Hi Kells,
The best thing I found after being diagnosed is to have a good read up on everything, all the options you may face in terms of surgery, treatment and so on. I am one of those people where I like to get everything sorted in my head and everything planned, I still feel up in the air as I still have not got a surgery date although it is nearly a month since diagnosis!
Good luck with everything and keep in touch to let us know how you are getting on.
Paula xx
kells - i knew nothing about breast cancer before coming on here, there’s always someone who can help and offer advice whatever your experiences or circumstances.
Sue - i watched a tv programme a while back and it mentioned on there that the cancer can be present for between 5-10 yrs before you can actually feel the lump yourself, but i imagine it does depend on whereabouts in the breast it is, how agressive it is and maybe even the size of the breast. Mine was only 11mm grade 2 but on the side of my breast quite near the surface and i could even detect it visually but only after losing weight when my boobs shrunk from D to B cup!
pix
Bu99er it!
Had my plastic surgeon appt today…have been told that they are not sure if I can have immediate DIEP double recon now as I have an existing heart problem. Bloody heart. He has said that I will have to wait and see what the anesthetist says on Thursday at the pre-op assessment, he also mentioned the small matter of the surgery taking up to 15 hours!!!
I have been referred to a consultant at the London branch of Marsden and will not meet him until next MOnday, I’m just getting a bit anxious and want to get these cancers out now.
Rant over - lol.
Paula x
hi, i know what you mean about just wanting rid of tumours. I am having a mastectomy tomorrow and was initially expecting an immediate recon, but because i will be having radiotherapy, i have to wait. To be honest i think im ok with this as it means shorter surgery and quicker recovery. So glad after 6 months of chemo to be getting shut of tumour! nervous too though!
i hope it works out for you,
take care
anna
Anna
hope op goes well tomorrow and you make a good recovery
xxxmonica
hi , im new to this site was diagnosed with bc in nov 09 found 2 lumps in right breast ,also thought may be in leftbreast had mri done to check but lft br ok. had masectomy done on rt breast on 21 dec and s /noding surgery went well but pos nodes. now having surgery on mon 11 jan to remove rest of nodes !! really knocked back by 2nd surgery feel like im going backwards but will have to be brave!! hope rest of nodes will be clear feeling abit low but am trying to think positive ive never used that word so many times !!! not sure what treatment i will have but been graded 2 hormone positive. will keep in touch with you all.xx
maisie
I am sorry you are having such a tough time. At least treatment is under way to beat this. I was grade 2, hormone positive as well, but no nodes involved. I managed to ‘escape’ with a WLE and SNB and am taking Letrozole. I finished radiotherapy today. It has been such a struggle getting to the hospital since I started on 8th December, due to the weather. I do hope you have no problems getting there on the 11th. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Love Ann x
hi ann thanks for reply, will be glad to get surgery done .hope good results ,will let you know how things went . until then take care maisie.xx
Hi Maisie,
I’m new on her too. Just wanted to let you know, i had a mastectomy in nov and had to go in just before christmas to get my remaining lymph odes removed. It took me two weeks to recover from the mastectomy, i’m three weeks on from the lymph node clearence I feel great in my self but still have limited movement. Having two surgeries close together is so hard.
The rest of my nodes were luckily clear (it was only in the senntinal one they took out at mastectomy). In a way thats a mixed blessing i feel like i went through the pain for nothing.
Every one on here knows so much more about there cancers than i do, i haven’t been told type or grade/stage or any thing. All i know is that it was 2.5cm with 8cm of early cancer cells surrounding it.
Having a bit of a problem now though. Went to see the oncologist and he’s told me that there was no evidence of invasive cancer, so technically it shouldn’t of gone in to my lymph nodes at all. He’s with holding all further treatment until he’s consulted with other specialists. Bums!! I hate not knowing whats happening to me!!!.
I kow it’s a bit of a ramble, but just more to let you know your not on your own.
Debs x
Not sure if you all remember post last month, but following my mastectomy on the 21st December - which went well. 21 nodes taken only 1 contained microscopic metastates, so a lot better than I had first though. Met up with my breast care nurse to discuss my Chemotherapy after ruling out radiotherapy. All going pretty good considering…then last wednesday found a lump in my right breast!!! Again world crashing down around me, cant bloody believe it. Have an appointment tomorrow to find out what the hell it is. Think I’m convinced it’s ‘nasty’ again. You think you’ve turned a corner then this happens.
I wouldn’t care at no point since my diagnosis has my right side ever been looked at!!!
Does anyone know how common BC in both breasts is?
Any support ladies, bring it on
My head is again truly in the shed
Sue x
Debs
I’m a bit confused by what you said. Do you mean you had DCIS or LCIS, ie ductal, or lobular, carcinoma in situ? Could he be talking about lympho-vascular invasion, rather than invasive cancer?
Ann x
Sue
How did your appointment go?
Ann x
hi debs, sorry havnt replied till now but arm not to good at moment so cant use comp as often .isee we have had similar surgery mx and lymph nodes removed by 2nd surgery. i have had results of node clearance no more nodes involved just the 2 sentinal nodes , so i feel alittle like you did about 2nd op, never mind its good news for us both.! im now waiting for appt with oncologist to discuss treatment plan.will keep you posted keep in touch maisie xx.
Urrgghh so worn out! I haven’t even had the surgery yet either!
Well I am seeing the consultant on Monday to finalise everything, seeing some heart doctor on Tuesday morning, then in for some injection type thing for sentinel node biopsy, then being admitted onto the ward Tuesday afternoon.
Op in on Weds, having a bilateral mastectomy and sentinel biopsy and/or lymph clearance with expanding impants. I have been told that I will be having radiotherapy now due to my numerous lumps/lesions (8 in total since MRI). So will be having DIEP done at a later date.
I cannot wait to finally get this surgery done, I can already feel a couple more lumps now. Anyway thought I would post an update as have been trying to keep myself really busy to pass the time and have not had the chance to post in ages.
Hope everyone else is as well as could be! =)
Paula x
HI YES CRAP I AM WAITING FOR RESULTS FROM BIOPSY WED X