Mx with immediate reconstruction, chemo FEC-T, radiotherapy and letrozole - anyone having all 4!!!!

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Hi  all.  I am 3 weeks post Op left breast MX, node clearance, immediate reconstruciton with implant/Strattice mesh.  I am doing well post op.  Just been for my Onc appointment for the plan ahead. Two lumps 13mm and 15mm, 5 nodes out of 15 affected.  Totally shocked to now find I have to have Rads as well.  This has never been mentioned to me before, thats why I had immediate reconstruction.  Onc consultant came in and swiftly mentioned spots on liver.  TOTAL SHOCK as had been told all scans clear.  He then tried to backtrack saying they were NOT cancer, just cysts, which anyone could have and not know about it, just that they show up on scans…they were not worried about them at all and there was not treatment necessary.  Phew, foot/mouth springs to mind.  As I said my Surgery Consultant never even mentioned that, nor the nurses etc… so mind sort of alleviated, apart from a break down in bed last night.

 

Upshot is, lymph nodes high in breast affected, so they are concerened that the ones up to the shoulder/neck area.  They cant take them out through breast surgery, so have decided to zap them with Radiotherapy = 5 days a week X 5 weeks - 50 mile round trip to hospital - nightmare.  Expressed my concerns to nurse and her answer - well you dont have to have of it if you dont want!!! Arent they supposed to encourage you to go through with the treatment.  Is it worth it? What better chance will it give me? Will my new implant now be affected by the Rads - can make it tighter, higher up etc, already high up enough lol. Will I have to have it replaced? can they replace it?questions, questions.  I always understood that they would not do an implant if you were going to have rads, had I known I might not have bothered, and had a quicker recovery time.  The thought of going through it all again some time in the future is doing my head in to be blunt.  I am trying to now just concentrate on my chemo treatment which should start in the next coupe of weeks FEC-T - will think about the rads later and whether to have it or not - if my brain is even working by then lol

 

So I am asking, anyone out there have a similar experience to me, anyone who has had all four treatments.  Any help and support would be appreciated - Thanks - Val

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Hi newey, I had bilat mx and immediate recon with strattice and implant in oct 13. I wasn’t expecting to have chemo or rads either but had 3/15 nodes so they threw it all at me. I couldn’t have FEC as I had that in 2003 so I had docetaxol and carboplatin but could only manage 4/6 sessions. Had 15 rads. My implants are fine and weren’t affected but i know there is a risk. I have been told that if the implants change I won’t be able to have them replaced as the rads have given me a poor blood supply to the skin and I suffered a post op infection from rad damage before. I think it’s just a lottery if your implants are affected or not.
I took letrazole for 6 months but the SEs were intolerable and I’ve had 3 ops on my hands for the damage it’s caused but I think I’m an anomaly! I’m now on tamoxifen and doing ok, just very hot with night sweats.
Good luck with your treatment. Xx