Results back - masectomy decision

[JETS]

Pleased you are moving forward Tra16 - I delayed recon and it was the best decision I made ... I don't think I will bother now but might. I'm going to see how I feel in a year or two and by then there will be even more changes to possible recon surgery. Good luck with everything x

[Seabreeze]

Hi Tra16,
Can see there's a theme here re wine baseline...funny, whenever there's a bc event and diet's mentioned you can predict to the second when someone will ask, and what about red wine, isn't that good for you!
Pleased you have decided, and once again, comments made with best of intentions re options.
Have a good weekend
Seabreeze

[Tra16]

Lena

I'm Colchester too, so thanks for the heads up so I don't put the phone down on them.

Ive decided on masectomy , then chemo and reconstruction later.

I'm looking forward to a fun weekend with hubby and my girls before the op next week .

Also working on turning hubby into a Domestic Goddess (as won't be able to Hoover /lift etc) but think that will drive me to the wine more than nerves about the op!!!

[Butterfly318]

Tra16

Well done,  thats the right decision for you .  Good luck with your surgery.

Take Care Gilly x

[Lena2]

As I am having chemo first I will think long and hard about immediate reconstruction although I did say to my consultant I would probably go the route to have it done immediately.   Now I do not have to make that decision just yet.    We have a holiday booked for 4 weeks in Lanzarote end of January so not sure how I would feel to go away that early or even if I am allowed to.  Will have to discuss this.  Love to everyone and keep your spirits up ...... I don't mean by the glassful.   I am going out to Sunday lunch before chemo and I think I will work my way through the menu. xx

[Lena2]

Just had the dreaded phone call to  report on Monday 12 o'clock for my first chemo.   I am still shaking. The nurse made me laugh she gets a lot of slam downs because of her accent as people think she is the dreaded PPI caller.  She now has to say quickly Colchester Hospital.  Very pleasant conversation but did not really take it all in.  I have had to cancel my dentist appointment as I was due to go on Wednesday but now going Sat morning.  My dentist is a dear he is seeing me although he had surgery himself on Tuesday for a hernia op and he was not going to see any patients until Monday week.  Will keep you all posted and good luck to everyone else whose treatment is imminent. xx

[evs_71]

Decisive!  I like decisive!  Good luck with your surgery and your recovery xx

[Tra16]

Thank you ladies. I have decided to have a masectomy and reconstruction at a later date. My BCN called this morning and after I told her my decision she has booked in for next Thursday. I'm feeling positive that I am now doing rather than waiting. X

[evs_71]

Great news Tra about no spread, but still lots of decisions to be made regarding surgical options.  My CT and MRI scans only showed up what we already knew, so a weight off my mind too.  Bone scan tomorrow, but everyone is confident that will be clear too.  I've to have chemo first and should start the week after next, but will almost definitely need a full mastectomy afterwards due to the relative size of my lumps compared to my breast size!  I will have reconstruction at the time, although I did admit to my consultant my concerns about my body not being so fit after a whack of chemo.  He did say that they were valid concerns and if I felt really storngly they would reconsider, but even though I am a nurse, I am not an expert in this field and will bow to their superior knowledge with this.  I will just try and keep as well as I can and hope the chemo is kind to me 🙂  Good luck with whatever decisions you reach xx

[Lena2]

Hi, what a weight off your mind. I too dreaded my results in case it had spread. Now waiting to hear when chemo will start. I am now wondering whether to have reconstruction immediately or not at all. However, I have several months during chemo to think about it. Keep strong we will all get there.

[JETS]

Hi tra - know the feeling on the tests ... It's more complex then this sounds but after mammograms and biopsies and ultrasounds the original decision to do Breast conserving surgery difficult as multi focal and I became borderline mx - decision made to remove as didn't want extra surgery - fine but then problems with left emerged and I was offered mri biopsy at specialist hospital . I basically broke down with all the testing and like you just wanted to focus on long term health clearance for my teenage children - because of the location of the queried left I was told the biopsy could easily be inconclusive ... Anyway bilateral mx decided upon and no regrets about that. I think if I hadn't already been told I would lose the other I might have been more willing to look at biopsies etc - I haven't had recon but did find it took about 8 weeks post surgery to feel ok across chest area etc.
I think you have to weigh up such a lot in such a short amount of time xx if you had the test and were able to keep your Breast , you will be very carefully monitored so take strength in that matter what decision you finally make x

