Gals you have your sister with you Alex. My best friend came to stay when I got out, she’s a GP, does help you relax a little. So sorry to hear of your experience though.
Pleased to hear you’re doing ok Willowherb, remember to take it easy.
I’m feeling a little miserable today, a bit woe is me. Boobs looking distinctly different and limited movement and soreness is getting me down, kind of wishing I’d gone flat :-(. I keep having to remind myself that I’m 10 days post op and they moved a muscle! Taking it easy with a little cross stitch.
MrsLet. Yep my big sis is a GP too and she is a great calming influence. It’s lovely that your friend spent 2 weeks after your op, what an Angel. I’m sorry you’re feeling down today. I’m still on the painkillers so I’m a bit spaced. Being recently on a General Aneasthtic can bring you down. After all the highs of the drugs and reality kicking in can certainly lower your mood. We just have to keep fighting for our normal. A lot easier said than done. Hope you manage to have a good weekend xxx
Hi I had WLE on 4 September with node clearance and will go back on Thursday 20 September for my results. On the whole I have recovered well and it is only in recent days that I have felt very emotional. I read the Victoria Derbyshire book and watched some of her U-Tube video clips which seemed to help. Hope to connect with others with September surgery and share feelings and experiences.
Hi Susan
Welcome the the September thread.
I had the same op as you on the 3rd and have been very tearful today. I’m devastated at the shape of my boob and really struggling to be positive.
I hope you are doing ok and look forward to hearing more from you.
All best wishes
Jacq x
Hi, sorry to take so long to come back. Glad to see that Alex and Willow are post surgery and doing well.
Well, my HER2 result finally came back as negative, so I am straight to surgery (left mastectomy) on 24th. Had a long chat with BCN on Friday and trying to relax and enjoy the weekend. I have a full on week at work to get through before the big day, but just want it to be here and get on with it now.
Chocxie good to hear from you. It’s weird how life is, we get told we’ve the big C and then go and wish our life away, so that we can get to surgery and our plans quicker ?. I put my life on hold but then wanted the day of my surgery to be here as soon as possible. Well it’s surgery over but won’t get results for 4 weeks. My sister tells her fellow Doctors in Oz how long in the UK we have to wait for our results,
they can’t believe it. They say how can someone mentally wait that long, It’s cruel. It’s the NHS bloody red tape and all the regulations they have to go through. My sister said she’d like to do a survey on how many people would be happy to receive their results over the phone. They obviously wouldn’t be able to give us a plan but at least we’d know. We lost my dad to prostate cancer 18 months ago and we were constantly in limbo waiting for results etc. It’s not just hard for us, it’s terrible on our loved ones too.
Chocxie Keep in touch and keep us up to date with everything Alex
Xxx
@Xela
Thanks for the hug ? very much appreciated. With regard to waiting for results, we were actually on our way to the hospital on Thursday when they phoned to say the results weren’t in and the appointment would be delayed by a week, it’s mental torture. I’d be more than happy to be told over the phone with a planning appointment to follow.
All the best for the 24th Chocxie
Jacq x
Good morning all
I had WLE and sentinel lymph removal on the tenth
I found it very interesting reading this thread
Firstly the wait for results seems to differ quite a lot
I have a four week wait others seem to only have two , or then get a call to say they are not back
Am I right in thing this is where they say he it and grade it so on so fourth
Now I have had minimum pain just regular paracetomol or ibruprofen but what I’m also struggling with is tiredness
I went for a short walk yesterday and they slept for nearly two hours
This isn’t like me I’m normally a very busy person , will this feeling shift soon
And did anyone else not have any affects after the dye , I didn’t have blue skin or urine x
JacqB that’s awful and yes it’s torture, the Ozzie Doctors just can’t believe it. I suffer from mental health and anxiety before the cancer so you can imagine what it’s doing to me now!!
I’ve just found a lady on this site, recommended by another lady for prosthetic nipples. They look amazing on her website. areolae.co.uk/ Apparently you can wear them swimming and they don’t come off. She’s a lovely lady and she’s had a bilateral mascectomy. I know it’s not for everyone but it’s made me very happy as I was very upset at losing mine.
