I’ve been posting on the “waiting resuls” forum for the last few days and it’s been a fantastic help. This afternoon I went to the hospital to hear that I have a confirmed cancerous lump in my right breast and pre-cancer cells in my left breast. I’m going into hosital on Tuesday morning to have the necessary operation. I’m so numb with shock and feel sick. I just can’t believe it and take it all in. I just don’t know what to think.
I just need to get round to Tuesday now and then I’ll feel something is being done. I ame having the lump plus exta tissue removed on the right side and the pre-cancerous mass taken away on the left side plus my lymph nodes - my surgeon has been wonderful and thinks i should be able to go home the following day after surgery. Will there be a lost of pain afterwards? I just don’t know what to expect xxx
I am sure your fellow users will be along soon with support, I have posted some information for you in the ‘waiting for results’ thread where you last posted, hope it helps.
Sorry that you’ve had to join us, but this is a great place for support. The waiting is definitely the worst, but sometimes things move so fast that you don’t have time to draw breath - which isn’t easy either.
My experience of surgery was good. I had a lump removed and two lymph nodes. I walked up to theatre at about 3.30pm, was in my bed on the ward by 5.30 and eagerly scoffing tea and toast by 7.30. I was out of hospital by 3.30pm the following day. The pain was well controlled by codeine, ibruprofen and paracetamol and I was given plenty to take home.
I took front fastening PJs in as advised but in the end didn’t wear them as I stayed in the theatre gown until the morning after my op and then just got dressed. I also had a couple of bras one size larger than usual because of swelling. The one thing that can be tricky immediately after surgery is lifting your arm up, because of the underarm wound but the exercises you’ll get given help with this. Just don’t plan to wear anything that goes over your head and is a bit tight for the first few days!
I know what you mean about getting to Tuesday and feeling something is being done - it made me feel much more in control than I did while waiting for things to happen.
Good luck for Tuesday and getting the treatment process rolling.
Hi Loopy, I had my surgery last Wednesday. I had wle, snb and bilateral reduction. I was a bit woozy the evening of the op but was home by teatime the next day. I have had no pain at all. just took paracetemol as a precaution. The nurse took my morphine drip away the morning after the op and commented on how little had been used. I had forgotten about it when I got back to the ward! I was just very tired for a few days, but allowed myself to be a bit lazy! Please try not to worry about the after effects of surgery, concentrate on the horrible little blighters being removed from your body! Hope it all goes well for you. xxxxx Sheila
Thanks for your help girls - I just don’t know what to expect. I know in one breast - where I have the pre-cancer cells, I have to have a guide wire put in before I go to theatre - has anyone experienced that? I had something called a Vacuna biopsy to find the pre-cancer cells in my left breast and to be honest found the way it’s done horrid.My right breast will have the lump removed and they mentioned also about waking up and looking a blue colour because of the dye they put into you - something to do with when they remove the lymph nodes?!
Trust me to have something going on in both sides - at least they are going to sort it all at the same time. I’m going in Tuesday and they said all being well, home wednesday and hope not to have drains either! A bonus in my books if that happens. I’m just not very good with pain so not looking forward to it - in fact to be totally honest, i’m petrified of the whole flippin thing.
Today I’m going to lay a few things out to take into hospital with me on Tuesday as I don’t want any last minute panics trying to find things.
At the moment i can’t face the outside world - i know that may sound silly - but I just don’t want to walk around the shops or do anything. I’m fine with people visiting me but I just can’t seem to walk out of the house and mingle with people. My garden is looking amazing as that seems to be where I spend most of my time at the moment - gardening and watering - the lawn is probably going to go into shock with the over-watering! Sorry about the wingey email girls, just feeling very flat today. xxx
Hi, so sorry to hear you are feeling down, l felt that way yesterday so in the end l had a glass of wine, it helped a lot!
I had my op 2 weeks ago and had the dye injected during surgery, it’s injected so that they can see which lymph node it drains into.
I did have a blue mark on my breast after surgery but this has now faded. My wee was lime green for a couple of days as well. I had my op at 6 in the evening and was discharged by 10 the next morning, l went and tucked into a good breakfast and apart from some tenderness and feeling tired l was fine. Start radiotherapy and Tamoxifen next week but no chemo.
Lots of luck xx
Hi loopy - this is a tough process. Had op on June 10th and though I had a lot of pain in my arm initially it gets better every day - I think I was unusual as the lady in the next bed had no arm pain. I think they must have had me in contortions on the table lol!
We can all relate to what you are going through. Good days and dark days. The thing to remember is that about 80% of women who go through this as completely cured. In fact that stats are improving all the time, even since the mid 1990s. More people are diagnosed (for whatever reason) but people do well. The waiting is rubbish though - I have been waiting since surgery to find out whether I need chemo or not.
One thing for sure, you will always get friendship and support on the forums. Hang in there. Barbara - you are very controlled, I usually end have having a bottle and a good ‘greet’ lol!
Thank you girls - just being able to come on here and talk about it helps sometimes. Friends are never sure if you actually want to talk about it or not and to be honest, I think I do need to talk about it because at the moment I think i’m not actually believing this is happening to me and I need to face it. I’ve been trying to tire myself out by doing loads of housework and washing - trying to get the house clean and tidy for after the operation, so I don’t have to worry too much - no one cleans quite like ourselves do they. I’ve got fresh bed linen to go on the bed before I leave for the hospital - how daft is that. I think i’m just worried about how i’m going to feel afterwards and what else they find and the next stages. I’m absolutely terrified of the word chemo. at the moment only radiation and tamoxafen have been mentioned but they can’t confirm any of this until they remove both bits from each side of my breasts. Surely we have to catch a break somewhere don’t we?
I’m having lymph nodes on both sides removed and have been told i’ll probably not be able to move the top half of my body much for quite a while! I’m determined to get a glass of brandy near my mouth though - helps to numb things!
Girls, thank you so much for your kind words and letting me know what to expect. It really really does help. xx
I know you are going to be sore both sides…I hope you are sleeping and managing not to worry too much.
Ive been ok today…unfortunately a wee bit down and sore…but Im seeing the doctor tomorrow. So Im off to bed to try and get some sleep.
Not enjoying being home alone…but such is life. My old dog has been a star…he knows there’s ‘something up’ and keeps snuggling up (he’s a big welsh collie five and a half stone) everytime he gives me a paw…he hits my sore “bright blue” booby dooby…OUCH !
Watched ‘love actually’ tonite on the telly and cried like a wee girl… I like crime and forensic science movies normally…think Im turning into a woose…I’ll be ok tomorrow…love and gentle hugs girls…sleep well xxxx
