Surgery May 2019

[3331melanie]

Morning DiKat.

im feeling better about things this morning. I think I was on a bit of a high after surgery and relief  of lump being taken out. The scars are actually really neat and will fade in time. I think seeing them reminded me of my diagnosis. I go next Wednesday for results so know that’s on my mind too. Hoping I should know more about radiotherapy at that point too and when I may start tamoxifen.

Im sorry to hear you are still having issues from chemo. I know it can play havoc with your body! You e been through so much prior to your op then of course that takes it out of you too! I think I have only just properly recovered from surgery. Were you going to have radiotherapy too? 

Hugs to everyone 🤗.

Mel xx

[DiKat]

Hi Mel

do you know how much longer you have to wait for results and when you will start RT? Sorry to hear you found it emotional looking at your scars😢

I’m doing ok thanks. Feels a bit tighter and sore under my arm but managing exercises ok and can still get arm above my head. I have a wound check tomorrow so that will be my first time at seeing what’s underneath. My boobs are really small so Intrigued at how noticeable the lumpectomy is going to be! My boob is still swollen at present. My biggest issues are my ongoing problems left over from the chemo. Having a lot of bowel and digestive problems, which has always been a weak area for me, and back and leg pains along with general tiredness! 

Hope everyone else is doing ok 💕

[3331melanie]

Hi Jewels

pleased your recovery is going well xxx

[3331melanie]

Thanks DiKat

Hope your hubby isn’t to tired after his race yesterday 🏃🏻‍♂️🌸🎀. 

How are you feeling after surgery now? 

Mel xx

[3331melanie]

Hi Jackie

Not doing too bad - a little emotional looking at my scars today😢. Just waiting for biopsy results and to start radiotherapy.

Hope you are doing ok? Saw your other post on rads. I shall keep following that. I have a trip already booked to France in August. 

🤗xx

[Jac67]

Hope everyone is recovering well 💕

[DiKat]

Good news Mel. Take care and don’t overdo it xx

[Jewels994]

Morning Melanie, glad swelling has reduced. Keep us informed.

Julie xx

[3331melanie]

Morning all

Shall hold fire contacting breast nurse. Swelling has reduced this morning and feels more comfortable 😊

xx

[Jewels994]

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@DiKat wrote:

Jewels994 

How are you doing? Is your recovery going well? Xx

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Thanks Dikat, recovery going well xx

[DiKat]

That will take your mind off things Mel. Have a great time 💕

[3331melanie]

Hi DiKat

Thats amazing! Congratulations to your hubby 👏🏻👏🏻Fantastic photo 😊

I wondered if it was a seroma but only see it when I raise my arm. Will see what nurse says.

Anyway going to see strictly processionals dancing tonight so should be good 😊.

Mel xx

[DiKat]

Jewels994 

How are you doing? Is your recovery going well? Xx

[DiKat]

Hi Kaytee 🤞you get your results quickly and a date for your surgery💕

Mel sorry to hear you now have some numbness and may have a seroma. I kind of thought those things would happen in the earlier days so good to know it’s important to watch out for these things. Let us know how you get on with nurse.

Super proud of my hubby today, ran the 10k race for life and has raised over £1500 for cancer research 😁

Love to all 💕

[3331melanie]

Morning ladies

Hope you are all ok.

i seem to have a swelling now under my lymph scar when I lift my arm which is a little uncomfortable. I’m wondering if it’s a fluid build up. Will speak to my breast care nurse tomorrow. I also seem to have lost some sensation under my arm and back of shoulder which I know can be a side effect. 

Enjoy the sun ladies 😊.

Kaytee, I hope you get your surgery soon.

Mel x

[Kaytee]

Hi dikat

Thanks for your reply. Glad the chemo seems to have paid off for you. I will be having chemo after the masectomy.  It was talked about having chemo first but they have now decided on the surgery route first.

Am hoping they will get the results from latest biopsy through earlier than expected so they can bring surgery forward and I can get started......

Xx

[Pjf0265]

Hi DiKat, 

Sorry that the chemo was tough but out the way now !

Glad all done and at home to recover . Best place to be is home , there no place like home ,as they say xxx 

Stay strong and positive and will be thinking of you . This forum is amazing , I feel I have made so many friends xx 

[DiKat]

Hi Kaytee 

Pleased you have got some answers so that you can now move forward. Are you going to need chemotherapy? I was given chemo first which made my lump practically disappear so was advised I only needed lumpectomy. I also had multiple nodes affected. My latest MRI also suggested the chemo had resolved the cancer in my nodes. The surgeon has done a sentinel nodes biopsy along with the lumpectomy so now waiting on results(approx 3 weeks) to see if this is the case. I was told it looked like there was one node showing in my chest at the start. However, this also appears to have resolved and now disappeared. Take care xx

[3331melanie]

Hi Kaytee

i am pleased things are moving forward for you now in terms of surgery and hope your wait isn’t too long.

