Hi, I had reconstruction surgery 2 weeks ago. Left feeling uncomfortable and tight with very little feeling there is this normal? Have very bad support from BCN and do not hear from her ever.
I had infected lymph nodes so am now waiting to hear about chemo and radiation. Very very scared about chemo had a cousin who died of cancer nd although this was about twenty years ago the fear is still within me. Can anyone put my mind at rest about chemo? I am going to try the cold cap as I have a dread of losing my hair on top of everything else. Has anyone any tips on this? e.e take vitamins etc???
Most days I am completely positive and upbeat but some todays (like today) felling very low and down about it. Never had a sick day until this and it has completely bowled me over. Have read everyone elses comments and you are all having such a laugh and being so positive so glad I found this site.
Hi Sue - i can’t help on the recon because i was in too much of hurry to get the main op over to have a consultation.
We will try and help however we can - if you like the diea of a virtual bar come to the dew drop inn too - you may have to plough thru lots of pages to get to the end but we are a friendly bunch and we are happy to laugh, whinge mona depending on how we feel.
I know people who have recon will ocme and help u soon - take care Jen x
I had a immediate recon 4 weeks ago tomorrow and the tight heavy feeling is just easing off a bit now ,maybe over the last few days. I was starting to wonder if I would ever feeling like I had a bowling ball strapped to my chest!
Sorry .can’t help with chemo
Good luck
hugs
Dot
xxx
The cold cap didn’t work for me but I saw loads of women in the chemo room who had really good results with it and who lost hardly any hair. I’ve heard it helps to treat your hair very gently , to wash it no more than a couple of times a week, to use a wide toothed comb and also to sleep on a satin pillowcase which apparently pulls it less than cotton.
Good luck.
Anthi x
thanks so much for all your comments. It seems so ridiculous to be worried about my hair in the big scheme of things but a girl has got to have something to hold on to right???
You were right about the bowling bowl. Did you have the reconstruction that uses muscles from your back (sorry am not very good on the technical bits!!). It is the stangest feeling I have ever had. although saying that my surgeon has done a fantastic job and in a few months time I don’t think anyone other than me and my partner will be able to tell.
I should be starting chemo in approx 4 weeks and will keep everyone posted. Hoping that if I keep to my promomise of remaining fit and taking regular exercise it will make things a bit easier. (I read the Trisha Goddard interview!!)
Hi,
Yes,I had a LD recon (latisimus dorsi) using muscle from my back.Is that what you had?
I sometimes felt that the muscle was going to ping around the back where it used to be! I found bending over the worst. I wasn’t sure I would be able to live with it!
You are right about it being the strangest feeling ever and all the nurses and even my surgeon just said “thats normal” They never said it would get any better but it has.Its early days yet and I am sure yours will get easier too.
I have a bit of scar that hasn’t healed properly but apart from that ,with a bra on it looks great.
Take care and hope it gets better soon,
Dot
xxx
Dear Sue
Can’t help with recon as I haven’t got that far yet, but as for chemo and hair loss - I did have the cold cap for 3 out of 4 Epirubicin cycles and I think it slowed the hair loss, however I got to the stage where I felt that my hair was too thin (tho friends and family said it looked fine) so I decided to accept baldness. My advice would be to try it, because we all react differently, but check out wigs just in case - I ended up with two fab wigs, one which looked just like my hair and one which was completely different and made me smile everytime I wore it. And be assured - hair does grow back.
Best of luck with it all - and stay strong.
Hi
I am new to this site although diagnosed on 21st July. I have been reading this forum avidly to pick up as much REAL info as I can.
I go for my surgery tomorrow!! I am having an LD reconstruction & your comments are helping(Yes! Really!) It is good to know what to expect as I am very nervous of how it will all feel when I wake up! The BCN has said to expect chemo alhtough a final decision will depend on their findings tomorrow. Like the other Sue, I am having good days & bad & feel, at the moment, like it is all happening to someone else. My husband is in bits!!!
Sue x
thank you for giving me good advice. I did have the op using mucle from the back. Early days with this yet but am sure it will get better. It feels like the feeling you get when you have a tooth out at the dentist completely numb!!! Saying that I always had huge boobs which I absolutely hated and opted for a reduction at the same time. I am really impressed with my new look and so very grateful to my surgeon who had the utmost sympathy for me and tried to make some good come out of this nightmare!!
I will try the cold cap and see how it works. Will keep everyone posted of progress
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care chat forums. I am sure you will get lots of help and advice from the many informed users of this site. BCC have published a resource pack which has been designed for those newly diagnosed, this may help you to understand more about your diagnosis and treatments. If you would like a copy just follow the link below:
Please feel free to call our helpline team for further support and infomation on a one to one basis on 0808 800 6000, the line opens 9am-5pm weekdays and 9am-2pm Saturday.
