Hi,
I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy 2 weeks ago and am waiting for results. I’m healing well physically (I hope) doing my arm exercises and walking my dog lots (taking advantage of the weather which is lovely). I’m feeling pretty anxious about the results and also feel like I haven’t fully engaged with all the information given to me. I chose not to have a mastectomy but tbh it was offered 15 mins after I was told I had cancer and I can barely remember what they said at that meeting! I’m hoping I made the right decision and thinking that the surgeon would have given me more information if she had thought it was necessary? My sister was with me and it seemed to be the right decision to make at the time.
I’ve also come off HRT and seem to be ok other than being a bit warmer (or is it the weather??) and having massive brain fog, but its only been a month or so. Reading other people’s posts I think I need to be a bit more organised about things. I think in my attempts to try not to worry I’ve been keeping myself at a distance from all the information and trying to concentrate on healing physically.
I guess I’m just saying hello, I definitely wasn’t able to do this a few of weeks ago.
Hi @Emvers and welcome to the club that no-one wants to belong to. Despite everything it is friendly and can be quite life-affirming in some ways.
You’re doing all the right things - exercising, taking relaxing walks with your lovely dog, keeping yourself away from the cesspit that is Google. Keep doing the things that you enjoy and you find strengthen your spirit. Don’t worry about the things you haven’t done. Just concentrate on regaining your equilibrium. Well done on reaching out, which is something you didn’t feel able to do a little while ago.
When you have the meeting with the surgeon to be told the outcome of the surgery and subsequent testing of the tumour and nodes, you will have a treatment plan put in place and everything will start to move forward positively. It usually takes a couple of weeks for the testing to be concluded and that period can be frustrating but once it is over, it will be full steam ahead to get you well.
You will, of course, have to sign consent forms before each stage of treatment so if you have questions, that’s the time to ask them. You may be surprised, however, how many women are content to go with the specialist advice about treatment without wanting to know too much about their diagnosis or asking many questions about what’s likely to happen. If that is your natural temperament then don’t go against it and don’t apologise for it. If you are asked to make choices, it is reasonable to ask for a short time to consider your options.
Just try to hold on to the fact that the vast majority of women who go through this go on to live a normal, healthy life. We just have to take our time getting through to that point and then come to terms with all that’s happened. There is no right or wrong way to do that.
Let us know how you’re doing.