hi 123ali i only get discomfort from the port for the expander not what i would describe as pain is there any swelling in the area has your expander settled down abit and feel less like concrete yet i’ve found mine a little less intrusive in the last couple of days so think mine must be settling in now.
quinny i only had an snb but i got pain and swelling went to doc’s and it turned out i had a slight infection so was put on antibiotics which settled it down. have you managed to get out of bed and start moving your arm yet?
lynne i found the drain being removed a blessing i go for dressings removed tomorrow can’t wait so i can get a proper soak in the bath
hugs to everyone who is either recouping or still waiting for ops
xx karen
this is it just after new year went to see doc refered to breast clinic was hoping for prescription got an ultrasound and fnac and a discharge from a doc that was confident i had something called fibrocystic disease and it would be fine ten days later got a call back for a core biopsy cos suspicion was found at grade 4 went for that only to be told activity in lymph nodes so biopsied them as well results suspicion which didnt shock me cos i must have been shot ten times for three samples bloke told me he found it extremely difficult to do procedure so i was then sent for a mamatome most horrific thing you can be sent for in my oppinion nice lady though who told me that she had read my previous results and she would have just sent me for the wle and an hour and half after when she to found it difficult she quit but doc told me we now know its dcis and its ok but to be on safe side we are going to give you wle so i let them i’ll admit nurse is more forth coming than doc cos she told me before i left to prepare myself for worse i asked what that was she said i’ll ring you and she did mx is what she said shocked me so i’ve had it now and snb and was coping till had mx on 19th of april found myself being extremely emotional most days don’t sleep but doc has gave me sleeping tablets for that but afraid to take them my doc said to imagine im a glass of water and holding all this in has let my glass over flow so i need to find a way to empty it so here it is im disappointed in my doctor his diagnosises and i left out the fact that im not as well indowed naturally as most women but in the months this has been going on what has size got to do with it cos at the end of the day i am me and now i’m not no matter how much was or was sorry taken away from me size is a number the removal of for me is taking some of who i have over the years got used to and now even thats gone thanks for letting me get it out sorry for being long and drawn out xx hugs to you all xx
Aw, babes367 it sounds like you’re having a hard time. there’s so much to come to terms with, and post op it seems most of us end up in tears alot, not quite knowing why. your body and mind have been through a lot recently and there’s lots to come to terms with. stay strong, give yourself a hug and some treats.
If there’s a Maggies Centre near you, I would recommend them for support, which is second to none
xx
Hmm, this new site is a bit slow & tricky! Anyway, I had my MX, SNB and implant last Weds, got out on Sunday, drains removed.
Recovery is going slowly, but well. I feel nauseous every day, which I assume is from the drugs and GA. Does anyone else get this?
I too didn’t realise just how sore and swollen I would be with the implant and for a while I hated it and wished I hadn’t gone for recon. I think the scar is tiny (still got dressings over it) and I’m amazed at what they’ve managed to pull out and in stuff in through this small gap (i’m not a big girl!).
Results on Tues, crossing fingers I still need no further treatments.
Hugs to everyone,
Jennifer x x
i agree with you jennifer about this site, got my dressings off wednesday and my scar is smaller than i expected took me till thursday to have a look, got results today and mx was right decision as they found more than expected with just under 1mm margin and even though its not the two they were looking for no further treatment at this time as it could effect my recon they are just going to keep a close eye on me so i’m now confused i don’t fully understand this margin thing cos i was told all way through 2mm and mine just under 1mm and not fully sure how there gonna keep an eye on me seen as though i no longer have a breast for them to check, think i’m gonna have to write a list of questions to ask my nurse, i have gone through a stage of hating my expander as well jennifer but my nurse assures me i will get used to it eventually hope your results are ok on tuesday will keep fingers crossed for you
hugs to all xx karen
Hi everyone, hope you are all starting to recover from ops, have had my CT & echo, been to physio ( more exercises to do : groan ) go for bone scan on Tuesday and meet oncologist on Thursday so expecting to start chemo following week, hoping that all of you who have started treatment already are coping ok with it!! Hugs to everyone xx
Hi everyone - been to see the Consultant to day 14 days post op mx and reconstruction - had the results of the snb - the Consultant confirmed that the cancer cells had not drained into the lymph nodes and therefore as far as he was concerned the only long term treatment would be the hormone treatment (he did tell me the name of the medication but I can’t remember - will be seeing the onc in the next week or so) which I will be on for the next five years. Back to the Consultant is two weeks for a check up on the surgery. I felt so guilty coming out of the Consultant’s office crying but happy knowing that someone in the next room had just been given bad news and that there were other people waiting at the beginning of their journey. Still sore from the surgery and still emotional at the good news for myself but still thinking of everyone who is waiting for surgery, results and ongoing treatment - this site has helped me through the last six weeks since I was diagnosed and without the positive messages of hope and the humour my journey woiuld of been unbearable. Thank you again everyone for your support. Love to you all xxx
Hi everyone, hope you are all continuing to recover well, have had my CT, echo and Bone Scan done meet with oncologist tomorrow starting to feel scared again, can’t force myself to make the wig appointment, know I need to but keep putting it off, got my prosthesis fitted on Monday, seems I have really big boobs lol didn’t think they were until I saw the size of it lol, hope you are all ok xx
Hi all,
Like 123ali, I too have had good news from the consultant. The op was a success, and as my nodes are clear and the tumour small I don’t need any further treatments (other than staying on Tamoxifen). It’s quite unbelievable, and I feel very, very lucky.
