my reconstruction journey

melp
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:15 pm

Hi all I had my first expansion this morning. Was a bit scared but mostly excited! They put 40mls into the right side. Couldn't feel it going in but I did feel it when they were finishing it off before taking the needle out! Apparently that's normal.

She was going to put 50ml in but she decided she didn't want to try anymore fluid. So my next fill is the 23rd December few days before Xmas! Thinking I may need about 4 more fills to get to 500 which is close to the maximum. Took some Panadol before I went in and am feeling ok at the moment. Took some pictures too.

So I'm now at 340mls in the expander. It did actually look like it has filled out more at the top than before.
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

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jezza
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby jezza » Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:33 pm

My fills were pretty good ...just a tight feeling until my PS went on hols and another PS asked if I wanted more in. I said yes thinking it would speed the process up...and I was in agony!

You don't feel it straight away. My regular PS took it gently after that and said if I was in doubt to wait in the waiting room afterwards for a while to make sure I was still comfortable. She said she could always take some out.

3oo mls seems a lot to me too .....I'm sure I didn't have that much at first. Anyway that shouldn't happen again.

Its very exciting that all it's all happening. Hope you feel better every day!

jezza
Dx Jan. 1992 9mm Grade 3 IDC node neg. LB mast. Prophylactic RB mast. 6 months later. No chemo. No rads. Saline implants. 22 years NED. (No Evidence of Disease)

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Janette
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby Janette » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:13 pm

The fills weren't painful for me until the last 2 and then only lasted a few hours.
Janette


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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:31 pm

Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

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schoolteacher
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby schoolteacher » Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:55 am

You were so lucky that they found the DCIS early! I thought 300mls seemed a lot for a first fill too Janette but not having had expanders I couldn't really comment.
You have a way to go yet Mel but you are making progress :clap:

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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby ruth1 » Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:45 am

wow Melp, so lucky that was caught early and dealt with. The pain from surgery isn't good but there is an end in sight so good to hear you now have a plan and can implement it all now. :hugs:
Dx IDC 2cm grade 3 ER/PR pos. DCIS grade 3, fam hist metastatic BC. Bi lat mastectomy, FEC x 4, surgical revision pending. AI x 5 yrs Femara

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Janette
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby Janette » Tue Nov 11, 2014 11:47 pm

Mel,
It sounds like things are really moving along now. Good you found the cancer in the other breast nice and early. The expanders were painful for a while for me but quite bearable. 300mls seems a large fill to start with, mine was only 100mls. :hugs:
Janette




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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Tue Nov 11, 2014 11:06 pm

hi everyone

I haven't updated for a while..things have changed alot since my last post. Had an mri in preparation for left side reconstruction and they found an area of concern in the right breast. Had an ultrasound and biopsy. Got the results early October and turns out it was DCIS cancer.

Was shocked about this but seeing as it hadn't progressed to the lymph nodes the doctor said i wouldn't need any other treatment except surgery. I decided with that advice the best thing to do would be to have the right one removed. Because i wouldn't need radiation it meant i could also have an expander put in at the same time as the masectomy.

So that's what I did almost 3 weeks ago now on the 20th of october :v_happy:

Was in hospital for 3 days and was lucky to not go home with any drains in!!! For the first week I was really feeling not good. Boy the pain was horrendous!!! At the start I was taking panadol/codeine tablets at night and some advil during the day for pain.

Many times i thought "Why am I doing this??" then I thought of all i had read about other ladies feeling the same and I realized I wasn't alone. Spent some time with my mum in the country to refresh a bit and relax away from my place.

The surgery went really good according to my doctor. Even though it was DCIS they did take 3 lymph nodes just incase. Pathology showed mostly dcis but a very small area of IDC also but it has been all removed during masectomy surgery and the lymph nodes were negative for cancer!!!!! :clap: :clap:

Have been home for a while now and im now down to panadol during the day and panadene forte at night. The tightness and pain is still annoying but this is only temporary and Ive got to keep thinking about that rather than focusing on the pain. I'm going for my first fill later this month its at 550ml expander and it was filled to 300ml at surgery.

When they do the exchange surgery on the right they will finally do the lat dorsi on the left!!! so the second op will be much bigger than this one..depending on hospital approx march or april 2015 for that one. Not the way i wanted to speed up the whole recon process but by middle of 2015 i will be finished (bar the nipples at that point) so my journey will still go on for a little while.....
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby schoolteacher » Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:36 am

:clap: how exciting. The time will go quickly.

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Janette
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby Janette » Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:46 pm

Great news Mel, it's all happening. :clap:
Janette




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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby The new girl » Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:23 pm

:wave: glad for you that you have a date,all the best to you....Rosa

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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:08 pm

hi ladies! Got the best news!!!!!!!!! Got a letter from RAH elective surgery department and they have got me a date for my reconstruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its later than i thought at the start but the overcrowding must be worse than I suspected.. Its on the 1st December with pre op assessment on the 24th of november. Still having the mri on the right side on 25th September then get the results a week later :v_happy: :v_happy:
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

melp
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:57 am

Hi all

Haven't updated for a while but my surgery will be very soon!! Spoke to the breast care nurse a few weeks ago now and asked how many weeks notice would I get of my surgery date. She said a few weeks but I will have a pre op appointment and that the actual operation would be a week after the pre op. Because of cold and flu season still going on they don't have many beds. also my surgeon is a very busy man so it depends on how long the other ops in the waiting list who are before me take(how much operating time they need).

So I'm eagerly awaiting an appointment date for my pre op assessment as soon as possible!!
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

melp
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:46 pm

hi seems my operation wont be until spring time which is august onwards. The hospital will have a lot of patients during cold and flu season so they usually do reconstructions after winter season. So I still have more time to wait...i have to have a breast MRI in september some time but that wont have any bearing on my surgery but they want to keep a check on the right side.

So im tipping end of sept or october for surgery. the MRI needs to be done in line with my menstrual cycle which usually is in the middle two weeks of each month (i will have an appointment for MRI results probably about a week after i get the scan done).

A bit annoyed but i guess I dont want to get a cold while in there if i did go in early.
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015

melp
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Re: my reconstruction journey

Postby melp » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:21 pm

hi all just wanted to say im so excited my recon will be started before xmas 2014! Xmas and new years was good. went to visit my sister and her partner in brisbane. had a great time but it was very humid!!! New years was quiet night at a friends place but i couldnt help but think after midnight I should be having my surgery hopefully in a few months or so. Very exciting!!

Seeing my fabulous surgeon in end of march for a six month checkup and hopefully he can tell me how far ive progressed on his list since i was put on october last year. thinking back he asked me to fill out the pre-surgery paperwork like admission form where you have to list all your allergies and other surgeries even before I know an exact date! was confused by that but i did it anyway... so thats where the progress is at the moment. also i remembered ruth had written out the story of her surgery which is the same as mine it was on a previous post but i cant seem to find it can anyone post a link here for me please?

Will update again after the end of march :)
Diagnosed stage 3 aggressive BC July 2011 at 27.
Lobular tumour in left breast. ER+ PR+ HER2 - Surgery L mastectomy august 2011
4xAC chemo and 4xtaxorete chemo. 25 sessions of radiation at RAH.
DCIS tumour and Right masectomy with tissue expander placement October 2014
LD flap recon June 2015


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