Hi jem and welcome. Bumpy ride for all of us and anxiety levels we didn’t know existed. Glad our threads have helped you along your way and also hope it made you smile. Results day for me today. Been up since 5 and app not till this afternoon. One heck of a roller coaster but moving on all the time other than the waiting game which unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it. It seems our motto here is “we will get through this”. Hope to speak soon and how your recovery is progressing.
Trishy: I should have joined you in the early hours!! Rest today and take it easy
Feenix. Thinking bout you. Take care lovely
Kitkat. Hope you have another good day
Speak soon all and the sun is shining so happy Wednesday. It is Wednesday isn’t it? Lol one day just rolls to the next.
Ohhh me again. I should have read all the threads first. Lovely day here to in Derbyshire and I will be wearing a baggy jumper as my lovely bras at the
Moment give me saggy boob syndrome. What I would do to have a tennis ball stuck to me ? I’m more a rugby ball at the min. Hope all goes well for you sally will be thinking of you. Welcome dcb and good luck in your recovery and keep in touch with us. Glad we have helped you with our post of this journey and good to see you have joined us. Ok definitely gone for the day now as need to focus and build my strength for later.
Hello lovely people, I am home, dressed, compressed and with wig/makeup on which feels much better. Surgery on Monday (bilateral Mx and axillary clearance) was much less terrible than I anticipated (then again, my mind has a capacity for nightmare scenarios which would put a dramatist to shame). Thank you to all of you who went before me and showed me the way.
I had a disappointment immeditely after the operation when the recovery nurse told me that they had taken 4 nodes, but I subsequently learned that was a mistake and it was full clearance. Still, the surgeon apologised for the misunderstanding and explained why it was the right thing to do. Apparently post-chemo, the dye can be blocked from running to a sentinel node either by disease (gulp) or by fibroidosis/scarring from chemotherapy. I am, of course, terrified it is the former, but we won’t know until I get my results next Thursday afternoon. I am trying not to worry but it is so hard - I am dreading the potential of bad news and more chemotherapy etc. I feel for everyone on this thread waiting for results - I am with you all and hoping we all have reassuring news, whatever stage we’re at in this pesky process. For now, I am going to try to enjoy the sun and stay in the moment.
For now, I am (mostly flat) on both sides with a bit of swelling. No drains as my surgeon doesn’t use them and managing okay in terms of pain. I came home yesterday morning. I am exercising as instructed three times a day to maintain movement and overall, surprised at how I am doing. The sun is a huge bonus. I am about to sit in the garden and read my book which is quite the treat for a Wednesday in April!
Huge thanks to you all for being here and especially to Catherine for starting this thread for us all to connect. xx
Well … hypo ventilated couldn’t breath almost fell of my chair when that said my name. But good news. Cancer gone, margins clear and nodes all clear phew! Cancer being sent to the states to see if I am at risk of cancer coming back somewhere else as time goes by. This is because it was grade 3 if it was lower then would not be necessary. If low risk then no chemo if high risk then my choice (to me this is a no brainier) and chemo it will be. If low risk radiotherapy and hormone tabs it will be and that is ok to. Still a way to go and waiting game again but right now It’s pretty good news.
Feenix. Will be thinking of you tomorrow
Be positive and take one day at a time is the best advice I could give to anybody and I hope all those waiting on results get good ones. Xxx.
Oh surgeon took stitches and steri strips off also and healed very well. Amazing bodies we have ladies.
Im made up for you Gill!
Isnt it funny how you can go from being devastated at the initial diagnosis to saying results are ‘good news’ if the results are the best possible outcome…well not funny but you know what i mean?
How long does the test take is the states did they say?
Hi kitkat. Will take 2 weeks for the results to come back. Yes I know exactly what you are saying and I am still on this journey for a while yet but the results for me were what I needed to hear. I went in thinking the worse so was semi prepared. I was a mess have to admit but again I got there and moving on to the next step. Need to build my strength up now and be prepared. Thank you for your kind words. We are all amazing ladies
Another ‘wait’ then Gill… i wonder how our nerves stand up to it.
Keep posting, dont know about you, but it makes me stronger having you lot on board!
X x
Well stetistrips all off!!
I had a bath and let them soak off.
so its not great…but…scar is less red than i thought, straigter than i thought, not as lumpy as i thought and not as long as i thought. … so thats gotta be a good result.
Showed my partner and my daughter and they both said it looks fine , so thats another hurdle overcome!! X
Great news today Gill.
I know what you mean about hyperventilating- I went into shock when was told I needed mastectomy - I have absolutely no memory of leaving hospital and getting home- thankfully hubbie driving. Is it oncotype testing? The oncotype website is helpful. Week on Friday will get this result and mastectomy pathology results- 2 more mountains to climb to reach the top- as far away from this as we can get.
Hope everyone has enjoyed sunshine today. My 11 year old son took me out for short walk on footpath at bottom of garden- lovely to be out but pooped now.
Yes kitkat agree with you this forum does make you stronger in many ways but think the main thing for me is that it’s not just me and if one word,sentence, little funny comment helps just one person then that’s good. Yes the good ole waiting game again feenix. Yes jem that’s the test and thank you will take a look on the web site.
Good morning ladies. Sunshine again here in derby. Well thought I would have the best sleep ever last night. Nope!! Got up this morning and ache all over. Wondering if it is the release of all the tension of the last month? Scars are itching like billy ho, any suggestions what I can put on them as a bit reluctant to but dont want to keep scratching either. Main scar is a tad bumpy to but that’s fine just wondered if anybody else’s is similar and should I use bio oil at some point.
