July 2017 Surgery

53nancy

Shelabela, I am lopsided myself and maybe that should have been a clue. Your massage was almost two months after your node removal? I'll have to check that out. Do you think you'll want to expand more?

Right now I have a massive bruise under my arm so hope it diesn't take long to disappear. I guess I won't know what Stage I am until these results come back but am hoping for Stage 2 or 3. I don't jnow if the TN status will imoact that or not. I do believe that trying to be positive will make a difference. There have been tears and anger, but with just one node taken out, the outlook seems brighter. Hiwever, I do realize if it has even a teeny bit of cancer, they may want to take more. I hope not. Would rather go straight to chemo. Have a great day. Hugs

kae_md99

ladies,

do you have the " lumpy feeling "in your armpits?

toughcookie_21

kae, yes I have the lumpy armpits too. I think it's the expanders because the lumps move around if I poke them.

I did something really stupid- I burnt my right arm on the steam escaping from my teapot. This is the cancer side where lymph node was removed. I'm so worried because it's not healing. I started chemo on Friday and The burn isn't healing. I'm so worried about lymphedema. Does anyone know how to tell how lymphedema starts?

Jumpship

tough cookie-

Call the onc and ask. There should be a contact person at the hospital who checks tgat

kae_md99

toughcookie,

my PT said that infection/ injury/ inflammatory process can cause lymphedema. it starts as s slow process with swelling.call your onc also maybe youneed something. i would ask to be referred to a lymphedema certified PT if swelling does not subside.

Gigilala

I start physiotherapy and Its very helpful I feel better

The doctor didn't fill my expander the right side is very red we don't know why I wish its not an infection

I finish my chemo June 27 and I don't know when can I start radiation ??

Almost 3 months after last chemo and i don't wear scarf or wig I will put a picture of my hair

Gigilala

kae_md99

nice growth of hair gigi!

Jumpship

If you are done with treatment, or within 2 years I think, there is a health education clinical trial at UCSF you might be interested in

toughcookie_21

Gigi, your hair looks great! And I love your wallpaper.

adam2003

hi,this is my 1st post since joining this group at the reccomendation of a friend. I am getting a double masectomy on october 25th after testing positive for the braca 2 gene in may...my hysterectomy is this Thursday. I feel I am in good hands at university of penn,but am still reeling from my diagnosis...and 5 days ago found a lump between my right breast and my underarm. Really freaking out now....don't know what questions to ask...am being seen by my doctor oct 3rd to see if I have enough thigh fat for reconstruction...I am a c cup,have been for 45 years,(now 59) and am hoping they can get enough fat from me to get me a b cup...otherwise I am going with the implant and stretchers...just very scared (actually,terrified) of my future and where this will land me...good luck to you,hope you are healing well...please tell me how you are doing....

adam2003

waiting for a double masectomy oct 25th...currently terrified and wish it was over with already so I can begin dealing with this as a done deal...braca 2 gene...and found a lump 5 days ago between my right breast and my underarm....I'm a mess...

53nancy

I know, with TNBC, that I will have to have chemo and I know what the long term side effects can be. Would some of you be willing to share what you experienced between chemo sessions, i.e., if you had one a month for several months, were the side effects long lasting or short term? Thanks very much in advance. I have no idea how long I will have to wait

kae_md99

nancy,

my last chemo was june 2. i am still having fatigue.during chemo i had bad reflux,diarrhea,mouth sore,fatigue,altered taste.its the fatigue and bone pains that are really lasting for me but then again i am on zoladex that i suspect is causing pains. oh i have neuropathy too until now. heard that fatigue and even neuropathy can go away in time. goodluck

Gigilala

my last chemo was June 27 I have herceptin every 3 weeks so I am having fatigue bones pain

During chemo I had nausea and vomiting ( only the first treatment) , diarrhea all the time , neuropathy , bones pain , lack of appetite, bad taste

Gigilala

thank u toughcookie😉😉😉

Adam 2003 good luck with your surgery

adam2003

Thank you! Its the lump I am freaking about....I don't know if I beat the clock with a cancer diagnosis....It's disheartining and scary...

Gigilala

it is scary adam2003 but try to don't think about it

I had expanders on September 1st ( I think you remember I had a lot of pain )

Last week I had redness on the right side yesterday i has yellow liquide I saw my surgeon today he took a lot of liquid he prescribe a strong antibiotics and he gave me until tomorrow if I still have a same problem he will send me to the hospital

I really don't want to lose my expander I cannot deal with more surgery

53nancy

adam2003, sorry you have such a long wait for your surgery; please know that everyone has you in their thoughts and please keep in touch if you just need to vent.

shelabela

Gigi, I hope the Antibiotics work to clear that up. I agree you do not need anymore surgeries.

