Hi @booklover1
Thank you! I’m home now. All went well.
I had a mascetomy with an implant reconstruction. Recovery time is less than diep. I was initially recommended diep but I’ve lost weight so not enough on my back. I couldn’t have tummy tuck as not enough there either. My feeling is, although it is early days, that i will have more discomfort from my full node clearance than my breast surgery.
Surgery itself was wonderful!! Nice calm ward. And i was allowed home.
The downside is that i have to be extra careful with movement so the implant doesn’t rotate or get infected. I’m going to sit on the couch or bed for a good 5 days, get up for tea etc and then consider a little walk after a week or so.
I hope this helps…
Xx
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Also @booklover1 I’m so sorry to hear you have to have another operation soon after the other one. I guess it is soon?
Did i mention that radiotherapy might mess up my reconstruction? In which case I’ll have to have either another implant or a diep.
Having the reconstruction now means that i can keep my original skin and nipple. So it looks fine from what I’ve dared to check out xx
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@booklover1 - thank you for your update. I’m sorry to hear that you need further surgery. I too had a lumpectomy and full node removal.
I have my appointment with the surgeon on Monday. She said she would call me once she gets the results but no news yet. So I wonder if it’s similars to yours. I’m anxious but can’t change things, so trying now to worry.
My arm feels very sensitive, tingly, heavy- so convinced I have lymphoedema but the physio says I have to wait until 6 weeks post surgery.
I wonder if anyone had full node removal and similar issues?
X
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Yes to the weird and heavy arm feelings @bex1 after mastectomy and full node clearance. When I asked about why it was more tingly and painful than chest wall, she explained to do the clearance they have to ‘rummage’ around in a smaller space in your upper arm, so basically do more damage to the inner arm tissue which then takes longer to recover.
Rest assured it is normal and tick it off your worry list, I remember it did take a while to recover, but the explanation was logical. Keep up with ibuprofen to help with the swelling of it and hopefully it’ll feel more manageable soon x
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Thank you @pipspops - that’s made me feel a lot better.
Having a wobble today. Tomorrow will be better. 
Thank you ladies… this group has been such a pillar of strength for me. I call it my NCT for cancer. Any of you who had babies and an ‘NCT’ group will understand, for others when I had my first child, I joined the NCT to meet other mothers who had a baby the same time, we could share our anxieties, lack of sleep etc. to other going through the same thing at the same time, just like now.
Sleep well xx
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Sleep well sweetie, hope you can get comfortable x
Agree wholeheartedly about our group, it has been and still is a real lifeline, thank you to everyone, you’re all amazing 
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Have you had level 3 removed or just 1 & 2?
Hi
@caz1970 I am glad to hear you are healing well. I was impressed with how neat the scars were too, still a bit swollen but better than a few days ago. Good luck with the results xx
@cf640 thats great that your operation went ahead & you are home already! You will have to find a good series on netflix to distract you while you are sitting still for the 5 days. I am not sure when my next op will be, I am supposed to see a plastic surgeon maybe at the end of this week/next to talk it throughxx
@bex1 sorry that you are having pain in your arm I hope it starts settling soon. I only had sampling and I felt more pain in armpit than in the breast. As pippop saiid its a tighter space so maybe more inflammation? I hope you get your results soon. I got the impression from the surgeon that the size of DCIS was unusual so hopefully you won’t have any issues with itx
Agree about the group, it has really helped me too xx
@bex1 I had a lumpectomy and full node removal and my arm was definitely worse than my boob in terms of pain and recovery. I had no feeling in some parts of the arm pit for months - I spoke to my BCN at the time and apparently they cut through nerves and that can happen. I had to rub different materials in the area to try and get the numb bits to I guess reboot (poss not the best term😂). The BCN and physio went through how to massage the arm to help with recovery and fingers crossed reduce the risk of lymphoedema - I can’t remember how soon this was after surgery so it might be too early for you at the moment. There is a certain way to massage in terms of direction/ I think period of time post surgery you have to wait, so obvs speak to them before you try!!
Once my drain was removed I ended up with seromas on 3 occasions- If you are developing these (no matter what size) they are uncomfortable, especially if they put pressure on the lymph removal scar.
It will definitely start to sort itself - it’s not long since your surgery and your body has had quite a trauma from the surgery. As pipspops said it is normal.
@booklover1 sorry to hear you have to have further surgery. Fingers crossed it all gets sorted as quickly as possible for you.
Take care both of you xx
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Hi @zaran
Sorry you are feeling meh at the moment. And you are not being negative about feeling blue. You are being honest and candid. I am sure many of us will say this journey is a major head f*** and a huge toll on one’s mental health.
Going on the HOPE course sounds amazing and I hope the days have been feeling better.
@lmd I was booked on a Moving Forward course but cancelled. I wasn’t ready and had just finished radio/having my zometa infusion in btw that I just couldn’t face it. I am still a bit too tearful at times and not ready to sob in front of people. But I may rebook soon….
@pipspops the way your friends have been really (and I mean really) resonates with me. I have a supposedly good friend who has hardly contacted me during active treatment and we met up a few weeks ago. She made an off the cuff comment that she knows she did not reach out very much during the summer but had a lot on (which is bs). I didn’t say anything but not because I understand but because she has shown her true colours and I now know where I stand.
