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Annabel Crabb and Side effects of Treatment (Online Q&A) Feb 23rd 5-6pm
arpie
3 years agoMember
Click on the link at the bottom, to 'sign up' for the Q&A event ..... Everyone’s breast cancer experience is different, including the impact of treatment. Some people may experience few or mild sid...
Published 3 years ago
Version 1.0arpie
My GP found a lump in Nov 2017 when I went for my yearly Pap smear and she suggested she check my boobs. My mammogram just 4 months earlier was clear. I was sent for another Mammogram and ultrasound in early Dec. The mammogram came back clear again, although my GP specified the exact location of the lump! The ultrasound was inconclusive, so a biopsy was recommended. This was scheduled on Dec 29th ... I wasn’t too worried as I had had cyst ‘scares’ a couple of times over the last 20 years. The radiographer didn’t think I needed a biopsy but luckily the Dr doing it went ahead with a cone biopsy .... cos on Jan 5, it came back positive to cancer with 95% cancer cells in one lesion and 75% in the other. I was given the name of 2 surgeons in Sydney (as I had family there to stay with before and after surgery) but they were all still on Xmas holidays. On Jan 15th I saw Dr James French (a leading Breast Cancer surgeon and teaching professor at the university - Very up to date with the latest methods and very aware of conserving surgery, with reconstruction often done simultaneously.). He recommended a Sentinel Node Test the next day to determine which nodes the tumours were draining to .... and he operated on me the day after that. I was in overnight and went home to my brother’s to recover. The pathology came back with clear margins and no cancer in the lymph nodes, tho it was an aggressive one, (Invasive Lobular Cancer and have joined the ILC private group for support/info) so radiation was recommended and probably Hormone Tablets as well after that. I attended Port Macquarie Hosp for the radiation and stayed at Rotary Lodge on the hospital grounds, for 4 weeks of daily radiation treatment. I tolerated it pretty well, with mainly redness, some burning and flaking skin but that has all resolved nicely. Recently I saw my Oncologist and she recommended I start Letrozole for 5 years ... I am not looking forward to the menopausal side effects, not having much fun with it for 10 years from age 45 (I am now 65.) On the whole, so far, I have had an ‘easy time’ of it compared to some .... tho the emotional and fear side of things is the same for everybody. I was on Exemestane and found it much easier to start off with - way less aches & pains side effects - then it became as bad as the Letrozole. I'm now trying Arimidex and altho the thumbs are still 'bad' ..... so far, manageable. Now on generic brand, Anastrozole & going OK.Member
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