Finished chemo and bad news

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  • jadziatoo
    jadziatoo Member Posts: 38 ✭
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    Well I am back home after my double mastectomy and bilateral sentinel node biopsies.  I was given a Prevena negative pressure bandage rather than drains which is going well. Feeling good.
  • au0rei
    au0rei Member Posts: 248 ✭
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    jadziatoo said:

    Well I am back home after my double mastectomy and bilateral sentinel node biopsies.  I was given a Prevena negative pressure bandage rather than drains which is going well. Feeling good.

    I read your post, so sorry to hear about the right breast :( big hugs to you. Glad that surgery is done. Doing a single mastectomy is hard, doing two is way harder esp after 6 chemos (I am done with my 4 chemo and it's taken its toil definitely so I think you are very strong), so take good care of yourself and eat well to recover. On another note, so glad you found the pre-cancer cells on the other side very early, and that it's pre-cancer! Could I ask why you had a MRI done? I was asking my oncologist what tests should be done after chemo and he says done. However, I did have left mastectomy before chemo so mine was adjuvant chemo and I think yours is neo-adjuvant, so that's why you had a scan? I am only meant to have scans (ultrasound and mammo) on my anniversary which is Dec 17. xxx
  • Hopes_and_Dreams
    Hopes_and_Dreams Member Posts: 760 ✭
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    Great to hear you are home @jadziatoo and feeling OK. Sending you best wishes for your recovery and pathology results.  Jane xx
  • melclarity
    melclarity Member Posts: 3,502 ✭
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    @jadziatoo So glad to hear you are now at home and recovering! Look after you, keep us posted how you are going! Hugs Melinda xo
  • jadziatoo
    jadziatoo Member Posts: 38 ✭
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    au0rei said:


    jadziatoo said:

    Well I am back home after my double mastectomy and bilateral sentinel node biopsies.  I was given a Prevena negative pressure bandage rather than drains which is going well. Feeling good.

    I read your post, so sorry to hear about the right breast :( big hugs to you. Glad that surgery is done. Doing a single mastectomy is hard, doing two is way harder esp after 6 chemos (I am done with my 4 chemo and it's taken its toil definitely so I think you are very strong), so take good care of yourself and eat well to recover. On another note, so glad you found the pre-cancer cells on the other side very early, and that it's pre-cancer! Could I ask why you had a MRI done? I was asking my oncologist what tests should be done after chemo and he says done. However, I did have left mastectomy before chemo so mine was adjuvant chemo and I think yours is neo-adjuvant, so that's why you had a scan? I am only meant to have scans (ultrasound and mammo) on my anniversary which is Dec 17. xxx

    Hi auOrei, I had the MRI done because I wanted a lumpectomy on my left breast and my surgeon wanted to see how much of the tumour was left before making the decision about whether it could be done. 
  • socoda
    socoda Member Posts: 1,767 ✭
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    Hey @jadziatoo, so good that you are now home, feeling good and recovering. Wishing you beautiful, fast healing. Xx Cath
  • jadziatoo
    jadziatoo Member Posts: 38 ✭
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    Well the pathology was interesting. The left breast had a 5.5cm tumour bed with 5mm of tumour left after chemo. The right breast they ended up finding a 6.5mm invasive tumour, which was a bit of a surprise. My left breast was er+, pr+ and her2+ but my right was triple negative.Two of the ten lymph nodes they took on the left were positive while the three right nodes were negative. So the team has decided that 5 weeks of radiation is the next thing. I have my planning visit on Friday 12 and then start radiation a couple of weeks after. 
  • socoda
    socoda Member Posts: 1,767 ✭
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    Well @jadziatoo interesting is one word for it - Crap is another!!!!! Good that the chemo has obviously worked in reducing the tumour and that so many of the nodes were negative. Wishing you all the best for your planning visit and your radiation. Xx Cath
  • adean
    adean Member Posts: 1,036 ✭
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    Hope all is ok big hug.xx
  • primek
    primek Member Posts: 5,392 ✭
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    Oh by Golly it's lucky the other breast was removed too and good news node negative on that side. Hope all goes well with radiotherapy and continuing herceptin. Kath x
  • jadziatoo
    jadziatoo Member Posts: 38 ✭
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    Hi all,
    Thanks for the kind words. I have done 10 lots of radiation and I have 15 to go. I am a bit tired but still working full time through it all. Got my permanent prosthesis last Saturday which was exciting.  
  • Kat09
    Kat09 Member, Dragonfly Posts: 269 ✭
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    Hi @jadziatoo , I'm really pleased to hear that you are almost through your treatment and that you are doing so well. I am almost at the end of my chemo treatment , it's been a long six months! Next is surgery for me, I was interested that you didn't have drains in after your Mastectomy and instead was given a bandage. Is this a new option and did you have any issues with it rather that having the drains ?
  • jadziatoo
    jadziatoo Member Posts: 38 ✭
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    Hi @Kat09. It depends on your surgeon. My surgeon uses Prevena dressings rather than stitches and drains but other surgeons use stitches and drains at the same hospital. It has been around for awhile for other types of surgery but I think it is fairly new for mastectomy.  I had no issues with it but you have to carry the pump around while you have it on. Here is a link to the Prevena site, http://www.acelity.com/products/prevena-incision-management-system#tab_2
    Hope that helps
    Angela
  • Kat09
    Kat09 Member, Dragonfly Posts: 269 ✭
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    Thanks for the link Angela, i really appreciate it
    Kat

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