Nancy, I finished chemo on June 12. I was 1 of the ones who had every side effect they talk about. So I won't scare you. It was not fun. But you can make it through it. I told myself " 1 more day of hell done! you can do this!" I would wake up every morning feeling like crap so I picked out the cutest clothes and did my make-up every day just to make myself feel better. I think it helped. I think the only one that is lasting is the fatigue. I am tired all the time. I also have horrible bone pain but I also get the herceptin every 3 weeks till Feb 2018.

Adam 2003, The waiting is the worst! I hated it. Keep busy and plan what to do when you are done! That is what I did. I also made some meals and froze them. That helped me stay busy. but with 3 kids at home and sometimes 4 (Hubby LOL) I stay very busy. Ask a lot of questions. I also had a BMX. I will say the recovery was rough. I thought it would be easier. Stay in touch here! We are here.

So I had my first radiation yesterday. It was different. I am not to fond of things moving when I am laying on them and since I am getting proton radiation they move the bed you are laying on instead of the beam. Took 40 minutes from the time they got me laying in position till the were done. I will get a mepitel film put on wednesday. This is supposed to help your skin stay softer and more elastic through radiation.

How is everyone doing?

53nancy

Shelabela, thanks so much for sharing. I sure hope radiation will go better for you. How many treatments will you have? Much luck to you with hugs. I am more worried about chemo than radiation because I know chemo will affect my sugar control. And yes, Adam2003, the waiting is very hard. I, too, have been making freezer meals.and walking every day helps. This is a wonderful support option for us, and we know we are not alone. we can help each other so much just by being an encouragement. Hugs.

SeeSwee6

Chemo sucks that's about it. Everyone has different experiences, though. My sister had neuropathy in her feet-I didn't.

Food tasted awful, metallic. I ate sweets because they were the only things that had a taste. I indulged in ice cream, fruit, a lot of comfort foods. Everything the nutritionist told me not to eat!

A lot of fatigue (even one year post-chemo). I took Claritin, helped w/joint pain relief believe it or not.

Given all the side effects from chemo, they won't last forever. You'll get through it. I was 64 when I had chemo. No kids, husband, but friends and family helped me get through it.

Also, very important to know: With TNBC (which I have) chemo is best option.

I also had double mastectomy (had cancer in both breasts, plus a positive PALB gene).

Good luck , keep us posted how you feel.

53nancy

SeeSwee6. Nice to hear from someone my age; I will be 64 in December! I am pretty much resigned to chemo. I have wondered a bit aboutwhat has been happening in my left breast in the last five months. The thought that something could have started there makes me realize that Chemo is the only way to deal with the whole body, when radiation targets only the area where cancer was found. I will be so glad when I finally know what my Stage is! Thank you for sharing. Good luck in your journey.

Gigilala

hi ladies

I still have redness in my R breast but no more yellow liquid my ps said the liquid is died fat that s mean died tissue so may be I need another surgery to take all those tissue

I will see him tomorrow and may be surgery on Friday

shelabela

Gigi sorry to hear that. Hope you did not end in surgery again.

53nancy

Gigilala, so sorry to hear this news. I hope the surgeon can give you good news and, hopefully, no surgery. Hugs

toughcookie_21

Hi all, the burn on my arm is finally healing. It taking a really long time to heal completely! I guess the chemo makes it hard for your body to heal quickly. I didn't notice any swelling in my arm but I ended up calling the MO office early this week because I was so worried about lymphedema. The nurse practitioner at my MO office took measurements of my right arm so that I will know if lymphedema starts. I'm going to be super careful with that arm to prevent it.

I am finally feeling better from the first chemo session. Just in time for the second one next week. I still have diarrhea every day but the accompanying stomach pains are better.

Gigilala, I hope the antibiotics are working and you don't have to get another surgery!

53Nancy, have you found out when chemo will start? Waiting is the worst!

Shelabela, how is the radiation going? I read sessions are taking longer than you expected. Are you still able to work? I know you had said you went back in August after surgery. Did you work during chemo? Hope you don't mind me asking! I went back to work last week. My employer said would allow me to work from home most days until the hard chemo is over. It made my decision to return to work so much easier.

53nancy

kae-md99, I am so sorry chemo is proving so difficult for you. I have heard that fatigue can last up to a year after chemo; guess it is something to be dealt with one day at a time. These posts are helping me to formulate a list if questions I will have for my oncology team when I finally get to meet them. I wish all the best as you contunue your journey. Take care

53nancy

toughcookie-21. I think it will be a while before I find out about chemo. I have another three weeks before I get results on SNB, then will have to meet with those in charge before I get set up with a treatment team, though maybe that will happen at the same time. I am eight days post-op. Remived steri-strips yesterday. There is quite a hard lump under my armpit. Called clinic yesterday, and cannot get an appointment until Monday, so will just have to be patient. Incision looked okay this morning. Meanwhile I am opening/closing my fist and bending arm so that I don't develop lymphaedema

shelabela

Toughcookie. I did work during chemo. It was hard but I had a great boss. Each radiation session lasts about 40 minutes. So far I have been able to work 1/2 days. Things are going ok. Glad your burn is healing!