the biggest thing is post-op you will get tired alot faster than you expect to, and this will go on for months, gradually getting better. But it will be 3-6 months before you are back to ‘normal’ energy levels. It doesn’t necessarily mean your life will be really restricted, but you will find yourself having early nights instead of going out!
Hi Evie, thanks for your tip about the implant. I’ll ask them tomorrow about that.
Hi Jane, thanks again for have told me about knitted knockers. I sent them an email few days ago and they put my order as an urgency.
I’m wondering if we have been treated at the same hospital due to the similarity between what they say to you and to me and now I’m afraid they will take more lymph nodes than they need like they did to you. Do you have any kind of problem because of that?
They decided do all together (sentinel biopsy and mastectomy) last week. Before that they’d do the biopsy at first. I think they want to finish the surgery as soon as possible because they can see how miserable I have been, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. I’m not sure what I’m going to tell them tomorrow.
How are you recovering from surgery? About radiotherapy, the wound needs to be healed before starting?
Thanks for everything and big hug 
Good morning everyone, I hope you’re getting better and feeling better
They postponed my surgery. My doctor thinks I’m not emotionally prepared to have surgery or he’s afraid that I haven’t understood what I agreed with. I’m not working anymore, since I was going to have surgery tomorrow. Now I’m more anxious and alone at home. They are driving me crazy. Who can feel well in this situation? Not me for sure. All the time I go to hospital I’m told someone different. I can’t help and start crying. Now it seems I should contain my emotions and smile while they explain how they are going to cute me, so they can believe in me when I say that I agree with the surgery. It’s been a nightmare that never ends.
Sorry for telling you this, ladies. I’d like to how you felt before surgery. We’re you strong enough on that time?
With sentinel node biopsy, they use either blue dye or radioactive tracer or both to identify the lymph nodes. It usually picks up 3-4 but may pick up more. If it picks up more, they have to remove them. I had a lymph node picked up by radioactive tracer some distance away from my sentinal nodes, so they removed it. Obviously they couldn’t ask me for separate consent, as they didn’t know what they were going to find until the operation was underway. I had to go back for an axillary clearance, and had 22 lymph nodes removed in total. So far no problems post-op.
Thanks, pastasmissus. I’m glad that you haven’t any problem because of the axillary clearance. Good to know that not everyone has problems after the procedure
Thanks, Jane. I can’t understand why too 
Thanks, Helenann
My husband is always with me and he speaks English enough to understand everything. Even I can understand, but they really told me they will try to arrange a translator, so they can be sure I’m “happy” with the surgery. I think that the problem is I can’t talk normally about being mutilated. When we start to talk about it I can’t avoid crying. They’ll never see me calm with this situation, I hope they realise it soon
First they booked an appointment to Thursday. Now they rebooked to next week, can you believe?
They also time I can be referred by them to another hospital if I want, but I don’t want to delay even more and I don’t know other hospitals. I think that I’m at the biggest one of the region.
Hi Jane, it’s a good idea, I’ll ask him if it’d help if he wants to delay it again. Many thanks
I’m back to work, so I have less time to think (but I also have less time to reply. Sorry for the delayed 
Hi Helenann, thanks for your words and please forgive me for using this word. Now I realise that It can be hard for you all, who already had mastectomy, to read it. I hadn’t realised when I wrote it down. I am really sorry
I had a mastectomy 30 years ago and waited a year before having a reconstruction, which was far less common in those days. I only had one because I hated wearing a prosthesis so much - hot in the summer and falling out all the time (that was probably my fault).
I’ve just had a lumpectomy on the other side and really feel that I was stampeded into it and would have much preferred to have had another mastectomy and have done with it, as I did 30 years ago, rather than having to mess around with chemo and rads - although that’s probably the opinion of an older woman talking.
I think we all need to remember that we are more than our breasts, they neither define us nor our sexuality - despite what many men try to make us feel - I appreciate that this may be not be a usual opinion but I really think it’s both true and important. Even last time round when I’d only been married for a couple of months I felt that and the mastectomy made no difference to my relationship, only the thought that we might lose each other so quickly after coming together made it so much more precious.
