Three Breast Cancers in one breast - how is this possible

Hello, you have been in my thoughts today since your kind message. Doing this alone is immensly courageous and i have the higest respect for how you have managed the whole exerience. Could i ask, are you able to share any more details about your immunotherapy please? I woud be really interested to know what your expeience has been. (not that i am being offered this at the moment - but just in case). warmest wishes.

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for me it is the energy that my mind takes to shut up. As we all know, our thoughts are either planning, remembering or anxiety and each of them is a horrible place to be . without voicing more depressing thoughts, this is such a tough place to inhabit and my hope for all of us is that is does become easier. Thank you for your message and i wish you strength over the next weeks, months and years.

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Thank you. I feel it :slight_smile:
This BC is such a weird sisterhood. None of us want to be here, but I think we all have this incredible appreciation for one another. Respect for the journey and gratefulness for not having to be out in the storm on our own.
Thank you for being there and for your perseverance. It grants me patience for the waiting until this is over and courage that I will come out the other side.
I take note of the tiredness part. I know I have to prepare for that. The hardest part of post surgery (both surgeries this year) was not being able to work out as I am accustomed. As I head into the double mastectomy I know I will be looking at 2 months down minimum and I must admit what scares me about that is that I use working out as a mental health tool. Itā€™s what keeps me happy, reduces my very high regular levels of cortisol, etc. Oh, wellā€¦ something else to learn :slight_smile:
Keep well. Stay strongā€¦ itā€™s almost over!!! (to the degree that any of these things are ever over)

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@asmillard hello - I just saw your post and wanted to jump in about working out as itā€™s my go to thing. I had a double mastectomy four weeks ago and I was back in the gym doing stair master, leg weights on week 2 (with physioā€™s approval).
I did my stretching exercises in the days immediately after and the physio knew I wanted to get back working out ASAP. Week 3 I started gently arm and back weights with bands then low weights, and this week Iā€™m back doing all my usual workout but with lighter weight upper body.
I also started back running on week 3, again with physio approval.
Good luck with your op xx

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Hi Jan
I am having Phesgo, immunotherapy injection. So far had 12/18 once every 3 weeks. Have only had mild diarrhoea as a side effect. After reading the booklet from Breast Cancer Now, I nearly rejected the treatment because of the long list of side effects until my oncology nurse explained that the list included side effects for chemo too as they are sometimes given at the same time. I had the first one, which was a double dose in Nov ā€˜23 on the same day as my last chemo and had the most awful diarrhoea for half of the following week. The rest of the injections have been fine, normally appointment is done in half an hour. Iā€™m driving myself to and from hospital. Best wishes for the rest of your treatments xx

Iā€™m so sorry for the pain and trauma you have endured.
My heart aches for you and wish I could hug you.
I had my lumpectomy surgery a month ago and my results last week showed a clear margin but a small area of the insitu cancer removed as invasive. Iā€™m now booked Into have a sentinel node biopsy on the 12th September and despite being told that itā€™s just a precaution, Iā€™m scared. Plus how do they know until the lymph nodeā€™s have been removed and tested that itā€™s just a precaution?
Iā€™m trying to be optimistic but the fear I feel is churning away in my brain.
After your terrifying journey, I feel like Iā€™m making a fuss, but Cancer at any stage is not without fear.
I wish you well in your future
Best wishes xx

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Thank you so much. This is music to my ears. When I had the lumpectomy and when I had my lymph, and ovaries removed (2 separate surgeries), the doctors made me stop working out for a month each time. I walked with weights and did squats and things alike that, but nothing high impact and nothing with my upper body. I hope we can figure out something else this time around.
Aerobic exercise is a really important element of my mental self care (I suffer from very high cortisol and I have learned to burn it with endurance running) so I am a little freaked out about the stillness. So THANKS!!! I really appreciate knowing your experience. Fingers crossed my recovery will be as yours.
Keep getting better!!! virtual hugs :slight_smile:

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@asmillard Iā€™m sure youā€™ll be fine this time.

The hardest part of mine has been the stiffness and puffiness from the sentinel nodes removal both sides and youā€™ve already had your nodes out so that part is done.

Like you, moving is the only way I can get by - in the four weeks since the day of my op my Garmin shows 220 miles walking :rofl::rofl: often waving my numb arms about!

