Prep for surgery
Comments
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A good book takes your mind of things l craved lemonade lol , nice handcream l just loved that little luxury and ask if they have the free zolta cushions for under your arm they look like the travel cushions you put round your neck but they go under your boob amazing. Hopefuly the breast care nurse has rung you about your post surgery bra they are amazing. And do the exercises they give you they are invaluable. Good luck we are all wishing you well. Adean xxxx ps lm 5 years post so this will be a past memory for you one day too.1
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I was given colouring in books and took pencils, textas and a music player. Also had ebooks on my mobile phone. Was in for 6 days and everything helped relieve the boredom. Xx0
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I was in for 4.5 days and also made sure I downloaded new books to my phone. I also love logic puzzles (phone app) and I collected the Sydney Morning Heralf cryptic crossword for a few weeks. My sweet treat was a big bag of snakes! xx1
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@melclarity thank you for the link ... I just found it when browsing and I've started packing xx1
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This is a great list! I am flying through it! It's things like this that are priceless as I'm not frozen (let it go! haha!) that I can think straight. But i can collect items! The only query I still has was about my handbag and purse?0
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I took my bag and purse - they were locked in my cupboard x1
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Hi everyone,, well i had my surgery done on 31/5 on Wednesday and discharged Monday 5/6.
Went to see the dr for a follow up yesterday, the good news is that the lymp nodes of 13 removed and 8 was affected.
The bad news he tells me is that there was some scar tissue in the breast, path test was done ,turns out there is more canc..in the breast, seeing the oncologists and dr this Friday to see whats to be done, but most likely having mastectomy now per dr.......crap that was not what I expected. A body scan was done to check if it had spread....all good
I will be "lop sided", i am being advised to have the other removed to save myself any headache later on(by friends) Has anyone gone this road? ???0 -
Hulos, sorry the news wasn't good. I'm doing chemo first to shrink down the tumour but i only have two more ac to go then surgery. My tumor is still large in comparison to my small breast size and i cannot see it being a lumpectomy like we were aiming for. I think regardless I'm going to opt for mastectomy to avoid further surgery. I'm already scared just thinking about it.0
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I am going through the same decision process, Hulos, as after my lumpectomy the pathology was worse too.
Various friends tell me to get the other one off to prevent worrying about it.
If I hadn't already gone through a reduction on the good side, I think I would just have got them both off after the pathology showed that the mammograms and ultrasounds had not picked up the extent of my cancer.
I am thinking of having an MRI to check the good breast and then make my decision.
It is hard to decide.
I don't like the idea of being lopsided.
Such a personal decision, just go with your gut feeling.0 -
@hulos It is such an individual decision, one thing Ive learnt after 6yrs and been through it twice is, I'd never opt for a biopsy again, as only surgery gives a correct pathology. I had a 2nd major lumpectomy in 2015 to remove my 2.5cm tumor Grade 3 Stage 2 ER+. As I had a recurrence, once I finished Chemo in December 2015 both my Surgeon and Oncologist said to think about a Mastectomy just in case it came back again. So it took me a year to think about it LOL, I'm actually 2 years clear now, but I did have a single mastectomy/diep flap reconstruction done in February this year. I don't feel like I lost a breast at all as its still my tissue, just my tummy LOL and most of the breast skin, lost the nipple but I was amazed how the panic I had prior dissipated after. As far as taking my right off, NOPE, I did genetic testing and it was negative, they said the odds on my diagnosis of it in the right was random as much as the normal population. So I figured why get rid of something that's not broken I guess. My pathology of course of mastectomy was perfect, so realistically? I got rid of a perfectly good boob. It's a tough one, its so INDIVIDUAL honestly, its what you want, nobody else. I had heaps say to me get them both off like it was a sore toenail...ummm piss off!!! usually people who have no clue of the complexity of it. So I learnt to be true to me, and do what I wanted to do. Of course be guided by your specialists and their recommendations, I did and have followed what they wanted and their happy too in that they didnt feel it necessary to take my right side.So I'm healthy, getting on with life as best I can with side effects and changed quality of life. Its super personal, if it gives you more peace of mind to do the double, honestly do it. Hugs Melinda2
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@hulos, I'm with @melclarity on it being an entirely personal decision weather to opt for a single or double mastectomy. I was diagnosed with stage 3, grade 3 triple positive BC in Dec 2016 and am almost through 6 months of Chemo, AC and now Taxol ( 1 more to go ). My tumour had to be shrunk so that I could have surgery and like you I am now weighing up what that may look like. When I mentioned that perhaps I might opt for a double mastectomy my Oncologist couldn't understand why I might be considering that as an option. Her reasoning was I don't have the BRACA gene, each breast is a separate entity and there is as Mel said just as much chance as it coming back in the remaining breast as the next person. I get the thought of you feeling lopsided if you only opt for a single but there's always a 'lift' for the other side available. I am continuing to research and discuss my options and will in the end be guided by my specialists but will ultimately do what is right for me. My Mum had a single mastectomy 20 years ago and has not looked back, but then I have a close girlfriend who opted for a double mastectomy even though her BC was early stage. This is an entirely personal choice and I figure the only right answer is the one that is right for you.1
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Sorry there should be a disclaimer for posts from those of us that have chemo brain. I meant to add that I am considering reconstruction at some stage through this process and that my Mum never felt the need to have reconstruction and has been more than happy with a prosthesis. She is a fit and active person and it has never stopped her doing any of the things she loves nor can you tell by looking at her. Again purely personal choice2
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Hi @Hulos, Similar story for me as @melclarity and @Kat09. I had a left nipple sparing mastectomy last August. My cancer was small (100% ER/PR) but so are my breasts so I had much more peace of mind with a mastectomy than a lumpectomy. As my lymph nodes were clear I was lucky enough to avoid radiation and chemo. My GP recommended I have an MRI to check that the other breast was completely healthy, which it was. So I had peace of mind in only having the one breast removed. My surgeon explained that I would have the same risk as the general population in getting cancer in my right breast, 7% I think. But, because I am taking Arimidex to block my hormones that risk reduces to around 2-3%.
All our situations are different It has to be right for you. You need to be able to sleep at night and be happy with your choice. Sending my best wishes to you and all the ladies making a similar decision. Jane xx3 -
I have to agree with @Hopes_and_Dreams very similar situation to mine, and I have to say Jane...in hindsight in 2011 at first diagnosis I wish I had of had the single mastectomy then, as I would have avoided the recurrence and Chemo. My Mum also had a single mastectomy at 40 and NO TREATMENT and was fine for 26 years, she passed away unrelated they said. @kat09 also I can relate to your situation, I'm lucky I guess in that it was the mastectomy/diep recon in 1 hit, so I havent had the lopsided issue, and in the coming months I get to have my revision surgery, where they fix the reconstruction a little more add a nipple and do a lift of my right breast to match, this is all a part of the reconstruction, the lift is. I'll post in reconstruction when I have the revision done to see the difference, but Im so happy so far. x1
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Thought you might like this previous discussion link.
http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/16239/decision-time-bilateral-mastectomy-with-recon-or-radiotherapy
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