I can't do this

Hi sftfmme65,

I had immediate expander placement at the time of the bilateral mastectomy (May 04). About 7 months later I had the expanders switched out for the implants.

I'm not sure why there would be an objection to reconstruction with TN nodal involvement.

Take care.

I had my lumpectomy last June 10.  I completed my rads one month ago. I am having reconstruction in the form of a 'lift' in June.  My insurance entitles me to some form of reconstruction whether I had a mastectomy or lumpectomy.  This may be a glitch but I am taking full advantage of it.  The lumpectomy did leave some uneveness which will also be corrected at the same time.  The doc said I had to wait one year from surgery.  I believe that it  has taken every bit of all these months to really heal enough to have further surgery.  Even the rads affected my skin with darkening and excoriation.  All that is about 98% resolved.  The only residual now is the neuropathy which I got from the Taxol.  This will not affect having my surgery.  The docs tell me that the neuropathy could take an additional 6 months or longer to go away. 

All these treatments, surgeries, etc. has given new meaning to the word 'survivor.'  Surviving includes not just the physical but the spiritual and psychological as well.  Your fear is understandable.  I had counseling.  In fact, my whole family went to counseling as the result of this BC. 

Spiritual and psychological healing can take as long or longer than the physical aspects.  Getting over our fear of the unknown is part of the healing.  Remember to give every aspect of your being time to heal..........not just the physical, but the spiritual and psychological as well.

(((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))

Welcome bevsteed,

I had your pathology but not ILC.  I know this is hard to hear that many nodes after chemo.  They will be watching you closely and may want to do additional chemo with so much involovment  I had same notes positive with first mast.  I now have 56+ nodes positive and it moved to IBC about six months later.   I'm 31/2 years out and have been in tx just about the whole time.  But I doing well and have a job and live in the middle of cancer.  There is always hope.  I hoping this year bring new inhibitors through the trials for us TN. Chemo does not seem to cutting it always.

Flalady

Teresa, yes it is difficult to see a sister has passed. It's difficult when one moves to Stage IV. I hate this disease.

bevsteed -- I didn't do neoadj chemo, but I'm a TN Stage 3c with 21/21 positive nodes. And I'm still NED. Next month will be my 5 year anniversary of finishing chemo. Sorry you got thrown another curve ball with you path report. 

I wrote this some where else on the boards to help another sister with her fears.

I was diagnosed 4 years ago ,, had bilateral surgery, chemo, rads, reconstruction, ovaries removed, hormonal treatment and genetic testing.  I spent 4 years in terror that this was going to come back because I had 10 lymph nodes affected and both breasts involved.  I wasted 4 years worrying about the return of a disease that I already knew I was at high risk for it to come back.  Now it has come back and I feel I cheated myself by not getting on with life all that time.  Yes I kept working,, doing my housework, going through all the motions of a quote normal existence. But deep down I didn't enjoy any of it because I was always looking over my shoulder. 

The moral to my story is that worrying won't make this disease stay away.  Fear won't fix anything.  But it WILL make things feel worse than they could be.  Enjoy every week, month and year that you stay disease free.  What will be will be and you don't want to end up looking back and wishing you hadn't wasted alot of time.  Time is a gift.  Open it up and enjoy that its in your hands.

Best wishes

secondact

What was your dx? Was it TN or ER+? Any nodes involvment?

Shirlann

Back 10 yrs ago, were you very very worried? How did you manage those fearful days/yrs?

I am preparing to start chemo, 4 rounds of TC and then rads.  I have been told rads is very hard on the tissue.  It sounds like you have recovered from these side effects.  What kind of cosmetic surgery can restore the breast after lumpectomy and rads?  My doctor told me that implants are out so what do we do?  I have read that in Japan and England they are doing fat stem cells for reconstruction, but it is very new.