Newbie here and to cancer

[jane dio]

Hi all, so I just had my 4th treatment. This was the last intense one focused on the tumor site. Just had an interesting massage from the lymphedema nurse. Just got a call from my oncologist. She wanted to chat about the last 15 treatments. I am a big busted girl so what she wants to do is to increase the amount of radiation per treatment to make sure my entire breast gets enough. OR.. there is always an or.. Or I can keep the amount of radiation that I am currently on but increase from another 3 weeks to 5 weeks. She says the only thing that will change from my view is that the scare issue MAY be more affected and my booby May be more lopsided that it currently is. I've told her to go with the 3 weeks at the more intense but now I am wondering if that is the better way to go.. I am just a little confused. Any thoughts??

[schoolteacher]

It sounds as if the worst is over Jane and you are already looking forward. Tiredness will accumulate with radiotherapy I believe. I had chemo not so can't speak from personal experience. It is soundung positive as it was found early. Mine was too, only 9mm, but being Her2 and aggressive, to get the new drug Herceptin, I had to accept chemo.
Great to hear you are doing so well

[JudyB]

Jane I don't recall a feeling of deep pitted burning but I had six three weekly lots of chemo inbetween surgery and radiotherapy. I also had a mastectomy so not quite sure what my breast would have felt like if I still had it. Yes it's all part and parcel of BC and believe me once radiotherapy finishes and you move on the actual treatment will be a long ago memory. I forget about most of my side effects until someone on here asks about it or I see someone on tv etc., and then it all comes rushing back.

You have a lovely mothers' day too Jane, sit back and be spoilt and don't worry about washing those lines off, that's their problem to deal with. I had totally forgotten about the blue lilnes lol, see, you do forget? I just let the water run over them and didn't actually wash them, as I said, that's their problem.

[jane dio]

Hi Judy, yes I heard on the news that's what's going to happen.. That would be amazing just to be able to have 1 treatment at time of surgery. I had my 2nd treatment yesterday and it went a lot quicker than the first. I am so paranoid of washing these stupid marker lines off... I told them I would rather just have tattoos (they did 2 tattoo's during mapping, one on each side). The Alfred runs our cancer centre and apparently they only do tattoos as a last resort. So now I have bits of tape over marker lines insead LOL.. looks like Mr Squiggle has attacked me !! No matter i'm not concerned about it that much, Did you have a very deep pitted burning in your breast? It's hard to explain, it's not pain but it is if that makes sense. My breast is really sore and swollen again but again that's the pit falls of BC and rads I guess. I've got an appoint with Rads nurse on Monday so i'll chat with her then. I hope you have a wonderful mothers day xoxoxo

[JudyB]

Hi Jane, I have been wondering how you are going too. Great news that they got it so early but what a pain your post operation trials have been. Hopefully that will all improve now. Lucky you to only have to have four weeks of radiotherapy, I had six, yuk. I hear they are saying that in the future people like you will only have to have the one blast and that will be while you are under having the lump removed, how wonderful that will be for people in the future.

Keep on getting better and keep letting us know how you are going.

Judy

[jane dio]

Hi all, it's been a while. Results from surgery where good.. my tumor was tiny 7 1/2 mm... he did a sentinel node biopsy and ended up taking 3 nodes because they were very large but turned out to be nothing. I ended up having a very large seroma (6cm in depth) and busted thru my stitches in my armpit. Nurse or doc would seal the would and within a few hours it would burst again.. this was awful because the fluid would build up to the point I couldn't move my arm and my breast was almost double the size of the other one. It's taken 3 weeks of sealing and bursting for things to settle. My CT mapping had to be put back because I couldn't lift my arm.. But anyways, everything is streaming forward now. I had mapping CT a week ago and had my first Radiation treatment yesterday. I am extremely lucky, because my cancer was found very early I don't need chemo and only have 19 treatments of radiation to look forward too. I walked into the cancer ward yesterday and again had a full panic attack, I guess it was the not knowing. I think everyday will get easier. The staff at the hospital are amazing !! my surgery was 5th April mostly since then I have been sleeping in a chair in the lounge as every movement was painful. Last night I actually slept 6 hours in my bed ! I did take a valium as I am running on 3 hours sleep a night and am exhausted even before the effects of radiation and hormone treatment begin. I've been getting back into house hold chores ( my lymph node wound has only been sealed for 10 days now so I am trying to be careful as I am sh%#@ting myself I am going to split it open again. I hung a few cloths on the line today and was able to vacuum ! yay!! lol.. At the moment day by day I am moving forward. I know I have been a sook and hopefully that part of this process is over. I read some of your stories and that gives me a kick up the butt.. I am very luck and I thank the stars everyday for that. Love to all xoxo off to - timetable is a b%#ch!!!!.. all my appoints are helter skelter but I guess sh%#t happens. Keep smiling !

