Surgery on November 14 - Mastectomy on the Right Side

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desimone
desimone Member Posts: 40
edited June 2014 in Just Diagnosed


Hi - I had my surgery on November 14 - went in at 7:00 - surgery was at 8 and was home by 11:30, I had my drain out the following Tuesday and I see my plastic surgeon today. Yesterday I went to see my breast surgeon and went over my pathology report. The tumor was 4.4 cm and high grade and was in 1 node out of 6. The surgeon was surprised that it was only in 1 node as it was a large tumor. I will be referred to an oncologist within a week to determine treatment. I will most likely have to do chemo maybe radiation. I dread the chemo as my sister who has ovarian cancer had a very hard time with chemo. My sister is BRAC 2 positive and I am waiting to be tested for the mutation which I probably am positive. When I meet with the oncologist I will discuss my option if I test positive with the mutation. Dealing with the breast cancer is hard enough but dealing with this mutation really scares me. The doctor told me I will bet it and I WILL but I know the journey will be tough.


Do you know if there is anything that I can do to prepare for the chemo? I would really appreciate any advise.


Thanks

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  • desimone
    desimone Member Posts: 40
    edited November 2013


    Hi - I have been reading about the grade of tumors. It says that you have a better prognosis if your grade is lower. Does this mean (I have high grade tumor) that I do not have a good prognosis?

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited November 2013


    Desimone - your prognosis is determined by all sorts of factors. Generally, staging, grade, etc. are used to help your medical team determine the most appropriate treatment plan for your situation. It is true that a higher grade usually means a more aggressive tumor - but that does not necessarily mean a worse prognosis (some literature suggests that aggressive cancers respond better to treatment). Don't get ahead of yourself reading stats and stuff on the Internet. Only having one node test positive is a very good thing. And the effects of chemo vary from person; my sister-in-law pretty much sailed through chemo - I was fine the first couple weeks & then it was pretty hellish after that - but I got though it and you will too. I think you will find that many people will tell you that what you are going through right now is a really hard part of this - the not knowing & being scared. It's actually easier for a lot of people when they are actively in treatment. Many, many hugs.

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  • AmyQ
    AmyQ Member Posts: 2,182
    edited November 2013


    I concur with Ziggypop - fear of the unknown is worse than the known, for obvious reasons. Everyone responds differently to chemo and when I was dx all I kept thinking was how much I did not want chemo and hoped and prayed I did not need it. After surgery, pathology report and ultimately a bone scan, chemo was no longer an option...it was mandatory if I had any hope of survivng this. I had 5 rounds of Taxotere and Cytoxen and much to my surprise, had an easier time than expected. There are many pre-chemo meds that lessen side-effects and prevent horrible allergic reactions, thankfully. I also agree, until you have a plan with your oncologist, reading too many horror stories and statistics about BC will scare the life out of you. This forum is my saving grace and in fact, it was here that I learned about Penguin Cold Caps which saved about 50% of thick head of hair. Only close friends and family know what I've been through. A complete stranger would have no idea looking at me. One last thing, staying focused on your treatment plan and keeping all your appointments whether they include full-blown treatment or just lab work, is a distraction and for me was uplifting because I knew with each treatment, I had one less to do. Good luck to you.


    Amy

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