Yes ladies last rads today can’t believe I’ve finally finished my treatment feeling all sorts of emotions today but know that i will never take my life for granted again
I think i need to mentally heal as well as physically what a bloody journey this has been ?you BC ?
Good luck Carole, it never gets easier, does it! ???
Carole, how did it go??!
Just seen my oncologist, path results from surgery showed clear margins, but now I have to wait for a CT scan. After that, we’ll decide on rads. More waiting!!
Had a really good group session yesterday with a physio and a BCN to learn about exercise, lymphoedema etc. Best thing about it was meeting all the lovely ladies and comparing notes. The woman who I last saw on surgery day was there, looking absolutely great!
Hi my diagnosis kept changing but after surgery (off the top of my head) I had one tumour of 3.2 grade 3 and another of 2.5 cm grade 2, both IDC, 4/11 lymph nodes macro mets and a few other pre cancerous bits and bobs in breast. ER+ 8/8 and PR-, HER-.
I’m 58. Next idea how much they put in the equation or what it means.
He said with just surgery 36% survive 10 years and following surgery, chemo and hormone therapy 62%.
Ask your oncologist next time you see them x
Have any of you lovely ladies had surgery to take out lymph nodes and clear margins after chemo but not with masectomy as I have already had a lumpectomy before chemo?
I have just completed chemo treatment and have my op on 22nd January and was wondering if you have any tips to make it as easy and comfortable as possible. TIA.xx
Hi typicalme!
This time around, i.e my second bout of cancer, I’ve not asked or been given any numbers, to be honest I don’t really see the point as I know it won’t be good and will only depress me! My 2002 diagnosis was ILC grade three, tumour 1.2cm, ER+, herceptin hadnt been invented back then, nodes were clear, I had lumpectomy plus rads and hormones. Then in May 2017 I was diagnosed with inflammatory BC, tumour approx 5cm, grade three IDC, triple negative. Chemo then Mx, now awaiting final decision on rads.
I don’t know if this helps much, one thing I’ve learned here is that all our cases are different and you can’t really judge by what happens to someone else. Apart from our different diagnoses, we’re different ages, levels of fitness, genetics etc. I think we instinctively want “science” and hard statistics, but there are so many variables it doesn’t really work like that. We just have to live with a massive dose of uncertainty!
Yes, typicalme, the uncertainty really is one of the hardest parts, isn’t it? Not least for our friends and family, who all want to know when things are back to normal. I wish! ?
It’s hard to be positive all the time, in fact I’d say it’s impossible! For me, the best way to handle it is to just allow myself a good moan (quite often on
here!) and a good weep now and again, and then just get on with it! The ladies on here are such a support, always ready with sympathy or a giggle!
CK
Member
Jan 10
Have any of you lovely ladies had surgery to take out lymph nodes and clear margins after chemo but not with masectomy as I have already had a lumpectomy before chemo?
I have just completed chemo treatment and have my op on 22nd January and was wondering if you have any tips to make it as easy and comfortable as possible. TIA.xx
Thanks Tatyana
Thats very useful. I have pre op on Weds so will know more and then get prepared. Its rhe drain Im worried about. Not sure what its like but will just have to deal with it in the best way possible.x
CK, the drain is not as bad as it sounds! There’s a tube fastened into place under your arm, it’s quite a long tube and the other end goes into a sealed plastic bag or bottle. While it’s in, you don’t even feel it, the bottle just lies on the bed or hangs over the side. Only thing is, when you get up and move around you have to remember it’s there so you don’t accidentally drop it on the floor!
At my hospital they remove it before you go home, some hospitals will send you home with it still in if you need it, it all depends on how much fluid your body produces, which varies from one person to the next.
Removing the drain tube takes only a few seconds, it felt a bit strange but I can honestly say it didn’t actually hurt! They then put a dressing on, which stays on for a couple of days until the little hole heals up.
I think it’s one of those things that is worse thinking about it beforehand than the reality!
Thank you Tatyana
Feel better now after reading this! ??