[The new girl]

hi Jane,how are you feeling? Have you had results from surgery? Hope all is well with you.
Rosa

[jane dio]

thanks

[The new girl]

lots of good advice there Jane,just focus on yourself and rest when you can through out the day.
Rosa

[schoolteacher]

Hi Jane
Hopefully your surgery is done and dusted and you are resting comfortably at last. Facing BC surgery is challenging enough without everything else you have been dealing with.
Focus on you and healing. Everything else can wait. Accept any help you are offered.

[ruth1]

hope you can rest a bit over the weekend - the first couple of weeks is the difficult time with pain but you will get there. Good that you are seeing the nurse today and you can ask the questions that need answering. At least you have done the horrible day - its over with.

[jane dio]

Thanks for all the kind words. I think surgery went ok.. Don't really know as no one has said anything to me.. Not sure, how much of my breast they took. Everything is swollen and bandaged. Not sure if they took just sentinel node or more.. not sure about stitches or how long to leave dressings on.. Pretty poor actually. All I was told when I left the hospital was not to drive for 2 days and if I was concerned about dressing to go to my GP. Got given a script for 20 panadine forte and sent on my way..
WOW what a process though.. I was there at 7 am sent to imaging for blue dye which I assumed was injected into my arm...NO.. straight into my nipple.. I thought the core biopsy was bad with no local, this was so much worst. Anyways, then the 45 mins of pictures. I get claustrophobic and barely managed to hold myself together. When it was to a waiting room with a blanket wrapped around me and I waited about 30 mins for the hook wire then another wait to have a mammogram to make sure everything was where it should be. Back to day surgery where I waited for another 4 hours. Don't remember much after they started to inject me with the good stuff. So it's wee hours of Friday morning now. My breast and nipple are the brightest blue colour I've ever seen, apparently it will eventually get flushed by my body - yes my pee is blue too. My breast is tender and bruised but not that painful. My under arm where they took node from is killing me. I can't move round much because everything pulls and feels like it is ripping apart. Although I am having pain meds every 4-6 hours there is no relief - I guess with time it will subside. I slept on the chair in the lounge Wednesday night as I couldn't put a bra on and I thought laying down would be out of the question. I slept 30mins to an hour here and there. I managed to lay in bed for an hour earlier and that was great til I had to move.I've made a sling out of a scarf so as to limit my moving for a day or 2. Am really worried about ripping open my underarm. The dressing isn't attached too good, so going to see nurse tomorrow and see what she says.Time for more meds and see if I can get another hours sleep. Things will look brighter in the light of day.

[JudyB]

I have been a bit absent as my home computer is out of action and I loath typing on the ipad. I am thinking of you today Jane and hoping that you are either in surgery or very close. I hope you get some sleep tonight and feel a lot better tomorrow. Keep up the pain medication and don't let it get too bad before you take something.

[The new girl]

all the best for tomorrow Jane.
I did have nodes removed,they make another smaller insission.
I wish I could say something to put you at ease,I think your lack of rest and sleep is making you feel so petrified.
Looking back to how I was feeling before surgery I to was sooo scared,but it really isn't that bad.
My husband was with me on the day and I was happy for him to be with me.
Rosa

[Mighty Oak]

Jane,
Just popped on to wish you all the best tomorrow. Like anything, the first step is the hardest. Once surgery is done you will be on the treatment path......that is a good thing!

Far from showing your weakness to hubby tomorrow, I think you will be showing great strength by going it alone! You can try and relax as much as possible without having to "entertain". There is still a lot of waiting around and I found that my hubby was more on edge than me. Lol.

I had bc in my left breast only, but elected to have a double mx. It's a decision I haven't regretted, but make sure you have as much info as possible before making that decision for yourself.

Many hugs Jane, we'll all be thinking of you.
MO xxx