It’s getting very close now and I should be in bed asleep. I’ve got the dentist at 9.40 then hospital to be be made radioactive at 11.45, wait 3 hours to be scanned, I don’t know anything about the scan. Friday I have to be at at hospital at 7.30 for my op. I have never had a gereral aneasthetic, and I’m rather worried about that. I will be glad when Saturday arrives.Could someone tell me what the scan is like please? They say it will last 45 munutes.
hugs
Helen
Helen,
I’m 6 months down the line and near the end of my chemotherapy.Don’t worry too much about the scan and anaesthetic.You’ll find that all the staff are very experiencrd and will give you all the support you need.Like all surgery it’s uncomfortable,but not unbearable.If you have children ,I’d say pregnancy is harder physically. Yhe consultant who did my WLE had difficulty getting the wire in and asked a very disht young colleague to help.I had to laugh later when I realised how well mannered I was.I should his hand and said “So pleased to meet you” and immediately realised I was half naked and it was probably mot the best way for an initial introduction! It will all be over before you know it and you’ll be back on this site looking for help with the next stage. No question is too daft to ask.We’re all inthe same boat,just at different stages.Don’t jump too far ahead looking for info.Take each stage as it comes.
Good Luck on Friday/Sat.
Tricia
Hi Helen
I had the scan couple of months ago. It is no problem, dont be worried bout that. You lay on a bed while the scan goes down your body quite slowly. They lower the scan to be a few inches from your body but again I just closed my eyes and nearly fell asleep.
hugs
Chris x
The trip to hospital for the radioactive injection was fine today, and yes I nearly fell asleep during the scan but I think that’s because me and my hubby had been trampsing around the shops for 3 hours and I had a “Meat Beast Meal” in Burger King, very naughty but it made a nice change from my usual healthy diet. I don’t think there’s much more I need to do now except pack my pyjamas and toothbrush etc and remove my nail varnish and cut my finger nails nice and short. I feel very calm at the moment but deep down there is still a lot of fear of the unknown. I think I need to “put my feet up” for a bit before I do anything else, it’s been a long day!
Hugs
Helen
Good luck for the lumpectomy tomorrow Helen and for good results too.
xx
Got home from my Lumpectomy and Sentinel node biopsy today. To be honest it was all awful. Got to the hospital, they couldn’t find any of my notes relating to the breast cancer. Then the lift wasn’t working going down 6 floors. Then my anaesthetist couldn’t find a vein to put the general anaesthetic in so she called for her boss and I had to put my hand in a bowl of hot water. I just wanted to run away by then. Anyway eventually they got the needle in and I drifted off.
I came round in a nice sunny room and thanked God for making it through the ordeal. I was very groggy when my husband and son came to see me. I had a cup of tea then started being sick. I was throwing up for about 12 hours, in the end it was just blue bile. At breakfast time this morning I was feeling a bit better and had some toast and tea and kept that down. I was then told I could go home after lunch. My hubby came and picked me up. I’m in a fair bit of pain with my right breast, torn tendon in my left shoulder and arthritis in my neck but it is so good to be home.
Helen xx
Hi Helen
I came home two days ago from having a lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy and breast reduction, so can sympathise with you! so sorry you are having such a rough time with it all and hope you feel better soon. the worse bit is now waiting for the results!
wish you luck and hope things go ok for you.
best wishes
deb x
Hi Helen
I also had a sentinel node biopsy on Friday. Hope you are feeling much better this morning and that all goes well for you.
Best wishes
Clover
How are you all getting on since your ops. Me and hubby went to see James Blunt on Tuesday, great concert but train problems meant we didn’t get home till 2 am. Wednesday night went to see Bill Bailey at the Royal Albert Hall. Got home a bit earlier. I didn’t feel really well enough for the treks into London but I got the tickets months ago, long before my diagnosis. I’m exhausted now but it was worth it.
I had 4 lymph nodes removed and had only mild discomfort after the op but now I have a sore upper arm with numb patches, I guess this is normal but I feel feel rather useless as I can’t do a lot with the limited mobility in my right arm due to the lumpectomy and SNB and the torn tendon in my left shoulder. I also went to the dentist today and need some work done including a couple of back teeth removed where they have rotted under the crowns. I need to get them done before I start chemo.
I go back to the hospital next Wednesday so should find out a bit more about what will be the next course of action.
