Had a meeting today with my team, what a wonderful bunch. Junior doctor went through all boring stuff, skin nurse was full of advice and when consultant came in to firm things up I just felt part of a team that were going to work together to sort things out. Still no path report so she was quite acid with the lab and made them dictate it word for word over the phone.
seems i was misinformed by my Barber( i have less respect for him day by day, apart from his surgical skills) I do not have lobular cancer. The margins were not as good as they would have liked but they felt they did not need to go in again, and the scrapings they took off my skin and chest wall were clear. She explained that they felt radiotherapy was better than an another operation to try and get clear margins because of the proximity to the skin and wall, she said even with good margins they would be worried about the corners. (makes sense when you see her drawing)
they took me down to meet the nurse that does the mapping and she showed me the needles and at my request did the proceedure on my hand–a bee sting thats all. But now i have a mental image of the needle and how well i coped in my hand i will be able to phsyc myself up for three of them in by breasts, she was lovely, even offered me tea.
And i get a reserved parking space in the car park—sweet.
whats more the were all 100% saying there is no reason i should give up drumming during treatment. Could not promise, but i am only having 4 weeks, have not had chemo, dont smoke, small operation, etc and it was more–why should you consider that you should not be alright, most of our non chemo ladies carry on working.
Yesterday was the first day I felt normal since finding my dent and lump. And now today I actually feel like life has started again.
Just thought peole would like to here some good news
Hi oal thats great news 
what was your cancer if not lobular ? & if it was your oncologist who was confident about not going back in then they are pretty good & know their stuff
All the best
Hugs
Mekala x
That’s great OAL, i’m so glad ur feeling better about things & u have a good team looking after u, it makes all the difference, especially when they tell u about carrying on drumming it’s fantastic that ur feeling positive again.
love Heather x
the tumor was intracystic papillary carcenoma with some invasive ductal apects–whatever that means–grade 3.
Hi OAL
Glad to hear you are happy with your team. I didn’t need chemo thankfully & worked full-time for first 2 weeks of rads then part-time for 3rd week. I had 3 weeks worth.
Keep slapping on the cream; if you feel a bit warm during treatment try putting your cream in the fridge it really helped me.
So did you get a tattoo on your hand when they “demonstrated” it to you. If so I’d be worried if they start writing all over it!
Take care & hope all goes well when you start your rads.
Lynne
thanks, no they used the needle without the ink.
OAL, sounds like you’ve got a brilliant team there. I had my planning today and thank god I’ve read these forums because they said NOTHING about the actual rads, just about what was going to happen during the planning session.
its amazing how things differ, mine wanted to go through the proceedure with me, show me the rooms and equipment.explain how long theywould be positining me, zapping me etc. But I was worried about the parking ticket expiring (dont get a hospital pass on the first appointment) and was only realy worried about needles. She looked a bit disappointed that I said no thanks.
Hi OAL - glad u had good planning meeting me too, was a bit dubious about tatoos but they are so small i was very relieved!!! worse bit was when they wanted me to get undressed in the actual room and then walk to the bed bearing all!!! was a bit embarrased infront of the male member of the team not like when u go behind a curtain and lie on the bed ready to be examined. i did take a dressing gown but the guys said they ask that for some people who go in about 50 layers but as i was just in t shirt and bra said no need but i beg to differ. they were great tho re telling me all about skin care, procedure, parking, do’s and dont’s etc. at least got al my dates so i can plan a bit more of my summer around them just wish wasnt 60 mile round trip!!! Shar xxx
They are like that where I went great team couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch of nurses, & the place is very relaxing for an old building nothing depressing about it, have you got your date when your start ? this takes a huge pressure off when you feel comfortable with the place & team
you learn something new every day Ive not heard of that cancer
hugs
Mekala x
hi OAL I just read a little up on it … has a good prognosis very treatable thats great news xxx
yes, I start the monday august 8th after my first gig. I wanted to be completely well for the firt one, because these young lads are a bit scared of the whole BC thing and will be watching me carefully for signs of fatigue and not being able to cope. so I will blow them away that night, then if i have an off gig later because of the rads i will say i have a cold or something. The do not know I am having radiation tratment. I am working on a style of drumming that does involve my arms brushing agains my breasts in case i am sore. It is more work, but the exercises I have been doing have strenghtened my upper arms any way. It makes me look evan more like animal but that is not a bad thing.
Hi Shar that was the only downfall to mine the journey it took good hour & 15 mins there & back if traffic was heavy which usually was this tired me more than the treatment DRINK lots water on the way & on the way home OK you bust for the loo once there & home but it helps with that sluggish feeling
Mekala x
the original intacystic papillary cancer was a good prognosis, did not even need rads. But on the WLE they found invasive ductal stage 3. The margins they got were good on two sides, but the tumor touched my skin and back wall, so there were no margins to take, all they could do was scrape there. the scrapings were clear and they say it rarely goes into the skin or back muscle. However they are not sure if there is a little corner left that is not as clear as it could be, hence the rads.
the main tumor has a blood supply, but these invasive little ones did not, and my nodes were clear, so fingers crossed.
oh that’s fantastic news-i’ve an appointment to meet the consultant next weds but your experience has cheered me-and to be able to do your drumming is so positive-well done you -stella
UPDATE— went for planning appointment today. Again very impressed. There was a little screened changing area in the corner and they gave me a gown. Told to wear it back to front not done up so it would be easy to take off whilst i was lying down Asked all the questions with me wearing the gown. i laid on the bed, and the positioned me and then they took the gown off to stick markers on me and draw on me. then for the rest of the teatment they laid the gown back on top of me, only moving it to put more markers on.
They were realy nice and engaging. had all the time in the world to answere questions. Very sensible about creams. Said they could only recommend what their hospital had done research into. They said different hospitals and trusts had done different reasearch into different creams, so if I felt that I wanted to use a cream recommended by a different hospital then I should do that, it is just that it is not there policy to recommend products not on the list of the ones they have investigated. We then had a good discussion about all the stuff people use, and what I should do, without her recommending things, but with her saying things like, oooh i have heard thats not a good idea.
So i am going to use bio oil whilst my skin is still not pink. If my breast is too oily for rads she will wipe it down, especially in the crease underneath. And if i go pink i will use the aloe vera, and if anything worse happens the skin nurse will take over.
After each session i will have a 15 minute massage to prevent cording.
Sounds good to me when do you start ? wow you get a 15 min massage after each treatment thats great never heard of that
8th August. I wanted to spend between now and my first gig on 5th August practiing like mad to get up to speed. Also I will be under close scrutiny that night to make sure I dont have any weaknesses, so although I have been told I should not get tired, I do know that some women do, so i wanted to be confident that I would perform my best. If i am a bit tired at subsequent gigs I can say i have a cold or something.
where are you situated oal-you sound like you have had a good experience ? i am going to see the oncologist this morning at the royal bolton in lancs-but the dr is from the christie hospital manchester.
I am in north london, i go to the Royal Free in Hamstead. Its not my nearest hospital, but I did some research before going to my GP and I liked their website. My local hosptal is 5 minutes away but they only had one paragraph on line about breast cancer, The royal free is 20 minutes away and they had pages of information.
My radiologist says it is the travelling time and trying to fit it all in that makes people tired, so I a glad it is still near.