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Are there Size options?
Hi, I am early 50s and having a double mastectomy in a couple weeks. I was lucky enough to have been picked up in early stage screening and lumpectomy was successful . I did not need chemo and just before I was due to start radiation my gene panel blood test came back that I have a brca mutation so on advice I am going with a double mastectomy and implant reconstruction. Decision was made fairly quickly as still active treatment and bypassing radiation. I never really asked about size and shape of implant, or maybe I just indicated same size is fine. Do you choose size? I’m in the public system and have my pre op appointment next week. Is this when it is discussed? I’m currently a saggy C and was curious if I have options…108ViewsSign in to react to this post2CommentsBack to work
Hi i am booked for Lumpectomy and snd on tuesday looking for some thoughts about how long before i can return to work? I know every one different160ViewsSign in to react to this post7CommentsHard lump in breast after second surgery
I recently had to have a second surgery after my initial lumpectomy (wide excision with a Perforator flap, removal of DCIS and malignant tumor in left breast) to remove a margin of tumor left behind. After the first surgery, everything was healing and going well. The second surgery however has not gone as smooth. My breast has been very heavy, red and swollen and I ended up in emergency, an ultrasound was performed and 2 pockets of fluid have formed under the skin. I have had both of these drained this week, but I still feel that there is a hard lump and some pressure pushing around the area. It has now been 2 days since the fluid was drained. Has anyone had this happen to them? Does it take time for the pressure to go away? Is this all part of the healing process? Thanks :-)199ViewsSign in to react to this post11CommentsSkin care when
I’m 14 days post op wound healing nicely surgeon happy and all dressing off scar forming and getting tight Any advice on when and what to use hope for radiation oncology appointment late this week or early next week to commence my 25 sessions Stay positive everyone 💕💕💕💕💕96ViewsSign in to react to this post4CommentsAbsolutely devastated 💔 - Less then 2 weeks out of surgery we loose our beloved dog
So this post is not so much related to the cancer itself but more to loosing my beautiful dog and we, especially me are all beyond devastated. One week after surgery, my dog got the seious life threatening condition, bloat. We rushed her to emergency hospital in the middle of night. She underwent emergency surgery to save her life (lots of $$$$), she came home the following day, started recovering, only to decline yesterday (don't know why). We rushed her again to the hospital only to need to put her down cause the prognosis was not good. It crushed us, me especially 💔 I'm in absolute shock and disbelief. Devastation is an understatement. I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken 💔 😥 Before this, she was a healthy 9.5 years old and apart from missing her, I keep on blaming myself on many "what ifs". What if we took her to the hospital earlier, would she have a chance of survival, what if vets made a mistake, was I a good owner, etc... I also feel horrible that since the surgery I didn't give her much attention and that is haunting me. While I know what is happening to me is a priority, but this completely broke me. I can't believe she is gone. She had her little kingdom set up in our alfresco area, and I can't bear to look at it or even go there. I don't even know why I started this discussion, I suppose I just needed some extra wisdom or help or something. I don't know. It just feels like I'll never get over this. If anyone can help with with any words of wisdom, it would really mean a lot to me. Thank you for reading 😢😞 Wishing everyone the best150ViewsSign in to react to this post4CommentsShapewear / Compression wear post-revision surgery
Just done my DIEP revision and hurting from under bust to hips from scar revision & lipofilling. Can anyone recommend a very high waisted boy shorts or bodysuit that I can pee in or that is very stretchy/full zipper so easier to get off but still has firm compression? Can’t deal with one my plastic surgeon suggested for 6 more weeks…144ViewsSign in to react to this post4CommentsPost Surgery Compression Bras
I'd love to get some advice on what to do about compression bras to wear post double mastectomy as mine is next month. (going from D-DD to tissue expanders) I have seen ones online that are hundreds of dollars but I don't know if they are worth it. Or should I look at getting cheaper ones from Kmart/Temu etc. I am struggling with how much to spend or if expensive ones are worth their price. Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks 🙂89ViewsSign in to react to this post1CommentBlue dye injection -Please share your experience