Ck i had lymph node op with lumpectomy before chemo and didn’t have a drain, its different to you so im not much help just wanted to wish you good luck for it xx i would say the **bleep** is not big mine is above breast before crease of armpit and it was ok healing x
Thanks Mishy
I ve had lumpectomy before chemo and now have surgery to remove lymph nodes and clear margins so not sure what to expect. I have pre op on Weds so will know more.xx
My diagnosis was grade 3 invasive ductual carcinoma, 31mm, LVI positive, ER 7/8, PR positive, HER2/neu negative, 1/2 sentinel lymph nodes involved, 2mm deposit. I was diagnosed last March, two days after losing my Mum to asbestosis, which made it so hard & my emotional state so much worse. I had a lumpectomy, which later showed clear margins, followed by 6 x chemo treatments, 15 radiotherapy treatments to breast, collar bone & armpit & then 5 booster radiotherapy’s to breast at site of tumour. I have my next appt on 1st Feb for follow up & another to see surgeon on 26th Feb apparently to check operation site. I’m sure like the rest of us I am an emotional wreck some days, worry about it every day & worry what the future holds. My Consultant is a lovely lady, I tell her how scared & worried I am & she does her best to reassure me without any promises or guarantees. She has told me that radiotherapy is as effective as surgery to lymph nodes & that I shouldn’t need surgery to have them removed, but that worries me as so many ladies go on to have this done, but I’m obviously not keen to have it done unless it’s really necessary, another discussion to have at next appointment I guess. I’m taking Letrazole for the next 5 years & have to have Zolendronic acid infusions every 6 months for 3 years. I’m 58 in February. This group is amazing for support & whilst some of our diagnoses are similar our treatments have been so different but I’ve found it so useful & use the information when I see the Consultant to ask questions. Keep in touch with us & tell us how your treatment is going, the more information we all have helps us all to make sure we get the best treatment we can by asking questions. Hope we all get good news from our next appointments. Love to you all. Xxx
Kimi lovely, big hug and ??for you, we are all I am sure the same as you thinking is the chemo and rads working, please keep positive and keep faith and hope knowing you’ve done all you can ???I agree without these threads and the shared known we get from each other we’d not have a clue about other treatments and things for se’s and what to discuss asvits differes from trust to trust and also the info you get given to read doesn’t cover se’s by a long way. Also the kindness. Love and support we get from each other is a very very big part of this journey and your not told about this at any appointments as a support network which I think everyone should be told about so they know it’s here if they feel they need it ???
shi xx
afternoon ladies. I hope everyone is doing well. I thought I’d pop in to say hello.
I feel like I’ve jumped ship lately, but do think about you all a lot.
I’ve been really busy trying to make a home since the builders finished and to be honest I think I needed to try and not think about cancer for a few weeks.
Mishy, your rads will be finished now. Congratulations. ? I can imagine you were sick as a chip by the time you started the top ups.
I’m going to put some time aside tomorrow to read through what everyone’s been up to over the past few weeks.
I’m doing well. 5 weeks into tamoxifen now and apart from hot flushes and night sweats I don’t think I have any side effects yet. ?
Just waiting for my reconstruction appointment now. X
Hi Carole.
So sorry you didn’t get better news today. There are other things it could be. If you scour old posts on these forums you’ll find other people who have been in similar positions and it’s turned out to be fine.
I know how terrifying fear of the unknown is. I’ve refused my follow up ct as I don’t want to know. If I get any symptoms then I’ll ask for one.
Small liver lesions were found on my first ct and also liver cysts. Also, 6 our of 26 nodes involved so who knows.
You’re braver than me for going back for more. Sending you a very big hug.
Angela Xxx
Carole, wishing you the best of luck and big hugs. Keep us posted!
Carole sorry about the CT scan outcome x hopefully you will get better news from the MRI
Angela good to hear from you i know what you mean about needing a break from BC i kind of feel like that ive never had any scans since my mammo and ultrasound the only scan i did have was the CT planning scan for rads which the onc had a quick look at i was 1 out of 5 node macrometes positive but it was big 19mm in size! The TN really plays on my mind at times but feeling like this is a normal reaction to all of this i may have to have a little time out too fir my mental wellbeing
Kimi its a horrible feeling when the anxiety of it not being gine creeps in every now and then surgery was such a long time ago now si we just have to have faith that we have had everything we could have had and like Angela says if any symptoms crop up then we can ask for scans oh and yes i was sick as a chip by i finished rads!! Hope you get your date soon , ooh and my hair is now the equivalent to a number 3 all over buzz cut still a dodgy colour though ?
Hi Michelle.
Great that your hair is growing back. It should be a cute pixie soon.
My lump was 5cm ? and the rest of the boob was covered in pre cancer.
I was told that if it wasn’t for having bc they wouldn’t of been at all concerned about what my ct showed. Apparently the lesions are tiny and don’t look like cancer. They could of been there from birth.
However, I smoked since I was 13 so my lungs are never going to be as good as non smokers.
I was told that my outcome wouldn’t be any different if I found out now or later if it had spread. So the way I look at it, I’d rather think it probably hasn’t than that it definitely has. I’m 43 and need to believe I’ve got a long life ahead.
We’re all different though, and I know some people are terrified because they aren’t offered scans.
And no Carole, not on the secondaries. Just google something like ‘lung lesions, Breast cancer ct’. You’ll find plenty of forums where people have discussed it.
Isn’t this just such a horrible bloody thing. Like kimi says, Just a bit of peace would be lovely. X