Just another pov to throw into the mix.
Kathx that’s exactly how I feel. I’ve been given an opportunity to live and to be cured and I intend to give myself the best chance to do this. I have small breasts so my sexuality has never been defined by them, although honestly I’ve always wished they were bigger and envied the women who have bigger breasts. I was given the opportunity for an immediate reconstruction with expander when I have my mx with SNB surgery next week however I want to give radiotherapy the best chance to work if I need it so I have elected not to. It seems for small women without much extra fat that this is the best option if you want an immediate reconstruction without compromising radiotherapy, similar to what HelenAnn had, however your skin can tighten with rads so you need to be aware of that. I was quite emotionally unable to deal with this in the first couple of weeks following diagnosis but I’m really heartened by you lovely ladies who have detailed your experiences post surgery. My first priority is to live. I’ll deal with the cosmetics later. Carol Lina you can do this, we’re all behind you. Bless you all, Kia Kaha
Jane, I’m a bit confused. Did you have surgery twice? You said 4cm pre cell cancer were found. How was it? Dcis is not ductal carcinoma in situ(inside the ductal?). I was told I have IDC invasive ductal carcinoma(it started inside one ductal, but it has already invaded breast tissue
Hi everyone, thank you very much for all your encouragement and for sharing your experiences. I opentthis thread one month ago and I know some of you had surgery after that and some received their results. How are you all feeling? How were your results? If you feel well to share, it would be wonderful to know and try to help. We’re all at the same shoes.
Kath, firstly I’m sorry that you’ve been through it again. Secondly, thanks for sharing it. I’m so glad that your husband is so supportive. I’m am also lucky about it. I admire women like you, who can cope more easily with this kind of problem. Unfortunately, I’m more likely to see the negative side of situations than the positive ones
Hi Chime, thanks! Did you get your lymph node results? I’m glad that you can cope more easily with it, as it’s not easy to wake up everyday when you feel so bad about anything. I also told my BC nurse that reducing the risks of recurrence is my priority when she asked me, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel pretty bad about losing a piece of me, and it’s not because of my sexuality or because of my husband, it’s about me. I can’t get rid of the the feeling of loss
Hi Helenann! Don’t worry, you didn’t make me feel bad, it’s just that I realised that word could, not offend, but maybe hurt someone here. Thanks again for your support. It means too much for me
Hi Quaggie, welcome to the thread and thanks for your best wishes! No, my surgeon didn’t tell me anything about psychologist. My nurse told me to look for help in some kind of group in another city and that’s all. I can’t go there and I’m not able to talk to a group(but here, where we don’t see each other. I’m quite shy person). A psychologist from the hospital or GP, to talk only to me, I wasn’t offered.
May and Jane, it’s exactly as I feel and yes, it’s normal life to the staff, but it’s a big deal to us
I didn’t tell you all the changes which has been happening during my appointments because I didn’t want to make you confused. It seems to me like my doctor is not sure what to do with me. It make even worse, all the time I go there I’m afraid about what I’ll hear and I am never prepared for that because all the time I’m told a different thing. Sometimes I wonder if it’s not too much to suggest a mastectomy(when they told me that, they didn’t have even scan results). Don’t you think it’s a too agressive treatment? In my country it’s not the “normal”. I feel afraid one day to go there and a friend ask me why I left someone do this to me when they don’t usually do there. It’s proved(when it’s possible to be done) that lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy is as safe as mastectomy. I’m feeling so confused. I’d like to be treated in my onw country, but as I gave up of my job there I no longer have health insurance
Now I understand why they have said that if not clear margins of DCIS this time then they will have to do a mastectomy. I didnt realise DCIS didnt respond to chemo. Thank god for this forum and thank you Janie for explaining. I am really hoping for positive results on Tuesday as I dont think I can take any more surgery