Wishing you lots of luck for Thursday. Some tips for the hospital/return home:
Pack a rucksack with essentials for after op and ask staff to put it on your bed. It’ll save you calling staff all of the time; phone, extra long charger so you dont need to get up to plug/unplug all the time, magazine, boiled sweets, waterbottle, pyjamas.
Buy some sort of wedge pillow to help you stay upright when sleeping at home. I got a “reading wedge pillow” from Amazon
Do a shop with plenty of microwave meals/baked potatoes for the first couple of weeks as standing to make a meal will be tricky
Consider taking some senna or califig daily as youll be quite constipated after the medication given for surgery
Ive gone through chemo for 4 months had 5 cycles told tumour has shrunk from 55mm to 48mm thought thats not a lot.until had breast reconstruction took all the cancer out found out only 41mm total 44mm so it did shrink more.had clear margins.going to have done radiotherapy but over 3 weeks as i have an implant do having a bit at a time which is a better option.so my message to everyone is to keep going! There is hope!..
Thank you so much for your lovely message. I must have read your tips before as I’d mentioned these things to hubby and he has ordered everything you could think of. I think I’ll need a trailer when I arrive!
I’m having the dye injected on Wednesday for the lymph node scan. Argh.
I can do this, you’re right. Despite being a squeamish person who fainted at the mention of a needle I’m cracking on quite nicely now.
Well done you on how far you’ve come too and thanks again for your reassurance xx
Since March I’ve had 2 lumpectomies, slnb, and finally mastectomy with reconstructive TE. I was wondering if I’d made the right choice to do a unilateral, given they’d never match. This week I just got out of the hospital for an infection around the reconstruction and the expander came out. I’m so happy I went with only one. It was easier to get in and out of bed, tend to my drains, etc. the infection and hospitalization was just too much for me. At the same time, I’m still not used to seeing it flat and not sure what I’ll do, I’m not up to surgery #5, but the mastectomy itself I will absolutely never regret. My recurrence score is also low, which probably affected the decision.
Best of luck to you in surgery and recovery!
I’m at the hospital today to find out my next step.
I’ve thought of little else but surgery since I started this thread!
For now, I think my preferred option is lumpectomy - despite the possibility of needing further surgeries or a mastectomy if things don’t work out.
My second choice is a single mastectomy now, with the option for a DIEP at some point when the rest of my treatment is finished. And if I decide I’d like to. At the moment I really don’t want a reconstruction, but who knows how I’ll feel in the future?
I won’t even know if lumpectomy is an option until later today, but I’ll see what their advice is.
If you need me I’ll be in the corner muttering to myself about how crap and unfair this all is
I’ll be thinking of you later. Make sure you are clear in your mind about what questions you have etc… Maybe write them down. Are you able to have someone to go with you?
You are in the midst of the most stressful time. I had 4 plans before ending up with the final plan as various results came in.
It’s a very personal decision. I have multicentric multifocal strongly oestrogen +ve cancer, which means I have one 22mm lump and multiple smaller foci plus a positive sentinel lymph node. It’s mostly IDC with some ILC discovered after the mastectomy. I was offered a lumpectomy, but I wanted the security of a mastectomy (even though the surgeon said he could get it all out with a lumpectomy and breast reduction) I was offered a DIEP reconstruction and was advised against an implant. I think this was related to the size of my boobs (DD) and that they are a bit saggy! In the end I went for the DIEP plus post reconstruction radiotherapy to my axilla and supraclavicular nodes.
I was terrified of the surgery, and initially declined a reconstruction. I needed to believe I was going to live long enough to reap the benefits of the surgery. I was equally worried about going flat on one side, everytime I imagined myself going flat I started crying.
So I’m now 4 months post DIEP, and for me, I’m really glad I made the decision. The radiotherapy doesn’t seem to have affected the recon. I’m 53 and have grown up children and a husband who were around to help for the first couple of weeks after the operation. I slept a lot for the first 2 weeks, but 4 months down the line, I’m running, painting and writing poetry and due to go back to work soon.
Good luck…just remember that for many people the planning time is the most stressful.
I’m one week into recovery following surgery, round block mammoplasty to remove 30mm lump in breast and lymph node removal in the same area.