Fingers crossed you are back up and out super quick xx

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Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Phesgo and assume this is treatment for HER2? With mine being neurocrindine there is no standard treatment plan. However, Itā€™s really reassuring to hear that, aside from that rough start with the double dose, youā€™ve only had mild diarrhoea as a side effect. As I understand any next steps for me might be immunotherapy and I have no idea what that means and am far too scared to look anything up in case I lose the plot completely. Itā€™s incredible how much those booklets can make our heads spin, isnā€™t it? I am feeling overwhelmed now too, but it sounds like your oncology nurse did a brilliant job clarifying things. Iā€™m so glad to hear that the rest of your injections have been going smoothly and that youā€™re able to drive yourself to and from hospitalā€”such a great way to keep some independence during treatment.

Wishing you all the best for the remaining injections and sending lots of positive thoughts your way. Weā€™re in this together.

Best wishes, Jan3

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Thank you so much for your kind words. Youā€™re absolutely rightā€”this sisterhood is one none of us would have chosen, but thereā€™s such a deep bond and understanding that comes from sharing this journey. I feel that same appreciation and respect for you, and Iā€™m so grateful we donā€™t have to weather this storm .

I was so pleased to read another woman sent such a cheerful message about her experience of exercising. I went into the surgery in poor condition so no doubt her sense is better than mine.

As for the tiredness, itā€™s a bit of a rollercoaster, but I take it one day at a time. Some days I feel more myself and on others without resting I get very lowā€¦ all I can do is Listen to my body, and be gentleā€”itā€™s all part of the process.

Keep that resilience and determinationā€”it will carry you through. Youā€™ve already shown such incredible strength, and Iā€™ve no doubt youā€™ll come out the other side of this, stronger than ever.

Sending you so much love and positivity. We will get through this together. Stay strong, and remember, this chapter is just part of your storyā€”it doesnā€™t define you.

Take care and keep well! We are almost there as you say. :slight_smile:

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Youā€™re welcome jan3. I certainly recommend speaking to you oncology nurse about anything you might be concerned about. There are many supportive ladies on the forum too. Remember that we are all different though and also the team who are treating you know you, your cancer and your medical history. Sending every best wish xx

:slight_smile: recently someone I know contemplated on not remembering how she had gotten through a terribly difficult part of her life many years ago. After a little discussion we concluded it didnā€™t matter. What matters is that someone we find the tools to get to the other side. This BC is like thatā€¦ somehow we find the tools to get to the other side, some tools work better for us than others (looking up my life expectancy on an online calculator for BC patients was not a great tool :stuck_out_tongue: , chatting here is far better). But as you say, this is just part of the journey.
I realise that I am becoming impatient with the wait for for the double mastectomy. I was glad to have the time when it was first noted that this would be the best course of action for me, but now I feel like I have processed all I will process and I just want to get the show on the road. I have a little over 2 months left stillā€¦my mother always said patience was a virtue and I had little of that one ā€¦ I guess maybe that is what this experience is trying to teach me to cultivate :expressionless:
This journey of life with a detour through BC. Big hugs to everyone.

Oh, today I Whatsapped boob pictures for the first time in my lifeā€¦ ha ha ha never too old to catch up with new trends?? Of course I was sending pictures so that the pink perfect people so they could figure out the silicon nipple colour appropriate for meā€¦but that is just a detail. I am officially a boob pic sharer :stuck_out_tongue:

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Thatā€™s amazing. I think I will be walking as much as possible too. Yes, my surgeon said the same: no sentinel node issue because that will be done with :slight_smile: Im focusing on the good. Or trying to. I think Tamoxifen is playing games with my brain, but I have an amazing husband and he is doing his best to deal with my insane volatilityā€¦ which frankly is irritating even me. :expressionless:
I ran 26k on sunday and that was helpful. I was super sad (for no reason really) before I left and felt better when I got home.
The only part the concerns me a little about the surgery/excersise is that in order to have the least level of interference and the best prognosis for mobility we agreed to do under skin/over muscle implants. I have heard that these can take a little longer to heal, but honestly who knowsā€¦ the whole thing is a beating on the body quite literally.
Have a wonderful day. And keep with those miles :slight_smile: Its incredible and inspiring :slight_smile:

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Difficult to read ā€¦ you went for mamograms and paid privately twice for surgery - you have done all the right things. NHS admin has let you down very badly and my thoughts are with you and your family