Surgery is done.

I'm so glad you are doing so well. What a relief it must be to have the surgery over!

Wow,...glad you are recovering properly...thanks for re-counting your experiences....Always thankful of these sharing of information. Though my surgery was somewhat different than yours...It was done last Wed March 25, 2015....Had originally signed the surgical contract for surgery (aka patient consent form) for lumpectomy, SLND and axillary clearance a week earlier. However, after reading up all I could about axillary clearance, called my MD (also surgeon) and said that I wanted to cancel the part of consent form for axillary clearance. I explained my decision, and provided scientific evidence of RCTs that axillary clearance may be unnecessary for micrometastasis cases.

She was understanding, and read all the 5 articles I sent. Even replied me at 0138 hours after her full day of surgery....Still, she asked that I think it over, and if it is something I am not comfortable with, to let her know on surgery day.

So that Wed 25th afternoon, just before I went under General anesthesia, she asked if I've made my decision ....So she crossed out the part for axillary clearance, had me initialed it in front of the entire surgical team, repeated my request which I affirmed. She was most understanding, and said if some time down the road, if the situation changes, we can always revisit.

So I had my right breast lumpectomy that day that took out an aggressive 3 cm tumor on the upper right quadrant of my breast. My Dr.  and her other colleagues, both did reconstructive surgery immediately after tumor extraction. I was told, upon waking up in my ward 5 1/2hours later, that 1 lymph node was taken out for analysis. Thus, a 3.5" incision under my right armpit. Was numbed in the right  breast, right arm and right shoulder. I looked at my right breast and was pleasantly surprised....It was just slightly smaller, not so noticeable. Perhaps it's due to the swelling....I guess I'll have to wait 2 weeks to see if it will remain just slightly smaller than my left breast. Dr. stopped by later that evening, and  explained that I can expect bruising around breast, and that it will go away within a few days....She is very good about explaining things to me, so it made my journey bearable. I am very glad to have her as my Dr. and surgeon.

Early the next morning, 3 of my Dr's residents came to check on my breast again. They said it looked very good...An hour later, my Dr. came too, followed two hours later by the physiotherapist, and occupational therapist who taught me exercises I must do as soon as I get home. Was thus discharged by noon that day. Through it all, the pain was bearable during my waking moments...on a scale of 0-10 (highest), I would say mine was 3. I haven't taken any pain medication as of today, April 1st. I had read somewhere that if one can abstain from it, then radiation therapy and chemotherapy later may be less painful...Of course, if one has to take it, one must...

It's been a week since, and the entire areola is slowly but surely healing. I discovered that my Drs had cut my entire areola out, and taken the tumor out from that angle so that my breast wont have a dimple-like hole like you read in most literature.. It was subsequently glued back,  then sutured around it with dissolvable stitching...Yesterday evening though, the breast hurt somewhat.. I had wondered if it's because I haven't been wearing a bra. Since my original breast size is/was 38D, perhaps the weight of it is pulling on my right breast.  wasn't  wearing any bra because I have been unable to find one that could comfortably sit my right breast and not fractioned against my nipple. Last Saturday, my younger sister suggested that I go online and buy a nursing bra. I did that and ordered two size 38D, whose flaps can be opened to breast-feed babies. It arrived yesterday, which was promptly washed and hung to dry. Had a shower and immediately try on this cotton nursing bra. Wow, they are incredibly comfortable @!@ By lowering the right flap, my right nipple has no friction against it. Thought I would share it with you too if you are large breasted like myself and is still looking out for a comfy bra.

Tomorrow afternoon, 4/2/2015, I have a follow up visit with Dr. BT. to discuss results of that lymph node, and possibly treatment plan. I knew I would have to do either or both radiation and chemotherapy, in sequence (not together  - too toxic for my body and cells). If results are good, I will choose to have radiation first, followed by the New Zealand PHARMAC recommended 9 weeks combined taxane chemotherapy + Herceptin treatment for HER2+ patients like me.  Pharmac had asked its Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) to do an analysis of the duration, safety, efficacy and cost of treatment for HER2+ patients based on the results of 5 clinical trials. The conclusion was that 9 weeks of combined treatment is just as effective with 12 months Herceptin treatment, and less toxic to our hearts. You can read up on all their research from their website at www.pharmac.health.nz.  By reading on them, one can understand more and find the treatment plan that best fit our situation.

A senior member here belonging to a group in NZ lambasted me for sharing these information with my esteem members in this site of the short treatment plan for HER2+ patients. I only felt it my responsibility to share info that will enable newby members like myself to enable us to make better decisions for ourselves, and for us to be in charge of our own bodies along this journey. After all, our bodies will be inundated with every sort of drugs that will kill cancer cells while simultaneously hurt normal cells. And if a shorter treatment plan can do the job as well as a longer regimen, why not? In the end, we are responsible for our own decisions.

All the best to us all...

PS. I should mentioned that though 1 node was taken out, my right arm did feel weak. When I tried to close my right fingers, my center finger knuckle hurt coz it was felt very tight, like a nerve was damaged. I do my exercises daily, including breathing exercises, and try to walk every evening for more than an hour by the canal...Last night, after walking, had a shower, and sat on my sister's automated massage chair. I did 20 minutes of shiatsu full back massage (including the shoulder blades), and another 20 minutes of rolling back lower body massage. Then I discovered that my right middle finger don't hurt as much as it has the last week....It could be a coincidence, but I have decided to do it now after every walk. Will share with you how it goes.