Hello all. I am scheduled for my surgery, but before then I need to have a blue dye injection, just a day before. I was wondering if someone can share their experiences with this procedure as I am absolutely petrified of it. If someone can help out a very, very anxious girl here, that would be amazing! I struggle with needles, procedures, local anaesthetics, so I really hope someone can shed some light and say "it's actually not bad" 🥹, cause this one really scares me. Thank you lovely ladies ❤️🌻🌿344ViewsSign in to react to this post15CommentsDay 2 Post-Op
I am day 2 post wide local lumpectomy, 2 lesions removed. I can say that I had an overall great experience so I am counting myself very lucky. I thought I would outline my day as it might help others know what might happen. I had to be at the hospital admissions desk for 0630, which wasn't too bad really - at least the rush hour traffic wasn't too bad. 0745 I had hookwires inserted to both lesions, confirmed on mammogram. Thankfully this mammogram was no where near as squishy as the screening mams are. Just before this procedure I scoffed down a muesli bar as a second breakfast, as my fasting time was from 0800. 0915 Then I had the lymph scan done with radioactive dye to determine the location of the sentinel nodes to be removed. This process took a while for the dye to travel from the breast to the lymph node but sure enough it eventually did. This was completed around 1130. This is also when I had to stop drinking water. From there I was escorted up to the day of surgery area, where I waited briefly to be called through for some pre op checks, changed into some gorgeous paper knickers, TED stockings and gown and booties. Thankfully there were also some lovely fluffy robes to complete the look. Once this was all done, my bags were labelled (like checked in luggage) and they were placed in a holding area to accompany me up to my room post op. I was sat in a recliner chair and allowed to have my phone and glasses to entertain myself while waiting. I think I waited here about an hour. Then transferred to a bed, and that is when it all got a bit real, being wheeled down the corridor (the ceiling lights do really look like they do in the TV shows as the patient is being wheeled down a corridor) I was wheeled into the OR and given a lovely paper hat. My surgeon did a final consent check and got me to confirm the procedure I was having and drew on my left shoulder while I was awake. I had so many marks and tapes on my left breast that It really was obvious which side we were tackling. I remember the anaesthetic mask being placed over my nose and mouth and breathing a couple of times and that's it! Next thing I am waking up, feeling a little sleepy. About 2.5 hours had passed. No pain, just a weird relaxed feeling. I had some water and a lemonade icy pole which was just what I needed. After waking up a bit more I was wheeled up to the room. I remember being spaced out with some strong pain meds. I was able to put on the post surgery bra early and that was a good feeling, so much support in that bra. It was a relief to know this part was completed. Thanks to the resources and experiences of others in this network I felt like I was well prepared for hospital. The morning after I saw the breast care physio and the breast care nurse, both whom gave me some great advice and answered my questions about the immedia…242ViewsSign in to react to this post8CommentsDbl or single masectomy? public health
Hi, ive been diagnosed with dcis in left breast Aug 2026, but breast specialist says likely invasive too as its large, will need masectomy and probably need radiotherapy after too. Right has shown something of concern but cant get in for a biopsi via mri for 2 weeks but need to make decision asap as they want left off. Do i get left off and wait for right biopsi results, or get both off now? If i get right off without mri they say unlikely to get sentinol node biopsi done too yet i saw a private reconstruction specialist who has recomended both the sentinol nodes to be biopsied during bi lat masectomy and has helped inform my decison for a dble masectomy in terms of reconstruction outcomes, individual risk factors etc. I know if the results come back invasive cancer in right it will be hard to do biopsi of sentinol node and likely need all nodes stripped which can lead to lymphodema and those issues. Amyone else have any ideas? Public system challenges?54ViewsSign in to react to this post0CommentsNervous and scared before my surgery tomorrow
Hi all, so my surgery is tomorrow. Ever since I've been diagnosed I wanted surgery ASAP, and it's here. Horror feelings are back: fear, despair, anger, confusion, just a mess. I had surgeries before (not breast) so I know what to expect, but this one hits different. It's a reminder of my diagnosis and my new life. Off course, my mind goes past surgery all the way to the treatment, radiation, and probable endocrine therapy and reading so much of bad side effects and it's scares me to the core. While I try to be brave, I have to admit I'm often falling apart and think "what ifs", and how will I deal with all this, how will I get through it. So much to deal with... 😔😢213ViewsSign in to react to this post11CommentsMastectomy
