Sarah, yes ask your GP to prescribe you some more painkillers, you shouldn't have to suffer. I also tried to stop mine too early but hadn't taken on board that they help the inflammation also, which all surgery causes. Some people will get it worse than others depending on their body's rate of healing. It's not the same for everyone. I wouldn't masage myself, as it's still healing but if it helps you, that's good. It does take some tome for your letters to arrive but I found that asking my GP to chase them and also contacting your consultant's secretary works well. Unfortunately, the worload for the sectrataries who type up all the letters is usually high so that can cause the delay but they are usually lovely and will scan and email you a copy across. You have also hit the holiday period, which does't help I think. I too decided against chemo after sering the onc. Although mine was Grade 3 invasive with DCIS, the nodes were clear and
i'm 63. Chemo would only have improved my chances by 2% so she felt it wasn't worth the side effects. However, she left the final decision to me. I will be having mx anyway now as 2 lumpectomies haven't got a clear margin, which is 2mm im my surgeion's view. I never knew what constitutes a clear margin varies from one health authority to another and some areas don't ask for any margin apparently, just removal of the affected cells. Having BC is a real learning curve I've discovered over the last 7 months! Every appt I went to and it still happens now, I couldn't remember anything that was said to me by the time I got to the car. I sure it's your brain's way of protecting you from things you don't want to hear and shock also. Having somone with you is very important and one of my friends even asked the surgeon if she could record the conversation which he was fine with! Not sure how I feel about that one? Would I want to keep replaying it all? Anyway, enough waffle! X Francine
