It sounds like you also had a difficult time with chemo @diamonddapple!
I had another scan booked by the new oncologist. No tumours remain!! And she sent me a letter congratulating me which i thought was really kind. My original larger tumour was 3.1cm so not too big. All the nodes are clear- like your result.
Today i have a surgery appointment. I feel I’m being rushed through but i suppose they need to plan and also I probably do need to look forward. Chemo has been so overwhelming though, I don’t want to be thinking about next steps. And i don’t finish EC until end of November.
When do you think you’ll have your surgery? I think mine might be early Jan but it’ll find out more in a few hours…is surgery going to be scarier than chemo???
Xx
Morning everyone, just wondering how everyone is doing as nothing has been posted for a while.
Im doing ok, my mastectomy is healing well although still very lumpy. I have my planning appointment for my radiotherapy on Monday and radiotherapy will start soon after. I then see my Oncologist the week after to decide whether I have ongoing Pembro or oral chemo.
I hope everyone is doing ok xx
Hi @diamonddapple and everyone
I have two more EC chemo sessions. Dreading them to be honest as my stomach doesn’t cope well.
I’ve met with the surgeon and I’m pencilled in for early January for a single mascetomy and full node clearance. She does immediate reconstruction regardless of radiotherapy so ill come out with a new breast which will be larger than my origianl one and wont match my healthy boob- i don’t care that much if they dont match!
I’m really looking forward to Christmas and having a break from treatment!!
Sounds like you’ve got through the worse of it by now- does it feel that way? Is it a relief to have radiotherapy rather than chemo? Xx
Hi @cf640
Good news that you only have 2 more treatmen5s to go. I was euphoric when I finished mine it was such a relief to know it waz done with. My recovery from my mastectomy was good but then I only had a sentinel lymph node biopsy.
I start my radiotherapy on 15th Nov. I also see my Consultant on 12th to discuss whether I have ongoing immunotherapy or oral chemo.
I can’t believe how quickly Christmas has come around and really pleased you are looking forward to it which I am too as I was diagnosed just before Christmas last year.
@lillytiger hope you have turned a corner with your exercises and they aren’t so uncomfortable.
Hopefully everyone else is doing ok xx
Hi All
I hope you are all doing well.
@diamonddapple i hope radiothetlrapy is going well. I had 40 grays in 15 doses. I think you can also have it in 5 doses though. I had no burning or anything other than a slight darkened skin tone. whilst i found tiredness crept in as it went on and then i felt good after but exhaustion hit me about a month after. Although i had zolandronic acid 3 weeks after which gave me flu for a week and then joint pain, so i am unsure if the radio or zolandronic acid reaction has caused the fatigue. I have now reduced work to half days until christmas and i will see how i go. I hope the fatigue doesnt affect you too much but please pace yourself. I did not (typical me) and it was a shocker when i was reduced to shuffling around!
@gerry22 i hope you fit and well and as fully recovered as it can pissibly be!
@lillytiger i hope recovery from your lumpectomy is going well now. I am not sure if you have radiotherapy planned but i hope treatment is going well.
@cf640 i hope you are now at the end of EC, i found it to be the hardest part of all the treatment and ended up finishing before the last dose. I hope the side effects are easing for you now. I had single mastectomy and full node clearance although no reconstruction. I found surgery to be ok. A bit or cording at first but i stuck with the exercises and at 6 weeks i was almost back to normal.
Other than the fatigue slowing me down. I just have 5 more pembro (no 13 tomorrow, no. 14 on christmas eve) then surgery to remove the other breast which will be end of March. I am really looking forward to christmas, its amazing to think that i discovered my tumour on christmas eve last year. What a year, absolutely tough, absolutely soul changing but not all bad and i got to share the journey with you all. Although i wish you didnt have to walk this path!.
Thank you all for the support you have provided, it means so much! Wishing you all a fabulous Christmas with your loved ones!
Sending big hugs xx Anna
Hi everyone
How lovely to hear your news, @anna_x51. You are so positive and seemeed to have dealt well with all your setbacks and scenarios. It probably wasn’t easy for you a lot of the time though.
I should have finished chemo but I developed
colitis from pembro. They are dropping immunotherapy and I’m on steroids to calm things down. I’m hoping my surgery won’t be delayed. I was looking forward to some certainity but i don’t know what plan B is.
That’s cancer for you though, isn’t it?! One surprise after another- some good, some not so great. .
Xx
@anna_x51 thank you for asking after me. It seems that you are now very much heading towards the finish line. Your positivity and thoughtfulness has been inspiring. I have one stand alone Pembro left which will be on the 9th of January. Very happy to be finishing what will be 15 months of treatment. I am well, aches and pains in my hips, a tiny hole in my mastectomy wound that just refuses to heal 
but otherwise I’m good.
I hope you other ladies feel you are getting to the finish line of this marathon we have been on! Ps heading to NZ to do a road trip a week after my last Pembro, little did I think I’d be able to undertake such an adventure……onwards and upwards ladies. Happy Christmas to you all xx
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Wow @gerry22 you can see the finish line, so happy for you and have a great time in New Zealand.
@anna_x51 so pleased you are coping well with the Pembro, onwards and upwards.
@cf640 hopefully the steroids have sorted out your colitis and you are feeling better.
I myself cannot continue with the Pembro so I start oral chemo on Saturday for 6 cycles , this journey is certainly the gift that keeps on giving!!
Hi @diamonddapple
I hope the side effects from oral chemo aren’t as bad as intravenous chemo.
It does seem to be complicated with treatment- it’s great to have these alternative options.
Xx