Hopefully someone else on the forum will be able to share experience of chest node removal.

Keep us updated.

lots of love Melxx

[Kaytee]

Hello

I am pleased to see a few of you are doing so well after your ops. 

Mine is now back on after pet CT scan seems to show that cancer has not gone further than the lymph nodes but will now be having a mastectomy and all nodes cleared.  There is also one in my chest that a specialist is going to have to remove.

Has any one else had a node in their chest removed?

Hoping I won't have to wait too much longer as I know you all know how torturous the waiting is!

[3331melanie]

Hi DiKat

Im delighted surgery went to plan and you are home 😊. Mamma does sound painful!

Hope you managed to get some sleep last night. Take it easy today and take your painkillers.

hugs Mel xx

[DiKat]

Hi pjf0265

Thank you for your lovely kind words. Unfortunately chemo was pretty bad for me but I’ve done it and I had a good response.

My op went to plan, theatre at 2.30, home about 8pm although still spaced on fentanyl🤪

Worst part was having the mammogram after they had inserted the guide wire. Ouch!

 All appears ok this morning, sore as expected but have done first lot of exercises.

Hope all is well with everyone else 💕xx

[DiKat]

Welcome to the forum SSM. It’s good to hear you are managing so well physically after your operation and totally understandable how you feel about looking at your scar as you have to get used to a different you. One day at a time! Sending hugs 🤗 xx

[Pjf0265]

Hi SSM,

what a brave decision, I have had to have mastectomy but opted for the reconstruction at the same time! Longer recovery but I knew I would find it hard to have no boob so I understand! It must be hard but with the support of your family, friends and amazing breast care nurses I am sure it will help you. Glad the recovery is going well and arm movement good X 

sending virtual hugs xx

love Philippa 💕xx

[Pjf0265]

Hi DiKat,

so sorry to hear you have had to endure Chemo , hope it hasn't been too dreadful ! 

Good luck with your surgery and hope that all will turn out well.

sending a big hug for when you wake up and hope it brings a smile to your face xxx

Will keep looking to see how you are doing . 

Lots of love good wishes are coming your way xx💕

[3331melanie]

Hi SSM

Welcome to the forum. I’m pleased to hear you are feeling well post op. Although I only had lumpectomy I seem to have good movement and am not feeling too sore - not taking painkillers anymore.

I can understand it must be emotionally difficult to looking at the scar! Sounds like it’s healing well which is fantastic! 🤗

Do you need anymore treatment? Take care and keep popping back to the forum - the ladies on here are live,y with all slightly different stories, but we all ‘get it’ and can support one another.

lots of love

Mel xx

[3331melanie]

Hi Philippa.

Thank you for your kind words. It’s certainly a journey none of us wanted to be on! Cancer is something that happened to other people not me! I get you hesitance to feel joy regarding your clear margins.  Think I will feel the same if they tell me that. I think I’ll always have the ‘what if’ in the back of my head. At the moment though I seem to be able to suppress these feelings and keep focusing on what I know to be factual at this point. My darkest days were pre diagnosis and the unknown. Once I knew what I was dealing with it all became easier. I hope I can continue in this frame of mind!

You had long surgery and it will take some time to recover physically as well as dealing with the emotional element of the diagnosis. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We can do this 🤗

hugs Mel xx

[SSM]

Had my right boob removed 10 days ago and thought I would join the forum - partly as I wanted to confirm how surprisingly well I seem to be doing.  Although still a little sore I am moving my arm and shoulder far better than I expected - hope it continues!

That said I'm a complete wreck when attempting to look at my scar - would be the same if it was on my leg tbh. My dear daughter is checking me daily for swellings etc - so far so good!

[3331melanie]

Good luck DiKat

You'll soon be a week post op like me 🤗 xx

[Jewels994]

Thinking of you today Dikat, hope all goes well and you go home this evening xx

[DiKat]

Hi pjf0265

Sorry to hear you have had to endure 3 lots of surgery but glad your margins are now clear.