Best Wishes
Helen xx
Hi all
hope you are doing well and not in too much pain! I got my results this week and have got the all clear! great news. still trying to get my head around it all. no signs of any residual matter, so now cancer free. start radio soon for 4 1/2 weeks, which should finish around christmas.
hope you all receive good news to. fingers crossed for you
deb x
hello everone, i just wanted to say that you all make me feel quite selfish, you are coping so well whereas i am ok one minute and then i seem to go into a depression. i went for my results yesterday and the two nodes that they took were clear, they got all the cancer but it was a hormone stimulated one so i have to have the anti-hormone tablets, and then
30 x radiotherapy. i think i have worked out why we get quite a lot of pain. all the surgery before has been ‘major surgery’ so i think that the nerve damage done by the surgeonl’s knife takes longer to heal, so when the numbness wears off the surgery pain has already gone. my arm feels as if it has been scolded as well as the pain, but it is improving now.
i have been invited to a seminar where they talk about the different aspects of cancer and the treatment, has anyone else been to one?
good luck everyone
dawn
Congratulations Deb and Dawn on your results, nice to have some good news! My BCN phoned today but still hasn’t got my results from lumpectomy and SNB. Back to the dentist Monday. As my crown at the front also broke off and they can’t do anything with the remains I’ve now got to have 3 teeth out. I’m really falling apart this year lol.
I like the way you described the arm as feeling like being scolded, that’s exactly the feeling.
Helen x
Hi I’m a newbie. I had a lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy 2 weeks ago and am sweating it out 'till I get my results in two days time.
Hop you are all doing well.
Veg x
I should be getting my results tomorrow, I’m getting a bit nervous now. I had 2 teeth out yesterday, my dentist found they were rotting away under their crowns at the back, I’m due to have another tooth out Thursday, where the tooth and crown broke off at the root, that is at the front and the dentist is going to get another tooth fitted to my denture. I’m getting all the dental work done now before I have chemo. Amazingly I have found a really nice young goodlooking dentist who will do the work on the NHS which is a good. I’ve tried not to think about the bc results too much, but at least tomorrow I should have some idea what the next step in treatment is.
All the best
Helen x
Hi Veg - cant believe you have had to wait 2 weeks for the results. Hope you get good news.
Helen - hope you received good news to.
fingers crossed for both of you. will be thinking of you.
I am at hospital tomorrow to see oncologist to arrange radiotherapy. Into the last stretch now!
good luck
deb x
Well I got my results today, some good news, some not so good. They got clear margins around the 18mm grade 2 invasive ductal tumour in my right breast but unfortunately out of the 5 nodes they removed, 2 nodes with macrometastasis and 3 nodes clear. They want to go back in and clear out the rest of the nodes on 19th November, and I was told I might be in for a few days or I could come home with drains. It’s my sons birthdays on 20th and 23rd of Nov, one will be 18 and the other who is Autistic will be 20.
On the report they gave me it has hormone receptor status, Oestrogen receptors - Quickscore 8. Progesterone receptors - Quickscore 4. I guess that means positive.
Her-2 - Negative.
So at the moment it looks like another op followed by chemo, rads and hormone treatment. Having a bit of trouble keeping cheerful today.
Helen x
Thanks Debs. Glad you got clear margins Helen. But sad about your lymphs.
You’re not the only one whose got to have more surgery.
I had my results today and they didn’t get clear margins so they’re going in again on 4th November. The good news is the lymph nodes were clear.
But I absolutely hate the thought of having more surgery.
Mine was oestrogen receptive and they said the tumour was bigger than they thought.
If the next surgery doesn’t work I will have to have a mastctomy. Horror-more surgery!
I’m having trouble keeping cheerful aswell Helen. You have my sympathy.
Veg x
Hope you got on ok with the oncologist Deb x
I had a phone call from the hospital this morning asking if I wanted to go in for node clearance tomorrow (Friday), I told them I’d had 2 teeth out Monday so they couldn’t do the op. I was very pleased to be honest, it’s only 2 weeks since last traumatic surgery. I had another tooth out this afternoon but I’ve got my denture back with the new tooth attached so I can smile with confidance again lol. I had a dry socket infection in the gums from the teeth they took out Monday so the dentist injected some antibacterial solution in the gums, I have to go back next week to see if infection has cleared. I’ll need to phone my BCN as well as my breast scar is still slightly pink and they seemed concerned about that.
My aim now is to get as fit and healthy and mentally prepared as I possibly can for the next op. I feel the same as you Veg I hate the thought of more surgery, it was so awful last time, I was so scared before and so sick after, but it has to be done. Good luck with your next surgery Veg, let’s hope they get it all out this time.
I feel a bit more cheerful tonight. I’m going to have a go at driving tomorrow, my BCN said it should be ok now as long as I feel up to it. It will be nice to have a bit of independance again.
Take care
Helen x
Hi Helen. I know what it’s like having a tooth extracted. I work in dentistry and had to have a wisdom tooth out not so long ago.It was my first tooth out and it bled all that night. It’s a good job I work at the practice . My dentist said she wanted to take it out then so I wouldn’t be affeceted while having treatment for BC.
Had a down day today dreading the surgery but hubby took me out for a Thai meal to try and chher me up. It’s my birthday on Monday and hope I a can cheer up for that for a day!
Hope your driving went ok. I’ve been trying to master an electric ladshave under my arm wher I had SNB done. I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing and it didn’t work very well. Will have to keep trying!
It sounds like you had a bad time after your last op. I was lucky and had no ill effects from the anaesthetic but I still dread it.
Take care
Veg x