I have found this site so helpful too, and I thank you all and wish you all the very best in beating this terrible disease.
lots of love,
Jennifer x x x
hi all glad to hear your news ali123 and jennifer my news is also good and after seeing my plastic surgeon this week feel a lot more postitive as when i went friday the doctor i saw didnt seem to know much other than no further treatment plastic surgeon said thats because he was’nt at the meeting where my case had been discussed lol so just recon to finish and regular checks.
hi ginger1 hope all goes well with your ct echo and bone scans will keep everything crossed for you.
back next week for them to start expanding jennifer have they started to expand yours yet? just wondered if you knew what to expect in way of discomfort.
hugs to all
xx karen
Karen, sorry can’t help with the expander. I had an immediate implant. x
Hi everyone
See oncologist again thursday,have to get FEC-T and herceptin, should start next week hopefully, then have to get radiotherapy seems like they are throwing everything at me , great to hear some of you have had good news , hope evceryone is coping well with there treatments xx
I am so happy for all of you who have had good news. Only just found this thread again. I know I was sent a couple of private messages but they disappeared into the ether with the update to the forum so apologies if you were expecting a reply.
My nodes were clear, but as it was a large tumour, and grade 3, triple negative, do not know what to expect in the way of treatment when I visit onc. on Friday.
Know lots of people who have had everything thrown at them, got through it, and still lived to tell the tale many years on. Good luck ginger1.
Lynn xx
good luck for friday lynn i got sleeping tablets from my gp but unfortunately they did’nt work so bc nurse has suggested that i go for alternate therapy and is sending me some info out on it, good news about the nodes though
re-read the threads jennifer thanks for replying 123ali if you still come on have they started expanding yet due for mine to start and still finding it uncomfortable so wondered what to expect when they do
xx karen
Thanks Karen. sorry the sleeping tabs. didn’t work. My doctor gave me anti anxiety meds. which I could double dose if I couldn’t sleep. Got to have chemo but unlikely to have radio. The chemo has to work as there are no anti cancer drugs for triple negative. Should start chemo in next 2 weeks. Ginger - I am also on FEC - T.
Lynn xx
Hi Lynn
I start my chemo on Thursday, there is a new forum for people starting chemo in May , have been on that as seem to keep losing this one, went for a couple of wig appointments yesterday :(, hope everyone is ok xx
Hi just found this site again - yes they have started expanding - have had the saline twice now - the first time was not too bad the second lot was done on Friday just gone - the consultant said he was going to put a double dose in so I would not have to come back for four weeks - it was agony over the weekend but today it is not too bad! When it is first put in I have to pad out the natural breast to match (haven’t done that since I was thirteen!) but it does go down after a week or so! Just after the operation I said I did not want the other breast ‘matched’ but having one breast looking like a spaniel’s ear and the reconstructed one looking like a alert german shepherd I think I will be changing my mind! Just received the appointment for the oncologist so will be starting the hormone treatment shortly - hopefully I will be lucky and not have too many side affects. Have good days and bad days - good days feeling guility about being off work and bad days thinking I will never be able to work again - the incision where I had the snb is now really painful the consultant says that as it heals the scar gets tighter and thats why it hurts more - he suggest taking the painkillers before doing the exercises - does anyone else do this? After all this the last thing I want is to become addicted to prescription drugs!!! My thoughts with everyone who is receiving treatment love to everyone Alex
I just take a couple of paracetamol and exercise away. The exercises made me very sore to start with but it is getting less tight and less sore. I will keep perservering!
ginger , Thanks for the info. about the new forum.