Hi I was diagnosed with invasive TNBC in April 2026. I carry the BRAC2 gene. In May I had the lumpectomy removed and then I had 11 rounds of chemo. I am due to have a bilateral mastectomy this week with reconstruction. I am a little concerned about the surgery. Could you please assist with how surgery went, pain, recovery etc. Thank you . Milva206ViewsSign in to react to this post7CommentsScared of Magseed procedure
Hi all, so I need to have Magseed inserted in my breast prior to surgery and I am petrified, as I always am with procedures and needless, etc. I just don't cope well with them. I was told it's similar to needle biopsy, which I had, but that still doesn't make me feel any better. Can someone shed some light and help me relieve my anxiety as I am absolutely petrified. Thank you ❤️171ViewsSign in to react to this post5CommentsEndoscopic BC surgery available at Princess Alexandra Hospital Qld - minimally invasive
A new surgery procedure is now available in Qld - it has been used successfully previously in Asia - It is minimally invasive & usually results in a shorter recovery time. While new to Queensland, the technique is well-established and has been performed for years across Asian countries like Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore. Dr Khoo noted that its popularity there is partly due to the suitable anatomy of Asian women, who tend to have smaller breasts on average. Endoscopic Breast Cancer surgery is now available at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Qld - for suitable patients. ... “The procedure can be achieved with a 3-4 centimetre incision placed away from the breast and enables us to do a full implant or autologous reconstruction using the same incision,” Dr Khoo said. Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Brisbane has introduced an endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, marking the first time this groundbreaking keyhole surgery technique has been available in Queensland. Brought to the state by oncoplastic breast surgeon Dr Jeremy Khoo, the minimally invasive procedure has already helped five local women and is expected to benefit 250 to 300 patients annually at PAH. Key Features and Benefits Faster Recovery: Patients can typically return to normal activities within two to four weeks, compared to four to eight weeks required for traditional open surgery. [1] Shorter Hospital Stay: Shorter hospitalisations mean patients frequently spend just one to two days in the hospital. Reduced Scarring: The procedure uses a high-definition camera through a small 3–4 cm incision away from the breast, preserving cosmetic outcomes and significantly minimizing physical and emotional scarring. Immediate Reconstruction: The approach combines the mastectomy with an immediate implant reconstruction. The technique will not replace conventional open breast surgery entirely. It is only suitable for selected patients, including women diagnosed with breast cancer or those at high genetic risk who opt for prophylactic risk-reducing mastectomies. https://www.metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/news/pa-hospital/queensland-first-surgical-technique-at-pah-to-benefit-breast-cancer-patients44ViewsSign in to react to this post0CommentsPost surgery help
I'm having surgery in a week and a half - double mastectomy and reconstruction. I've been advised it will be a 6 week recovery period with two weeks of not being able to drive. I'm an immigrant single parent (two kids, 9 and 12) with no family here but a strong social network. I've been mulling over how to organize help at home - what level of help have others found was needed after similar surgery? One of my siblings has offered to come and stay with us for a couple of weeks - I'm inclined to accept as I'm thinking it will be easier to have another adult with us full time rather than having to organize multiple different people who are coming and going. How long was help needed with housework etc?121ViewsSign in to react to this post2CommentsSurgical options
Hi all, I have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and I have my first meeting with the surgeon on Thursday. I know to expect surgery soon but dont know if this will be lumpectomy or mastectomy. I know that this will be one of the things to discuss on Thursday but I am curious if there is a 'choice' - in a sense part of me just wants to be told which option but I wondered if anyone here made a decision one way or the other and how they felt about that? How long do you get to make any decisions if a choice is available? Am also put this query in the recently diagnosed thread as I have not posted before and not sure which is better for this. Thanks for any thoughts.167ViewsSign in to react to this post5CommentsAnother Re-Excision or Mastectomy?
