Hi
Sorry to be a nuisance but I don’t know what to do. Had 2 lumpectomies 1 cancerous DCIS one benign and some lymph nodes removed 2 weeks ago. Saw a surgeon last Friday for results and he said the results haven’t come back yet and indicated everything seemed fine. He seemed so confident I believed him. I was really shocked to find out op had not been fine at all. Friday afternoon saw the surgeon who did op who said instead of 6 mm they were going to take out took 8 cm and have found margins still not clear.
Good news lymph nodes not affected and benign lump which was the only thing that showed on mammogram was benign.
Given choice of second op to take out more or mastectomy. Surgeon and partner I don’t live with (his choice) seemed really happy to have one more try if that failed a mastectomy have upset partner since coming home as said I am not happy with decision to have second retry op this Wednesday. I have lots of questions unanswered and think a mastectomy might be the better choice. It was less than an hour after been told and decision whole consultation seemed over in 5 minutes. His view is surgeon wouldn’t say that if not very sure she can get it all out. He knows nothing about breast cancer which killed my mum, two of her sisters and their grandmother. He thinks talking to people will confuse decision I went back to mine and have been trying to cope and decide what to do. I think he is in genuine shock as I am…
Found this site by accident and Nurse gave some advice yesterday and was brilliant. ( Everything closed as a weekend)She thinks opposite to partner you need answers, advice examples of scenarios from others who are going through or who have been through this to feel happy with making such a big decision. Am I being silly thinking they have taken so much of the one DCIS breast anyway which didn’t even show on a mammogram that it is silly not to think a mastectomy is the best solution.
To make matters worst I don’t get paid for being off work I have to think of recovery time am so sorry if that upsets people me mentioning this but I don’t have family or anyone other than partner to help me so even if I want to sit down and cry I need to go back to work ASAP. I worked in 2 jobs 7 days a week for many years up until 4 years ago and it took me 3 years of really basic living on top of that to get out of debt before. I can’t go through that again.
If I have a second op and it goes well great radiotherapy probably next step. If I have a mastectomy what are the physical difficulties and how long is the average time off work?