowly but surely getting there. I’m so glad you have checked in to keep us up to date with your progress. Lots of R&R for you over the next few days. Sending you strength and love.
Hello @suedot, me old mucker! You have made me realise that because I never have glasses on when I am naked, I never notice my radiotherapy dots. I’ve even forgotten they are there!
So nice to hear from you. Take time to recover from your operation. It’s so easy to think you should be better once the scar heals on the outside but I was told it can be 12 weeks for all the insides to heal. ( I had a double lumpectomy).
@suedot so nice to hear from you. I have 3 dots as well. Hope you are doing well.
@jeml sending get well wishes. I hope it’s not chicken pox but if it is I’m sure your doctor will keep on eye on you. For us older people over 50 we can get a shingles vaccine after having immune suppression treatment such as chemo.
Thanks @salbert, yes get through this chemotherapy and then surgery probs april 🩷
Im thinking i have diep flapncauee of my area of dcis but i will have options for surgery. Its great to hear other peoples stories with surgery and experiences. Thanks for sharing 🩷
@salbert thanj you so much for sharing that is amazing. I have tiny boobies so don’t think I will need the expander but you are definitely swaying me towards the implant. I feel the same about the diep. I really like the idea of “normal tissue” but doubles the wound healing I’m not a fan of. I will mention the implant to my surgeon and hopefully that will be an option for me.
I am just in Kent so great recommendations for the tattoos. When can they do the nipple tassel x
Thanks everyone! Im quite poorly today and feel like a zombie. Just waiting for my mum to come and im off for some emergency bloods and to start antiviral meds at weekend. Dr said its the pox… and was really worried about me
Im still not convinced though at first i thought it was hand foot and mouth and looks similar to that too. Adults also get flu like symptoms with that one… great! Little one as been playing a bit today but not eating because her tongue hurts which is making me.think its more foot and mouth. I feel like i not had a break since june and forever poorly. Im bored now
Aw thank you! Turns out its hand foot and mouth! Little one is covered it looks awful! But she seems her usual self again. Its me thats got cold like symptoms. I got antivirals though so hopefully will be okay in a few days. Hope you not too rough with the chemo xx @shannon27
Aw hopefully she feels better soon, horrible when they are unwell. Yes its not been to bad just a bit sluggish at times achy. Having a couple of dramatic moments but will get there. At least i will know kind of what to expect next cycle, how many rounds did you have x
Oh @jeml you poor thing … hand foot and mouth !!! It’s not nice but hopefully the anti virals will knock it into touch … another of those delightful infectious things that children get . I hope your little girl is ok … I remember my now 20 and 23 year old getting it from a soft play centre Halloween party about 17 years ago … and my toddler grandson had it a few months ago , my daughter was able to get him to suck ice lollies which helped for the mouth pain x
I was really lucky as an adult and never got HFAM or slapped cheek from my kids . I was also immune to toxoplasmosis… due to being the most disgusting child known to man … who was regularly dragged out of the mud and ate worms for a hobby …(my mum once wailed at me , why can’t you be more girly ! )
I basically exposed myself to all the bugs
@rrey hope you are recovering ok from your surgery … make sure you rest well as I felt floored for the first couple of weeks but tried to overdo it . Is this the last part of your treatment now ? X @shannon27 Welcome to the gang you never thought you wanted to be part of … we are all at differing stages in our journey here so you’ll find us a comforting and supportive lot x
Like you I had extensive multi focal DCIS but initially was thought not to need chemo as only one invasive apparent on biopsy and it was 1.1 mm , had a single mastectomy and they found 5 sneaky invasives in there (all her2) so the plan then changed to chemo and herceptin.
I had my mx in September and my first chemo 10 days ago x
Yes im finding this group a great comfort, and very supportive. Yes i hadnt spoke to many people with dcis and invasive it was mainly people with lumps so coming across alot of ladies now with similar is good to share experiences with surgery and chemotherapy etc. Im triple positive too so on the herceptin aswell , how are you feeling now ? Xx
@shannon27 - Yes I didn’t have a lump I just had a tender breast which swelled up … really weird !
On the day of the hospital appointment they said there were no lumps but my boob was full of micro calcifications…
mine is hormone negative … they think that the boob swelling was actually unrelated as my cancer wouldn’t have given any symptoms at the point … whatever it was I’m thankful my boob decided to complain about whatever it was it wasn’t happy with !!
Yes i was the similar just a ropey area in breast which felt hardened at times and pain now and then but no lumps , but yes, gald it has been caught and getting treated now. Just always been told your too young which i will be advocating for other woman of any age that it doesn’t have to be a lump to cause concern we know our bodies x
xx
. I hope your little girl is ok … I remember my now 20 and 23 year old getting it from a soft play centre Halloween party about 17 years ago … and my toddler grandson had it a few months ago , my daughter was able to get him to suck ice lollies which helped for the mouth pain x
… we are all at differing stages in our journey here so you’ll find us a comforting and supportive lot x