There is some numbness, ions and needles, no pain as such mostly discomfort, but am hopeful the numbness will dismiss with time, as I’ve read that can be the case. As with other members this is definitely more effected around the surgical area where lymph nodes have been removed. Breast area actually doesn’t feel or ok too bad, they did a good job of moving healthy tissue around.
I would definitely say go with your gut feel and explore options.
I worry about my husband too, who is also a bit of a practical problem solver, research genius but he has been great with every day practical and emotional support. It’s amazing how the little things like helping me dry after a shower or putting on my bra has been a god send and I think helps him to feel helpful.
It definitely hasn’t spread - I needed further biopsies after my CT scan, but they’re clear, so that’s a relief.
Next step is surgery, as suspected. The cancer is in one lymph node, so they’re going to take a few out. If cancer is in more than 4 nodes, I’ll be having chemotherapy.
If it’s just in the node that we know about I’ll be having the Oncotype test.
So there is a possibility that I could get away without needing to have chemo - I’d just go straight to radiotherapy and hormone blockers.
In terms of surgery, and after a fair bit of prodding and poking, there’s too little breast and too much lump to make a lumpectomy or reduction possible really, although if I REALLY wanted to conserve as much as I could I could try chemo first to see if it shrunk the tumour a bit. I’m HER- so it wasn’t likely to disappear away to nothing.
Then I had reconstruction options, and I didn’t like any of those suggestions.
So I’ve decided on a unilateral mastectomy. I did ask if there was an option to have a reconstruction at a later date if I hated only having one breast and he said that we could definitely look at that, so I think I’m as happy as I could be.
I didn’t want a big operation, I didn’t want to spend any longer than I had to in hospital and I didn’t want a stupid recovery time, so for me, it’s the right choice.
Still hate it but now I’ve made the decision I’m at peace with it. Surgery is next week!
@preferablywithfood. It sounds as if they had a proper discussion with you and helped you come to the best decision for you. I had a definitely positive node on biopsy and 2 that looked dodgy on CT scan. They removed 8 nodes and just the one was positive. Hopefully that’ll happen for you too. Good that you are having it quickly as well. Hugs to you xx
Hello! I had exactly the same as you onlymy tuumour was 8cm. They put ne on Letrozole for 5 months and then I had a single Mastectomy with full clearance of the axilla nodes. They removed 19 and only one was affected. I healed well (the worst bit was the drain) and I needed no radio or chemo because the breast where the tumour was, was not attached to the chest wall(I’m 77) so the got all of it. I had absolute confidence in my surgeon. They do this every day. Imagine now on Letrozole for ten years. Two tips: Start doing your exercises now and keep them up for 3 months afterwards and lose weight! I have developed Lymphoedema which I probably wouldn’t have got if I’d been slim.
Your prognosis looks good. Love and power to you. Chin up!
Ohhhhh!! Don’t you start
When he was discussing surgery yesterday he mentioned that I was a bit fat ( not in those exact words!). I’m a size 18, so he’s not wrong, but I thought I carried it very well haha.
That’s really good advice though, thank you! He did talk about the risk of lymphoedema!
I was told nipple sparing was not possible… invasive cancer was just too close to both nipples… was devastated . My doctor said let’s remove them prior to double MX and reconstruction and we may be able to form something from areolae (still to be done…DIRP on Sat)
Well I did this under local, recovered quickly… pathology results showed there were pre-cancerous cells in both nipples so good riddance!!!
It would have felt worse if they were clear as I would have felt removal unnecessary. Now relieved doc persuaded me…
@preferablywithfood
It sounds like you had a really good conversation with your doctor, who was able to give clear reasons for his suggestions but listen to your wishes to. Full understanding and confidence can only help that feeling of peace.
Good news on the CT and fingers crossed that you can avoid chemotherapy. I’m also pleased to hear you have a date that is not too far away
I found that once I had gone through the options and we had agreed on one, my head was more settled. I could let go of all the uncertainties and confusion running round my mind and just concentrate on what I needed to. I hope it’s similar for you.
Devastating but sounds like you made the right decision having them removed. Youll get used to it. People only know about it if you tell them.
Youre doing amazingly & youll get thrthis x