[somerset]

Hi Tra
Great that it had not spread. I can understand why you want mastectomy - that is how I felt. My first routine screening mammogram then biopsy showed intermediate DCIS in one breast. I wanted mastectomy but consultant wanted to try WLE so I did. Margins were not clear so I then had mx (and sentinel node biopsy). Afterwards I was told this was the right decision as analysis after mx showed the surrounding cells had all been in the process of changing so would have gone on to be a problem. I understand why the consultant wanted to try WLE but the result was that I ended up with 2 ops rather than one! A few months later I found a lump the other side. Mammogram/ ultrasound looked OK but luckily they did a biopsy around the lump which showed high grade DCIS. I was offered MRI but I wanted to go straight to mastectomy and consultant agreed. Mx revealed invasive cells which had not shown up on anything before - luckily nodes were clear (had sentinel node biopsy with mx) but for various reasons oncologist advised further treatment to reduce risk of recurrence so did chemo etc.

I did not find the mastectomies too bad but everyone is different. I bounced back pretty quickly both times - week off work then week working at home. I was driving approx 2 weeks after op - as soon as consultant said it was OK. However I only had SNB (not full node clearance) and did not have reconstruction and I seem to heal quickly. I did not want reconstruction as I did not want more surgery/longer recovery time. However it was useful knowing that it is possible to change your mind about this and go for delayed recon - although I am certain now that I won't because definitely do not want two recons. I also find that I get on fine with prostheses - in fact after second mx I am no longer lopsided so don't always bother with them. I think perhaps that because I felt positive about the mastectomies it has made it easier to adapt to changed appearance etc. Not everyone feels like this so I can understand why medical teams want people to consider carefully where there is a choice - but in the end it is your decision.

Very best wishes for your decision making and for your treatment.  I definitely found it is better once you have a treatment plan and I hope you enjoyed the wine (I found chocolate was pretty good too).

[Lucy_BCC]

Hi Tracey

In addition to the support here,you are welcome to call our helpliners to talk things through, lines open in the morning at 9am on 0808 800 6000

Weekdays 9-5
Saturdays 10-2

Take care
Lucy BCC

[Tra16]

Thank you for your comment. I'm always happy to get information.

They did explain outcome about the same and have asked me to sleep on it. My mind pretty much made up but I will think it through .

Tracey
X

[Seabreeze]

Hi Tra,
Pleased to hear that it hasn't spread and that you are feeling relieved by this.
Not one to want to question a resolute decision but were you informed that breast conservation surgery (ie lumpectomy plus rad's to that side) is supposed to have the same survival outcomes as mastectomy for certain types and stages of cancer? I'm not sure if that applies to your diagnosis and while I appreciate you saying mastectomy makes you feel like you won't worry as much in the future, if you lose lymph nodes as part of the breast removal you may be slightly more vulnerable to lymphodema. No idea how far from London you are, but if you could get an early appointment for a scan you may get the results quickly and then be able to make a more informed decision.
Either way, enjoy that glass of wine and apologies for mentioning the above if you are 100% decided.
Please take the above as a well intended comment.
Seabreeze (conservation route, now a few months post rads)

[Tra16]

Is it wrong to say I feel happy today and was almost skipping out of hospital? I had my results and the cancer has been contained in one breast and lymph - no spread. Everyone on here said you feel better/calmer once you know what you are fighting and have a plan and I do.

The scan showed that there is another 5mm lump in the breast. They tried to take biopsy of that one today but couldn't find it on ultrasound.

So hospital have given me a choice of going to London to a specialist MRI place that can indicate whether the second lump is benign or cancerous. If it is benign I would not need a masectomy.

However, I don't think I can take any more tests and waiting so I would rather they just do a masectomy and chemo. My OH is fully supportive of this decision

I think I shocked my surgeon with my matter of fact decisions. But I am a such a worrier, for me the best decision is a masectomy. I have two young children so my only concern is being alive to see them grow up.

My BCN said she will call me tomorrow as they want me to sleep on it.

Any ladies had a masectomy - what is the recovery time like? How did you find it?

For now I am taking the little bit of good news that it hadn't spread and going to enjoy a glass of wine.