I have also added below the link to BCC’s publication ‘In it Together’ which is aimed at partners of those diagnosed with breast cancer which my of some help to your husband at the moment. You can either download a copy or order a copy on line:
I know how you feel it is like watching some really bad movie isn’t it!!
When you come round from reconstruction it will be a bit sore but nothing like youare imagining and they give you fab pain killers (take whatever they give you!!) The drains are a bit of a pain but doable!! Try and get mobile as soon as possibible and it will help in the long run.
When you first look at yourself in the mirror try and keep and open mind. I looked the day after my op (despite everyone telling me not to!!) I sobbed my heart out as it looked horrendous. but a week down the line it looked so much better and now two weeks down the line even better and can see the poentitial now and am really liking it.
Anything else you need to ask go ahead!
Take care and good luck.
As Sue says ,the pain when you come round is much better than I expected and if you do feel sore ,just ask for more pain relief. I had a patient controlled pump so could just press a button for another dose.Also be aware that they will be checking your wounds very regularly for the first 24 hours ,mine were checked every hour! So it was morphine induced dozing for me in between checks.
My “bowling ball” (not in size!) is definately settling down but is still numb in the middle around the flap, as is the scar on my back.
On the plus side I ordered some bikinis and tankinis and they came today and I am so chuffed that my boobs look normal in them and they are not specialist ones.I just chose padded/supportive styles.Its such a confidence boost!
Just need a holiday now!
I hope you read this before tomorrow,please come back and tell us how you get on.
We all have good days and bad days ,its normal,I hope hubby feels better too.Men need something practical to do do make it better but unfortunately there isn’t anything they can do or say.
Take care,
Hugs,
Dot
xxx
The tightness you feel is completely normal…(if you had a mascectomy at the same time, you are going to feel particularly low because of the loss of hormones).
This was a huge op and it will take time for you to fully recover. Do do your excercises and do take “me” time every afternoon to rest up by yourself…and pamper yourself.
My breast care nurse only ever called me once and that was with bad news… ! However, they are there for you to call them, with any questions or problems.
Wishing you all the best with your ongoing treatments…
See this is what is making me so angry just now. You will notice now that every time you open a magazine someone has had cancer. But the most infuriating part is what they say " they endured gruilling rounds of chemo" is it any wonder anyone who hasnt been through it is frightened of it. I have had 4 rounds of Epi now and apart from odd bit of constipation and being tired i feel great and if you read through many of these thread you will find more and more that chemo is no where near as bad as you think it will be. In fact 4 days after my first one i called the hospital to ask if I had been given the right drugs as i felt so good. I havent taken an anti sickness pill or steroid since Ive started. I just hope it works for you too.
Joanne - thanks so much for that - as someone nearing chemo and dreading it, it’s good to know it’s not always ‘gruelling’
I had my surgery on thursday - WLE & SNB - arrived in taxi at 7am - had op - got taxi home at 5pm. Only slight pain, have been feeling absoloutely fine, so it’s not all as bad in surgery either.
Hi all, I started chemo on Monday was dreading it, was put at ease with a lovely nurse and she talked me through all of it. I can’t believe how I feel, I have taken sickness tablets one instead of two, I have taken the steroid as advised I am not medical and don’t want to tempt fate, the district nurse came yesterday and gave me injection to lift white cells ready for chemo in two weeks. I tried the cold cap it wasn’t for me so going to have a look at wigs. I looked online yesterday and saw what looked really nice so off to browse them. I know it’s early days but I feel no different, will take tomorrow as it comes, might be different but keeping positive also drinking loads of water as advised. Tke care junieliz
Hi another question for you all. Sorry but I have been so overwhelmed with what is happening to me I just don’t seem to ask the right questions when in front of my consultant. I have grade 3 cancer (I just found that out) with lymph nodes afected. How bad is this. I have looked it up on the web sites and absolutely terried myself am sat here sobbing conviinced that I am going to die!! Anyone else in my position who can put my mind at rest.?
Thanks for all the advice about chemo which I intend to take on board
Oh Sue ,I am sorry you have terrified yourself.Its so easy to do isn’t it. There are lots of ladies with results similar to yours on here who are doing just fine,hopefully some will be along to give you some support.Theres no definites in BC some people with good path results do poorly while some with worse results do better.So try not to concentrate on figures and statistics.
Hows the bowling ball?
Loads of hugs
Dot
xx
thanks so much for replying. I am feeling a bit calmer now. Hae mad promise to myself to stay off internet sites on breast cancer as they petrify me!!
My bowling bowl is coming along nicely thank you. Still a bit stiff but a small price to pay for pert new boobs!! I think the main problem is that I just got my drain taken out a few days ago and my body is not absorbing it fast enough.