How’s your shape coming along. It will be at least 4 weeks before it starts to take shape xxx
Hi KateDay, I’m having to wait 4 weeks for my results too. Had my 2 Lymph nodes with a mastectomy and reconstruction implant. My sisters a Dr in Oz and she just can’t believe how long we have to wait.
My urine went blue for a few times. Went quickly. I’m not very blue as they did say it could leave my
Breast arms veins very blue but so far it is just blue in my armpit.
Keep us upto date on your progress xx Alex xx
@Xela
I’m not really bothered about losing the nipple so I wouldn’t want a prosthetic one and anyway it would be a bit like sticking a cherry on a turd! Excuse my language but that’s how I’m feeling ATM. I’m just in a really bad place right now. My arm nerves are on fire from the node clearance, I’m not sleeping very well and I’ve got a painful swelling under my armpit scar. I hate being so miserable but that’s just how it is! The good thing is that I get to moan about it here. I’m trying to put on a positive face for my nearest and dearest so this is a good outlet for my moaning!! Another plus is that my fridge is full of really good Italian wine so I’m indulging in a glass or two.
How are you doing?
Jacq x
@Flossie13
Hi, please dont apologise for joining the conversation. It’s good to hear from you although I’m sorry that you’ve had problems with your original surgery. I too am planning private balancing surgery when everything has settled after rads as I can’t imagine ever getting used to my current shape. Unfortunately the surgeon has simple cut off the front of my boob leaving a very square half boob. No attempt has been made to leave even a vaguely boob shape. It even has a corner where the scar is puckered at the end! The sad thing is my surgeon is a renowned plastic surgeon. I can’t imagine it will change shape much as there is little swelling and it is not a reconstruction. I wear a prosthesis and in clothes you would never know, but I can’t even bear to look at the square skin flap he’s left me with. I wish I’d had a mastectomy. A lot will depend on the outcome of my treatment but I will be saving hard for private surgery and also hoping that Somerset changes it’s stance on funding.
All best wishes to you
Jacq x
I will do thank you
This group even just reading posts really helps
It’s funny your friends and family know your diagnosis and try and understand but it’s hard for them to understand and I have always been the strong one brave face for my girls and husband so it’s good to have somewhere to talk x
KateDay, yes it’s marvellous on here, everyone will try and help in anyway they can. It’s nice that we can escape to a world where everyone understands exactly what we’re going through. It’s a special place. Xx Alex xx
Hi all. I so agree it’s great to have this forum where you don’t feel you have to be brave and hide your true feelings.
I feel particularly sad today as it’s my right boobs last Monday of being here and I’m quite attached to it after 62 years. I feel like its on deaths row counting down it’s days to execution. But I have to tell myself the reason it’s on death row is because what’s in there now is a killer so it’s the only way to go. ?
Helenann what a fabulous way to put it. I was mourning more my nipple than my boob. Though since I’ve spoken to a lady who does fantastic prosthetic nipples. They’re so realistic, you glue them on for up to 3 days and you can even swim in them!
I’ve just had a mascectomy with an implant. Very pleased so far. Of to the clinic this afternoon to have my drains and bandages looked at. When’s your surgery? Alex xxx
Oh Jacq, you’ve almost described how I feel. Although as you know I’ve had the so called balancing surgery, my new foob is a very odd shape indeed. The bit that struck home though is the armpit on fire!! I’m so with you there. All under my arm put and down the back of my arm (where my bingo wing is) is so sore it feels like a gravel graze. Add to that the big lump I seem to have under my bra strap where they’ve done the LD Flap. Everyone keeps telling me how great I look (even face timed into a work meeting this morning to say hi) but underneath I feel rubbish at the moment. Spent a lot of the weekend wishing I’d just gone flat.
HelenAnn, my consultant talks a lot about grieving the death of your boob and learning to love the new foob. Hope all goes well with your surgery. Xx
That’s just how I feel MrsLET, everyone keeps telling me how well I look but I just don’t feel like I’m recovering fast enough (I’m very impatient). I actually went out for lunch for the first time on Saturday with some of my work colleagues and they all said how well I looked. I felt a bit guilty because I thought they might think if I could go to that then I could go back to work! By the time I got home I had such bad backache that I wished I hadn’t gone. I have also had times when I have wished I’d not had the reconstruction and just stayed flat but I’m sure it will be worth it in the end. I think in another 4 weeks I will wonder why I was being so silly!