Note: this is all behind me now and I feel great. I had four surgeries in the end, the last being a mastectomy. Recovery was pretty easy and I now have my external prosthesis, and noone would even know! Well, here I go again. I was diagnosed with DCIS in December. It has been a long path, but I eventually had a double lumpectomy on my right breast on 26 March 2026. A week later I was told that although they got clear margins, three of the margins on my largest lesion (4 cm) were less than 1mm. So, I had a re-excision on 15 April to get wider margins. I saw the surgeon this morning, who told me they found more disease and the new margins are still less than 1mm in two places. I have to have more surgery next Wednesday but have to decide (by Friday) whether to have another re-excision (and my breast will be starting to look a bit sad after that) or go straight to a mastectomy. She said it was quite feasible to try a re-excision again, to preserve the breast if I want to, but if they still find disease or don't get good clearances, then I have no choice but to have a mastectomy. If I have the re-excision, I have to have radiation treatment for 3 weeks, 5 days a week afterwards. If I have a mastectomy, then it's all done. No radiation and no lymph node involvement. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do / or want to share your story if you've had a similar experience? I know it's my decision, but your advice is appreciated, thank you.828ViewsSign in to react to this post26CommentsNeck dissection
Hi all, I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer in Oct 2024 involving the left breast, skin and lymph nodes, I was 46. My cancer is hormone positive, progesterone negative and HER2 positive. In terms of treatment, I’ve had the following; Chemo (Taxol, AC (red devil) and Kadcyla) Full cycle of Herceptin Left mastectomy and full lymph clearance Radiotherapy Letrozole for 3mths, changed to Anastrozole almost 6mths now Zoledex for 6 mths Bilateral Oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries and tubes) Zoledronic Acid every 6mths 3 weeks ago I found I lump in my neck and yes after only 13mths of being cancer free my cancer is now metastatic with multiple tumours above my collarbone and neck. We are from Broken Hill so travel to Adelaide for treatments. Since discovering the new tumours, I’ve had the right breast removed and am now back on chemo but different protocol. I am now stage 4 with no hope of a cure. My breast surgeon advised that surgery would not be an option. The issue that I have is that because 1 of the tumours was already part of the original radiated area from last years treatment, my are not able to provide a meaningful dose of radiation. Whilst having the discussion with my radiation oncologist, she said “what about surgery?” We had the discussion that surgery wasn’t an option etc however she went on to say, “yes not for a breast cancer surgeons but other surgeons would be able to do these types of surgeries all the time” and she goes on to name types of surgeons that could perform surgeries on the head and neck. She takes it up with the rest of my team the following day at the weekly MDT meetings and when I had my next meeting with my oncologist he tells me it’s a viable option and that he has referred me to 2 surgeons who are able to perform the surgery. This was last Thursday 27th Aug. I then met with the 2 surgeons last Thursday who went through the whole procedure, explained that although they do this type of surgery (left neck dissection with clearance) it’s not done for Breast Cancer as it’s not often BC spreads to the neck etc. Because of the aggressive nature of Inflammatory Breast Cancer they want to do these types surgery asap to prevent further spread to the head, so I was given a date of early October. I am very apprehensive about this surgery. I did sign the consent form but I am still in 2 minds. My entire team believe that the surgery will give me the best outcome of prolonging the spread of the disease and made it clear it will not be a cure. I am interested to see and hear from someone who may have had this procedure or anyone that is going through Inflammatory Breast Cancer itself. From diagnostic scans to diagnosis to treatment my entire journey has been at an incredible pace once again due to the nature of the aggressiveness of my disease. I feel overwhelmed and would appreciate hearing from someone in a similar position. Particularly i…97ViewsSign in to react to this post4CommentsSurgery tomorrow - what to expect.
My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and I don’t know what to expect. I’m a tad neuro-spicy and I get really, really anxious if I don’t know what’s happening. I’m having a lumpectomy and I’d really appreciate it if someone can give me a step by step idea of what to expect.288ViewsSign in to react to this post14Comments
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