Just come back from having my sentinal node marked ready for surgery tomorrow. The suprise for me is that it was not in my arm pit but on the side of my breast ? I can see the mark without having to lift my arm up at all. The radiologist said it wasn’t a good thing or a bad thing it is just the way my breast drains, but I wondered if anyone else had this?
I have invasive ductal, left breast 1.5 cm, self discovered as I am 48 so under the age for routine screning. Tomorrow I have a quadrantectony & sentinel lymph node biopsy to look forward to.
Horried though it all is, I remind myself that my mum had bc twice, once in her early 40s and then more than 20 (yes twenty!) years later and she made full recoveries both times and so I am detrmined to make it a hat-trick and get through this the best I can.
Hi Firebird
Firstly can I welcome you to the forums. I am posting to let you know that Breast Cancer Care have published a Resource Pack, it has been designed for anyone newly diagnosed with information to help you better understand your diagnosis, test results and various treatments, it is available via the following link or by contacting the helpline: breastcancercare.org.uk//content.php?page_id=7514 You may find our helpline useful to call to talk through the specific concerns about treatment possibilities that you may have, they can talk to you about our other support services too and also offer support, information and a ‘listening ear’. The number to call is 0808 800 6000 Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, Saturday, 9am - 2pm. I hope you find this helpful.
Best wishes
Katie
Hi Firebird,
My scar from sentinel node is not in my armpit but lower down and going towards the side of the breast. I am nearly 46. I still wear strappy tops, swimwear etc and do not feel too conscious of it. It is still noticeable but has faded quite a lot over time (had my op - WLE - 16 months ago). I don’t think other people really notice it now unless they are looking for it!
Good luck for tomorrow and well done to your mum!
Let us know how you get on
Shorty x
Slightly different note, but still on this theme - I was warned my nipple would be blue for some weeks after the sentinel node thingy - but it’s been 8 weeks now…any ideas how long this will last? My scar right under arm and causing a lot of problems, having physio. You are very lucky ladies to have your scars lower, and hey - we are all unique, apparently we even have different numbers of lymph nodes (I had 13)!
I had WLE 20 lymph nodes removed only one scar whch goes half way around breast-- nothing under my arm
Mary
x
Hi again,
Yes probably doesn’t hurt as much lower down than right in the crease of the armpit. I was blue for a little while but only a few weeks although I have heard of people being blue for months - so it’s probably not unusual.
Firebird - I only had about 4 or 5 nodes removed for sampling and even with that amount can’t stress how important it is to keep doing exercises. I stopped after a short while thinking I was ok and then developed cording which hurt. Restarted exercises and it eventually disappeared.
Take care
Shorty x
My BCC was concerned about cording, but the physio had no idea what she was talking about! What I have is nerve damage from surgeons moving nerve to remove lymph nodes. This interferes with how smoothly the nerve moves within the sheath. Discovered last night I can’t straighten arm properly to play pool - no wonder I lost! I was given to understand “cording” could cause a frozen shoulder by BCC. However, who knows?
Sue xx
Hi Mary,
Cording is just as the word suggests, it feels like a tight cord running from the armpit down the inside of the arm and towards the hand. I found it difficult and painful to straighten my arm and on the inside of my elbow you could actually see what looked like a cord. The best exercise for it was standing sideways on to a door or wall and stretching the arm so the fingertips touched the door or wall and then walking the fingers up and down the wall trying to get higher each time. This had to be done several times a day. It worked eventually.
Hopefully you won’t have this.
Take care
Shorty x
Hi Firebird,
I had WLE (left breast) and SNB in Sept 07. My SNB scar is in the fold where my breast meets the under part of my arm and is fading nicely. I did cream it well during the first couple of months and also did my exercises regularly but I must admit that has all fallen by the wayside now. I must start again though as I can’t fully extend my arm upwards.
Thanks for telling us about your mum, when I read positive things like that it gives me a real boost.
Hope all goes well with your op.
Best wishes
Caz x
Hi all, thanks for your information and advice.
Well, back from hospital today and feeling ok, falling asleep unexpectedly occasionally, but not anything like as much pain as I was expecting. My SNB was a bit of a tricky number, the consultant said it was very deep into my breast (F cup, so I can do deep!) so they had a bit of a job getting to it, therefore it looks like I have quite a long scar, perhaps a couple of inches but it still doesn’t reach under my arm. I look like I have had 2 WLE, one on the left side of my breast and one on the right - but the scars look very neet! The physio said to do the exercises though because it can still affect my arm movement and I must say it is feeling a little stiff now.
Back in 2 weeks to get the results - there was no sign of spread to my nodes from the mamogramme or ultrasound but I am trying not to be too optomistic as I don’t want to be even more dissapointed when I go back for the results. Mr Stacy Clear has already said I will have radiation treatment but the rest depends on the results of course.
I wish my mum was still with me to help me through, but then again she didn’t need the stress - just to confirm, bc never got her, she died of a heart attack in her mid 70’s mainly caused by probems bought on by diabeties - nothing to do with cancer at all… she kicked it’s a !!
My SNB scar was 5 inches long and low down. I wasn’t marked beforehand. They must have done it under anaesthetic. I also had a bit of suture left which kept poking out of the scar but never when I was having a check up. It eventually disappeared. I had 6 or 7 nodes removed. Don’t know why they didn’t know exactly how many??? My nipple was blue for about 14 months. Hope that has helped… sorry if the blue nipple is depressing anyone. It does go eventually. I also have to do exercise I have devised myself as the ones given for post surgery use did not stretch my arm enough and even now, 18 months on, my underarm tightens and becomes very painful unless I persevere with the stretching.