Oh and if one more of my friends match my fatigue and chemo induced menopause symptoms you may hear me scream across the UK lol.
@booklover1 sorry the surgery results were mixed. It worries me when they discover more that scans do – I had that when they found the BC in my lymph node but nothing showed it inc a breast mri! When do you need to make a decision?
@caz1970, @bex1, @cf640 hope the recovery is going from strength to strength.
@alisona1Your tree analogy is beautiful. Yes we will emerge
Still can’t believe it is almost a year since I discovered my lump. 14 Feb was my GP appt where she said ‘it is fine, lumpy area at 49’ blah blah) and 20 Feb was the day I had the mammo, us, biopsy and told I had cancer (with no one around as I also thought it was fine, lumpy area 49).
Anyhow, I am now waiting for my onco to call re a check-up. I have a list of shitty side effects and reckon it will be ‘just a get on with it’ reply.
Almost the weekend so that’s a win.
xx
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True colours indeed 
knowledge is power as they say, but it has been an eye opener 
Hope you don’t get fobbed off with your side effects x
@ldm @naughty_boob @kerrylou1 @pipspops @booklover1 @idcand49 @debi1
Thank you all for the lovely msgs, sorry im so rubbish at replying!!
Im looking forward to seeing what the HOPE course offers for sure.
I picked up a little bit the other day, joined the gym and started swimming and working out a bit. Then i had my zoledronic acid infusion yesterday.
Man oh man. Ive been bedbound for the whole day. Temperature, aching, headache, chills and shivers. Its been intense!! Theyve assured me thats normal and it’ll only last for a couple of days.
I feel like ive been stuck in my pit and cant get out lol.
Im hoping I’ll feel a bit more normal tomorrow 
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I had a full node removal and a mastectomy with a diep reconstruction.
That was on april 30th and my back of my arm is still numb, my armpit is still numb, my tummy and my “not boob” is also numb.
I have noticed that my arm is ever so slightly more swollen than the other side, i dont think mine will go down anytime soon.
I still struggle to sleep on that side also. I actually cant stand anything touching my tummy. Even though its numb, if i lean and i lean on my tummy (like when im washing up) i dont feel it but feel the pressure and it makes me feel sick lol xxxx
Yes I can confirm the Zolendronic acid knocks you for a few days, I’ve had 2 so far and I feel like I have flu, can’t get out of bed and feel achy and fatigued (more than normal on Letrozole!). But at least it’s only every 6 months.
Take care and rest until you feel better.
I found swimming has helped with the chest wall pain and cording I have on both sides as it’s a full body workout. The only downside is that I can’t swim in a straight line. I have more issues on my left side (had a bilateral lumpectomy), I have to be careful especially on my back not to swim into people. I found swimming on my back was so beneficial as I struggle to breath doing front crawl. You will be back soon. 
The lymphoedema nurse and my physio say that swimming is excellent to keep our lymph nodes working well.
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That infusion knocked me out for 4 days !
It hurt being alive I kept telling my husband
Ugh
But it does go away
@pipspops my onco was amazing !
So many ideas to help me get through this Inc CBT and referral to meno clinic if things don’t improve
Sadly i can’t move to 3 m zoladex yet until symptoms improve but hey ho
Gtg used to the monthly jabs
Xx
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I’m glad it was a productive meeting with options for further help if needed, sometimes that’s all you need, other options rather than a brick wall.
I’m not envious of the infusion……boy oh boy ladies, sounds bloody rough, bless you 
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Hi all
Its great to come on here and read the honest opinions. I was feeling great yesterday after my op and it hit me this morning that im the other side of treatment and I will soon be alone with this cancer worry.
I’ve got messages from so called friends (let me know if i can help) etc. I feel like saying send me chocolate, come and see me, send me wine. Make me a cake. It isn’t that hard.
My sister asked me if i was doing day trips… I sent her a picture of my drains haha.
Anyway, i have radiotherapy and infusions now as well as my results appointment. Hopefully no more chemo.
Keep going, July friends!!
Xx
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Oh bless you! Hope youre ok! I think people can be quite blasé about all this cancer treatment stuff, lets just hope they never have to go through it themselves eh?
I took my first letrozole and abemicicleb this morning. Feel proper dizzy!! Does that slow down!?
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I felt “heard” which I wasn’t expecting
And she offered non pharma options first (CBT for ex) and said we would step up the ladder if needed
I would rather not throw more meds if possible so
Endocrine doesn’t have the best PR lol
Also can’t remember who asked about hair growth but I had shedding for about 10ish weeks PFC
I will never forget my first semi perm colour and loads coming out at the hairdressers
They were v kind not saying anything
Now I have about 1.5-2 inches of new hair in btw the hair I saved (now a short bob)
I look bonkers 
@cf640 and ditto, I want a cake too from a friend xx
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Let me know how Letrozole is
I switched brands and half my side effects became easier !
My onco was happy for me to do this when we spoke yesterday
Defo track side effects & don’t be afraid to push back on the brands
X
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