Saying Hi

Maxymoo

I was diagnosed in February with 4cm Er+Pr+ tumour in my left breast, it was a weird shape with a smaller mass but these longer spikes that make it such as larger circumference. I live in the inner west of Sydney.

It took quiet a while for my treatment to get organised and I had surgery, a wide local excision in April and 13 axilla nodes removed with two positive. I then had a subsequent surgery for margins two weeks later in May. They have got all the cancer and managed to save my breast with a lumpectomy. I'll have to say while it took a while to get the surgery, they did an excellent job and it looks great, just a little smaller than the right breast although it was a complicated surgery and took a while to heal.

I am now 1/4 of they way through 4 rounds of TC chemo over 12 weeks. I then have to have 5 weeks of radiotherapy and hormone treatment.

I have been feeling pretty good till now but am getting weary with the thought of the length of the treatment involved and am starting to feel quiet anxious with the Sydney Covid lockdown thing.

I'm looking for support and words of wisdom from you amazing women who are at different stages of the same journey.

arpie

Welcome @Maxymoo  ..... all the best for your chemo (I was lucky & dodged the chemo bullet - I just had surgery, rads & tabs ....)  That is terrific that you have clear margins & are happy with the result of your surgery.  

Try not to 'overthink stuff' .... your team has set you on the best path for recovery xx. If you get sad or worried about stuff, definitely ask for help and chat with someone about it!

If there is anything that we can help you with - just ask!!   We have some 'fun posts' as well as the more serious ones .... if you want a bit of a laugh, check them out
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-our-new-members#latest

All the best xx

MicheleR

Hi @Maxymoo,

I had chemo and radiotherapy. I know what you mean. I found it as much a mental game as physical. I ended up crossing each week off a calendar and had a vision for what id do at the end. That helped me deal with the length. 

I also kept my hands busy when physically i felt yuck. To keep my mind occupied.

I had a different regime. If yours are 3 weekly do you get a week where you feel sortof alright? Maybe you can plan treats in that week to look forward to. 

Radiotherapy is quite different to chemo and requires stamina in a different way (lots of appts).  But by the time you get to it youve already done chemo and you will be closer to the end. 

Both are doable. You will get there and at the end you will bounce back somewhat. I felt a great sense of achievement at the end. I did the mothersday classic 2 months out of active treatment and that felt really good. 

Biggest hugs x

June1952

Welcome to the site @Maxymoo, to a club none of us ever thought we'd join.
The best advice is to take things one step at a time, not looking too far ahead.
When things get tough, just come on here as there is almost always someone on with whom you can chat or vent. 
You are in our thoughts  💖

Jwrenn

Hi @Maxymoo . I had a lumpectomy in February last year then had radiation through our lockdown. That was interesting, couldn’t use the change rooms, had to undress in front of the staff in the room. 1st time it was a guy, but they see it all when they’re doing the treatment anyway so you need to get over being embarrassed. I did get tired by the end of the treatment but it soon disappeared. Good luck with the rest of your chemo. Xx

Locksley

Hi @Maxymoo sorry to see you here.  Chemo gets easier you will get through it.  Be kind to yourself.  Lots of ladies here have wonderful advice.

Mazbeth

Hi @Maxymoo, sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but you have come to the right place to connect with people who know what you are going through. I did chemo during the start of Covid, before my surgery and I do remember thinking that the mountain I had to climb seemed just too huge, I was overwhelmed. It is completely understandable that you are feeling tired and struggling to see the finish line. That’s where we come in to cheer you on!

You have tackled a huge part of your treatment already and you are a quarter the way through chemo - you are doing this! The fatigue and exhaustion can be next level, so rest when you can. It’s hard to believe, but this is all going to be done very soon. I agree with @MicheleR, the calendar is an excellent idea - I used a big red marker to put the cross on each time I had a treatment. I know it’s hard, but if you can try and get out for a stroll, I found that helpful.

Definitely plan something special to mark the end of each milestone, something to look forward to. Don’t wait until all the treatment is done, celebrate each achievement. At the halfway mark, treat yourself and then again at the seventy-five percent because these are fantastic achievements. COVID adds a whole other level of complexity, but just take it one day at a time, try not to think of the whole treatment, just focus on now and also just how far you have come. 

It has been said here before and it was said to me and it is so true. ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’ I was absolutely knackered by the end of chemo, but I can also tell you that I recovered pretty quickly once it stopped. Hang in there, you can do it - you are doing it. X

Cath62

Good luck with your treatment @Maxymoo. You can do it one day at a time, week by week, treatment by treatment. Celebrate finishing each treatment. Be kind to yourself and do all the good things you can during treatment. I had chemo during a lockdown last year. It was a bit lonely as I couldn't bring my support person during that time. I got through it in the end. My treatment was surgery  chemo, radium, more surgery and hormone treatment for 5 yrs. I finished my active treatment at the end of Oct 2020. Started tamoxifen in November 2020. Exercise helped me through all my treatment and I still do it. The other thing that helped was this site. People here are just great. We all have those moments so reach out anytime. Best wishes 🌷