Im pleased you have decided to use the forum. For me it’s been a lifeline. I started chemotherapy in December (had chemo first) so initially joined the Dec chemotherapy thread. We’ve all been a wonderful support for each other. I have joined this thread as well as having surgery today, (sat on the day surgery unit now but not going to theatre until this aft). 

Hope your recovery continues to go well, take care 💕 xx

[Pjf0265]

Hi Mel,

Thank  you so much for replying so quickly . It means a lot .

It's 3am in the morning and I am wide awake, quite normal these days !

I am on letrozole for five years ,an aromatase inhibitor being used to fight off any oestrogen in my body as I have a cancer that likes to feed  off oestrogen ! I say have or should I say had now ???Having only been told that they have got clear margins only two days ago I am struggling to feel happy ! I should feel elated but I think I will always have some doubt in my mind ! Perhaps it's because I am only two weeks post surgery which was 9 1/2 hours long and still not able to get on with life properly ! Wishing I could jump for joy but scars etc won't let me !

I truly hope Mel that  your journey isn't too long . It's the scariest journey I have ever been on !

Thanks for chatting 

lots of love Philippa x

[3331melanie]

Hi

welcome to our forum thread. I’m so glad you have been able to join in the discussions but obviously not the reason we are all here!

it sounds like you've had a long journey already with 3 surgeries this year. I understand your relief at getting clear margins - i was relieved just getting the lump out! Fantastic to hear no lymph involvement. My plan is also to have radiotherapy and tamoxifen.

I hope you continue to recover from your surgery and keep popping back to chat. We all support each other as we truly understand this rollercoaster we are on!

lots of love Mel xx

[Pjf0265]

Hi ,

This is the first time using the forum since my diagnosis in January ! I have wanted to, but been too frightened and scared for some reason ! 

Two weeks ago I  had my third surgery this year .The latest being a skin sparing mastectomy on my left breast with full reconstruction at the same time ! The two previous being wide local excisions!  Feeling very emotional and relieved that finally the surgeons have managed to get clear margins and removed all the cancer ( there was still some in situ ). I now have to recover from the major surgery and then will have radiotherapy! I could not feel that I could live life without one of my breasts . I have been extremely lucky that my lymph nodes weren't affected !

I feel I have done the right thing having the reconstruction straight away although the recovery is long! 

I hope that all the lovely people on here are recovering well from their ops and I wish them well with whatever treatment is given ! Feel blessed to have the Becca site to share my journey .

[DiKat]

Good to hear you are healing well Mel 💕

Thanks for your good wishes Louann and Jac67 💕💕

[Jac67]

Best of luck Dikat you have come through so much already ., You will be absolutely fine . One  step nearer to finishing treatment. ❤️

[3331melanie]

Hi DiKat

i went down at 2 and was discharged at 7 so you should be home early evening 😊

im recovering really well. Had dressings of today and healing really well. Surgeon has done a fab job.

Hope all goes well for you xx

[Louann]

Hi Dikat

I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow, wishing you good luck. You will soon be back home recovering.

Hope you manage a good nights sleep. X

[DiKat]

Thanks 3331melanie and Jewels994 for your good wishes. Don’t think I’m going down until the afternoon tomorrow but still hope to get home late tomorrow evening. Hope you’re both recovering well 💕xx

[3331melanie]

DiKat

will be thinking of you tomorrow and hope all goes well 😘.

Let us know when you feel up to it,

lots of love 

xxx

[3331melanie]

Really pleased surgery went well. Def rest now and take painkillers if you need them 😊.

xxx

[Jewels994]

Dikat, good luck with your surgery tomorrow, hope all goes well xx

[Jewels994]

Thanks Dikat and Mel, surgery went well. Had 3 lymph nodes removed. Got home late last night and now just going to rest up for a while xx

[DiKat]

Jewels994

Hope everything went to plan today and you are feeling ok 💕

[3331melanie]

Hi Jewels994

Thinking of you today and hope surgery goes well. Let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it.

lots of love Mel xxx

[3331melanie]

I am thanks - seem to be recovering well from surgery. A little tender over lymph site but otherwise ok 😊

xx

[Jewels994]

Thanks Mel, hope you’re doing ok xx

[3331melanie]

Hi DiKat and Jewels 

Not much longer until your surgeries.

I wish you both well and hope the surgery goes as planned.

lots of love.

we can do this 😘xxxx

[DiKat]

Fantastic news Jac67😊

Glad all went well Mel. Take it easy 😘

[Jewels994]

Jac67 that’s great news

Melanie, glad surgery went well.

Julie xx