Have you noticed ladies we have hit 100 messages in this thread which is amazing all helping each other in one way or another and hope we continue to do so.
Have a good day everybody and good soak in the bath for me I think.
After having had the perfect boiled egg and soldiers I’m going to have a bath and sort out the legs to be shorts ready. After quite a long day yesterday I thought I’d go out like a light, no such luck. Woke up in the middle of the night completely soaked in sweat. Lovely!
Another beautiful day here in London so it’s shorts and a strappy top (sod the missing bits and scars) and a nice afternoon catching up with a friend who is off work after a hand operation, sitting out in her lovely garden with lots of gossip.
I was told to use E45 or aqueous creamfor my scar and the area around. I used it first time round and ended up with a very neat scar.
Hello Everyone, hope you all enjoying the sunshine decided today to have a non busy day today, translates as lazy as heck. Read in the garden got lunch more reading and sunbathing in the garden. Wore my bra as a bikini top which fortunately covers all my dressing so not worried.
Well I received my knitted knocker today and it is much better than a pair of ankle socks ? and am so grateful to Eileen who knitted it for me.
Hi, everyone. Hope those who have had surgery already are doing and feeling well and those still waiting are managing to hold it together!
My double mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction is on 29th April. Problems discovered 6 months ago at routine mamogram, diagnosed 5 months ago and only had Letrozole for last 4 weeks. Had sentinel node op and 1 node positive from 6 with a level 1 clearance being done during op on 29th.
I’ve managed to keep working until today, but need to go off sick next week, as brain has just about given up now. Keep trying to be positive and put on my happy face for everyone, but it’s getting so hard to keep up the facade now. Feel like I need to give myself time to prepare for being different after the 29th and rest a bit before the op. Still can’t believe I’m dealing with this.
People keep telling me how strong I am, so I feel like I have to put on this outer shell, while inside I’m slowly unravelling. Does anyone feel like they need a good cry, but can’t! Really feeling mentally fatigued now. Even struggling to keep up with what’s happening with everyone on these threads! Having weird dreams about the operation as well.
Hi angel dust, kitkat and everybody. I understand exactly where you are coming from angeldust. I to have been working through it all as I find concentrating on my job helps and stops my mind going to awol. My day yesterday wasn’t to good at all even after being told everything was clear lump gone tick, margins clear tick nodes clear tick. Woke yesterday as if it was day one again. Those few hours on a bit of a high we’re good whilst they lasted. Ian putting it down to tension release in my body as I just achesd all over but I suppose in reality I came back to the real world and still a way to go and it is the right way to go so asking myself why am I feeling like this. Today I do feel a bit better and giving myself a talking to. Have a wedding tomorrow and trying to think of any excuse not to go which is not good I know but … you are right angeldust on saying it is the fatigue of all this in the fact that it is draining but you know what we are all amazing ladies and we will get through this and we won’t be stronger because we are already strong and we are talking about our feeling and how we are feeling on a day to day basis which has to be good. Kitkat hope you have a better day and thinking of you.
Feenix hope all went well yesterday and you soon recover from the anaesthetic. Rest and take care.
Anna hope you are recovering also
Daisiemoo have a good day and good weekend
Trishy thanks for your comment and speak soon
On a lighter note and all you lovelies sunbathing in your bras well done. If I did that there would be a total eclipse and ohhhh to get back in my normal bras again to get some lift!!! Scar not quite ready for it yet as right underneath.
Love to us all and stay strong we will get through this xx.
Sunbathing in a bra? Nor for me. I really can’t bare wearing the post surgery bras I bought. They’re uncomfortable, hot and very restrictive. Plus when I put the softee in, no matter how much I adjust it, it slips up and looks completely unnatural and wrong, hence my comment about it looking like a tennis ball nailed to the wall.
I found a summer top yesterday that I have from last year where it’s completely unnoticeable that I only have one breast (the other one isn’t large). That’ll be getting a lot of wear this year and I’m going to try to find more like it.
Being a bit paranoid about the results of my scans on Monday because I was really questioned about any previous injuries at the bone scan which I wasn’t at the last one. I have pretty much convinced myself that something has shown on the scan especially after being told 6/11 lymph nodes contained cancer.
On the upside my chest wound oozing seems to have slowed down. Hopefully it’ll stop soon and I can get rid of the dressings completely.
Hopefully you’re home now Feenix, or at least looking forward to going soon and not too sore.
Have a lovely day and make the most of the sunshine ladies. We only have a couple more days then who knows when we’ll see it again!
I’m pleased yesterday over and done with … thanks for your good wishes … just this GA feeling … and onto the waiting carousel again with everyone else.
I hope you’re all enjoying another fab day out in the garden, having a more positive day in general and keeping the mind gremlins at bay for a time at least.
After being out in the garden having bbq long lunch with family and then some seed sowing, it felt like an insect had got under my dressing, really annoying so had to change the dressing.
Obviously there was nothing there but it is a horrible feeling and all due to nerve repair although felt better once the new dressing on- still have the tape dressing on over the scar also which is left for the consultant to remove on Tuesday …when I also get my results.
Let my OH look at my chest with just the tape dressing on and he is fine with it which is good, he has also said it is up to me if I want to go through the reconstruction as he would not ask me to do,it knowing what a big op it is… but I will.
Glad you are home feenix, take care of yourself and don’t do to much, enjoy the weather if possible.
Fairydust and kitkat23 good luck with your results also next week, I have been reading Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books and his favourite saying in the book is ‘ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ so that it what I am doing. I have 3 different pages of questions depending on what the outcome could be…