Was told last week that I need to have chemotherapy as my lump is more.cancerous (grade 2) I’m going on holiday in june. The original plan was chemo (6 lots every 3 weeks) and then surgery… but because.if my holiday they said I could have the surgery first if I wanted and then the chemo… anyone been in this situation. My BCN wasn’t at my appointment with me as was off sick so had a stand in which I didn’t really take to and afterwards didn’t really explain what was just said with the consultant like my other nurse does! I see the oncologist on Monday to see what his thoughts are.on this but by the sounds of what they saying they want me to have chemo. I’m trying to make everything still normal for the kids and still go on holiday but I don’t want to go mid chemo and feel like rubbish, by the time I’ve had the surgery and recovered it will be in time for my.holiday!
I’ve been told mine is grade 2 and it’s mastectomy and lymph removal first, then chemo. Even though the cancer is thought to be around 10cm they don’t think it warrants chemo first. Mine is oestrogen positive and her2 negative (I think)
It may differ depending on the consultant. Enjoy your holiday. I’ve just had to cancel a long planned two week family holiday to Mexico. ?
I was told if I’d been going somewhere in Europe it would of been fine, but Mexico was too far in case I had any post op problems. X
Hi Queenbee,I guess you will have more information to help you make an informed decision after speaking to the Oncologist.Have you got someone who can go to the appointment with you and ask questions /listen to what is being said.It is very hard to take it all in isn’t it.Do they want you to have chemo first to reduce the extent of your surgery ?
Hi, I was diagnosed yesterday, had biopsy but they are certain even withouy the results that have the Big C. Am terrified and dont know who to talk to. Been assigned a Breast care Nurse and have to have an MRI and back to consultant 2nd May.
Hi Trisha,come talk to us when you need to .It is a very lonely experience having cancer as people who have not been through it really cannot understand no matter how much they care or how hard they try .The first few weeks are very hard ,it’s like being run over by a bus ,but it does get better .Once you know what happens next and when you will feel calmer and more in control .Jill.
@feelthefear I’m going to France and driving (not me someone else is) so said it’s fine to go… I am oestrogen negative and my lymph nodes are clear.
@jill1998 yes my auntie comes to all my appointments with me and she is really good at asking the questions as I don’t really process any of it… they said to have chemo first to reduce the tumour size so I wouldn’t loose a lot of healthy breast tissue if I had surgery first they would need to take more but didn’t say how much… …
@trisha69 sorry your going through this. Try not to stress too much, I was exactly the same in thise early days. You can talk to us whenever you need to and I’m sure you can ring your BCN up anytime too xxx
Hi queenbee.
It sounds as though you’ll need to make a decision about whether the idea of losing more tissue bothers you. Everyone is different, but for me, I’m happy to have a mastectomy and even want my healthy boob off. I can’t stand the thought of maybe having to revisit this horrible situation further down the line and I’m going to do whatever I can to prevent that happening. I do plan on having recon later in the year.
Good luck with your decision. It’s a horrible choice to have to make. Xxx
@feelthefear yes I think that’s the main reason they offered chemo first rather than straight surgery but to me I think I just want the lump gone out of me and then go to chemo. I have until next week to decide so as soon as I have seen the oncologist I will make my mind up. I’d be happy with double mastectomy to be honest if I knew 100% that I would never get it again!
I have to say that if I had been put in that position I would have just wanted the cancer out of me as soon as possible .
@jill1998 when I’ve told people they have said the same. Also I can recover the surgery, go away and then come back and have chemo rather than have chemo go away half way through it and then have surgery probably still feeling weak from chemo… it’s so much to take in!
@munchkin sorry you had to go through that. I’m just unaware if how much breast tissue I would loose at first so until the I can’t decide!
Queenbee ,I think there would be an opportunity for reconstruction at a later date if you were unhappy with your boob post op .May be worth asking that question too .
You can also get partial “falsies” made to measure .
@jill1998 thank you yes I’m going to ask about that aswell I’ve got a list of questions already for tomorrow. I’m just hoping my BCN is back as the one in my appointment on Monday was a stand in and I didn’t really take to her. X
I wasn’t given the choice it was surgery first. I met a lovely group of friends through here who were all chemo first. I never really understood why but hadn’t questioned it as we didn’t ‘meet’ until my surgery was imminent. I personally am glad it was done this way as one of my friends they stopped her chemo early as her lump wasn’t responding. But that’s just me and my opinion. Good luck whichever you decide xx
@bettyboo the consultant did say that the chemo might not shrink my tumour it’s just to help kill all the cancer aswell so I might loose all the great tissue anyway so be in the same predictiment anyway!