Hi All
Well had a lumpectomy on 25th May all went well have the usual feelings I think in my arms one side numb inside arm feels like sandpaper and under arm and chest feels like being pulled far too tighly not in pain tho which is good and am off the painkillers just that uncomfortable feeling.
Went back to the consultant yesterday 3rd June and they said they got it all so margins were clear they removed 14 nodes with 3 of those being positive for cells they said it was grade 2 no mention of a stage tho but that maybe how they do it as everyone is different and no consultants are the same.
The size was 27mm and is hormone receptor positive we don’t know if they are HER2 positive as that had not been confirmed. I have been told that I will have to have chemotherapy radiotherapy and hormone therapy.
I am now waiting for an appointment to come through to see the consultant who will tell me more of what to expect and when this is all going to start my guess is in about 6-7 weeks time.
I’m probably asking if
A The feeling will come back in my arm as long as I do what they have told me to do
B What all this information really means…
C What sort of things I can expect I know everyone reacts differently but would like some idea no matter how rough
D Will I survive all this and get through it silly I know but I can ask this question to you as you are going or have been through it…
Thanks for reading
Big Hugs
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I can’t answer all your worries, but it’s good that they got clear margins, and being hormone+ means there’s lots of stuff they can throw at it. Shame it got to your nodes, but it’s not the end of the world. ( I had a 57mm tumour and 5 nodes, Mastectomy Nov '10, Fec-T Chemo from Jan to April '11 now having Rads, I am also on Femara (aka Letrozole)for at least five years).
I would recommend that you ring your Breast Care Nurse for a chat, she should be able to go over what you should expect in time scales and what this all means for you. All our cancers are slightly different afterall. Failing that call the helpline here, they’re really great.
My experience has been that some of the feeling has come back in my arm, the numb area is much smaller and it is not nearly as sensetive as it was at the beginning.
Chemo is not pleasant, some tolerate it better than others. BUT you WILL survive it, there is lots of support while you are going through it from your team, the people on here, and family and friends I hope… and you must remember that it’s there for the use of! No prizes for suffering in silence with this. And remember THERE ARE NO SILLY QUESTIONS, if something, however small is bothering you, ASK.
Hope this helps, I’m sure others will be along to post soon,
Wishing you well P xxxx
Hello Tracy,
I second everything peachez said. We are all different but we are not alone in this and this forum site is the most positive place to be. We may not be able to answer specifics but we all have the same emotions and to be able to say what you need to without hurting, disturbing or upsetting family/friends is a really helpful tool in our fight. We bear no malice or judgement we are just there. Hope to speak to you again soon. Chris x
Thanks for your answers ladies I think I’m a freak as I just get on with it and don’t really dwell too much don’t get me wrong I have had my meltdowns but have planned them (I know that sounds strange) so I am on my own and can cry as much as I like and for as long as I like.
I am very lucky as I have the most amazing partner and my daughter who is 19 has been absolutely brilliant with the way she has dealt with it even to the point of talking about my funeral…
I’m lucky as I have a big family so have loads of people to turn to when I’m having a bad day and my best friend is the person I ring at silly o’clock to take my mind if it…on the whole I think I’m doing ok I’m the kind of girl who just gets on and deals with things I can’t change it just beat it and hopefully all will be well and I can get back to work and some form of normality again (i know it will always be in the back of my mind but that’s where it will stay)
It’s nice to have a place to come where I can talk openly about things without knowing I have upset someone close to me with the things t hat go round my head.
Thanks Again
Speak Soon
Tracy
Hi Tracy
Wot they said, really.
Sounds like you could do with a notebook to write down all your questions so you make sure you answer them, and as Peachez said, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A SILLY QUESTION.
Don’t know about anyone else, but I knew NOTHING about breast cancer before I got it myself, and now I’m a bit of a walking encyclopedia for the bits and pieces I have experienced, and even have a passing knowledge of stuff I haven’t.
Use the forums as much as you find helpful, but be careful of forum addiction (guilty of that myself).
Be kind to yourself, and let yourself do normal stuff too. This BC rubbish is so BORING!!!
Lovely that you have good friends and family to support you, it makes a huge difference. I don’t know what I would have done without my forum friends though, as it’s been the emotional support I have valued as much if not more than the practical stuff. I haven’t had too bad a time of things practically and even started a new job just after FEC3, so everyone’s different.
Good luck. Can’t post anything sensible, still in the first week of FEC5 so my brain’s not doing a very good job of holding my ears apart.
CM
x
Hi Tracy, just wishing you lots of love. xx
And CM I love your front view! xx