Hi , I had a mastectomy on my right breast and all my lymph nodes removed from under my arm.
I had my results given to me over the phone on Thursday and was told that it was good job I had mastectomy as the tumour they removed was 6cm and it was in all but 2 of my lymph nodes , they also said that I will have to have chemo and radiotherapy and herceptin injections every 3 weeks for a year .
They sent me for a scan yesterday to check it hasnt spread anywhere else and I have my appointment Wednesday to find out more about my treatment plan .
I’m so confused and anxious about it all ,as really cant take it all in xx
Hi daffodil
Me again. We almost match - 19 of my 21 lymph nodes were infected. A year and a half later, I’m still here. CT scan, bone scan, 2 MRIs (couldn’t get the contrast dye injected the first time!) and they have all been clear. It means my lymph nodes were doing a damn’ fine job, exactly what they’re there for. Yours probably have too.
You can worry yourself sick in the coming days/weeks or you can look at the situation and accept that you really have to go with the flow now. You may not always like it, but you’ve got past the first big hurdle, the surgery. Hopefully things will now move fast though you may find your treatment plan is rearranged to ensure you’re not immune-compromised during the pandemic. Your team will know what to do. Trust them, that’s important, and USE your breast care nurse. Never think you’re a nuisance.
Try working on your emotional health, even if it takes a few hours a day (and always do it at sleep time). It’s better to be off with the fairies in a meditative state than to be feeling sick and panicky trying to predict the future. Try YouTube videos - Progressive Hypnosis’s Manifest Healing got me through everything, with a dash of Michael Sealey (who sent me to sleep the other night) and Good Vibes. Don’t be put off by ‘hypnosis.’ Fundamentally they are just relaxation tapes to listen to. If the anxiety becomes too uncomfortable, your GP should be able to help with a mild sedative short term.
The change from feeling perfectly well to being very ill is confusing but it depends how you see ‘very ill.’ This is a treatable disease now. Progress is being made every year so it’s nothing compared to 10, 20 years ago - yet we’re still geared to be terrified of it. I don’t get that. You can get through all of this. It’s within our capabilities even when it feels it isn’t. I don’t remember anything being a fraction as bad as my initial fear had set it up to be. I was a wreck for a bit, then something clicked and I handed myself over to the hospital! I wish you all the best on Wednesday. Write your questions before you go but remember - no Google!
Jan xx