Love Debbie
Hi
Westside Sue I had an op on 1st April, and I am still blue. I have a mad picture of myself after the op with big blue rings round my eyes, thenkfully that went quickly. Did you have a regal moment when the blood from your drain went blue?
Say it is a tatoo and look cool
Lily x
Bother,
went in for results today and have to have another operation on the 27th. I need more nodes removed (don’t know how many, husband said it was 2 but don’t remember hearing that, will have to ring nurse) and re-excision of margin. The margin on the bc was clear but I also have a DCIS (this just proves that these can turn invasive on you!) and the margin on the DCIS was on 0,5mm. In shock now, OH keeps trying to joke with me to cheer me up but I am just ignoring it cos don’t trust myself to answer. I know it is hard for him as his mum died of bc. Consultant said that I may be offered chemo - well, now I know it has sneaked into my lymp node I want chemo, that way I will feel safer. Told work I would be in next week and work through till next operation, but not at all sure I will be able to do anything that demands any good level of decision making!! I know I will be able to take work home if I want to or just go sick again, but can’t quite cope with staying at home for the next 2 weeks, I think my mind needs distraction.
This was not in the plan ! My mum did not have to have 2nd op or chemo (but did have rads) so didn’t think I would - however the consultant explained that my sentinal lymph node was very deep and close to the bc so that wouldn’t have helped.
Oh well, onwards and upwards - everyone here knows how I feel right now, fairly dooooowwwnnnn
Sara
Hi Sara,
I am really sorry that you got that horrible news today and hope talking about it helps you a little. It is not long ago that I thought I had finished surgery and could tick that part off my list of things to have done. I was very peed off to hear that I had to go back into surgery, not the same as yours, I have to have a tube put through my neck and down into my heart to have a port for the drugs. Very wobbly but getting more acceptable as I get used to the idea and eventually I will reach the stage that I just want to get on with it as there is no other choice. I go in on Monday for it reluctantly.
You have some time which I hope will help you to pick yourself up a little. The positive really is to focus on that they did find it, know what they are dealing with now and that after that date they will have got it out. Does not bear thinking about if they had missed it. Only you know whether you are better at work or not. I think chemo is like extra insurance and want everything they have to throw at me first time. Bring on the big boys to zap those cells! Think about asking to go on a trial if there is one suitable. It totally distracted me.
Hugs
Lily
Hi Sara - I can feel for you re the shock of 2nd op. I too had to have 2 - the tumour was 5.5 cm and removed but the re was no clear margin in the surrounding tissue twice now The DCIS seem to be all over the place. And as the cancer is stage 3 Consultant feels that the next option is Masectomy - so am girding myself for third operation (23rd MAy) in 7 weeks!! Sure they will start giving me my own bed soon!!! at least this way it will all be gone. Just try to kkep positive as lily says its been found - now you can start treating it. Hope the op. goes ok and you find yourself recovering quickly.
Leesha
Leeshad,
hugs to you and just keep taking those little steps that get you to where you want to be. I am fired up for my next op tomorrow and so will you be by the time you get there. It is jumping hoops and that is what we do best. We know this is just every day work for the docs, they have seen it all before many times and they will have a clear picture of exactly how they are going to do their very best for you.
My new motto is every day is a good day if I don’t get a needle stab or told bad news. Thinking of you and do some nice things when you can right up to the 22 May to boost your positivity. Everyone who reads this is sending you a hug
Lily x
thanks Lily
Am positive - now I know what I am dealing with - one stage at a time.
Have actually booked pampering session with my lovely hairdresser to have colour cut etc three days before the surgery. Thought need to look & feel good in myself beforehand.
Some people around me dont seem to understand how I can feel upbeat - but then they are not facing this. No matter how many times you say youre good - they still ask again are you sure? Never mind it is all well placed concern.
Hope the op goes well for you.
Leesha x
Hi All
Thrifty - FOURTEEN MONTHS?! Wow!
Lily - my first op was 3rd March and the nipple still bright blue…the livid blue pee after the op was a shock though!
Sara - your situation sounds like mine. I had lumpectomy & snb. Unfortunately it was grade 3 and surgeons hadn’t got the margins (tests said 22 mm and he removed 45mm). So I had to have second op, WLE and remarginalised. The second op was successful. Have started chemo now, done 2, and had various probs associated with crap veins. Waiting to have Hickman line fitted now, which will be a blessed relief after the trauma of being in hospital on iv antibiotics last week.
Take heart. You are doing all the right things. I carried on working, but got my line manager to pay close attention to what I was doing…treat me like a new volunteer! He was happy to do so, as I still had a contribution to make. YES - just heard from hospital - line being fitted earlyThursday morning, and I can have the chemo in the afternoon as scheduled!!! It’s amazing the things that make me happy these days!
Leesha - a pampering session is just what you need. I had my hair cut & highlighted about 4 weeks before losing it! I also had a manicure & pedicure after first op, and that was really, really good. “Nodders”, people who ooze insincere sympathy, as people we don’t need in our lives at the moment. I had to tell a friend off for this, saying I’d have to not see her if she continued this, and she changed, became more “normal” with me. We don’t need people hanging around us acting as though our bodies are going to shatter like china if they breathe on us!
Hope everybody has a good day - mine just got better thanks to the anaesthetist!
Sue xx